Need to upgrade DCS TIU & Remote

DennyM posted:

Too much for me. I'll stick with Legacy.

Hi Denny: Here’s the deal….  I am all in on DCS. My layout has no Lionel Legacy.  I am 80% DCS & 20% LionChief Plus on a large layout. I am also a big time user of MTH DCS Wi-Fi and try never to use the handheld controller.

Gary 🚂

I am old enough to recall when modelers didn't like those newfangled E-units

Yes, I agree that all the issues & suggestions to correct the problem I'm having can potentially scare a new customer away.  I've avoided upgrading a 3rd TIU & Remote (TIU ver. 3.1 & Remote ver. 4.2) since those are the ones I use for my layout & have been working okay for over 10 years, a bug or 2 once in awhile. Once I get the other issue figured out I migrate the updated with the older. Last thing I want is for my RR is to stop functioning!

Because I've tried 2 different TIU's & 2 different remotes & the same issue, "unlocking TIU...searching for TIU" comes up every time I think I'm going to try to re-download the software, eventually. I think I may take a break today.

I'm reasonably happy at the moment because what started this was somehow I could not locate a favorite engine, that was running fine, in my system & was not able to recover it with TIU ver. 3.1. With 2 TIU's now at ver. 6.1 I was able to recover the engine & it is running on my layout!

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions, I need to digest what has been posted here. I will be following and considering any other suggestions that may follow. If I am successful at some point, I will make an announcement & the cure!

Joe

"One swallow does not a summer make."  -- Aristotle

So with the thousands of DCS units out there functioning happily, the fact that one person is having a problem, which does not appear to be a DCS problem so much as a connection problem, means one should stay away from DCS?  I think I have had more problems with Windows over the years than with DCS, but does that mean I should have stuck with IBMDOS?

Every MTH command system version ever issued is upgradeable to the very latest version.  Can that be said for all the systems Lionel has issued over the years?

Don't get me wrong, I love DCS. I mentioned earlier it was MTH & DCS that turned the corner for me. Legacy got me into Lionel again & I use them both on the same layout.

There seems to be more than a couple of issues, possibly user error for one, that's keeping me from upgrading my remotes. Computer, Windows, the cables, who knows. I tried a number of the suggestions here. I am by no means an expert & tried all of the easiest fixes first, many times. It's crazy to keep buying cables when that may not be the problem. I haven't tried a different computer, don't have one available or re-downloading all the MTH upgrades. I tried downloading last night & I believe the message window said something in regards to the item already is on the computer. So I stopped. For me, the problem is I am mostly computer illiterate with computer hardware and software & have no way to know for sure how to proceed to check.

Time for a break!

Ironman, I didn't have you in mind when I wrote my last post.

As I have said many times above, it is VERY doubtful that the issue is your computer or the USB-serial adapter, since you were able to do the TIUs.  I have upgraded many remotes over the years, besides my own 5.  Some were BEARS.

In what geographic area are you?

I live in Yonkers, New York.

If you want to bring it to our club in Paterson I will update it for you for free

Can't top Ben's offer I suspect.

Hi BLUELINEC4 (Ben?),

Totally unrelated, my daughter is getting married next Saturday & the next few days will be a little helter skelter. Thank you for the offer & if I don't get it figured out in the next day or 2 I will take you up on your offer. I honestly hope I can figure this out either way since it's driving me crazy.

One thing I'd like to know, RJR mentioned he's upgraded many remotes but some were bears. Wondering what that means exactly & what were the issues & remedies.

Joe

Some are a bit more balky than others, but I hesitate to call any of them "bears".  Usually, the issue is holding down the power switch or having the proper cabling connected properly.I've probably done 50-60 of them, and I've never had one that was REALLY difficult.  I have had a couple that took a few tries on the power switch to finally get the update going.

The bears took many tries.  Only one could not be done.  One issue I have never solved, and it could be bad internal connections, is occasionally a cord that has always worked won't work, and the other does, and later the first works again.

If you take blue up on his offer, be sure to bring all your stuff--cables, tiu, remote--so they can try to duplicate the problem.

Congratulations on the wedding.  Hope he likes trains

Thanks RJR! If I don't figure it out I certainly will follow up with blue.

My future son-in law appreciates the trains but he's not an enthusiast. It may come it time if there are grand kids.

"It may come it time if there are grand kids"

That's why I have 4 remotes at my house--and we'd still run out of remotes.  The 5th remote is on a grandson's layout.

I already have 2 grandsons, Hudson 4 1/2 & Mac 2 1/2, both enthusiastic about trains. I got them jumpstarted with Max Fleisher's "Play Safe", the Polar Express & Thomas the Tank Engine. There Dad drifted away from trains when sports came into the picture. For now, it's something we enjoy doing together.

trainroomgary posted:

DennyM posted:

Too much for me. I'll stick with Legacy.

Hi Denny: Here’s the deal….  I am all in on DCS. My layout has no Lionel Legacy.  I am 80% DCS & 20% LionChief Plus on a large layout. I am also a big time user of MTH DCS Wi-Fi and try never to use the handheld controller.

Gary 🚂

Hi Gary,

You gotta go with what makes you happy. I have one LC+ switcher. Everything else is Legacy, TMCC and Electric Railroad. I run some conventional too.