Wrong engine info?

Sam,

If the erroneous name was simply a Custom Name that the previous owner put in, you can restore the original name simply by doing a Factory Reset of the engine:

Menu/Advanced/Reset Engine/Factory Reset, select the engine and press the thumbwheel twice.

This and a whole lot more is all in MTH’s “The DCS O Gauge Companion 2nd Edition", available for purchase as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store!

Something's not quite right. Did you add the engine to the remote first before using the "read"  The new engine may have the same ID number as the one packed away.

The read can't add an engine to the remote. 

Gregg,

Regardless of what was posted, it's obvious that Sam had to add the engine before he could see its name.

It would read the other engine (NS) if it was in the remote and powered up somewhere on the layout.  From day one, I have never used a program track.  If the layout has perfect signal, put a new engine on the track at any location to add it to the remote.

Barry, you would be right as Sam knows his trains.

 I though that was the problem. He couldn't see it's name .  If both engines had the same ID which name would come up with the read ? The one  already added to the remote  that is packed away .  Wouldn't you notice the incorrect name after adding?

Its been awhile since I added an engine to the system and I'm not sure what I did here. I think I powered up the track and hit 'READ'. The engine came up as NS-9 9010 and she started up and seemd to work fine.

Just now per your suggestion Barry, I did a factory reset while it was under power and it blinked and got louder. The NS-9 disappeared from the remote and she wouldn't respond at all. I powered off the track and then back on and did the 'Add Engine' procedure. Viola - she came up as Scale E-6 and all is well!

Thanks guys.  I really need to start running the MTH engines again as I've forgotten a lot of the operational details...

Marty Not using a programming track (or equivalent)  is just  not a good thing. Only the engine you're trying to add should have power , the reset should be on dead tracks.   You might get away with it a few times but it'll eventually bite you.

The same thing happened to me, I would put a engine on the track and hit read (EDIT: I use READ because the DCS remote does not see the new engine first time on the track) and another engine come out...A factory reset would delete the engine name and a power down then power up and a usual new engine add will work....I do have an older rev DCS, can't recall the rev and unable to look it up now...Just FYI..

Bottom line, you can not add an engine to the dcs remote using the "read".

Ha!  I appreciate your kind comments here Marty but I must confess that this was classic 'operator ignorance'....

Gregg,   Having a few DCS engines,  I put a new engine on my main line with NOTHING else on it and add it to the remote.   I have been working with DCS for a year and a half before it was released to the public.  Any track with good signal and nothing else on it is perfect for adding an engine.   That has been my layout and I have added many engines over the years.  An engine does not know if is on a program track or any other track.  All my tracks have a perfect 10 signal and I can add an engine everywhere.

This can be confirmed by someone else who knows my layout like  Barry Broskowitz.  Barry knows DCS and track signal and is my go to guy.  Barry has run my layout and added an engine on my main line.  I am not saying a program track is a bad way to go.  I have seen many layouts where guys add an engine with a program track and do not always have great track signal on the main line.  In this situation, a program track is a must.

Bottom line, adding an engine to a layout with perfect signal, is a good thing.  If you have what I outlined on good signal and nothing else on the track, do it and it will never bite you.

There is one other way this happens especially for a PS-2 5V engine, though even 3V can have it.  If the original board died and some one took a good board out of another engine and loaded the new sound file.  The name would remain the same as the doner engine unless a dealer loader was used to changed the serial data file.

Always possible with used engines.   G

Hadn't thought of that G but you're right. We do have a NS Dash 9 and that's probably when came up initially when I hit 'READ' instead of 'ADD ENGINE'. Are some of them so similar in electronic signature that the remote will read a completely different engine like that?

After I performed the proper start up procedure, it did come up as 'SCALE E-6  MoP 601'

This was done on about 3' of track on my bench.

Hey Marty, Yes the main line can be a programming track if no other engines are receiving power anywhere on the layout. We actually agree but  my wording can get confusing at times. It even confuses me. I knew you had a turntable with a rotary switch that only turned on one track at a time but wasn't sure whether you kept all your engines there. anyway we agree.

Ok guys what does the read look for?...Engine IDs.  not name.  If the new engine on the track had the same ID as another engine already in the remote  (It's in  a box) the reads would find the ID and display the wrong name.

Another add failure  could happen with too many powered engines on the layout when adding. With a big layout in super mode it doesn't take much for an engine add to go a stray, Engines already added to the remote might  add again with a new ID and now the other 6 remotes have the engine with the wrong ID... the list goes on.. 

Read will put any engine on the active engine screen that is in the remote and on a powered track.  You can have a few engines on a live track and not on the active engine list.  When you hit read, it will put them on the active engine list.  I currently have two GG-1 locomotives  in my remote and not in the active engine list.  They are under live wire which is the same as being on track.  When I hit read, it will put all three on the active engine list.

If an engine is not in the remote, read does nothing for you.

Trouble with using READ to move a loco from inactive to active, is that any loco not powered up gets moved to inactive. 

One of my 4 remotes will not move a loco to active if I select that loco when powered up, but my other 3 do with no problem.

Two changes I wish were operator settable on the remote:  (1) should there be an inactive list (2) In accessory, the ability to lock out toggling on and off for a particular accessory.  Reason, having <99 locos, I don't need an inactive list and then I could safely use ACC to operate uncoupling tracks and solenoid-drive accessories.

Gentlemen,

    Marty F is absolutely correct, I use a programming track with only that one engine on it when I do this programming, and it works every time, with more than one engine you are asking for problems with your programming.   After you do the initial programming, then you can do as Marty indicates, with multi engines.  As usual Marty knows what he is talking about.

