PS2 Engine recognized on one layout but not another

Find MTH Engine command

There is no "Find MTH Engine" command. What did you really do?

Were you using your own remote that already had the engine in it? If so, did you just try to select it and start it up or did you try to add it? If you tried to add it, you should have gotten "No Engine to Add" followed by "Engine in Remote" with your engine showing as the active engine.

Regardless, please describe exactly what you did and exactly what happened as a result.

Not my personal remote with this engine in it (that remote stayed home)  Not a remote that had the engine it after I reset it.  That remote and the others had no engines in them after the reset yet the others added as usual. I described exactly what I did as best I could.  Excuse me for not using the term "ADD MTH ENGINE"  instead of "FIND MTH ENGINE". under the System, Engine Setup routine.  I did not get the "engine in remote" prompt nor did the engine show as the active engine.   The fact is that the engine just sits there with 18-20 volts to the track until I press the "DIR" button on the transformer  when it starts and then I can only operate it using conventional controls. 

I just started it up a few minutes ago  in DCS and ran it around my home layout - working fine at home!  Had "issues" with this engine before but they cleared up after the battery was replaced last year. I checked the battery last night at home using DCS and the reading was "OK".  I  first thought that might be the problem; however your book indicates that if the locomotive continues to make sounds for "6-7 seconds after power is turned off " the battery probably isn't the problem.  Some factor at the club is significant enough to not allow this engine  to be recognized.  The other engines I worked with are  PS3.  Is that a factor?  Thanks. 

Is the club tiu the same address as your home tiu? 

Gregg, 
Yes. Also,  I am not aware of any errors regarding the TIU address on the club layout.  I am not using my personal DCS controller on the club layout.  Shouldn't any DCS engine be able to operate on our club layout regardless of the control configuration on any other layout? 

I went back and re-read your post....Both tiu have the same address so   much for that theory..(engines are associated  with the tiu they've been added to.)

You reset the clubs remote so there shouldn't be any ID conflicts....

What does that leave?? poor dcs signal or lost ID. Since it runs at home so much for  the lost ID  idea as well.  (recover engine  feature)

Does the club use  a programming track? with a good dcs signal?  good luck.

Shouldn't any DCS engine be able to operate on our club layout regardless of the control configuration on any other layout? 

Yes, however, there are a few caveats. Is the club layout operating with multiple TIUs? If so, be aware of the following:

• If you used a remote that was reset to attempt to add the engine, that remote only contains TIU #1. If the engine was on a track belonging to a different TIU, the remote would not see the engine at all.
• If the layout is operating in Super TIU mode and on a release prior to DCS 4.30, there are bugs in earlier releases that affect Super TIU mode operation.

Barry,
Just did a "read" on my home layout. Shows 1 TIU Address 1 and the AIU and then the engine screen for this engine which is still on the track.  I am fairly sure that club layout shows the same thing regarding our single TIU address  but will check it out.  I do know that the club TIU blinks once when turned on as does my home TIU.   In any event the scenario you describe might be valid since I brought the locomotive to the club after it had been on my home track TIU.  I do think I attempted to add the engine at the club before I did all the resets.  In any event, if the engine was last operated under my home TIU and  I did not attempt to add it to the club layout until after the reset, how do I fix that?  I am leaving home now for the day. Thanks. 

Thanks Gregg. 

In any event, if the engine was last operated under my home TIU and  I did not attempt to add it to the club layout until after the reset, how do I fix that?

If:

• The TIU at the club upon whose tracks your engine resided had the same DCS ID# as your home TIU
• Both were TIU #1
• The club's TIU and remote were at the same DCS version

Then the engine should have added to a just-reset club remote without any problem.

I will be at the club tomorrow with several members.  I will bring the engine in question.  I will charge the battery tonight.   I will let you know how it goes.  Thanks. 

Update:

After insuring that all club remotes and member remotes had been assigned distinct ID numbers and that no two different engines shared the same ID number in any remote - the engine in question could be found.   I think that conflict was the problem.  I did also fully charge the battery.   In any event the engine works and was successfully included in a "lash up". Thanks 

Your issue is why many clubs have "club remotes" for DCS and require you to use their remotes.  They make sure that engine numbers are unique for each run.  If you run at the NJ-HR with DCS, you use their remote, and they have a range of numbers they assign to visiting engines.

Gun,

Thanks for the reply.

And what will happen when we don’t have remotes anymore? Will the clubs have “club iPhones”? 

An interesting question to be sure.

Something that I like about Legacy is all that data is in the command base, so every remote sees the same thing.

Actually, all that the club needs is an export file of the club’s own smartphone or tablet. Then, a visitor could import that file into their own device. However, they would have to have a Premium version of the DCS App to support the import function.

GHD posted:

And what will happen when we don’t have remotes anymore? Will the clubs have “club iPhones”? 

buy all the remotes your club can afford.

The other concern I have with this high tech stuff, is that the big boys keep changing and updating their stuff. It seems to me that Apple is doing an upgrade each month. When MTH doesn’t have any control of these devices, will they have the capability to keep up with the changes. I don’t like to see them lose control of the complete system. I hope I have enough remotes to last my lifetime.

I thought of something earlier with using the remote that you can't do as easily with the phone. I should have posted but I held off. Now of course, I can't remember what it was! Something about the remote buttons vs toggling 2 app screens.

 The phone (app) is much better at running a single engine with whistle smoke for example. This was the same for the remote, if I could just remember....

The remote is also much easier to see outside.

BUT.... I think "the writing is on the wall" for the life of the remote. If they won't keep the remote code updated in the future, it may become useless. We may have to keep older ( in the future?) versions of DCS loaded into a matching TIU for example, to still utilize the remote? I guess we will see??

If we quote MTH as phasing out the remote we get blasted. Yet MTH says the remotes days are numbered. I hope they change their mind. I do like the app but want to have both at hand.

Ah well, maybe just go Bluetooth someday...?

Lets hope that MTH will make it well known when they come up with a TIU upgrade that is not compatible with the current remotes. That’s where I’ll draw the line in the sand so to speak. Running a few trains using a phone is fun and cute. But running more than that on a large layout doesn’t work for me. The one thing we as users can control is the system rev level we want to operate with.

The other concern I have with this high tech stuff, is that the big boys keep changing and updating their stuff. It seems to me that Apple is doing an upgrade each month. When MTH doesn’t have any control of these devices, will they have the capability to keep up with the changes. I don’t like to see them lose control of the complete system.

MTH, just like any other app developer, gets advance notice from Apple (and Google for Android) of changes to the operating system. MTH is very indented to keep their app working as the OS changes.

This is fine as long as MTH is in business. I certainly hope MTH is around for a long time. I have thanked Mike for making my retirement years so enjoyable.