WHAT I WAS TOLD...........

If the rumored remote replace comes to reality, it running on a single platform only like android makes sense. It shouldn't make apple users unhappy any more than what the current DCS remote makes them unhappy. You'll buy a complete remote controller that has a buttons and an operating system to run the app that will interface with those buttons.

TIU prices are dropping, 2 to 3 years ago you could be paying upwards of $800 to $900 for a REV. L TIU & DCS Remote.

PS3 upgrade kits have been stuck at $200 from Parts and sales for a long time now. I am a little surprised they haven't gone up with inflation the way it is but maybe I better be quiet before a sales accountant gets a bright idea.

TIU's of any generation can be upgraded to the latest (and most likely the last firmware update for the discontinued TIU) of 6.1. When upgrading from older versions, you should upgrade to 4.x first and then jump to 6.1. However in the past, I once did upgrade a REV. G TIU from firmware 2.1 to 6.1 without issue in one step vs. incrementally.

@H1000 posted:

When upgrading from older versions, you should upgrade to 4.x first and then jump to 6.1. However in the past, I once did upgrade a REV. G TIU from firmware 2.1 to 6.1 without issue in one step vs. incrementally.

I know of no reason to upgrade the TIU software incrementally, and I know of no benefit for doing so.  I've taken a number of TIU's from the 3.x.x software to 6.1 with no issues at all.  Obviously, running 3.x.x software, when you got to later major releases, you need to reset the TIU and remote, so you have to reload anything that you had stored in them.

If the rumor is true, an Android remote would make sense. DCC has had them for some time now (ESU model below). The benefit over phones is that the OS revisions and hardware would be controlled by the train manufacturer and not at the mercy of say,  Google. I've had some Android apps stop functioning after Google did an OS upgrade.

I agree that making a remote based on Android makes a lot of sense.  As long as there still is a DCS app for iPhone uses like there is today, Apple users will be find. 

How about they just make more DCS remotes?

We now have a WORKING WIRELESS solution, costs less than the cable they haven't even made yet.

Again, I vote for just another round of remotes and we 3d party the adapter they say they could not make.

Well, any replies to the first part of my post (thanks for responding by the way, most of you know much more than me) are probably individual speculation except number 4 regarding PS1 to PS3 upgrade, good info there- and number 5) was clarified if I ever want to upgrade an old H I have.

What about 6) ? Can you repair guys respond to that one? While OEM parts might not be available, are there many older TIU failures that you address with off the shelf items/work arounds? Could be the answer might help many of those thinking of ditching old units instead of repair, and going to the WTIU.

Interesting how one local dealer's information can be interpreted. And I am sure he believes everything he said.

Greg

PS Also, it might be nice if there was a sticky at the top with others, listing all the folks on here  who are qualified repair people. I see the new MTH website has a nice search feature listing many. (If this is heresy, let me know and I will delete this line.)

@cngw posted:

2) By 2026, there will be a "remote handheld" to work with the WTIU. Bluetooth I think. ("Straight info from MTH.")

3) It will be android based, and there will be no support for Iphones. (not sure how all that will work, I did not delve into it) Surely, that will "irritate" tons of Apple users, was my first thought.

Yes, it will irritate iOS/Apple folks (like me). There are lots of us around. . . likely even more than Android users, I suspect. Not interested in running my trains with my phone, which stays pretty well tied up with phone communications.

@Vernon Barry posted:

Again, I vote for just another round of remotes and we 3d party the adapter they say they could not make.

Since there is already a working solution for linking the existing DCS remote to the WTIU, no need to a lot of research.

RTCAdapter - Missing Link between a Remote and WTIU

@Allan Miller posted:

Yes, it will irritate iOS/Apple folks (like me). There are lots of us around. . . likely even more than Android users, I suspect. Not interested in running my trains with my phone, which stays pretty well tied up with phone communications.

I don't use my phone all that much for phone communications, and I'm still not at all interested in using it to run my trains!

My phone is for my convenience, to occasionally check the weather, provide navigation help at times, and to entertain me waiting in doctor's offices.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I don't use my phone all that much for phone communications, and I'm still not at all interested in using it to run my trains!

My phone is for my convenience, to occasionally check the weather, provide navigation help at times, and to entertain me waiting in doctor's offices.

Ditto that John. The iphone is a (multi-function) phone. And the handheld is for running trains! As long as my current handhelds outlast me, life is good.

@cngw posted:

.... there will be a "remote handheld" to work with the WTIU.

Yes, this is what the MTH rep mentioned as a possibility at the October '24 York Meet.

In the meantime,  it would be great if someone can give us a very detailed set of "how to build" instructions for the RTC Adapter (invented by @SanDiegoMark) aimed at those of us who may not be software or electronics experts.  This certainly sounds like a significant, leading-edge project for our hobby.

I stepped away from the use of my remotes both DCS and Legacy. I did this to get used to the "new" technology and the "new" way of running trains.  I'm running both the new WTIU and Lionel's Base 3. Both are pretty buggy and irritating at times. Not 100% certain if it's the app or the hardware. I like the apps design just fine (for the most part) and the large screen on my ipad is really nice, but if a remote becomes available, I'll certainly jump on that and start running trains with a remote again. I actually prefer the separate remote idea. What's it matter if it's android based? What am I missing here?   If it's a separate remote that connects to the WTIU and runs trains who cares what OS it is. My phone is Apple, my ipad is obviously Apple, but if MTH released a remote. I'd be happy no matter Android or Apple. 

@Marc C posted:

What's it matter if it's android based? What am I missing here?   If it's a separate remote that connects to the WTIU and runs trains who cares what OS it is. My phone is Apple, my ipad is obviously Apple, but if MTH released a remote. I'd be happy no matter Android or Apple.

I suppose that may be true. Not a technical guru, so I really don't know. Others here, though, do know and understand this stuff, so I'll happily read their responses. All I know is that I vastly prefer operating my trains with a remote and not with an iPad (or similar), and definitely not with my cell phone (even though I do have Wi-Fi DCS, Lionel Cab3 and LionChief, Bachmann E-Z App, and probably one or two more digital control apps on my iPhone.

I have all the apps both existing WiFi boxes, Lionel and MTH.  I even the BASE3, but it's warming my workbench right now as I'm just tinkering with it for the moment.

@cngw posted:

Sorry, I forgot a couple:

5) TIU can not be updated (from 3.1 or 4.1) to new version, unless it is REV L or later. Pretty sure that is what I heard.

6) It also can not be repaired if it goes bad. There are no available parts for it anymore (I am thinking some repair people can speak to that.)

#5: I've upgraded a number of older TIU's from version 3.xx and 4.xx to 6.1, so clearly what you heard is an old wives' tale.

#5: Ditto for not being able to repair TIU's.  With the exception of the overcurrent failure in the original Rev. G that cooks an internal trace, most things that befall TIU's can be repaired.  There are some internal memory or processor failures that are difficult to impossible to repair in the field, but those are not the most frequent failures.  I've repaired dozens of TIU's from a few Rev. G (not the internal trace failure) to the current Rev. L versions.  I know that @GGG will still repair TIU's to this day.

I don't know where you're getting your information from, but it's time to pick a new source!

Thank you John, you verified two of, what I thought, were probably "not quite accurate" statements. Thus, the reason for the post: info from those that know!

Other than forums, the new place I was at, is the only circus in the area.

Appreciate the feed back....as I am sure many others do also.

Greg