Help! Can't get MTH Railking Protosound 2 Protocoupler to Fire

Hi the engine is a 30-1348-1 it is a PS 2 3- volt board which were very good boards I would suggest you do a feature and factory reset and then add engine to DCS again that generally will reset the feature and factory reset and restore the coupler and all lighting and smoke features as long as the board is good!

Alan

Nothing wrong with the engine. This is simply not sending the correct timing or sequence to fire the coupler. Running in conventional has challenges.

@M. Tyler posted:

OK...here's my problem - the instructions say that to fire the PS2 Protocoupler, quickly press the Bell button followed by 3 quick presses of the Horn button, approximately 1/2 second apart.  And I'm doing exactly that, but...  I press the Bell button quickly, and no bell, so so-far-so-good, but no matter how quickly I press the Horn button, the Horn sounds each time I press it and the coupler will not fire. Am I the problem?  Is the Z-1000 the problem (it works fine with all my PS1 locos, but the PS1 Protocoupler firing process is totally different from PS2)?  Or is the loco the problem?

Again, you are not getting the timing right on the second portion of that, thus it's NEVER detecting it as a command vs normal horn button presses. You must not get the sound in order for this to work. Keep trying!!! You have to rapidly tap the buttons- not hold them for too long.

The MTH Z1000 is a capable transformer and should be possible to send the correct sequence using this transformer.

Just one simple check- you do have the red post to of the Z1000 to center rail and black to outside right? Otherwise that would reverse bell and whistle buttons. Just making sure since you are new.

One more test. Turn the sound down all the way and listen for a buzz when the coupler is supposed to open. If no buzz its an open coil or its not getting the pulse. If you do hear a buzz and the coupler is not opening its a broken spring in the knuckle. New springs and rivets are pennies.

Pete

Thanks for the replies.  To repeat - I am NOT running DCS and have no plans to ever run DCS; I have no DCS equipment.  I am only running conventional with a Z-1000.  While answers that reference DCS might be useful to others, they don't apply to my situation.

The red and black wires are the correct way around because when I press the Bell button to sound the Bell, the Bell sounds, and when I press the Horn button, the Horn sounds.

I'm not even getting as far as "buzz" part when the coupler is supposed to open because the I can't get the Horn to stop sounding each time when I tap the Horn button.  And I've tried all types of variations on the tap - as quick and as light as I can be - and the Horn still sounds.  Is is possible to have a Z-1000 that has a Horn button with a "hair-trigger"?

Thanks again for the responses!

If you have another transformer, try using it. If not take a video of your technique, and post it.

@M. Tyler posted:

The red and black wires are the correct way around because when I press the Bell button to sound the Bell, the Bell sounds, and when I press the Horn button, the Horn sounds. Good.

I'm not even getting as far as "buzz" part when the coupler is supposed to open because the I can't get the Horn to stop sounding each time when I tap the Horn button.  And I've tried all types of variations on the tap - as quick and as light as I can be - and the Horn still sounds.  Is is possible to have a Z-1000 that has a Horn button with a "hair-trigger"?

Thanks again for the responses!

You aren't going to get the buzz until you send the right sequence timing for the board to detect it as the command. When it detects that command, it then ALSO plays the uncouple sequence sound while firing the coupler. Not getting that sound? No need to diagnose the coupler- again it NEVER ATTEMPTED to fire it.

" I can't get the Horn to stop sounding each time when I tap the Horn button" Bingo- this indicates you are either pressing the horn button too long each momentary press, or so fast back to back, the board is registering that as one long horn press rather than the specific short timing required to indicate the command.

Yes, this is a skill- it's hard to explain it just typing in a forum.

"Is is possible to have a Z-1000 that has a Horn button with a "hair-trigger"?" Unlikely. If it works as a horn it works. The Z1000 is not microprocessor controlled, it is basically analog so the button presses are as near real time as possible.

Again, the MP3 sound below is what plays when the board acknowledges a proper coupler command sequence. Until you hear this sound- you still failed to send the command.

Edit, I was one clip off, now updated to correct MP3 clip from a sound file.

Sorry for the crude video, but it shows how to activate couplers. Coupla fumbles, but you get the idea.

FWIW, just took me a bunch of tries myself, i lost count how many times I got it wrong and activated the PFA pressing too quickly. Again, it is a skill, you kind of have to learn it by practice.

When you get it you will know it.  The Coupler sounds and the firing will be heard.  G

Yeh M. Tyler.......it is just like Mark and Vernon have said.....it's awful hard to do the sequence on the bell/horn buttons, and get the right result every time on the Z1000!!!

In the end I gave up and purchased the MTH "DCS Remote Commander" system for a couple of hundred dollars (Australian). It is not the full DCS system (with all of the problems and expense attached with it), but a simple infra-red control system using a small hand-held remote....I call it my "poverty pack DCS"

I can run all of my PS2 and PS3 loco's with it, and can access most of the built-in features in these loco's. Uncoupling is such a breeze with the hand-held remote....it has a button for uncoupling, and you then decide if you want the front or the rear coupler to fire....push one button and it works every time.....and you can even uncouple on the run!!!

I keep my Z1000 to run my real finicky PS1 loco's, and everything is good in the "land down under"!!!

Peter.....Buco Australia.

M. Tyler: when I first ran MTH Protosound 1 or 2 locomotives in 2000, I had the same problem because I was pushing the buttons on the transformer (a Z-1000) too quickly. Mark Spadaro's and Vernon Barry's videos are most helpful. I mastered the timing by saying to myself "Yellow, White, White, White." In fact, I used a similar chant for the other sequences to operate other functions.

Thanks for everyone's help.  It took me (more than) a few tries, but in the end I actually ended up using the the technique suggested by Ed Erdmann, and chanted to myself "Yellow, White, White, White" and that helped me nail it.  There is definitely a specific rhythm and pace that you have to follow, but once I got it, I was set, at least most of the time!  I really appreciate everyone's help with this.  I don't have the room to run full scale O, and this Railking F7 Hudson is such a lovely beast that I'm really glad I can get its Protocoupler to work now.  I am also very intrigued by Buco's MTH Remote Commander set up.  It seems simple enough that even I could use it, and I need to look into it more.