New Version of the MTH DCS

Ok thanks!  I think I am getting close to buying this! I think it maybe a must have!!!  Thanks for your reply!

I still have my TIU and remote from 2002. Both have been upgraded to version 4.2 of the DCS software and work fine. I won't tell you how many times I've dropped my remote, but I put padding behind the RF board which keeps it from becoming unseated should I drop the unit.

 

I'd say don't wait. The current TIU's and remotes are vastly improved over the first generation units.

I replaced my 10 year old TIU with a new system, one year ago. Upgraded the old remote to 4.2. Now I have 2 remotes.  I like the faster response time with the new TIU.

I suspect you would be very safe--and well advised--in buying the version available now.  I have no inside information, but I imagine an all-new control system is not a high priority at MTH.

Anything O gauge is not a high priority with MTH anymore.

 

MartyE,

 

  I second that statement about MTH O gauge priority wise. I sent in a BNIB loco for repairs right out of the box over 9 weeks ago?? Still no engine or my money back!! I am just about done with MTH.

 

Jeff

Like Matt, I still have 2 TIUs from 2002 which have the current software.  Unlike Matt, my 2002 remote is not operable.  I keep the pieces in a box for parts.  Grandchildren dropped it once to often--concrete is unforgiving.  A lanyard has cured the dropping problem.

 

If Mr. Wolf wants his company to continue profitable into the distant future, he would be well advised, like Belshazzar (Daniel 5)  to read the handwriting on the wall (or in the posts above and elsewhere). 

I have had my tiu and remote for about 6 years and have upgraded when new upgrades come out. Still works great.

 

I also agree with the posters above about MTH's lack of priority in the O gauge market.  I have turned to Lionel for the items I want. I still have some MTH but they are getting less and less. My buying of new MTH products is almost nil.

 

Time for MTH to see what is really going on in the O gauge market.

Wow, some eye opening posts.  I just got into the hobby this past summer.  Built my first layout.  I have been collecting mostly MTH cars and engines.  I liked the quality and what they had to offer.  I used MTH realtrax for my layout, and soon I'll have two engines running from MTH.  Now I am hearing these negative things about MTH??? I wondering what's going on????  Is HO more profitable???  Is O scale a pain to build and design?  When I was a kid I had my first layout and it was HO, and there was nothing for HO!  Now it's like O scale is being pushed away? 
Thanks for the replys!  And as a fan of MTH I hope somebody with some influence reads this and lets MTH they have some fans of there stuff who are not very pleased with there new agenda.

 

Simply put:  There are folks out there that feel MTH or Lionel doesn't love them anymore.

 

Rusty

Jim,

some eye opening posts

Rather, some posts from folks that have an axe to grind, real or imagined. There's another contingent who will take opportunities to denigrate Lionel.

 

There's no point in opening yet another session of "bash the manufacturer". If you like MTH products, based on your experiences, then keep on buying them. If not, contact MTH yourself and voice your complaints, or take your dollars elsewhere.

 

Be smart and take the opinions of others who post their opinions here with a large grain of salt, unless you know the poster well enough to validate their criticism.

 

This forum isn't by any stretch of the imagination a "Consumer Reports" for model trains. The posters, myself included, are often biased to some degree.

Well said Barry.
Not critical of anyone here. I've had bad experiences with Legacy System so I went to all MTH engines. Then again, I wasn't too pleased with MTH's latest catalog selection.
Overall, I've had a pretty good experience with MTH's products and response to warranty and parts department.

I think I'll pass on bashing MTH this round, just no fun right now

But back to the OP question, you might want to check with Barry but I am pretty sure you can upgrade with a Mac using Parallels or other emulation software

While it seems pretty much amy TIU works, I would insist on a Rev L (most recent) one with USB support, its just one less headache to have to deal with

Folks would be well advised to read and pay heed to Barry's post, above.  That, indeed, is the truth of the matter, and long has been.

 

The most sage part of his post is this sentence:

 

"Be smart and take the opinions of others who post their opinions here with a large grain of salt, unless you know the poster well enough to validate their criticism."

Chris,

 

You are correct.

 

I use a MacBook Pro with Parallels and either Windows XP or Windows 7, to update TIUs and remotes, as well as to make clone copies of the contents of remotes, without any issues at all.

jjmmagoo

 

Certainly do not let what you read on the forum sway you either way. All of the current manufactures make awesome equipment today. I simply said what is happening with a brand new engine of mine at this time. To me, 9 weeks seems to be a bit much, and still waiting? To the OGR forum community, I am in no way bashing a manufacturer just stating facts. My collection is made up of ALL of the big manufacturers products. Simply put who wants to lay out hundreds of dollars for a new item bought from a Authorized dealer only to send it back and wait this long?? This of course is my opinion only, take it for what it is worth!

 

Jeff

Thank you everyone for your insight.  Yes, having been a member of my share of forums ranging from golf to hockey I def understand the word "opinions".  I am way to new to the world of trains to offer a negative opinion of a brand.  I like MTH cause I like the quality.  I also like lionel cause of the history!  I for one will purchase the MTH DCS because I feel it's a most have.  I have fallen in love with this hobby and feel I can grow with the MTH DCS.  I was worried that like most things that I like by the time I have the cash to buy it it's at the end of its shelf life & something new comes along.  I know I shouldn't care but it's human nature to spend big bucks thinking you have the latest and greatest.  Look at digital cameras!  Or taylormade golf drivers!  I have seen people offer there opinions about MTH getting more involved HO.  So I was just shocked to see a company kinda abandon what made them great!  Once again thank you for your opinions.

