MTH PS/3 VO-1000 Issue

john do you think you could have leaking FET's causing problems or the super capacitor ?

Alan

Did you try different boards?

Since it'll run all day in command that eliminates lot of stuff. (track, power supply) Dcs signal)    If you can't fixed it there aren't many that can.  What version of the software?

I'm running 3.3 on the TIU & remote.  All other PS/2 & PS/3 stuff runs fine, it's something in this locomotive.  I've tightened every connection on the planet, looked for any pinched wires, etc.  The supercaps hold up for a normal shutdown in conventional or command, so on the surface they seem to be fine.

John did you try a factory reset from conventional ? or maybe try those boards in another engine or substitute the boards from a good engine to prove weather its a board issue or a engine issue , might help to know which it is?

Alan

I've done resets, both conventional and command, I don't have another PS/3 diesel board handy...

I bought some used 3 rail track awhile back. I just set up some as a test and was running a PS2 diesel on it. As it made it round a corner about ten sections away from the only lock-on, it stalled. So I cleaned the rails and looked at power distribution. As I was working on it, it made it to this section again and the horn started blowing?

 I turned the lockon sections over and soldered both outside rails together with jumpers. I added lock-ons every ten or so sections of track. The horn blowing and the stalling went away. Maybe something there to help U?

I have a feeling that the power is disturbed ( for whatever reason?) and the engine is seeing it.

Joe, I keep coming back to that, but I have another symptom that doesn't explain away so easily.  It gets locked into one direction and just keeps going one way.  I'd figure it was a reset, but then after a total power off for a minute, it gets back to sort of running, and occasionally blowing the horn.  It's very odd, and I'm about to slap another board into it.

John,

I'm running 3.3 on the TIU & remote

First, there e is no DCS 3.3. There was a 3.2 beta, however, it was released as 4.0.

Second, you should always update to the newest release of DCS before you try to address weird stuff, particularly with PS3 engines, which may post date some of the older operating systems.

Personally, I won't even venture a guess as to really weird stuff unless there's the latest operating system baseline in place.

Maybe try loading the sound file again  but aren't there some restrictions,,,,, You have to use the latest loader else if it fails you can't fix it and it has to be returned to MTH.

This is a 2009 PS/3 locomotive, so I'm sure the DCS 5.0 isn't suddenly an issue on a six year old locomotive.  I've loaded a number of PS/3 locomotives newer than this with my current version.  Yes, Barry is right, don't know why I was thinking 3.3, it is indeed 3.2.  Since I'm running conventional, I'm not entirely sure how the version of the DCS TIU or remote would really affect things.  I've been holding off on 5.0 as I will have to get into the whole rain-dance of upgrading club remotes and then other folks TIU's.  I'm not ready for that until the new year.

Hi John,

what you're describing sounds kinda like a problem I have with an engine.  I put a PS3 kit in a bantam gs4. The 5volt board died so it was easier to swap it over. I did reseat the boards.

The guy is running it with an old rtr set remote from 95' and it's acting strange like your engine. It ran fine for me with DCS and conventional. Also my stuff is up to date with 5.0. I did talk to Don at MTH to try to pick his brain but he didn't have a good answer just because he hasn't tried to run PS3 with that remote. 

I know the new rtr stuff runs well but I think it's the fact it's the remote from 95. I don't think PS3 likes it. I'll get it tomorrow from the hobby shop and let you know what I find out or if I have questions I'll be asking. 

At least if I can't get it figured out I have a PS2 3volt board that I'll replace it with. 

Ralph

There have been issues with flash code and how it responds to non pure sine wave for PS-2 3V, so that could factor in to PS-3.  What transformer are you using?

I am not sure why you would want to be on 3.20.   Why not at least 4.20.  Either way that should not effect conventional since your not using a Remote?  Correct?

