Odometer problems w/PS2 engines

Top suspect here would be the battery.  When you remove power, that's presumably when the mileage and time would be stored.  If the battery isn't working, no updating of the time.

PS/2 will run with a dead battery.  When you simply remove power, does the sound last until the complete shutdown sequence is complete?

Does the odometer information store to the chip in the locomotive or the TIU base and remote or any combination of the three?  If it stores only in the locomotive, how would adding a BCR2 affect the storage of the information when the locomotive is not run or powered up for extended periods of time?

@gunrunnerjohn:

You're most likely correct here.  I've been "listening" to the remote, which tells me the battery is "OK."  So it'll be off to buy batteries very soon.

Maybe you can also answer me this: I have an MTH battery charger--"just plug it into the wall, and then into the port on the engine" . . . except I can't figure out any way to plug the thing into my SW9.  They look incompatible, and one surely doesn't plug into the other.  Are their different versions of the battery charger???

@The Portland Rose:

I've asked myself the same thing.  Don't have a clue.

Is that Portland, Oregon?  I'm in Salem.

Alan,

 I've been "listening" to the remote, which tells me the battery is "OK."

That message indicated the state of the battery charging circuit, not the  battery.

I have an MTH battery charger--"just plug it into the wall, and then into the port on the engine" . . . except I can't figure out any way to plug the thing into my SW9.  They look incompatible, and one surely doesn't plug into the other.  Are their different versions of the battery charger???

The original, older battery charger only had a round plug for PS2 engines with 5 volt boards and 8.4 volt batteries. The current production battery charger has two wires, one for the 8.4 volt batteries and a rectangular plug for the newer 2.4 volt batteries.

This and a whole lot more is all in "The DCS O Gauge Companion 2nd Edition", now available for purchase as an eBook or a printed book from MTH's web store site! Click on the link below to go to MTH's web page for the book!

There are two PS/2 board sets, the 5V and the 3V.  They have different charging plugs, the 5V is round, and the 3V is square.  The MTH PS/2 Charger will do either with the correct cord, both come with the charger.

The mileage is clearly stored in the locomotive, otherwise it would change when you take the locomotive to another location and use another remote.

The battery I was questioning is the locomotive battery, not the remote battery.

Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice.

All the things that one doesn't know about this stuff!  Learning curves, learning curves.

So I checked out my other engines--my MTH Railking 5427 Hudson claimed to have a charging port--which I did manage to find, although not where the instruction book said it was.  I plugged it into that with no problems.  It's charging now.  The SW9, however, which is the same vintage and looks to have the same type port--no way it will plug in.  Both engines take an 8.4 volt Nicad battery.

Any more thoughts?

You can charge the battery on the track, turn the voltage up to at least 12 volts on the track and leave it for a few hours. 

Once it's charged, startup the locomotive, then remove the track power.  See if the shutdown sounds run to their completion.  If so, there should be enough juice to store the statistics.

@gunrunnerjohn:

Thanks for your efforts on my behalf.

I was hoping to avoid the "put it on the track, leave it for a few hours approach"--spouse does not appreciate my leaving layout on and unattended--but it looks like that's what I'll have to try.

You can just take it on a small test track with a transformer, no need to leave the whole layout on.  I just have a 30" piece of track and an old Lionel 1033 on my workbench that I use for such duties.

Alan,

The SW9, however, which is the same vintage and looks to have the same type port--no way it will plug in.  Both engines take an 8.4 volt Nicad battery.

Then the SW9's port is defective.

Another option would be to buy a NiMH/nicd 9v battery charger that plugs into the wall. That's what I do to charge the battery in my PS1 and PS2 engines that don't have charging ports. Here's a link to the one I use. U:US:3160" target="_blank">http://www.ebay.com/itm/MP-709...me=ADME:LU:US:3160

You could also buy a BCR or build a BCR clone.  I made some 9V BCR clones, they cost about $11 in parts and are easy to build.

You could be right Barry, but if so, they may have made more than his. I have the same problem w/ my SW9...unsuccessful getting the charging plug all the way into the port. It appears to me, that they did not make the hole large enough in the base for the body of the charging plug to enter into it.

I have been meaning to fix it for years, but just one of those things I have not gotten around to. I just charge it on the track. Involves removal of parts, drilling, and putting back of said parts. Not really what I call FUN.

I am betting that he and I did not get the only two of these that MTH made. Any others out there...and did anyone fix the problem on theirs?

Greg

Greg,

I seem to remember a post some months ago where the poster had the exaxt same issue.