Now with regards to using a Mac for updates, do you use a laptop or do disconnect the TIU from the layout?  Can I use an iPad or iPhone for the upgrades??  Does MTH have any plans to make Mac software?

Thanks again!

There is a vast difference between bashing a manufacturer and objectively highlighting matters that could use improvement.  In a competitive scenario, one must stay ahread of the competition, and satisfy customers since word-of-mouth is the best and cheapest form of advertising.  If there are a series of criticisms of quality, or warranty service, or anything else, that should not be casually dismissed as bashing. 

 

I have a large number of MTH locos and cars, and some on order, which equates to considerable dollars, and I purchase MTH exclusively, so I have a substantial interest in seeing that they remain profitable and at the top of the heap, a few levels above the competition.  I personally have had neither quality nor warranty problems (the one loco with a problem was repaired and returned within 2 weeks), and have always obtained prompt tech support if & when I needed it.

Jim,

do you use a laptop or do disconnect the TIU from the layout?

I have the TIUs under the layout and use cables to extend the ports required during the upgrade process to the top of the layout. This facilitates bringing a laptop to the layout rather than removing the TIU and disconnecting all of its cables. I also have a long serial cable that runs from the layout back to my workbench in another room.

Can I use an iPad or iPhone for the upgrades??

No, you cannot.

Does MTH have any plans to make Mac software?

There are two chances that will ever happen - slim and none.

 

I think you'll very much enjoy having DCS on your layout (assuming of course that you have some PS2/PS3 engines.)

 

The one word of advice I would give about buying it is only buy a REV L TIU.  The revision number is on the bottom of the TIU.  Rev L has a USB port which makes it much easier to update the software and I understand better signal quality.

 

Good luck and have fun.

 

 

"Rather, some posts from folks that have an axe to grind, real or imagined. There's another contingent who will take opportunities to denigrate Lionel."

 

I really object to being labelled a "Kool-Aid" drinker of the Purple or the Orange, I have no axe to grind here, but just stated my opinion based on a lot of information and observations over the last couple of years, some of which a lot of folks aren't aware of and I won't get into here. It is my opinion that anyone that looks objectively at what MTH has done for the O gauge sector the past  3 years would reasonably deduce  that they have shifted their focus from O gauge to the larger HO and European markets, and from a purely business point of view that is probably smart on their behalf. The original post was questioning if MTH would be coming out with a new command system in the near future, so I was re-enforcing what Allan said about no new command system in the near future. I bet his opinion is based on the same factors that mine is. Excuse me, but name me what MTH has brought out the last couple of years that isn't a re-issue of old tooling with PS-3 added. I didn't knock their products at all, last count here I had over 80 MTH engines and 12 Lionel Legacy/TMCC engines.

Keep in mind that when MTH extends itself to other scales and markets, the R&D costs that are common to all scales (PS3) are spread out to all of those markets and not just O scale.  So, although it may seem that MTH has abandoned the O scale crowd, what they have really done is increase the market base.  That is good for MTH and ALL scales.  Good business sense IMHO.

 

Dave 

Well, it's good if they actually continue to introduce new O-scale products, but it doesn't help much if they don't.

 

If I was in the business of manufacturing toy and model trains today, I would be doing exactly what MTH is doing by diversifying my target markets. 

 

Success in any of the other sub-niches of the hobby--HO, Large Scale, tinplate, European, etc.--doesn't come overnight, but if you don't get involved at all you'll never discover where the potential is in terms of product selection and growth markets.  I certainly would be directing a lot of my resources to a potential overseas market because, based on what I see and read, that is the most significant and lucrative growth area.

 

As for the domestic O gauge scene:  We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds, but I still say that oft times we (the most dedicated of O gauge consumers) are our own worst enemy.  We want too much, we want it now, and we totally overlook the small size of our market, the overall economic limitations, and a number of other business-related factors.  I have been asserting that for some years, and I believe supporting evidence is slowly but surely surfacing.

 

Anyone who has a large number of locomotives etc will usually have a selection from most of the major manufacturers.

 

Most of them will be fine, a few of the items will have problems.

 

That is the way of things ...

 

Get a couple of bad ones and the shorts are gonna chaff .. so people vent.

 

Get mostly good ones, people will usually not bash a manufacturer over one bad one.

 

I will venture the opinion that most all the problems we've encountered over the past forty years in the hobby, which required manufacture attention, were addressed and repaired, often without charge in a timely manner.

 

Phone calls never hurt.

 

All in all, it's mostly a very good ride.

 

 

To me it is incredible how far this hobby has come. We are very lucky people to have the time and money to invest in O scale.

 

I don't complain too much about things like MTH... I am amazed how far it has all come in my 45 years in the hobby.

My nickel's worth:

I have always been a big MTH guy, and in the last couple of years several Lionels have snuck into the roster. There are also some K-Lines, Weaver and 3rd rail. That's all good; love them all.

I continue to enjoy MTH stuff just as much as always, but I fully understand that the O gauge market has become arguably somewhat saturated, and that HO and the European market have become more attractive to MTH.

The reality is the HO market has always been and will likely remain much bigger than O gauge. And by the sheer nature of the population demographics, the European toy train market is way bigger than that of N. America.

Having said that, I think we live in the best of times as far as product availability and technical sophistication is concerned and I hope all manufacturers continue to evolve and do whatever it takes to stay financially viable. We are all better off for it IMO.

 

Rod

Well said Rod.  G

I agree!  Nicely stated, Rod!