I would read the serial file to see what code, then reload flash and sound file.  I have had issues resolved with a reloads.  Go from there.  G

George, I tried the 1033 and the Z4000, same results on either.  It runs perfectly all day long in command.  It's only when I run conventional with just a transformer that the oddities surface.  They're so random that I keep thinking I should find something in the wiring and/or mechanical side, but I'm sure not seeing it.  I was focused on the quality of connections from the pickups and wheels to the board, that all looks solid.  Initially, it seemed to run fine with the smoke off, so I was thinking it was there, but then it started failing with it off, so that was probably a false alarm.  The kicker is that it can run for 15-20 minutes perfectly, just when you think it's a phantom, it comes back!

I'll probably update my TIU and a couple of remotes to 5.0, but I need to keep at least one at 4.20 as that's what the club is still using.  Since a bunch of people have remotes and DCS at home, upgrading the club to 5.0 is a lot more problematic.  However, I'm not sure I see how that is going to help me here.

Since this has the small smoke unit, I need to get the FLASH file that matches it, especially if I put a new board in, right?  I haven't changed boards with the small smoke unit before.  I'll try loading the sound and FLASH files and see if that has an effect.  Failing that, I guess it's time for a new board.

PS3 came out in 2011. Sounds as if someone else modified this engine.

My mistake the 2011 catalog is correct, this one was delivered in 2012.  None of this changes the situation here.

John, Your post said PS-3.  If this is a PS-3 engine no new board required since you can load flash code and sound file.  For your bench set up I would upgrade to at least a program that is meant to deal with PS-3.  I was using 4.20 on the bench including dealer loader until some one wanted me to load 5.0 into some TIUs.

At that point I shifted all my TIU and the Dealer loader to 5.0.  Some minor quirks but it works fine with my Rev L loader TIU.  Necessary for loading wifi units TIUs.

Anyway, I think for PS-3 how the processor handles conventional ops versus command ops can be different.  No facts here just observations.  Last issue like this I resolved with a reload of the sound file, though starting with Flash might be best since that is a quicker load.  G

I'll give a try with both the FLASH and sound file, it certainly can't hurt to try.  I just downloaded them...

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I have an odd issue with a MTH 20-20173-1 VO-1000 with PS/3. 

In command mode, it appears to run 100%, smoke works, lights work, sounds work, and it'll run all day in either direction.  One would assume the boards and wiring are in reasonable shape.

In conventional mode, the odd stuff starts happening.  It will sometimes run for 20-30 minutes perfectly.  Sometimes it'll start honking randomly as it runs. (track and wheels/pickups are clean).  I can also get it into a mode where when I try to change direction, it starts ringing the bell and sits there.  Hit direction and it will sometimes recover, other times it'll either continue with the bell or turn it off and sit there.  Other times, it'll respond to directional control fine, just run around and randomly honk the horn.

This happens with smoke disabled, at first I thought that might be an issue, but it didn't turn out to be.  I ran it on my rollers and it was running for a long time in conventional mode, and I was about to declare myself the winner, and then it started honking on the rollers!

Any idea where I might look for this?

Just FYI:  Mine did the exact same stuff you describe.  Off to MTH.  I insisted that they rewire.  It works perfect now.  They did report an issue with 1 internal wire.

I had one a customer bought that would do all kinds of crazy nonsense in conventional when he was running it but would work just fine for me. after 7 trips in to the shop, 4 repairs including a board replacement I decided it just didn't like him and exchanged it. One thin I di notice on this loco was that when I put it in reverse then back into forward from reverse the ditch lights would flash once before the headlight came on. I still think there is an issue with this particular sound file/software that was causing problems but Im not sure

I'll have to check again, I'm at a loss what wiring I haven't checked that would affect it in this way.

Matt, I may just hit it with a hammer!

It's that runs ok for 20 or 30 minutes that gets you....

You got it Gregg, it takes forever to know if you've made any difference!

Gerald Jackson posted:

PS3 came out in 2011. Sounds as if someone else modified this engine.

Uhh... not really.

2-3-1E Pacific Steam Engine w/Proto-Sound 3.0 (Scale Wheels)

2009 Volume 2

Delivered DEC. 2009