Thanks everyone...drelo, I don't think you're alone in abandoning DCS...I came very close over the years...and I have to say it was engines such as the Triplex and BiPolar that kept me in the DCS game, to coin a phrase, as well as this forum...so many people working together to make this system work, albeit with required software and TIU revisions...with Barry leading the charge. FWIW: I only run PS2 and PS3 engines with the DCS remote...all my Lionel engines I run with Legacy Cab II remote.
What is mind boggling here is that the remote is working again using the semi-used batteries, whereas it did not work last weekend with these same batteries...and this was the 3rd batch of batteries in as many months...so why would it work with brand new batteries...not work after a month...work with another set of brand new...not work after about a month...and then work with a 3rd set of brand new batteries...frankly, until you guys suggested testing the batteries I would've kept doing this like a dunderhead...and the testing revealed the latest batch of batteries were only slightly drained ~ 1.4 volts DC as compared to brand new ones at 1.55 volts DC.
My dealer told me that he has no replacement remotes and cannot fix them...but it is under warranty...so if this issue comes back one more time then perhaps a trip to GRJ's place and obtain a first-hand view of the layout progress 
A couple of remaining questions: is a remote reset worth doing should the issue happen again? And, when do you guys replace batteries, at what voltage...for my older remotes I would replace when the screen started to fade...but it may be that the newer DCS remotes require higher voltages to function? What voltage should we expect them to run? And, has anyone come up with a plug-in DC adaptor for the remote - kind of defeats the wireless feature but my basement isn't that big anyway...I could walk around with a 20 ft. cord plugged into it. I don't want to go to the rechargeable type of batteries.
