Wi-Fi app speedometer

Strange.  I use a Samsung Tablet which is obviously a different operating system.  I also find it odd that if this is an MTH sponsored forum, NO ONE from MTH has bothered to respond to your question dated 1/30/20.  For some reason I get the feeling that MTH knows this WIFI thing has bugs and critters running rampant, but they seem to be taking the ignore road.  Maybe if we refuse to address the issue the problem will fix itself.  I have a two page letter I've never mailed chronicling all sorts of issues I've discovered since going hot last year.  The real kicker, the current software that runs the premium app, is going on 3 years or more old. 

Same problem with my iPad.  Brought it up here in late March.

https://ogrforum.com/...4#141356374265178184

Now it has been discussed again in April.  Way to stay on top of the customer's needs there MTH.

I'd like to see a video shot of this behavior.  My son was using a tablet that was doing some strange things similar to this. Turns out he had two problems:

1) The screen on his tablet was absolutely smudged and very dirty. it caused it to register touches that he didn't make.

2) He "fat fingers" a lot of his touches so that also cause more than one thing to seem get press on the screen at one time.

He's pretty little and still learning so I'm not going to hold these faults against him!

Can't help you with the smudges, but my "fat fingering" was greatly reduced when I started using one of those cheap rubber tipped stylus pens.  Made tapping the menu selections at the bottom of the screen easier, made sliding the ball on the volume slide bar much easier and more precise.  Not being privy to his age or dexterity, can't say it will help, but might help some.

Engineer-Joe posted:

Yardmaster96OGR Forum Member

"Now it has been discussed again in April.  Way to stay on top of the customer's needs there MTH."

Well, 2 things here. First is a world wide pandemic that has every company severely reduced in staff or closed.

Second, this may well be a device issue and have nothing to do with the MTH app. So when they do return to work, we should find out here.

 

Also,

The app is not directly developed by MTH. The App developer is a third party company that MTH will also have to communicate with to resolve these problems. It may be some time before they re-open for business.

As to the "when they return to work".  Engineer Joe makes a valid retort to my terse response about keeping up with customer's needs.  Corona has caused the entire United States to have to completely rethink how it lives daily life.  I feel for any and all citizens who are forced by edict to stay at home, especially if that means forgoing a paycheck.  It only makes sense that MTH, Lionel, Bachmann, the list goes on, would not be considered essential personnel.  No one wants to be considered unessential, but maintaining and repairing a vehicle is a bit different from maintaining and repairing a model train.  Be that as it may, their employees count on that job to keep the bills paid.

I humbly apologize for any irritation my last reply caused, and with that I will say this.

All we ask is that the companies who sell this stuff, keep in mind that people who are willing to spend high amounts of money to buy their stuff expect a little appreciation in return.  It's not our fault if we buy a product that is defective or doesn't work the way it was designed to work on the engineering table.  Maybe China screwed up when they actually built it.  A wire got crossed, or didn't get attached right.  I have only been in the train business going on three years.  In that time I have great success with everything I have bought.  When I see a thread that begins with "I am having an issue with" and notice it was started in January, has not one reply, nor has the initiator written a follow up saying, "Talked to MTH, found out what it was", which would have been possible in January, and February, I take it on faith there is a fellow forum member out the hanging in the lurch who has received no help from any direction.  So I respond in April, not 15 minutes go by and another member responds that he had the same issue in March, it leads me to believe that MTH is either aware but not working on it, aware but can't work on it.  I see it is the latter.  In any case, knowing this forum exists, they are a sponsor, maybe someone who wants to work from home could spend his or day browsing the forum looking for MTH related issues, and responding to them.  Lionel could be doing the same thing.  Paid employees continuing to work their hours by answering questions or at the least, responding to problems found by their employees.  Boring?  Yes.  Productive? Possibly.  Gonna happen? No.  Worth a try? Anything is worth a try.

I'm learning all sorts of new things.  Third Party vendor.  Ok.  Sheds way more light on this subject.  Wasn't aware of that.  Now I am.  This is why I do what I do, nice gets me crickets, combative gets me knowledge.

