running mth dcs from legacy remote

You can run your MTH engines with the Legacy remote with the TR feature that will vary the voltage. You are essentially running your MTH engines conventionally. The direction, bell, whistle, coupler functions will work on your Legacy remote to operate them. 

Just keep in mind that you will not be able to run TMCC, Legacy command engines on the same track.

The TR feature?  You need a PowerMaster to run conventional stuff with the Legacy system.

I think you would be better off running both Legacy and DCS together.  Your trains will perform better.  

David Minarik posted:

I think you would be better off running both Legacy and DCS together.  Your trains will perform better.  

Totally agree!!!!!   That is how our layout is wired up, i.e. DCS, TMCC, AND Legacy. Everything operates great together, each with their own individual hand held controllers.

I'm sorry .. I want to make sure I understand this.

If I were to buy a MTH engine, I could only control its movement by varying the track voltage?

EBT Jim posted:

I'm sorry .. I want to make sure I understand this.

If I were to buy a MTH engine, I could only control its movement by varying the track voltage?

In conventional mode, yes. However, if you purchase a DCS control set (TIU and hand held), then you can control any and all MTH PS2/PS3 equipped models, remotely, including accessing all their features.

While we're on the subject, I'm in the process of hooking up my DCS and Legacy stuff after a two year absence and using the "Y" cable for this setup. I seem to be missing a piece of the puzzle or can't find it. To hook the serial cable up to the TIU I think I need a db9 male/male adapter, right? I have Barry's latest book but it makes no mention of it.

Milwrd 

To hook the serial cable up to the TIU I think I need a db9 male/male adapter, right?

That's incorrect.

I have Barry's latest book but it makes no mention of it.

The DCS Companion doesn't mention such a connector simply because you don't need one.

Both the TIU's serial port and all of the Lionel command base's serial ports have DB9 female connectors, and the connectors on both ends of the MTH cable are male. The "Y" cable suppled with he Legacy command base also has a female connector on the end of the cable that connects to the MTH cable's male connector.

Further, unless you need to connect both a TMCC base or some other Lionel component to the Legacy base at the same time as the TIU, you don't need the "Y" cable at all.

This is all clearly documented, in both words and pictures, in The DCS Companion 3rd Edition.

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 OGR’s web store!

Thank you Barry. Not the first time I have misinterpreted some info and probably not the last either.

Milwrd

I'm sorry this is such an old post. I tried to search for my answer first before posting.

I have a Legacy remote and just bought an MTH 30-2719-1 CB&Q GP7 as an impulse buy. I chickened out long ago on buying DCS because of the half-*** way my layout is wired. Doesn't DCS need a star pattern wiring? I've never heard of the MTH remote commander mentioned earlier here. Will this control my proto 2 GP AND I can still use Legacy? Can I just come home with a remote commander, plug it in and run this GP, or do I need to do anything wiring wise to my layout?

Yes, the DCS Remote Commander can just be connected to the track and it will control a single DCS locomotive.  One item of note, that is a 2006 PS/2 locomotive, so it MUST be factory reset before the DCS-RC will see it.

As for how well it'll work, the DCS-RC is clearly the JV when it comes to layout size, one reasonably sized loop should be no problem, but if you have a multiple loop layout with lots of switches, it's not going to fare well with this simple solution.

The Remote Commander is subject to the same DCS wiring rules as the TIU. However, don't take these rules as absolute. I ran an 8' x 18' double main layout (TIU) with only a single power connection to each loop, without any problems.

When I run my MTH, PS3 diesel on a Legacy layout using the remote commander it works OK but since the engine has been factory reset , and the default for that is smoke on, there is no way to turn off the smoke.  The potentiometer only controls the smoke in conventional and the remote has no way to turn the smoke on or off.

JFC454 posted:

When I run my MTH, PS3 diesel on a Legacy layout using the remote commander it works OK but since the engine has been factory reset , and the default for that is smoke on, there is no way to turn off the smoke.  The potentiometer only controls the smoke in conventional and the remote has no way to turn the smoke on or off.

Good to know. I have only run a PS2 RK diesel without smoke, with the Remote Commander.

Oman posted:

The Remote Commander is subject to the same DCS wiring rules as the TIU. However, don't take these rules as absolute. I ran an 8' x 18' double main layout (TIU) with only a single power connection to each loop, without any problems.

Thanks! My layout is about 8' x 18' too, so I'll try the Remote Commander. Are the "default settings" a bad thing? Does it harm anything to do this? Can the settings be returned to un-default in the future if I sell or trade this to someone with DCS? So far even with conventional running I love this GP. The smoke and sounds seem better than Lionel, but I'm not interested in another $300 remote set up just for this loco I got for $100.

If you sell to someone with the full DCS setup, the default mode will last until the new owner performs an "Add MTH engine" on his DCS system with the 'new' loco on his track.

In other words, the buyer won't even notice.

---PCJ

I forgot to mention that I have a Remote Commander that I installed on the outside main line along with the TIU. It worked fine with an RK diesel, but as I said, that diesel doesn't have smoke. Note that the remote communicates with the receiver using IR, so you need line of sight just like most TV remotes. The default settings are the settings "as shipped" from the factory. When you add a locomotive to a TIU DCS system, you then have access to all features and parameters.

NOTE; if you are buying a used MTH PS2 or PS3 locomotive that was previously running on a DCS system through a TIU, it most likely will not have it's default settings. In that case, it won't run with the Remote Commander. If you can find someone with a TIU DCS, they can do a factory reset.

Oman posted:

NOTE; if you are buying a used MTH PS2 or PS3 locomotive that was previously running on a DCS system through a TIU, it most likely will not have it's default settings. In that case, it won't run with the Remote Commander. If you can find someone with a TIU DCS, they can do a factory reset.

UGH! *Banging head against wall* I guess it's still a nice conventional loco. I've heard about the two control system complaints, but never really paid attention until now. Going the other way, if I got rid of Lionel and went with MTH, could I run TMCC and Legacy with DCS? From searching the forum it looks like some people have both connected together.

You can run TMCC/Legacy with DCS on the same tracks at the same time, I do it all the time.

Sam Jumper posted:

Oman posted:

NOTE; if you are buying a used MTH PS2 or PS3 locomotive that was previously running on a DCS system through a TIU, it most likely will not have it's default settings. In that case, it won't run with the Remote Commander. If you can find someone with a TIU DCS, they can do a factory reset.

UGH! *Banging head against wall* I guess it's still a nice conventional loco. I've heard about the two control system complaints, but never really paid attention until now. Going the other way, if I got rid of Lionel and went with MTH, could I run TMCC and Legacy with DCS? From searching the forum it looks like some people have both connected together.

Just take your MTH locomotive to an MTH dealer and ask them to do a factory reset. Otherwise, buy a complete DCS system. You can't get rid of the Lionel Legacy or TMCC system if you want to run Lionel command locomotives. Yes, you can connect the MTH DCS system to the Lionel system (TMCC or Legacy) and control both Lionel and MTH locomotives from the DCS remote.