Not a total loss. thanks

Charlie, are these in stock yet? 

In some ways, it makes sense not to offer the receiver separately -- packaging/inventory costs, etc.

But i thought the thing could control more than one Z4K

I have been watching one Ebay auction for a few days now. This evening the pricing took off beyond 160.00 and rising.

 

I am not writing to "Pick on" the bidders however I think MTH will want to continue to make these things available. Time and time again I have seen something go out of production or is dropped by a Manufacturer; resulting in secondary pricing double, triple or even higher pricing vs MSRP.

"...to properly read and understand the news you must have the ability to critical think and extrapolate from reports. i figured this out 2 minutes after seeing this story. whats scary is not what is found in it but what we might have missed.."

Just to clarify, the Reciever is the square black box. The system comes with the remote & reciever.

But i thought the thing could control more than one Z4K

yes it can as seen on the switch down on the bottom of the remote but one needs additional receivers[ black boxes] for each z4000 to control.

For those that use DCS but have their Z mounted in low access areas, they want the receiver not the remote.  G

the remote for the z4000 or the dcs system works even better if you lengthen the wire(s) between the receiver and the connector. There are about 8 or 9 wires that have to be carefully spliced in. But when you then take the lengthened receiver box and mount it high on a wall (say 2' below the ceiling), no matter where your z4000 transformer is located, the reception improves dramatically.

 

Fred Dole

The reason to offer the receiver as a separate item is that a DCS remote will operate the receiver. So, if your main use for the Z4K remote is to turn the transformer on and off in a DCS system, you don't need the remote at all. The only reason you need the handheld remote is if you don't have DCS and are using the system to control conventional operation. 

 

The other reason for separate sale is that the remotes have a reputation for poor longevity. We can hope that MTH has improved this on the new production run. 

Yes.  We control two Z4000 with one transmitter and two receivers.  I would be nice to have the option of purchasing just a receiver if one goes bad ...

 

Sorry, I did not read the original posting. MTH will be selling the two together only.

I really enjoy using the remote as I operate my MTH Locomotives in conventional mode with a Z4000 and operate Lionel, Atlas, and K-Line Locomotives in TMCC mode with the same Z4000.

 

Ed G.

Eric,

If the receivers are end of life, shouldn't there be a new component to replace the functionality?

You won't get that question answered anywhere but from MTH.

Wonder if MTH Service will repair one gone bad in the future?

I just wonted to add that I have one of these sets for when I run conventional and they are a great product.  For those with Z4K power that do not run DCS, you should get one of the Remote Commander Systems as soon as possible. You will love the freedom it gives you to roam the layout and see your trains from every angle.

Can you turn the transformer power on and off with this. I use dcs, if I get this remote commander thing, can I operate without touching the z4000? My z4000s are under the layout.

I don't think you can turn the Z4000 on, since you still have to use the ON - OFF rocker switch down on the lower front of the transformer. However, once the Z4000 is actually "ON", with this remote receiver, you can "power up" each side of the Z4000 to what ever track voltage you desire, by using your DCS hand held controller.

Mario,

Can you turn the transformer power on and off with this. 

No, however, theres a workaround.

 

I leave my 3 Z4000s under the their power switches turned on with handles at 0 all the time. All the layout power runs from the wall to a UPS, and from the UPS to an AC wall switch that's mounted in a power box that's affixed to the benchwork.

 

Power from the AC switch goes through a UPS and then to several power strips around the layout into which everything (all transformers including the 3 Z4000s, TIUs, relays, DC power for lights, etc.) is plugged.

 

One switch turns on the layout, and then I can use the DCS Remote to adjust the voltage on all 6 Z4000 handles. The Z4000 Remote Commander handheld can be used the same way.

I did what Barry did; I have a "Master Power" switch that powers a four-gang outlet with recepticals for the transformers, TMCC, DCS, and ROW Powermaster (lights/turnout motors, etc)

 

One flip and they are "on" with handles at zero.

We use exactly that same workaround to power our 4 Z-4000 at our Club layout.

To do so, we use 4 items 40-4002 commanded by our DCS Remote Control Handheld 50-1002. These 4 receivers are indispensable to our operations.

We simply do not see ourselves pulling up simultaneously 8 Z-4000 handles each time we need to power up our layout and feed the DCS watchdog signal.

Further, we are currently moving our layout to a larger premise and we expect that we will need 2 more Z-4000 plus one more TIU to feed our new layout. Consequently, we will need to buy 2 50-1033 kits (if available) including a handheld we will not need.

We will also need to buy that same kit to replace a failing Receiver with a unneeded remote.  

We think it is very short-sighted to discontinue the 40-4002 to get rid of the almost obsolete and seemingly unreliable handheld in the 40-4001 kit, all this without a projected upgraded replacement or support.

I will write to MTH to ask them to reconsider for a while.

Barry (or any other contributor), do you have a workaround to replace one of your 40-4002 should it fail?

   

 

 

 

 

Jean-Paul,

Barry (or any other contributor), do you have a workaround to replace one of your 40-4002 should it fail?

My "workaround" is that I have a couple of spare receivers!

 

 Care to share at less than 3 times the MSRP?

 

Do you have under your slieves a workaround when you become short?

 

 

Jean-Paul,

Do you have under your slieves a workaround when you become short?

I don't plan to get any shorter.  

 

Regarding running out of receivers, it's rather unlikely that any of my receivers will fail after being in service for more than 8 years. Most electronics without any moving parts typically fail in the first few months of service or not at all. The odds of three failures is very, very small.

Seriously, I think the Z-4000 Remote Commander Receiver is a very useful and important piece of Equipment for DCS network operators working with multiple Z-4000 transformers.

 

I suggest to you that you should use your influence  and contacts with MTH to ask them to reconsider the discontinuation of 40-4002, leaving us with no outcome in case of failure. You could suggest the elaboration of a upgraded subititute.

 

Thank you Barry from all of us multi Z-4000 transformer users. 

one would think it would be a rational economic decision to redesign a product that still has a place in the market

 

Fortunately or unfortunately, I think it's safe to say that nostalgia has no place in electronics.  I don't see any of the integrated circuit makers going back in time to make components that have been replaced by smaller, faster ones.  Just think of what our "Military Industrial Complex" goes thru when they outfit a command with 500 or so new computers.  If a ship needs a circuit card for a system that was developed 20 years ago they're lucky to find one, sometimes they have to "borrow" them from a sister ship just to get underway.

 

I bought a thumb drive the other day that has almost as much memory as my hard drive on my desktop.  A buddy of mine does DJ work on the side for parties, dances, etc.  He used to load up his van with all the necessary gear he needed to play his music, now he carries his I-Pad which stores thousands of songs, instead of carrying a load of vinyl records or tapes around.