The resurrection of the TMCC upgrade

Nick12DMC posted:

Generally I am very annoyed with the situation. I personally have put a lot of time and money into getting TMCC/Legacy and LCS to work correctly here in the U.K.

I am sure other people are even more unhappy as they attacked the 50Hz issues by replacing original TMCC boards with ERR products that solved the problem. While I use an pure sine inverter to generate 60Hz so I can keep the original boards. 

While DCC may be a option. I like to remain positive that someone will ether take over ERR product or invent a new bridge board that combines TMCC control with DCC sound enabling us to use commonly available downloadable sound files.

Although a little off topic I personally think Lionel did a wrong’un by having so many control boards LC, LC+ etc all Lionel engines should have the same electronics. I’m fine with Bluetooth but the board even in the starter sets should have TMCC/Legacy. How much would they save by just having one board fits all? Not to mention the ease of replacing one standard board for repairs.

I have to say from personal experience I think Mike got this right with DCS. My 9 year old can run his Railking locos on the same system as my Premier engines using his iPad.

Nick

Yep! Like Betamax and VHS being sold by the same Company!

I'm giving the likelihood of Lionel simple turning TMCC totally loose for anyone to build about the same likelihood as another John rates that possibility here.

As for replacing TMCC functionality with LC+ technology, that seems clearly spoken by a man that doesn't really use the systems, hard to give that opinion much weight.

"As for replacing TMCC functionality with LC+ technology, that seems clearly spoken by a man that doesn't really use the systems, hard to give that opinion much weight. "

And you are utterly and hilariously wrong.  I've used TMCC for over 20 years and LC+ since it's been out a few years ago.  I have perhaps 30 TMCC locos and 6 LC+ locos. I've also used DCS in the past. So I have an excellent idea of the strengths and weaknesses of these systems.  Not everyone who disagrees with you is an idiot .

In other words, I'm a typical long time consumer, not a technophile who is ticked off at Lionel for causing them inconvenience.  Consumers and vendors such as you have one set of goals that the other approximately 99% of us do not share.

Amusing to see you talking about arrogance...

And the horse you rode in on Landsteiner.

"And the horse you rode in on Landsteiner."

It was a Subaru, but thanks.

I've thought things over on how to proceed with possibility of not seeing any future ERR products. From reading these many pages of post. Some very good, some straying from what this post original intent was.

But as of today, no more "O" scale products, especially Lionel purchased. I will attempt to fix some PS2 MTH engines if I can possible get some PS-32 boards. When any Lionel or other engines fail, upgrade to PS3. I feel ERR products are in no more otherwise with all the write up here and other places, Lionel would have stepped up and kept its customers informed on any developments.  If I fail in acquiring PS32 boards on dead engine, I will continue for 1 year operating with what I have running. At the end of that period if there are no ERR products, or I fail in acquiring PS32 boards (I understand these are only available to authorized personals), I will sell everything that's "O", and use the funds to dip into HO. I've already looked into engine I would want, and DCC control system for it, also double my present layout. I think my love for Model Railroading can accept HO.

As to some post, changing my system to DCC is more then I would want to outlay, rather go directly to HO. At least their systems are standard by all the manufacturers compared to "O" and everyones on their own and either accept it or not attitude.

I think we can keep it civil.  We can also objectively see that TMCC offers a greater feature set than LC+.  LC+ does have standard cruise control going for it, but the typical ERR upgrade to TMCC does as well.  TMCC offers more features in its base form than the best LC+ engines, and TMCC offers easy control of an entire layout, where as LC is intended for control only of an individual engine.  Another huge drawback of the LionChief implementation is that the engines only have 16 speed steps, as compared to the minimum 32 offered by TMCC.  

This is all limitations due to the implementation, not the underlying technology, but TMCC does offer an objectively better platform for layout control.  Perhaps in the future we will see Lionel take more advantage of the Bluetooth being installed in new locomotives, offering a level of control superior to Legacy while doing away with the antiquated 455KHz track signal.  

LC+ is fantastic, for all the reasons myself and others have commented on for the last several years, but TMCC offers more features at this time.  

JGL

What I somewhat surprised about (and perhaps it's because of my technical igornace) is why so many folks are now flocking to have their engines upgraded to tmcc if they're able to find the available ERR components. Why spend that money now when it's not yet certain whether or not ERR will ever be made available again. Folks spend that money now and what happens if those components fail in the near future? What then? Can replacements and repairs be gotten or is that a lost cause and the cost and work of upgrading was for naught?

Topic closed per request.....