PCRR/Dave

I don't use a programming track either, but I shut down all transformer & TIU channels other than the one I'm using and on that, turn off all block toggle switches but the section I use.  Having any other DCS loco powered up on the layout is, as Dave says, asking for a problem.

RJR,

   In reality you do not absolutely need a separate programming track, but IMO it sure makes life easier using one.

PCRR/Dave

I wouldn't agree on that.  I don't like lifting locos off the layout.  Puts stress on loco-tender connections.  To me, it's easier throwing whatever switches are needed to isolate it on the layout.

To stray a bit, been told our remote has two Lionel Engines in the inactive list. Possible?

How do we get them out?

RJR,

   Using a toggle switch is just another way of setting up a programming track attached to your main layout, I have also done this and my current Christmas layout has incorporated this programming tack engineering into it.  Although I have found it really does not work quite as well. 

PCRR/Dave

Just keep selecting them. After a TMCC eng add, they  seem to automatically go to the inactive list,. Select and select. If you don't want the engines in the remote period delete them. good luck

Robert,

One of my 4 remotes will not move a loco to active if I select that loco when powered up, but my other 3 do with no problem

Time to replace or repair that remote, perhaps? Or at least reset it.

But Barry, it's only 14 years old, and has only been dropped and shattered on concrete once.

Just an FYI...

If there's strong DCS signal and sufficient power, you can have several engines on the track powered-up, and add them all, one after the other.

Yesterday, I added 3 engines just that way. It's all about signal strength.

 Barry Barry! this whole thread just went down the drain.  How many other  engines on the layout were receiving power?

Gregg,

How many other  engines on the layout were receiving power?

Three, altogether.

OK, I'll add "your mileage may vary".

Better?

Yep.

Thank you, we will try it. Would like to keep them in as they "visit" us on occasion.

Gregg, No, the drain was not filled.  The fact that on a layout, with locos in a certain place, a loco can be added with others on powered track, does not mean that on every layout at any time this can be done.  It's best to avoid the possibility of a problem. 

Dave, now we're into semantics.  Does one define "programming track" as a track apart from the layout ( tend to do so), or as a portion of the layout that can be electrically isolated from other DCS locos and the rest of layout (the system I use.  But I think we're both agreed on what we're doing.

When adding engines they tend to add to the first available number 1 through 99 that is not being used. You place a strange engine on the layout as Sam did, it had a number that was the same as one of Sam's.  You can re-assigned the designated address number for the engine.   Best to leave low numbers open 1 through 5 or for that matter just (one), most engines will add to this number. Then move the engine to a higher number, free-ing number 1 again.  The Fort Pitt Highrailers assigned (10) address numbers for each participant. Didn't take long for that to get screwed-up, so we did it again. No one was allowed to add engines during an operation session.   

System/Engine Setup/Edit Engine/Edit Address/Select Engine/Select New Address. 

(1.) The assignment of address numbers is done in (ONE) master remote. It took the better half of a day to do the list the second time.  

(2.) Then the engine list was downloaded to my laptop. 

(3.) From the laptop, (FIVE) cloned remotes were done, all with the same engine list.   We seem to be do-ing better the second time.  

Most noted problem, engines showing at meets with dead batteries, they need to be on a layout the day before to be completely charged. The dead battery usually leads to engine not on track and by that time the battery has charged enough to be re-enter into a full system of operating numbers and things are messed-up again.  

Note that if someone shows at a train meet, (1.)adding an engine has to be done via the system to the master remote, (2.)down loaded to the computer, a revised engine list, and then (3.)the revised engine list upload to each cloned remote.  Other wise the system becomes a mess easily in one year, the time it took to realize: Hey this isn't working, we need to do it again.

Everyone on the same page, sometimes.   

Mike CT

Mike, sounds like a good reason not to get clubby.

I don't have any experienc in club ops, but couldn't you assign a block of numbers to each member, and then before they run, put loco on a separate test track with a tethered remote to verify it has been properly ID'ed????

Loose transceiver board.  Tether the suspect remote and see if things work that way.

Gentlemen,

   Barry is correct, it's all about signal strength, and that is one of the reasons my 2nd level siding, where I program and add my engines to the DCS hand held is directly above my roll away power station, with the TIU on it, connected with a very short wire.  I use this siding as a  programming tack, it works every time, it just happens to be located along side the main layout, operated with a toggle switch.  In fact Ron Barrett in the OGR video guide does a great back shop segment and teaches how to set up this programming track, right in the middle of your layout with 2 toggle switches.

RJR you might want to give it a look see, even thou I am sure you know how it works.

MartyF I definitely agree he probably also has a hand held remote in need of repairs, especially after 14 years.  Mine was that old when it stated acting up also, what ever Bill Ingrahm did when he upgraded mine to fully rechargeable and fixed & installed the new wheel GGG sent him, it now seems mine works perfectly.  It may also be his program wheel is pretty worn out.

PCRR/Dave

Dave, why?  My layout is 100% toggled blocks.  I use a mainline section near the tiu's for convenience, because that's where I connect the laptop.  Since I have no problems, why waste the time?

Dave,

Ron Barrett

That would be Jim Barrett.

Since IDs stick with the engine unless ........ If someone brings an engine to our layout   and it has the same ID as one of our engines we simply  just take our engine off the track (or park it on a dead track).He can now  use  our  or his remote to run,  have know the ID number though.