DCS 5.00 coming with new app

All that hype about DCS 4.3.1 and now we're gonna skip right to 5.0. Will it be on time?

Just said 'on target for October release'. Whether they hit the bull's eye remains to be seen, but I expect they must be pretty close seeing as we are into October already.

However, MTH has been pretty close on the ship dates for all of my pre-orders the last year or so. I think the majority were delivered within a month or two which is pretty good.

Word is that there will also be a new loader program.

Very cool!

Peter

Yes, that was mentioned in the news letter as well.

Peter, very cool it is.

Really looking forward to wifi, fun times

Will we be able to get it installed on the TIU's at the DCS meet Wednesday night  that would be very cool.

John, assuming it is released in time, the upgraders will have it.  Expect a long line, and we may start before scheduled time.  But, we like to eat too.

This is what MTH, send out today in their newsletter.

     I have one question for Barry or any member.

Are we better off with a iPhone 6 / S or Smart Phone and what brand and model.

Gary • Cheers from The Detroit and Mackinac Railway.

Or do you want a large-screen tablet?

Printed a couple of hard-copies to present to the club at tonight's business meeting. As the club DCS tech, I've advised the membership to hold off until I can test the WIU against an older TIU using a USB-to-Serial adapter. There's definitely going to be some testing.

The three levels of phone/tablet software is interesting. The price point on the paid apps is pretty reasonable.

When Lionel released there iCab, they published 3 videos on You Tube, showing how to set it up. Hope M.T.H. does the same or Eric's Train does a product review.

     There are also several other guys on YT who show how to set up the iCab system.

Hope M.T.H. does a video like this one.

Gary - Cheers from The Detroit and Mackinac Railway

 WiFi Quick Start Guide is on line.

www.mthtrains.com/sites/defaul...nual%209.17.15-1.pdf

In terms of which device is better to use I guess it all depends on your own personal preference. I have the iPhone 5S and an iPad 2. But the new iPhones, iPad Pros and iPad Minis would also work great. iPad Mini would probably be ideal.

I'll be sure to put together a video once I get all the components together!

I'm going to be a party pooper. I don't want  to run my trains with a cell phone or equivalent. I'd much rather see a more realistic  "feel" for  train operations.  Heavy&  light  brake applications and even a engine independent  brake ( Spring loaded toggle) Using the brake  with the dcs remote in my opinion is actually fairly realistic...  It takes a while to slow down the train but unfortunately  when the brake is released the train speeds up  away tooo quickly.   Hope MTH's  new app might have some of these features???

Here's a question, if you have 3 TIU's all set to Super TIU mode, do you need a wi-fi module for each TIU (3), or just a single module? Thanks in advance-

My understanding is that you will need 3 WiFi modules.

I think I'll pass on this software for awhile.  You know who the real beta testers are for any software with a version ending with .00.

Gregg, although I've never used it, my recollection is that you can set the remote so that the brake application mode can be set so that it doesn't resume the speed, but stays at the new one.  I agree with you about the remote, but my curiosity drove me to order one wi-fi for my principal remote.

Vince, would you feel better if they had numbered it 4.31?  My understanding is that, with the advent of wi-fi, all of the software is relabeled 5.0.  Even the loader, currently 2.3.4.

Vince and Jeff, Good question.  If running a loco by tablet on a circuit controlled by a TIU connected to wi-fi, and it goes to a circuit of a TIU without a wi-fi, do I lose control?  I'll add another:  If a wifi is controlling a TIU, will the TIU respond to a remote?

If running a loco by tablet on a circuit controlled by a TIU connected to wi-fi, and it goes to a circuit of a TIU without a wi-fi, do I lose control?  I'll add another:  If a wifi is controlling a TIU, will the TIU respond to a remote?

Good questions RJR... we know tethering a remote & tiu with the phone cable only allows  that  remote to communicate to the tiu.  Interesting Fall ahead with all this new  stuff. I suspect Barry's been a busy man lately. (and  others )

I am not interested until one of the Apps runs both DCS and TMCC.

