Magic Capacitor for MTH Functions?

There is no such "capacitor" that can do that.

There was a company (cant remember the name) that made a add-on board that allowed TMCC control of MTH PS-1 locomotives. They are no longer in business.

A CAB-1+base with a TPC300/400 can give you conventional control of PS-2 locomotives with access to some of the features you mentioned. But its still only conventional control.

Just some info on PS-1, it was a sound system basically with electrically operated couplers, NO command control features in PS-1. You can use almost any transformer with a PS-1 engine.

Lee Fritz

Interesting.  I have a few PS-1 engines I run on my layout using a modern ZW, power masters and CAB-1 with TMCC to run my layout.  I run my conventional engines on one of the tracks using the CAB-1 to control track voltage and send the direction change, bell, whistle signals.

I have no problem running my MTH PS-1 engines with the CAB-1 and power master or modern ZW.  The bell and whistle function, I can arm and fire the coupler, and activate the PSA sounds.  My models are later PS-1.  My understand is that early PS-1 1993/4 may have had issues, but this was corrected.  I never heard the MTH asked for the system to shutdown on chopped wave, quite the opposite.  QSI and MTH modified the boards to support chopped wave.

What I recently found is that the K-line 120W power supply (Power Chief) which is modeled after the CW-80 not only runs the PS-1 but can control the PS-2 engines in conventional.  I can fire couplers and activate functions with the bell and whistle combo.  My CAB-1 can't do that for PS-2.

Pete, what year are your MTH PS-1 enignes from?  G

If I recall correctly, this forum no longer erases threads that haven't seen updates in 90 days, so this story should remain accessible to be quoted well into the future

Maybe edit the post to add a unique keyword so the next time this story needs to be told, it can be searched and linked to with a minimum of effort. I did that (well, minus the 'unique keyword' part) with a "DCS/TMCC for the newbie"-type post that contained a similar quantity of text, and was able point new users to it a couple of times afterward.

Come to think of it, I should look up the "PS-1 problem" thread where the chip swapping technique was unearthed, and see if I made a post there to tag for similar use

---PCJ

It certainly is an interesting story and I can't prove or disprove what you say, but I don't think you can talk to intent of QSI and MTH either.

From the literature I have read, especially QSI (earliest manuals for their systems and the history on the web) they recognized the issues caused by chopped sign wave on the components they had on their boards and modified the boards to be more robust and work with chopped wave.  Infact some of their systems could select and or automatically detect the type of transformer.  QSI created their system when there where 1000 pure wave Post war transformers to every 1 new solid state transformer.  They were trying to meet a need for the 80s crowd who operated trains on Post War Transformers.

As a tech who has specialized in the MTH PS-1 line I have never seen a PS-1 engine that runs but without sound just because it is on chopped wave.  Now if you are talking about QSI units from the late 80s early 90 that may be true.  But even the 93, 94, 95 MTH stuff will generate sounds on Chopped wave, you just have problems getting them out of reset.  I guess I just don't think your story with intent to disable the units on Chopped wave makes sense with what I have seen or how my first generation Cab-1 and Power Master work with my MTH stuff.

The story line I hear is that the conventional command control that QSI buit into their later systems to allow control of multiple trains on the same track via a series of bell and whistle sounds is what MTH did not want in their line.  They were working on DCS and of course Lionel came out with TMCC.  QSI's idea was fantastic, just too late since radio control was now becoming available.  G