Problems with New MTH Ten Wheeler in DCS (Explorer) UPDATE

do ail your dcs  equipment have the latest software? can be a issue!  tiu and remote both need to be 6.1 version!

also check your engine sometimes the wires inside the engine are on top of the super cap there is signal issues on the forum about that and you can move the wires away from the top of the super cap and then intermittent issues will go away!

I don’t have a TIU I’m using an explorer and the app. I did flash the firmware on the explorer for  ver1.2.  I’ve reset the explorer several times. I’ve deleted the app and reinstalled it. I’ve used an android phone and an iPad.

 I haven’t  opened it up.  Since I’ve only had it in my hands for 48 hours since I first picked it up from LHS, I'll leave that to them.

 But when I do get the engine to run and I have one of my other PS3‘s running the headlight and smoke on them don’t always respond on those either. If this engine is  off the tracks and I have the either of the other two PS3  running there are no issues at all. If I try to run it with either other engine and this one won’t go into active neither will either of the others.

 Tried running it again this morning.  I didn’t get it to go into active list once. Ran around the track couple times. When I hit shut down, I guy “Request Failed” error. It changed to inactive. I tried refreshing and it stayed in inactive. 

Mark W

If this is only unit on track does it work fine?  G

No.  Even if this is the only engine on the track, I still have problems. 

Just came back from the shop they put it on their layout with full DCS. They left another engine on the track. Soon as this year started, it required both engines in the active list. Just smoke and headlight functions work fine there. 

 They suggested I wasn’t fully connecting the drawbar. 

Just pulled it out of the box. Double check the drawing board before I put it on the track. The app won’t put it in active mode

Now with only the penn 4-6-0 on the track.  I refreshed the app and it moved my American circus  4-6-0 to active. the Penn  is Responding to my commands from the app Even though it is listed under inactive, And the American circus is not on the tracks.

Now  that my penn 4-6-0 is responding as if it was my Am. Circus 4-6-0 on the inner loop

I added my SW1 to the outter- they both work fine.

 I took off the SW1 and added. The Am Circus. -The App Only shows the Am Circus as active but the are responding together. 

 Have I invented a way to create a lash up  with an explorer ???????????????????????????

It sounds like both engines have the same DCS ID#. I suggest deleting the problem engine, and then re-adding it. If the problem engine is a PS2, ensure that its battery is fully charged before re-adding it.

Barry,

All three engines are PS3. 4-6-0's are 30-1755-1 and  30-1585-1. SW1 is 30-20403-1.

Could the problem be the Explorer? It works fine with the Am Circus and SW1 running at the same time or either one by itself. The only time I have issues is when I put the Penn on the track, even by itself.

Mark W.

The problem is also that when I delete the Penn for the app, it takes multiple-multiple tries to get the app to see it again. No problems deleting the other two and adding them again (as long as Penn is not on the track)

I deleted both engines. Powered up Explorer, opened app, tried to add Penn, app did’t see it. Tried with iPad still no.

Put the Penn away. Placed Am Circus and SW1 on the loops, power up Explorer, open app, and as always, it added both engines. They both startup and run fine!!!!!!!

Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow.

At this point I emailed MTH. don’t expect a response. For a while this time of year. I used this thread as a reference for them.

PS- since returning from the store today I have triple checked the drawbar connection each time I placed the steam engines on the loops.

Whatever is wrong, I'm almost certain that the problem is with the engine and not with the DCS Explorer.

Barry,

I Agree!

THe shop and their tech said they ran it fine and when I was there today it started up on their DCS. Could there be a problem with this engine and an Explorer?

Could there be a problem with this engine and an Explorer?

While it's certainly possible, it seems highly unlikely that the DCS Explorer itself is a problem, since it works well with your other engines and it isn't capable of discriminating against any particular engine.

However, the evidence would seem to point to a moderate signal strength issue on your layout coupled (pun intended) with a corresponding signal strength "weakness" in the problem engine.

The engine may work well on the store's layout if it has better DCS signal strength than does your layout. The one thing that could possibly prove or disprove this hypothesis would be to run the engine on the store's layout, with your DCS Explorer in place of the store's DCS TIU and remote. If the engine works poorly, the most likely culprit would be the DCS Explorer. If it works properly, the most likely suspect would be your layout's signal strength combined with a reduced DCS signal reception capability in the engine.

Barry,

Would it help if I just took my Explorer and hooked it up to a small circle of track (8pieces) with one Power drop and just the Engine and tender?

At least till next week when I have to go back to them to pickup some ordered items.

Right now I have two loop under the tree. Outside is 5'x7'. Each has 3 power drops going to a terminal block.

Mark W

Would it help if I just took my Explorer and hooked it up to a small circle of track (8pieces) with one Power drop and just the Engine and tender?

Not a bad idea, at all! Then, test all 3 of your engines, one at a time.

Today I took an 8 piece circle of O31 Scaletrax, Scaletrax Lockon, My Explorer,  a MTH DC power supply and the three engines out to the garage.

Note: My layout is Fastrack with a Z1000.

So the only equip that is the same are the Explorer and the three PS3 engines. Also using the same android phone and Ipad for the App. Made several attempts  with each engine and attempting with both devices.

My other two PS3 each worked fine as they have. Add engine, Startup, all commands- Good!

The Penn 4-6-0 did not. Couldn't get it to add engine in five attempts. Like on my layout, If I tried long enough I sure it would have eventually added it but them.

If the Penn 4-6-0 is on the track with either of the other engines, the apps wont add any engine.

If the other engine is inactive in the app and I have the Penn on the track with it, the app will not move the engine to active and will not add the Penn.

Based on Barry's theory yesterday, I am wondering if it is a combination of weak receiver in the Penn and my explorer or any explorer. Meaning do Explorers put out as strong of a signal as TIU. I have to think, based on MSRP and MTH marketing the Explorer as a starter, that the TIU might have better components the Explorer.

I guess I'll have to what till I hear from MTH support. Till than............

I spoke to Nathen from MTH support today. He couldn't think of anything else for me to try on my end. He asked me to send them the engine and my Explorer. He didn’t think it was an Explorer issue. 

Note- He didn’t answer when I asked if DCS signal is weaker from an Explorer than from a TIU. I have believe it is.

I’ll drop it off to Just Trains tomorrow and they said they will take it to MTH when they are heading down to pickup orders.

I’ll post their findings when I get an answer from MTH.

Yesterday I received my engine and DCS explorer back from MTH. The repair slip states:

          "DCS/DCC plug inserted wrong WIFI defective"

It also states:

          "Cause code- wifi-02"

A few minutes ago I set up the Explorer, tested it with my SW1= all worked well.

Tried the Pennsy Ten Wheeler = Nope!!!!!!      I can't add it on my phone. Tried using my Ipad, that still had it as an inactive, won't move it to active.

All is as it was a month ago.!!!!!!!

When I tried putting the SW1 on the tracks with the Ten Wheeler= as before, it wouldn't move to active with either device.

Last month I just wanted it working and curious what was happening. Now I'm getting frustrated. This was my first ever pre-ordered engine. I just want to play with trains! I did also buy two other PS3 engines to run under the Christmas tree, which I have been happy with and have probable run 400+ hours each.

I guess I'll be calling MTH Monday and/or emailing Nathan.

Note: They may have replaced my explorer or gave it a new network name. The name is different than before I gave it to them.

Mark W.