Lost the ability to lash-up using DCS

Try a feature reset of both engines.

If no luck, delete both engines from the remote and re-add them again.

Good luck.   Joe  

Thanks Joe but I have everything from track signal to clearing the hand held and setting the TIU and Hand held to the same #3 setting. Feature, factory, etc. NO dice. 

Try switching to DCC.  No "Check Track" "Engine not on track" "Out of RF Range" errors, plus you can run engines from other brands besides MTH.  Personally I prefer the NCE PowerCab and ProCab systems.

And if you operate your DCC system in 128 step mode the speed steps on MTH engines are in scale miles per hour, just like DCS.

Stuart

Stuart posted:

Try switching to DCC. 

Really?   How about a helpful answer?  I suspect if he wanted to run this on DCC he would have already switched.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Stuart posted:

Try switching to DCC. 

Really?   How about a helpful answer?  I suspect if he wanted to run this on DCC he would have already switched.

I felt that was a helpful answer.  DCC doesn't have the problems that DCS has such as no "Check Track" "Engine not on track" "Out of RF Range" errors, plus you can run engines from other brands besides MTH.  Also, if MTH discontinues DCS you will ho no support, while if one DCC manufacturer goes out of buess you still have several others whose systems will run your trains.

Stuart

Stuart: G R John is right. I do have a NCE system for one HO engine but having 14 MTH engines and only about half will run on DCC  doesn't help but thanks anyway. What I need is WHY can't I lash up on DCS. ::????  It did before and won't now. 

John Y. posted:

   

     I am thinking I may have hit a soft key that shuts down the ability to lash??? As I try and stay away from the soft keys because with this whole system, those keys drive me nuts. Other then that, every thing is as it was. Thanking you in advance for your help.     John Y.

     

I'm not aware of any softkey that shuts down consisting (lash-ups). What exactly did you press?

Do the engines run properly by themselves?

On the layout as well? Did you change any wiring to cause the issues?

sounds like there's a communication problem between the remote, TIU, and the engines. There's either no reply, or a wrong one.

Is your TIU set to address #1? Is it listed as #1 in the remote?

BTW you can move the softkeys around to any position you prefer. So if there's some you don't like, move them down the list and out of view. You would reach them later by using the "more" softkey.

 I arrange all the softkeys for better running experience. Our grandson plays with them constantly.

Using the app, they are in order automatically.

ENGINEER-JOE  Thanks for the help but every thing runs as before.  Hand held and TIU mach on #3. both are and were checked and are ok. All engines run and answer all camands. It's all good. But will let me go through the program to lash up right up to naming the lash up. Then it's a no go. ????? it's really frustrating.  Sorry it took so long to answer . The holidays put it up and take it down. Talking about the bride's stuff on every flat spot in the house .   lol. 

The reasons you get messages from DCS like posted above, is that the system is two way. It talks to the engines and expects the correct replies back. When it doesn't get the correct response, it will post some type of generic message that is just a way of saying something is wrong. Anytime you get messages doesn't mean the system needs to be abandoned. Figuring out why you got the message can take some full understanding of how it works.

 To help fully, we need more info. It's hard to say why things aren't right without knowing what you have.

 So it's the full DCS system right? TIU and DCS remote?  I did read that above. Just making sure we're not talking about the DCS app. I'm wondering why the equipment is set to address #3 and not #1?

What versions of DCS software is in all MTH command pieces? I would suggest DCS 6.1 in all to work correctly.

At the end of creating a lash up, the system sets the engines and must not be getting desired responses. Even if it's just one engine, it kills the process. Sounds like at least one engine isn't right. If it's PS2, it could even be a dead battery. I'm thinking you have all PS3 engines with DCC/DCS right?

Can you try this lash up build with the remote tethered to the TIU with a 4 wire phone handset cord?

Can you try this with just 2 MTH engines to keep it simple on a spare piece of test track. Disconnect the whole layout from the TIU so that nothing else is powered.

 How are you powering the TIU?

Its' a HO layout. No batteries. The Hand held is 6.01  the TIU is set to blink 3 times as per Barry's book and a MTH tec. All is set right and has run flawlessly  before and just quit lashing up. I am besides my self and  the other me is just as confused?? 

You have the polarity and all the TIU jacks wired up correctly?

I just read a post where the poster had swapped out the ins and outs by accident. It actually worked somewhat but wouldn't control certain engines.

We sometimes unhook the TIU for software updates and don't get it back perfectly correct.

Still try with a test track.

Have you changed anything at all?

I'm grasping at straws here!

usually when your layout works fine and then all of a sudden it stops working or acts up you need to think of the last think you changed or modified, even a tiu upgrade and remote upgrade could affect your system . especially if you took tiu out of system and upgraded and then put back did you connect it correctly when you reinstalled tiu !

Why is your TIU set to address 3? Are you using other TIU's? Do you have another TIU or can you change the address to 1? Have you done a track read? Do you have multiple remotes.

I like running lashups & honestly never remember which is which. Since DCS appoints the address for a new engine or lashup where there is an opening in the numerical order on the remote of your engine roster, you might have an overlap with an engine or lashup having the same address. Do you start off doing a track read?

I recently updated all my remotes & TIU's to VER 6.1 & since I have multiple TIU's I thought it made sense to address them differently (1 to 3) even though I only use one at a time. One is on my main layout, one is on a test/set-up track & a third is on my Xmas layout. I had signal issues (OUT OF RF RANGE, etc.) on TIU 2 & TIU 3. When I changed the address on 2 & 3 to address 1, the issues went away. I now have all my TIU's as address 1 & since they are never used at the same time, no more problems. In the process I deleted all my engines & lashups, a bit of a hassle but in nearly 20 years & many engines later I would get conflicts adding new engines when I switched back & forth with my remotes.  I started re-adding my engines into my remotes & in the process I'm creating a list of engines as well as detailed lash-ups list (Head engine, forward, middle reverse, etc.). It sounds like a lot of work but I'm forcing myself to be more organized especially with the lashups since I switch engines & order frequently.

Joe

I haven't read all the posts. Are you entering the "Done" command at the end? IIRC that is required.

Since MTH drops the Grade Crossing Warning on lashups we don't make them any more.

Any update?

Guess he figured it out.