Well, I wasn't trying to be mean Yardmaster LOL! But I get what you are saying!

Okay the third party thing.

MTH (and Lionel) are not in the business of making apps. the Technical expertise to do so would take way more Time, R&D, and money than what they are willing to shell out.

The MTH App is actually developed by a company named Spindance. They have a nice case study about MTH and the app development which can be found here: https://spindance.com/case-study/mth-electric-trains/

It's nifty and not very technical but interesting to read.

EDIT:
THIS IS NOT AN INVITE TO CONTACT SPINDANCE TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS THAT YOU HAVE WITH THE MTH APP. YOU MUST GO THROUGH MTH SUPPORT FOR THAT.

Didn't irritate me (too much). I just worry that some users expect action right now. This type of posts usually grow and people pile on the bashing.

MTH did respond when the app kept jumping to full speed. They responded and changed the app's behavior on a few things. I too wish they kept at it. I wanted to see more things in the app for consists like a full sound list. We did get a max speed menu added to consists after some posts here.

 I don't work for MTH and I'm not a tech. So I only take posts to heart if they attack a company unfoundedly. I think that's wrong to do on a public forum and put a company on some sort of trial by fire. Sincere posts about problems should and do get responses. So I still believe that this will get fixed.

Maybe some techy here who works in the computer programming field can figure out where the problem is?

Engineer Joe and H1000

Thank you so much for your responses.  I have to admit I felt like a...D word I can't use in the forum, after I wrote that.  To get to the nucleus of my issue, I just want someone to listen.  I have no problem with third party apps, MTH, Lionel, or any other aspect of the model train hobby.  Neither of you made me feel that way.  I appreciate your input and wish I could get MTH to listen.  Even if all they did was write back and say, we hear you and we are looking into it.  Humor me on this.

I tried Contact Us.  I told them about some interesting issues I was having with the DCS system.  It fell on deaf ears.  I did contact Midge and get some replacement pickup wheels, that went well.  But any attempt to try to shed light on what I thought might be a software glitch involving DCS, nothing.  I called once and talked to a person I thought was  a techy.  I asked him about the feature where the Brake/Boost increased or decreased at varying rates.  I set it to 1, it jumps to 2.  I set it to 2, it jumps to 4.  I don't want it to jump to 2 or 4 I want it to remain at 1.  If this is a glitch, repair it.  If it is a feature, explain it.  That's all.  If that's what you had in mind, explain it.  Write a user manual that not only tells you what it can do, but why it does it.  I don't work in the railroad industry, I'm just interested in it.  I like DCS.  I like WIFI.  But I'm also not dumb, ignorant, or stupid in the sense that I purchase something, use it, see a presumed glitch, and just say, oh well, they know what they're doing.

I ask questions.  I comment.  I speak up.  I see a problem, I explain my issue, and I expect at the least for someone on the other end to listen.  I don't expect MTH to ignore the social distancing, burn the midnight oil, and fix every issue I speak of.  But can't they at the least hear me out?  MTH won't listen, and I have spoken of my issues with the WIFI app on previous threads, but it's as if no one on the forum wants to hear people complain.  I once "complained" about something I felt was important for the forum to be aware of, and a mechanic from MTH basically told me to shut up and go play with my trains.  Leaves a lasting impression.

I'm trying to better the app.  I'm trying to better the trains.  I see thread starters, page after page of people pleading for help about TIU's that won't recognize engines, problems with this and that.  I try to find threads where I can be helpful and tell people how I dealt with a problem.  Share some knowledge.  I have several pages of things I would like to ask about regarding the Premium WIFI app.  I try to find YouTube videos on it, but all I can find are 5 year old, 12 minute short bursts that demonstrate the beta app for beginners.  They are well done, informative, and get the job done, but you can't go into detail about advanced features, like switches and accessories and just about anything under the more menu.  I'd send them a letter with all of my questions, but I don't see anyone up there ever getting back to me.  That's my issue with MTH.  Customer service, unless you ask too much.  I'll keep buying their stuff, and i'll keep using their app, but the taste they have left in my mouth about being transparent with their knowledge has disappointed me greatly.

Thanks for listening.

John