Wondering if there are various hardware revisions to the #990 base and/or remote, similar to the way the MTH DCS TIU has multiple revisions, or the DCS remote having two different types of thumbs wheels?
I'm getting a used legacy #990 kit, assuming a later issue as it comes with a 1.5 manual, 2 blue modules and a black writable module. Browsing the various manual versions I noticed early legacy kits came with blue modules and steam/diesel tan modules and recommended buying a black module.
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@Rod M. posted:Wondering if there are various hardware revisions to the #990 base and/or remote, similar to the way the MTH DCS TIU has multiple revisions, or the DCS remote having two different types of thumbs wheels?
I'm getting a used legacy #990 kit, assuming a later issue as it comes with a 1.5 manual, 2 blue modules and a black writable module. Browsing the various manual versions I noticed early legacy kits came with blue modules and steam/diesel tan modules and recommended buying a black module.
Lionel stopped putting the tan modules in the Legacy systems. Not sure if it was a cost saving or if they realized they were pretty useless. I'm not aware of any official hardware revisions other than a beefed up charging circuit in later releases.
@Rod M. posted:Browsing the various manual versions I noticed early legacy kits came with blue modules and steam/diesel tan modules and recommended buying a black module.
If you have blue modules, you have a source of black modules.
Just received my legacy set. It's version 1.52.
I want to upgrade the base and cab2. I have options, or at least I think I do.
I do not have lcs, so wifi upgrade isn't available.
I do have a wiu, and a USB to serial cable to connect my wiu, to my tiu. Will this cable allow me to use my laptop that has no serial port, to use a USB port and this cable and the Lionel utility app, and upgrade my base?
Or should I just use my old windows xp PC with a serial port, and the legacy supplied serial cable?
@Rod M. posted:Or should I just use my old windows xp PC with a serial port, and the legacy supplied serial cable?
There you go, K.I.S.S. Don't make this any more complicated than it is. 
Hmmm, now to see if the Lionel utility is xp compatible
@Rod M. posted:Hmmm, now to see if the Lionel utility is xp compatible
Yes it is.
@MartyE posted:Yes it is.
Good to know!
Upgraded from 1.52 to 1.60\1.74. Decided to try laptop with usb to serial under windows 11, worked flawlessly. It was easier and quicker to try this as opposed to burning a CD with LSU for the old PIII 550, plus getting the old girl plugged in and setup. Was pleasantly surprised that under the properties of that USB serial cable, I was able to chose whatever com port I wanted to assign it. It defaulted to 3 and LSU had no issues with it.
@Rod M. posted:Upgraded from 1.52 to 1.60\1.74. Decided to try laptop with usb to serial under windows 11, worked flawlessly.
If you had mentioned you had that laptop, I'd have probably recommended that as well. There are many USB<->Serial cables that will work, but there are some that fail as well.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:... but there are some that fail as well.
I have one of these. Have tried many download sites for a driver that works on a year or so old laptop running 11. None of the attempts worked. I also have a 10y/o laptop which will work just fine once I wait the 15 minutes for it to boot up. 🤨 I think it's a RadioShack product.
I had one that didn't work properly when I was using it for TIU upgrades. I actually don't remember the brand as I trashed it and bought an IOGEAR one that worked fine for the TIU and Legacy upgrades.
I then got a serial port board for my computer, best solution for me. I like using the serial port over the USB direct connect to the TIU for one reason. I can leave the serial port plugged in, and my workbench TIU won't interfere with the layout unless I power up the TIU. However, if I have a USB direct connection to the workbench TIU, it stays active and causes all sorts of issues with the layout. Obviously, both TIU's are set at TIU #1, I see no reason to complicate my life having a TIU set to another number since there's no reason to have to run them at the same time.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:If you had mentioned you had that laptop, I'd have probably recommended that as well. There are many USB<->Serial cables that will work, but there are some that fail as well.
🤣 I did mention laptop when I mentioned the cable
@Rod M. posted:🤣 I did mention laptop when I mentioned the cable
You're right, I got lost in all the TIU cables, etc., that's when my mind went blank. 
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