Freezing the upgrades

Yeah, analog, no upgrades to digital!

I vow not to upgrade...  sorry, I haven't reached that point!

We are at 4.3.  I have one Remote that is a 5.0.  My wife, Connie, really wants the 5.0 WIFI.  Mike Wolf himself demonstrated it to her one day at Mr. Muffin's train shop.  She wants to use her phone--no more rolling wheel.

I'm kind of torn but if I buy another TIU, it will be the newest latest greatest with the WIFI.

You really want all the TIU's and remotes at the same version, you'll avoid a lot of oddball issues that way.

If you want the trains to run better, I always install the latest upgrade.

Kerrigan posted:

After literally years of fighting with system software upgrades of DCS, we FINALLY got the layout to operate in an acceptably reliable manner with the "final" upgrade to 4.3 we decided to freeze the technology at the current release.

No more "upgrades" of software, just locomotives from Proto to Proto3 once in a while.

Not having any Legacy locomotives, and no plans to buy more locomotives (yeah, right she says,) we're content with the ole Cab 1 Big Red Wheel.  

Anyone else reached this point?

I for one never plan to reach that point.  The medical profession has long pushed that we need to keep our brains busy and challenged.  What better way to do that than to try and get command control to reliably work  Besides, I like all the new electronics that makes out trains run more realistically.   Challenging and, yes, frustrating at times  Now back to trying to get that @$%^# switch to work.

Boy, after taking on all the upgrades I do, and the challenges each one presents, that should mean I'll live to what, about 150?

I've stopped at TMCC. I have the Legacy Lite system, but have never installed it. My CAB-1's are fine and what TMCC does is all that I ever want a locomotive to do. I have 2 or 3 Legacy locos and they like my TMCC just fine. Wisdom consists of many things, among them knowing when you've achieved what you like, and when not to chase someone else's dreams.

I like to drive - my car even has a 6-speed manual - so you can see why much of the automation falls on infertile ground with me. 

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"What better way to do that than to try and get command control to reliably work"

My TMCC works reliably, always has, and has done so for nearly 20 years.  

BTW, I install ERR kits regularly - there's a project on the workbench right now - but all I want a loco to do is run smoothly, obey commands and be reliable. They do those things. I have even started skipping Railsounds installations, here and there. A brass loco running smoothly and quietly can be nice.

As stated above, those of you who have mixed versions of DCS should get them all on the same version. If you don't, well, you've been warned!  

Oh, by the way, a new version of DCS will be coming soon with the Premium version of the WiFi app. If it's out by the time of the DCS User Group Meeting, we'll be using it to do complimentary upgrades.

That's not even the big user group meeting news - read the meeting thread for an exciting news flash!  

Well, I dunn'o. I've been a heavy computer user since the things first moved out of the universities and business offices into the home. "Updating" all too frequently is accompanied by a visit from that most reviled of miltary officers, Major Payne!

I have not updated either my DCS, nor my Legacy system. They seem fine.

I'm going to buy a new TIU when I'm ready for another upgrade. I have a first generation TIU on V5 that I upgraded through a RS-232 Express Card. I was very happy with the Express Card and then my computer died. My new computer doesn't have an Express Card slot.  I didn't think to check for that feature.

Oman, Upgrading a first generation TIU is duck soup using a USB>serial converter.  I have upgraded mine to 5.0 with no issues.  Also have used them with my 2 WIUs.

Kerrigan, I don't know why you've had issues, but using the 5.0 Loader program has made the upgrading task simple, and I've had no problems with it. 

On the other hand, if your layout is doing what you want it to do, then no reason to upgrade.  But do have all remotes and TIUs running the same version.

My point was, I'm done buying adapters. Not all USB to RS-232 work. My RS-232 Express card worked great, but now I have a computer that doesn't accept an Express card. Anyway, the DCS experts recommend discarding first generation TIUs.

My TIU and remote are V5.

I am not aware of any real experts suggesting that Rev G's be discarded so long as they work.  I use mine on the bench regularly, and they often replace later model TIUs on the layout.

I am in the 'upgrade as soon as it's available' camp. I like the latest features and electronics and whatever else they can think of adding. Only problem I have had so far was with one serial to USB cable that wouldn't work with my DCS, but worked just fine with my Legacy system (as Oman stated above). Fortunately, I have a Rev L TIU and now have the proper USB cable, so that is no longer a problem. I have never had a problem with the upgrade itself causing any problems.

John C. posted:

We are at 4.3.  I have one Remote that is a 5.0.  My wife, Connie, really wants the 5.0 WIFI.  Mike Wolf himself demonstrated it to her one day at Mr. Muffin's train shop.  She wants to use her phone--no more rolling wheel.

I'm kind of torn but if I buy another TIU, it will be the newest latest greatest with the WIFI.

I'm old school and don't WiFi ... heck, my phone is so dumb it receives calls and let's me make calls and that's all.  I like simple because it's usually reliable and a lot less trouble.  Still watch VHS tapes once in a while ... ;-)  No TV cable, don't even watch networks.  Just use the TV for movies.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

You really want all the TIU's and remotes at the same version, you'll avoid a lot of oddball issues that way.

I think everything is at 4.3 .... at least it all works well ... finally ... after it taking me literally years to get a handle on how it works, and what doesn't, on the CL&W ... which seems to be weird and unusual in it's functioning in violation of a lot of the "rules".  Don[t do wireless or Ipads so no need for that release.

By the by, went to a large layout this past weekend where all the power drops to the rail are 18ga bellwire and it all works great ... it is a conventional layout mainly but he does run TMCC and DCS.  Wire to switches?  Would you believe very thin old phone wire of some kind.  Works great on the old Lionel switches.

Talking with the gang at the meet the interesting comment was all the old Lionel lockon technology used very thin bell-like wire to go from transformer to lockon.

Oman posted:

My point was, I'm done buying adapters. Not all USB to RS-232 work. My RS-232 Express card worked great, but now I have a computer that doesn't accept an Express card. Anyway, the DCS experts recommend discarding first generation TIUs.

My TIU and remote are V5.

Part of my ongoing difficulty with upgrade was sticking with my older PC with WIN7 and refusing to have to buy a newer PC etc just to do upgrades to a toy train system, or trying to force my old PC to accept an upgrade to a newer version of Windows Junk, while it works just fine for everything else I do albeit a little slowly sometimes on the Internet.  But what the heck; I have the time being retired :-)

FWIW, my older" PC with WIN7 and a USB>serial adapter has no problem with upgrades.   In fact, I have used them with an old netbook that is unbelievably slow.

Very easy to do.

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

If you want the trains to run better, I always install the latest upgrade.

I'm with Marty and RTR12.  I did have to install the MTH-linked USB driver the first time I upgrade a Rev. L TIU, but smooth sailing since.  I usually wait on major software upgrades until the kinks get ironed out, (IE, anything in Windows).  I've not had such hassles with DCS upgrades.