Carl Peduzzi posted:dk122trains posted:Excellent news, will the bluetooth app allow lashup of engines or will we have to use the Legacy app?
I also would like to know if the new App or the LionChief Remote will support multiple lash ups.
Getting back into O Scale 3 rail, I am looking toward creating a roster of more modern diesels, and multi-engine consists are appealing to me, and, I’m assuming, many other users.
Thank you.
The goal of LionChief Plus is to give the user an extremely easy-to-use operating system. A speed knob, basic sounds, electrocouplers. This way, anyone can pick up the hardware remote and be running a train in seconds. The APP is the same concept, albeit with a few added features such as smoke on/off and individual volume control.
Our goal in adding BLE to the Legacy engines is to make them compatible with the APP and Universal Remote, in essence making them a LionChief Plus engine while still retaining the ability to be a Legacy engine. The Bluetooth will not give all the features you get with a Legacy controller.
If you have an original TMCC controller, you do not have access to all Legacy features with a Legacy engine. It is the same with using a BLE controller. We do not want to add things that will add complexity to the APP such as quilling whistle, lash-ups, running multiple trains at once, etc. If you want Legacy features on your phone, that's what the iCAB APP is for.
I can't count the number of times I've had people tell me that they love our scale engines, but do not buy them because they find using Legacy to be too intimidating or complex. This is something we completely understand. The Legacy controller is a complex beast that does wonders for us that know how to use it, but some people just want to run the train with simple controls.
The Legacy engines will get their own Bluetooth ID number. It is built into the code. When the APP attaches, it commands all locos that have that ID, up to 3. So you can "MU" 3 engines of the same sku only. In AA sets (and the separate sale B units), they get the same BLE ID number.
If you notice in the catalog on the F3/7 page, there's a note that says that only 3 BLE engines can be controlled at once. This is a limit of Bluetooth technology. So if you were to purchase the AA set and both B units, it will only run 3 of the 4 at once. The dummy units get the BLE board (as well as the Legacy board) so that you can control volume (on Super Bass), smoke on/off on the APP, electrocouplers, etc.
Hope this helps.
