New MTH Shay Whistle Steam using DCS

If using the handlheld remote.....choose the engine (Shay) and then on the screen above the top row of buttons (softkeys) you will see usually 3-letters above each button. you may have to go to the next screen using the last button, but there will be one that says FSW. After you press that, the whisltle steam will work.

If youre using the app, you have to go to the settings menu and toggle on both the whistle steam labeled features (the names of them I cannot remember) Once you do this the whistle icon will turn purple and when you pull it down, the steam feature will work.

I have noted that every once in a while, when turning on FSW, I have to turn it off, and then on, basically going through the cycle for it to be active. This is not engine specific- just meaning that the last couple of recent modern PS3 (example the heavy Pacifics) with steaming whistle all seem to work this way. If you cycle FSW on, then, off, then on again, you have about 100% success rate.

That said, I much prefer to use the DCS app and WIU when operating these engines with steaming whistle because it is just more intuitive IMO. Also, I love using the quilling- aka Playable whistle function and again, it's just night and day better using the app vs the DCS remote. The crutch of the DCS remote is using the scroll wheel for both speed and trying to quill a whistle, just not great to use. The app walks you right around this because the speed dial and whistle pull cord are separate and not related things.

Also cool thing I discovered- the Cass one I got from Mr. Muffins has "shave and a haircut" on custom sound #2 as seen in the app. This is one of the best PFA sequences in recent memory and I'm just blown away by this engine. One note about that- I found if you have playable whistle enabled- purple rope, and attempt to play the custom sounds tab- it might not work (playing individual custom sounds) but as soon as you disable or switch to normal whistle, that last custom sounds command plays. It's kind of like the playable whistle sequence- even the silent part was stuck still playing- hence you could not call a custom sound. Again, just one of those how to use it or work around notes I've learned.

FWIW, found some older posts of mine.

@Vernon Barry posted:

Page 6 of this addendum https://www.mthtrains.com/site...s/DCS4_00Adendum.pdf

Quilling whistle is SPW and changes the thumbwheel function of the DCS remote to be the quilling feature.

Or DCS app

One more tip about this series of MTH shay, the sound file defaults to 4 chuffs/rev. I found that 9 chuffs/rev seems more realistic IMO, given the geared nature of the 3 cylinder engine spinning at top speed at just 20 scale MPH. I also limited mine to a top speed of 20 in the app.

@Vernon Barry posted:

I have noted that every once in a while, when turning on FSW, I have to turn it off, and then on, basically going through the cycle for it to be active. This is not engine specific- just meaning that the last couple of recent modern PS3 (example the heavy Pacifics) with steaming whistle all seem to work this way. If you cycle FSW on, then, off, then on again, you have about 100% success rate.

That said, I much prefer to use the DCS app and WIU when operating these engines with steaming whistle because it is just more intuitive IMO. Also, I love using the quilling- aka Playable whistle function and again, it's just night and day better using the app vs the DCS remote. The crutch of the DCS remote is using the scroll wheel for both speed and trying to quill a whistle, just not great to use. The app walks you right around this because the speed dial and whistle pull cord are separate and not related things.

Also cool thing I discovered- the Cass one I got from Mr. Muffins has "shave and a haircut" on custom sound #2 as seen in the app. This is one of the best PFA sequences in recent memory and I'm just blown away by this engine. One note about that- I found if you have playable whistle enabled- purple rope, and attempt to play the custom sounds tab- it might not work (playing individual custom sounds) but as soon as you disable or switch to normal whistle, that last custom sounds command plays. It's kind of like the playable whistle sequence- even the silent part was stuck still playing- hence you could not call a custom sound. Again, just one of those how to use it or work around notes I've learned.

That quirk you mention Vernon in your last paragraph is also present in my MTH HO steam engines.

One or the other but not both while on Playable Whistle.  Without Playable Whistle, custom sounds and whistle work together.

Perhaps MTH RD can take a look at this with their ongoing tweaks and updates.

Dave

Vernon, I'm fairly new to DCS. But have not had any issues, and have run Legacy for several years. Guess I need to add the wireless feature!

So when I follow the DCS instructions you show, when I press the SPW or the FSW softkey, they do not highlight? They simply blink. When I have used sound sofkeys, I just push them and they activate.

Greg

@Greg from Texas posted:

Vernon, I'm fairly new to DCS. But have not had any issues, and have run Legacy for several years. Guess I need to add the wireless feature!

So when I follow the DCS instructions you show, when I press the SPW or the FSW softkey, they do not highlight? They simply blink. When I have used sound sofkeys, I just push them and they activate.

Greg

FSW and SPW are toggle keys. Meaning, they STAY ON or STAY OFF. You are simply enabling the function.

FSW (Function, Smoking Whistle) once enabled turns the heater on, and then the fan runs whenever the whistle key- the white whistle key is pressed.

Thanks, Yes I push them, the SPW and the FSW, then press the White whistle button, but nothing.

I was just noting in the picture Vernon published the buttons turned dark, like when you change the strength of the smoke in the control menu and have to hit the wheel to enter the selection.

So, though my last DCS update was 6.1, I ran another update, and now it works perfectly.

Thanks for all the suggestions!