PS2 Upgrade

Milton,

The most straightforward way to get these up and running is to have a technician order you the PS32 boards. Meaning PS3 boards that are designed to be plug in replacements for your PS2 5v boards. As I mentioned, only downside about this is that only the authorized technicians can get them.  I do know of a technician that will order the boards and send them to you. If you don’t know anyone, email me and I can pass his info along. 

-Jonny 

The PS-32 board is the best way to go.  To get more information, try posting item numbers of your engines as some are not a slam dunk.  Before throwing a board at your engine, be sure you do not have a chassis issue or you will loose some money.  I tell people to pull the 7 pin plug from the board and hit the rollers and ground looking for continuity.  If you have none, go for the board.  

If a steam engine, do this test with the tether connected to the locomotive.  I am a huge fan of the PS-32 board.  A great bail out for bad 5 volt boards.   If you are an MTH guy/gal, choices exist for bad boards.  We are lucky for that.  Again, before throwing a new board at any engine know that chassis wiring is good.  Anything I work on gets a few extra steps if a bad board exists.  I want to know what took out the board or am I dealing with a 5 volt board that reached the end of the line.

Being an MTH Tech, I would never buy a board and send it to anyone.  You do not know the status of his engine or his capabilities.   That is asking for one giant headache.   If you get some guy with lesser capabilities nothing good comes from doing this.   I know people who will take on any job and should not do so.

If you have a 3V PS/2 board, you can use that to replace a 5V board.  You will need to do about the same process as for the PS32 board, and also swap the white connector shells on the boards for the black ones on the dead 5V board.  You'll need a different speaker and the 3V battery harness for the newer PS/2 board.

I'm with Marty here, I'm telling what will work, but I'm not recommending you try it unless you are really sure of your capabilities.

Good point John.   I did many with rebuilt boards from George.  MTH did sell the 3 V boards with the black 5V connectiones.  Numbers were AE-0000015 and 16.   If you had a GG-1 with operating pans, the processor board was AE-0000018.   Many of my engines are 3 volt boards with black connections like John pointed out.  I have 7 of my former 5V boards done this way.

John, I know you see many of these.  I do a lot of Legacy work and will not throw a new board at any engine before I know what took it out.  If you find a bad RCMC board, find the issue as that is one great board.  I have seen many buy PS2 upgrade kits to get the board and then throw the board into a problem engine only to see the 4th of July early in the season.

Yep, it sucks to have a new board go up in smoke.  I had that experience with the RK PS/3 Big Boy, not pretty!  The issue is the drawbar hits the trailing truck and shorts out, poof, no board!  I didn't tumble to that while it was on the bench, it wasn't until it was running for about 15 minutes and it took out another board!  I was not a happy camper!  I worked out a fix, but George mentioned that there was an "official" fix for this issue, but I didn't get that word.

Hi, Sorry to jump in on a PS2 Upgrade, but i am looking for upgrade to PS2 from PS1. I am looking for the diesel board for an MTH MT2152 Louisville and Nashville Loco. I have read they are not available from MTH anymore, so i am throwing this out there. I will also need someone to install.

Regards, BD

The PS2 board can be used for steam or diesel.  The wiring that connects to the board is determined by your engine.  What is your L&N locomotive?  If you want PS2, someone has a kit.  Why PS2 over PS3?  Get an MTH tech to do your work.   George or John can help you.

John, I just emailed you the update from service notes.

bluedragon posted:

Hi, Sorry to jump in on a PS2 Upgrade, but i am looking for upgrade to PS2 from PS1. I am looking for the diesel board for an MTH MT2152 Louisville and Nashville Loco. I have read they are not available from MTH anymore, so i am throwing this out there. I will also need someone to install.

Regards, BD

If this is the AA or ABA that has two powered A units.  That is correct.  MTH no longer sells a conversion kit to do the PS-1 ABA units with slave boards.

What can be done is have both A units upgraded to PS-3 and you run the unit as a lashup or MU.  I do upgrades.  G

GRJ, Can you tell me more about the drawbar issue, so I (we) can avoid it?

The exposed contacts on the drawbar hit the trailing truck of the locomotive and kill the boards.  I covered them with heatshrink to insulate them, and I also trim any exposed pin on the bottom to minimize the interference.

Was that only a problem on the big boy, or all steamers?

It's a problem with specific locomotives, not all of them.  It's easy to spot, just connect them and look at where the bottom of the drawbar falls. If it's really close to the truck frame or tender axle, it's probably going to be a problem.

Thanks, GRJ.  Only loco I have with the drawbar connection is a PS3 R-K 2-10-0 Decapod.  Was that one of the problem locos.

I don't know, look at it and see if there are clearance issues with the drawbar to the truck.

All new versions have plastic assemblies that cover the pins to prevent contact.  G

Not sure how well they work if they're like the old shields that come with the upgrade kits.

GGG posted:

bluedragon posted:

Hi, Sorry to jump in on a PS2 Upgrade, but i am looking for upgrade to PS2 from PS1. I am looking for the diesel board for an MTH MT2152 Louisville and Nashville Loco. I have read they are not available from MTH anymore, so i am throwing this out there. I will also need someone to install.

Regards, BD

If this is the AA or ABA that has two powered A units.  That is correct.  MTH no longer sells a conversion kit to do the PS-1 ABA units with slave boards.

What can be done is have both A units upgraded to PS-3 and you run the unit as a lashup or MU.  I do upgrades.  G

Hi, this is an AA unit both only one unit is powered, it came that way from MTH. I understand that no PS1 upgrade kit to PS2 is available.

"You mentioned "What can be done is have both A unit upgraded to PS-3, and you run the unit as a lashup or MU".

Are you saying you can upgrade my PS1 unit to PS3, ??  and what is a MU ?

Regards, BD

MU= Multiple Units

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Not sure how well they work if they're like the old shields that come with the upgrade kits.

There not, they are a solid black plastic piece.  G

bluedragon posted:

GGG posted:

bluedragon posted:

Hi, Sorry to jump in on a PS2 Upgrade, but i am looking for upgrade to PS2 from PS1. I am looking for the diesel board for an MTH MT2152 Louisville and Nashville Loco. I have read they are not available from MTH anymore, so i am throwing this out there. I will also need someone to install.

Regards, BD

If this is the AA or ABA that has two powered A units.  That is correct.  MTH no longer sells a conversion kit to do the PS-1 ABA units with slave boards.

What can be done is have both A units upgraded to PS-3 and you run the unit as a lashup or MU.  I do upgrades.  G

Hi, this is an AA unit both only one unit is powered, it came that way from MTH. I understand that no PS1 upgrade kit to PS2 is available.

"You mentioned "What can be done is have both A unit upgraded to PS-3, and you run the unit as a lashup or MU".

Are you saying you can upgrade my PS1 unit to PS3, ??  and what is a MU ?

Regards, BD

 

If this is a Powered A and Dummy A this is an easy upgrade with ONE PS-3 Diesel Kit.  Yes, PS-2 has become obsolete and replaced by PS-3. 

It is the Powered AA that require 2 kits because each powered unit must have a board in it.  G

This set is a one Powered A unit and one Dummy A unit. The MTH number is MTH MT-2152 Louisville and Nashville. So you can replace the PS1 with a PS3 board ???

Regards, BD

Yes,  G

GGG posted:

Yes,  G

Thanks, I will email you.