Re: unable to find number in MTH remote

It's gone forever and only a remote reset will restore ID #4   . But.... resetting a remote deletes everything you've entered into it.    It just  seems to happen every now and then.. 

Janet,

I assume that you're using DCS 4.0 or later since you attempted to recover the engine (that feature first became available in DCS 4.0).

If a simple power cycle of the remote didn't correct the problem, it's clear that you've encountered a long-standing issue in DCS. To make a long story short, the DCS engine list display function thinks that the contents of slot #4 is not an engine, however, the rest of the DCS functions think that the slot does contain an engine. The bottom line is that you now have an invisible and unusable #4 DCS remote entry.

The only solutions are as follows:

• If you have a backup of the remote that predates the issue surfacing, you can use the Loader Program to replace the remote's contents with the earlier backup. Then, delete the Coor's engine that's now back in the #4 slot, and re-add it.
• Reset the remote and re-add all of its contents.
• Find someone who can delete the garbage that currently inhabits the remote's #4 slot. (At present, there's only one person of whom I aim aware that can do this.)
• Live with the remote as it is and ignore the missing DCS ID# 4.

This and a whole lot more is all in “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition!" This book is available from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store!

Thank you Gregg and Barry for your response. 

I have the latest version, DCS 5.0. 

You both are in agreement with the general consensus from fellow club members of the Paradise & Pacific RR, which is that I would have to reset the remote; I was hoping for a different option.  I do not have that many engines programmed in; but one engine is a clone and someone else added that one in, so I probably will just live with #4 not being available.

I don't get the one that's a clone, if you don't have the engine anyway, why worry about it being in the remote?

I feel your pain.  First my personal remote lost number 1 and last night it lost 12.

It was a pain but I reset the Remote (CLEARED COMPLETED) and had to re-enter everything.

I ONLY did it because there are four other remotes and with many people using them I prefer all be identical.

John, if you have an identical remote, all you had to do is backup that remote and restore it to the one you cleared.  There's no need to re-enter stuff all manually.

Hello gunrunnerjohn.  First off, my husband likes your moniker. 

Regarding cloned engines, I should explain that I purchased two MTH 20-20485-1 Conrail GP38-2 Diesel Engines Cab. No. 7776--best patriotic paint scheme ever--and a fellow Paradise & Pacific RR club member cloned the engines so that controlling one, controls the other.  I can program engines into the MTH DCS remote, but programming engines so that they are cloned is another matter and something that I need help with.  The reason that I will not reset the remote is that I would have to once again ask a very kind Paradise & Pacific RR club member to program in the two engines so that they are cloned and I do not want to impose anymore than I already have.  I will only have to live with there not being a #4 in my remote until MTH puts out another version of DCS; and installing that new version clears the remote, so all of my engines will have to be reentered at that time and #4 will once again be available.

Thank you and everyone who has replied to my question.  Again, I was hoping that it would be a simple matter of pushing a few buttons...it was not to be.

Cloning saves the data.  It does not save the current DCS program.  So when MTH issues V5.1 or whatever, that will not necessarily solve the problem.

Sounds like "cloning" is as simple as loading one of the locomotives and noting it's ID.  Then delete that locomotive from the remote and load the second one.  If necessary, change it's ID to the same one for the first locomotive.

Job done.

This isn't a reason to not fix your problem.

Janet,

until MTH puts out another version of DCS; and installing that new version clears the remote

Updating DCS does not clear the content of the remote.

I should explain that I purchased two MTH 20-20485-1 Conrail GP38-2 Diesel Engines Cab. No. 7776--best patriotic paint scheme ever--and a fellow Paradise & Pacific RR club member cloned the engines so that controlling one, controls the other.  I can program engines into the MTH DCS remote, but programming engines so that they are cloned is another matter and something that I need help with. 

The "cloning" to which I and others have referred is different from the "cloning" that you are discussing. We're talking about making the contents of 2 remotes the same while, I believe, you're talking about having 2 engines with the same DCS ID# so that you can control them as one engine.

If so, it would be much simpler for you to either build a lashup of the 2 engines or operate them using the ALL Engines feature of DCS.

This and a whole lot more is all in “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition!" This book is available from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store!

Barry, probably better to do it with an MU, but the fact is, cloning them like was done seems to be a very simple and easy process anyway.  That doesn't seem to be a reason not to fix the problem.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

John, if you have an identical remote, all you had to do is backup that remote and restore it to the one you cleared.  There's no need to re-enter stuff all manually.

I need to learn how to do that John.

I'm sure Barry will be along with a suggestion to buy his book.   It is certainly in there.

It's actually fairly easy.  Using the DCS loader, you connect the first remote using the 4-pin cable, then click on one of the following icons for the upload or download, see illustration below.

After pressing the up to PC button, you'll get this screen.

Just follow the instructions.

By the same logic, the download is done pretty much the same, you get this screen...

John,

probably better to do it with an MU

Agreed.

the fact is, cloning them like was done seems to be a very simple and easy process anyway. 

That may be so, however, i's a very nonstandard way of doing things. Further, if problems related to those engines occur down the road, it can hamper the ability to effectively troubleshoot an issue.

I replaced those batteries and when I turned on the remote, #4 showed without the engine name and there was no #4 under active engines nor under inactive engines.  I

I'm not sure what you mean....It's quite common for a engine to add without a name if the dcs track signal is low.

However you may want to go through the active and  inactive list to find  ID 4 with no name... That's probably why it's not available to edit to. It's already  in the remote.  Might not hurt to double check