The difference of ps 2 and 3?

Ken,  For what you want to do there is no difference to the DCS system.  Your remote system can run a PS-2 or PS-3 engine.  The important factor is the engine must be factory reset, so that it is on the address the RTR remote system broadcast on.

You need the full DCS System to get a factory reset completed.  You may be lucky in your engines are already on factory reset default address, but if they have been run on a DCS layout or into a tech for repair, they may not be.  Give it a try.   G

I may be wrong but what I have found based on my research ( I had the same questions on the differences) is:

PS3 has LED lights that many do not like the look of but they do not require batteries

PS2 is a lot louder sound wise which many prefer

You can change the LED's to a different color temperature if you don't like what comes with the PS/3, although that's a bit of work.

Forgot about the wireless tether. Here is a link to a pretty informative discussion

https://ogrforum.com/d.../lastReply#lastReply

If you want DCC, that certainly is a huge reason to select PS/3, that's true.

I believe that i read PS3 is supposed to allow MTH to kick the sound quality up a bit which has not happened as of yet. I think there was a discussion of the ps3 sound improvements yet to come in one of the last issues of the crossing gate

In this case, PS2 is better than PS3, unless of course you like the sound of sawing wood at speed. The whistle IMO sounds a bit anemic as well.

PS3 railking Northern

PS2 Railking Northern

Perhaps obvious but one difference is PS3 is currently in production and hence more supported or maintain-able - same reasoning as any widget with embedded software-based electronics.  For example, the first version of PS2 (PS-5V) is effectively no longer supported in terms of getting replacement boards, finding a repair shop, getting upgraded downloadable sound files, etc.  If there's a particular engine only available in PS2, perhaps it might be worth waiting for it to be released in PS3.  Just my 2 cents...

Ken,  As discussed above PS-3 uses all LED lighting, has no battery (uses Super capacitors), is DCC or DCS capable, has improved memory for larger sound files, is the latest system, uses an 8 connector drawbar (no harness), can load PS-2 3V or PS-3 soundfiles.   Hardware wise, there are more variants.  Diesel is one board system, Steam uses a boiler and tender board, HO is a whole nother set.  Tach reader is different. 

For folks that don't like the PS-3 sound set of an engine, have you tried to load a PS-2 3V sound set to see if it performs different?  G

Since they're still shipping new PS/2 upgrades, one can presume they're still making the 3V PS/2 boards.  Of course, no warranty how long that will last...

I will go with cleaning off the shelves.

We'll see.  However, given that it took them months to deliver the latest round of PS/2 upgrade kits, I suspect they did actually have to wait for manufactured parts.

Nice videos, there seems to be a difference to me.

Play both at the same time, alternately by hitting the pause on one and the play on the other.

Set the PS3 slider at 2:50 to hear slow, the PS2 at :35.

Set the PS3 at 3:10 for fast, the PS2 at 1:25. You can play one, then the other.

Seems there is a quality difference, but it could be I have heard so many PS2 steamers, I expect them to sound like that and not the other one. I do not know what the real engine sounds like.

Someone needs to post the sounds of the real one to tell. Greg

Both sound good to me.  Bear in mind that how each was recorded, how far away the engine was some the sound recording equipment and how large the room was, all can give the audio better/worse characteristics.

GGG gives an excellent synopsis of the main PS2 to PS3 redesign spec's. 

Of significance is the mention of being able to load PS2 3v soundsets into PS3 equipped engines.  The 1st generation of PS2 board sets were 5v and their soundsets may/don't load into newer version PS3.

My MTH Product Reference Guides note the use of 5v versus 3v boardsets for every engine MTH has offered.

The chuff.

The whistle.

Gentlemen,

   The best things I see about the P3 is no tether and no battery, BCR technology

inside the P3 engines.  Got to admit some of the sounds are a might questionable

when compared to the P2.

PCRR/Dave

Gents...

i can't get my PS2's to work on my DCS. I have two PS3's that work just fine... What do I need to do? Someone up top said a factory reset? How do I do that? Is that all I have to do? 

Thanks for your time...

Steve

With the issues that quite a few people have posted about the drawbar, I'm not in a big hurry to adopt PS/3 technology just yet.  The battery issue is simple to address.

What are the exact symptoms?  Are you saying multiple PS/2 engines won't run?  Did you do a factory reset on the engine?

I have two different PS2s ...neither will run... I have not done a factory reset.... How do I do one?

Polarexpress3:

You must have a Full DCS system with Remote and TIU to do a Factory reset.

The Starter Set unit cannot do a reset.

If you don't have one see if your LHS does, then they can do it for you.

Otherwise perhaps a forum member can do it for you.

On the DCS Remote;

Select: ENG, Select the engine you want to reset.

Select MENU, System, Reset Engine, Factory Reset, Press the thumbwheel again, Select the engine to reset.

The engine will be reset and removed from the Remote memory.

Power the track down and remove the engine.

Put it on the track with the Remote Commander and it will power up in command mode for that remote.

Imdo have full system....and will try that!! Thank you Russ.

When I got to system, there is no "reset engine" choice on my remote.

Menu, Advanced, Reset Engine, Factory Reset.

Make sure it's the only engine on the tracks, just in case.

Both PS2 engines I put not the track at different times... It says "no engine to add" why is it picking up my PS3 engines but not my PS2s. The reset did nothing, because the engine is not even being picked up.

Steve,

What version of DCS are you using?

The manual is the 5th edition.....what else can determine this?

Look at the version of software loaded into the TIU, that's what Barry is asking.  I can't imagine if it runs the PS3 engines that it can't run the PS2, maybe Barry can give a hint as to what he's thinking.

When you first power-up your DCS remote, the software version it's loaded with will be displayed for a brief time on the screen.

I, too, can't understand why you're not able to operate both PS2 and PS3 locomotives regardless of what software version you have.  If it runs the PS3 locomotives, it certainly should recognize the PS2 locomotives as well.

There's a step you're overlooking somewhere, but I can't quite figure out what it might be.

No reason I can think of that wouldn't work, the same version talks to all my PS/2 locomotives.

Did these engines previously work?  What changed from when they worked to now?

I'm also running version 4.20 and have had no problems with adding and operating either PS2 or PS3 engines, and I have a number of both. 

Take all the engines off the track except the one  proto-2 engine you want to add. Try that first , If a no go  and  you perhaps  have only  3 or 4 engines, reset the remote and try adding  the proto-2 first.

Menu/System/ Engine set up/add engine/ Add MTH engine what happens?

Does your NS engine perform properly if powered conventionally (just placed on a stretch of track powered by a transformer--no DCS of any type connected)?