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6 replies

MTH Ten Wheeler issues

M MWaskoOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

First I want to say I think this sight is a rally great resource.  So much information! I have spent dozens of hours over the last three years reading this site and  learning about all the changes since the late 1970’s.I started running trains again about 4 years ago when my father cleaned out his basement and gave me his and my old Marx trains. Anyway.

Yesterday I picked up my new MTH 30-1755-1 (pennsy)that I ordered from the 2018 vol I. 

I am running two loops of fast track under the Christmas tree. The outer loop is 9’x5’. Both loop are powered with one explorer and Z1000 I purchased in Oct. The inner loop has a TMCC base attached.

I also  purchased a 30-1585-1(Am Circus) in October. Once I understood the Explorer, I have probably run the Am Circus about 300 hours without any problem. Prior to that I only had conventional and TMCC engines.

Yestrday I picked up my new MTH 30-1755-1 (Pennsy) ten wheeler that I ordered from the 2018 Vol I catalogue. I put it on the outer loop and ran it around twice testing all functions. The only problem I had was that the Headlight and smoke didn’t always respond to the app. Sometimes I had to press the Icon multiple times to get the headlight to turn on or off. Same with the smoke. Everything else seemed to work (Direction, speed, sound, whistle, bell,PFA). 

Then I moved the Pennsy to the inner Loop and put the Am Circus back on the outer loop. When I ran them both about twice to test running two engines (one on each loop) I noticed that the Headlight and smoke were responding intermittently on the Am Circus similar to the Pennsy.

 Shut every thing down and when to get back to it later in the evening. When I tied to power up I couldn’t start-up either engine. After trying several premutations Here is where I am:

Am Circus will work on either loop. If The Pennsy is on the other loop or same loop. The Headlight and Smoke Respond sometime to the App.

I have tried resetting the explorer twice.

If I put the Penny on the track, the app dosn’t see it but the caboose lights up when the App is looking for the engine so power is on the track.

If I put the Pennsy on a track with a conventional transformer, the headlight and smoke come on and I can control speed and direction. If I activate the whistle on the transformer, the bell rings but no whistle. I can’t test the PFA since my Lionel 4099 doesn’t have a whorn controll. And you can only control whistle or direction. I don’t get Chuffing, but should I ? I know my TMCC does run with chuffing in conventional mode.

I do have a CW80 transformer, but I have read that MTH engines don’t play well with a CW80.

Just want to make sure I’m not missing something before I contact the LHS. 

Thank you in advance for any and all assistance.

 

Mark W.

 

 

 

 

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H H1000OGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Unplug the TMCC base and retry. I had a similar symptoms with something degrading the DCS signal.

If you want to test this further, connect one loop to the DCS Explorer and run your new engine to make sure everything is working properly. Piece by Piece, keep adding the other components to your layout until the new engine stops working and you'll identify your culprit.

 

M MWaskoOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

1Drummer & H1000,

Thanks for the replies.  Since this Post I took it back to have the LHS Tech. look at it.

I started a new post titled "Problems with New MTH Ten Wheeler in DCS (Explorer)".

https://ogrforum.com/...23#82100772851984423

 

They said it was factory reset and working w/o problems. Got it home, didn't work. Took it back to the store. They put it on their layout. It is running a TIU/Wifi, not an Explorer. The thing worked fine! Brought it home and still had problems. 

If you read my  last post on the newer thread, you will see that I eliminated my layout from the equation except for the Engines/Tenders, Explorer, cell phone, and Ipad.

Yesterday I did the same thing except I tried it with the 54V pack and also with the Z1000. I systematically tried all possible combinations.

Started with the Penn switching power, switching devices. Tried with engine listed as inactive and deleted and tried Adding Engine.  In about 1.5 dz attempts I got it to run 2 twice. Some times it would add the engine but not startup. The 2 times it did startup,  Headlights and smoke didn't always respond to on/off. Also, the times  it did startup, when I tried to shutdown and restart I receive   "Request Failed" if I refreshed the Penn sits in Inactive mode.

The other Two PS3 engines ran fine individually and together, everytime! Unless I put them on the loop with the Penn. then no.

Today I put in on my layout it started and ran fine. I shut down and restarted it fine. Well see what happens tomorrow.

I think Barry Broskowitz is on track:

 

"Could there be a problem with this engine and an Explorer?

While it's certainly possible, it seems highly unlikely that the DCS Explorer itself is a problem, since it works well with your other engines and it isn't capable of discriminating against any particular engine.

However, the evidence would seem to point to a moderate signal strength issue on your layout coupled (pun intended) with a corresponding signal strength "weakness" in the problem engine.

The engine may work well on the store's layout if it has better DCS signal strength than does your layout. The one thing that could possibly prove or disprove this hypothesis would be to run the engine on the store's layout, with your DCS Explorer in place of the store's DCS TIU and remote. If the engine works poorly, the most likely culprit would be the DCS Explorer. If it works properly, the most likely suspect would be your layout's signal strength combined with a reduced DCS signal reception capability in the engine.

Barry"

 

 

 

 

Mark W.

Last edited by MWasko
M MWaskoOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

Barry, 

That was two weeks ago, but  i’m pretty sure he said he did.  It is being read by the explorer “sometimes“. Like yesterday, when  put it on the track and it srartedup first time.  Although headlight and smoke only responded sometimes. 

 Also I did factory reset it at least twice. Both times I get it. It remove the engine from the list. Several times to Add Engine, did not respond. 

 

Last edited by MWasko
M MWaskoOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

 I thought about buying a second explorer even though this one works with my other two  PS3’s. Is the signal strength from an Explorer as strong as a TIU? 

 Given the price point and the fact that MTH markets the explorer for small beginner layouts, I wouldn’t think so.

That would tell me if it’s a problem with my Explorers or Explorers in general. 

 Also would a weak receiver in the PENN cause Interference with signal to either of the other engines on the truck at the same time?

 

Mark W

Last edited by MWasko

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