MTH DCS Remote Commander

Just connect the black and red terminals to your track. The receiver will be powered by your track power. No need for another power supply.

You can connect it as Keith says and run your Lionel locomotive at the same time on the same tracks with no issues.

The manual is unclear about this.  I suppose it might cause confusion but there could/should be an asterisk describing the so-called "passive mode" of powering the receiver from existing DC or AC track power.

I connected the DCS Remote Commander receiver to the track, left the Lionel transformer connected.  Checked the switch on the MTH diesel to DCS, powered up the transformer and got a steady green light on the DCS receiver LED.  The engine sounds cranked up from the transformer rail power as usual.  I attempted control inputs from the remote IAW the manual instructions.  The receiver LED would blink when I pressed the control buttons but no response from the engine.  Manual says engine address must be set to factory default.....reset using either a DCS System or a DCS Commander.  Am I not using a DCS Commander.   The manual does not say how to set to factory default but I noticed a small note on page 4 that "...the reset procedure must be done with a DCS Digital Command System"  Sounds like I need to spend more money? Think buying MTH may have been a big mistake.

Just get the engine to anyone with DCS and in a minute or two you'll be good to go.

If it's a later model PS3 engine, you can actually reset it from the DCS Remote Commander by tapping SND, DIR -.

This is on page 204 in The DCS Companion 3rd Edition.

The above mentioned reset procedure, if your engine is so-equipped, is described in more detail in this posting:

https://ogrforum.com/t...24#38737273874197324

Note that with your DCS engine on the track and the DCS Remote Commander receiver attached, when you initially apply track power using your Lionel transformer, the DCS engine must come up silent.  If it starts up with sounds, then there might another issue which must be addressed first.

And yes, to your point, the DCS Commander and DCS Remote Commander are different products.

Thanks STAN

The problem is probably as you mentioned.  When I turn on the Transformer (throttle up for rail voltage) the engine does NOT come up silent but goes through its normal start up sequence.  Is there any way I can make it come up silent so I can control it with the DCS Remote Commander?

I'm thinking that I need to buy a MTH Power Supply that would run the power to the track through the Receiver?  Wonder what that costs?

So to be clear, you turn on the Transformer and the green LED on the DCSRC receiver turns ON at the same time the DCS engine initially receives power.  During the first second or so the DCSRC receiver and the engine perform a "mating-ritual" where the receiver sends out a so-called watchdog signal telling any DCS engine to be silent awaiting further command.

If the engine does not detect this signal during its first few seconds of receiving track power it starts up thinking it's in the conventional mode of operation.  I see from your earlier thread your engine has a DCS/DCC selector switch?  If so it should be in the DCS position to work with DCS!   I've read about engines mis-wired from the factory so I suppose it's worth the 1 minute experiment to flip the switch to the "wrong" position just to see if that makes it turn on silent when power is initially applied.

Also, if still no joy try placing the MTH engine right at the location where the DCSRC receiver attached to the track.  Is I assume your layout is not gigantic with thousands of feet of track?

You should NOT need to buy a MTH transformer to get this working!  By the way, what exact transformer are you using?

I'm using a Lionel CW-80 

Not a good transformer to use with MTH.  Wave form is too choppy.  G

Thank you for the info.  I think I'll try a MTH Power Supply

You should still be able to control the engine. Do you happen to know the model number of the engine? Did you try the factory reset mentioned by Barry? It really sounds like it needs a factory reset. Do you have a hobby shop close that can reset the engine for you? The MTH engines are not great with a CW-80, but it should still run. I used a CW-80 with mine until I could replace it. I am sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think putting a lit caboose or passenger car on the track with the engine will improve the performance.

I live in Albuquerque and the last model railroad hobby shop went out of business several years ago.

I bought a MTH Z-500 Brick so will see if running the power through the Receiver to the rail will make any difference. 

Thanks all for your inputs.  I now have several things to try before I'm (my grandson) is forced back to the conventional control.

I think the model number of the engine is an  MTH SD70 ACe