My remote is not working now????

Step 1,,Hit the "read".... bottom left on the dcs remote.. What shows up? You should  eventually get the message tiu found. The remote and tiu must be talking to each other else nothing works. Lets get this  out of the way  as a first step.

If you get no results, tether it to the TIU.  If it works then, your transceiver board in your remote needs to be reseated.

Ross,

It was working good now it doesn't show my engine? What have I done wrong. de-active engine error.

There's no message that states "de-active engine error". What really came up on the remote?

Marty is that a common problem with the remote transceiver board comes loose from it's socket?? How is the transceiver board held in place inside the remote?

I have seen several forums about this problem!

Thanks

Marty

Alan

Alan, the board plugs into sockets that do not hold it very well.  I have a few older remotes that I have to open at least one time each year.  They just tilt a bit and that is all it takes.  If you ever have to go at one, just take your finger and reseat it.  Never remove it as it loves to pull the traces off the main board.

I have seen many guys remove batteries by removing the remote battery cover and slapping the remote in the palm of their hand to get all the batteries out together.  Not a good thing for the transceiver board.

Thanks for the info, hope to meet you at York I'm going Friday with a friend, what building will you be in?

Alan

It says Inactive Engine

All the dealer halls.  No rusty relic halls.

This means it can't find the engine.  So which engine is this, and is the tether completely seated?  Do you hear the relay click when power applied?

As Gregg states when you first turn on the Remote is it seeing TIU one?  Can you talk to the TIU.  G

I don't hear any click when I turn power on???

It says inactive engine

Ross, You need to start back at the beginning, Either the engine has a problem, or your not getting power to the track.

What transformer, what channel of TIU, do you have a lighted lock on to validate track power?  G

No remote/ tiu communications and nothing works period. I'm sure your tiu & remote are probably  talking to each other but unless you tell us we don't know for sure and can move on. Hit the "read" bottom left on the remote and what message do you get besides" no active engines."

GGG,

   This almost sounds like Ross has not educated himself as to how to set up and run his DCS yet, I suggest he gets a copy of Barry's DCS O Gauge Companion and a copy of the OGR Video guide to DCS, Watch Rich Melvin's instructional video on how to set up your DCS, then use Barry's book while you build your layout.  I always use a programming track when programming my engines for the 1st time, however it is not really necessary, just makes less interference while programming.  

PCRR/Dave

If it was working ok, as Ross says, then the layout & the loco are set up properly but something has changed or a component or connection has failed.

Ross, while I certainly recommend Barry's book as the outstanding reference guide, there are many pages to wade through.  GGG is one of a very few real tech experts on the forum, and I suggest you let him guide you through the necessary steps to pinpoint the issue

Ross, you are saying that when you turn on power to the track, you do not hear a click from the engine, if I hear you correctly.  If that is the case, I would say it is not the remote-TIU communications.  GGG in his post above is focusing correctly on what next.

As GGG is pointing you, Getting basic, is there power on the track?  Good way to tell is if an illuminated car placed next to the loco lights up.  If the track is getting power, but there is no click from the loco or tender (if any), this indicates an issue in the loco or tender.  Post the info GGG asks for and also the model number of the loco?

RJR I don't think it's a  remote/tiu communication either but.. Why in heavens name not  just press the "read" to find out. It takes 5 seconds. ,  then we can get into other stuff.   Perhaps a delete and re-add might fix the problem.

Good question, Gregg.  On my layout, I avoid the READ button like the plague.  The reason is that I have 23 DCS locos on my layout, and I can be assured that any given time, several are unpowered tracks connected to either of my TIUs.  They will immediately move to the inactive list, and some like it there, not wanting to be reactivated easily.

If I had a problem like this, I would first see if the problem is limited to one loco or is widespread, by trying to start & control other locos.  If others worked, I'd turn to this loco, first verifying that there was adequate power on that section of track.  If not, I'd see if it's block or channel specific, and go from there.  If there was power, I'd get into the loco, and make sure the rollers were getting contact and the frame getting ground.  If it was getting power, I'd do a loco delete and re-add it.  If that didn't work, I'd remove the shell and do a visual, plus some tests with a meter including a battery or capacitor test under load.  If it were a PS2 5-volt, I'd check for any visual or odorific signs of failure.   I might try the delete and re-add before opening the loco, as it's less work.  Among the tests, if it were getting power, I'd shut it down and leave it shut for a few minutes. 

At some point, I'd count the flashes of the TIU and verify that that number appeared in the list of TIUs that have been added to the remote.

But "Read", not I for the reason stated above.

We really need more details about Ross's problem.  Missing are such details as model number, whether he has other DCS locos and, if so, are they giving problems.

Guys,

You can accomplish a TIU - remote connectivity test without doing a READ.

MENU/SYSTEM/TIU SETUP/TIU VERSION

Yep! much better than  "read" with 4 tiu in super. 

Very interesting.  Every time I start a session, I’ve been scrolling my variable tracks from 22 volts to 21 and back to 22 and then pressing the READ button.  Usually it works fine, but sometimes an inactive engine doesn’t want to come back to active status and sometimes the remote tries to keep reading track forever and I have to pull a battery and start over.  I think I will set my variable tracks to fixed and stop using the READ button.

Lehigh, I don't see the connection between the variable circuits being either fixed or variable, and using the read button.  I also do the scroll bit, which is necessary on my Z4k tracks and on the variable tracks if set to variable, but that does not involve the read button.

RJR,

The READ button doesn't seem to see the variable tracks unless I scroll voltage down and up.  I never use the track voltage scroll for conventional locos anyway.  I put them on fixed 2 and use the handle on a ZW to control speed.

It's been awhile since I used the read button, but I don't recall it recognizing tracks; but it does recognize locos on tracks.

When my grandson hits the read button on a remote, I simply re-clone that remote, to bring locos out of the inactive list on it.