I assume (I know, should never do that) DCS 5.00 will fix the lash-up issues in the current version.  This alone would be worth doing the upgrade.

I'm with you.  I don't see the appeal of replacing the remote with a phone or tablet.

I like the LCS app on the iPad, but I use the Legacy or CAB1L remote to run the train. 

The responses above are very interesting, because it clearly shows that there is a continuing preference for, and market for, the remote. 

I hope MTH takes note.  I personally feel that the remote is a sturdy, excellently laid out (ergonomic) device, that at the most could benefit from a little tweaking, but not abolition or major renovation.

My understanding is the same as VinceL stated above, one wifi for each TIU.

If the DCS remote runs TMCC and the deluxe (paid) app is supposed to do everything the remote does, then wouldn't you expect it to also work with TMCC? Might be wrong, but that would be my thinking anyway?

I also plan to continue to use mainly the remote for my DCS system, still have a flip phone. The wifi and app is just for fun and my grandson. The grand kids are experts with all these smart thingies and I can't keep up. I will admit this latest announcement has me thinking seriously about a smart phone for the first time ever. We do have an ipad, so I am not totally still 20th century.

Hopefully there is something they can do to keep a valid option of a stand alone remote. 

A while back (TCA museum York week), Mike indicated the smartphone was the way of the future (paraphrasing a bit).  He certainly made it sound like he had no intention of investing in creating a new remote with more recent technology since it was so efficient to write apps for a smartphone device that lots of people have anyway.

(IMO, there is bound to be parts availability issues at some point since it's now been 13.5 years since the TIU and remote were first released.  At some point you are into re-design, even if not on a huge scale right away.  Some part used in the thing is likely to become non-obtainable.)

-Dave

If it's like most apps(I didn't read/digest the text in the links above yet), you can probably run it on an iPod touch as well.  No pesky monthly service charges to deal with if you have a flip phone that still fits the bill there. 

-Dave

Matt, some of us beta testers outside MTH are testing the app.  We report directly to MTH and the information belongs to MTH until the app is released.  Your informant is blowing smoke.  He does not have the app.

The old flip phone is lucky to even get turned on once a month, so I hardly even need that one. Haven't carried a cell phone regularly since I turned in my company phone when I retired a few years ago. Ours is basically for emergency use only and when we are out with the grandkids somewhere. I got my grandson an itouch a few years ago, that is a good idea. Apple said it was an iphone, but just lacked the phone capabilities. 

I also agree with your comment on upgrades for the DCS remotes, probably won't be any. There will be a few stragglers like me that will probably still use them, but I think Mike Wolf was correct about the smart phones being the new way to control trains. May take a while for everyone, but I imagine a lot of folks will switch to the apps in a fairly short time span, especially the younger folks that grew up or are growing up with the smart devices like all the kids. Who knows, I may even like it better and switch myself?

Building in support for WiFi has got to require a lot of software changes.  So, moving to a new version (5) is probably the right thing to do.  The first .00 release of any version of software is going to have problems.  The questions are how extensive are the problems, what is required to correct them, and how long will it take for a corrected version to be released.

I'll wait until at least 5.01 or 5.1.

Being a retired IT guy, I am always skeptical of new software versions. None of the 9 PC's in our house are running Windows 10, and they won't until at least SP1 comes out.

I'm curious how it will work in a multi-TIU environment.

What a joke as we've been doing all this in the DCC world for years now..for no cost!

I don't own a cell phone. Call me old fashion but i will stick with a remote.

I agree with Craig that I would like to have one app that can run both.

I sent an request for information on MTH website about this product and I am waiting for a reply. As soon I get the reply I will be more that happy to share with the group. My main question to the was will it work with Lionel product line. I thing it should but I would like to hear directly from the manufacture. If I do not hear from them I understand that Mike Wolf will be at Trainworld/Trainland this Oct and if I get a chance I would like to ask him direct about this product.

I wonder if with the MTH wifi system I could use my Iphone and IPad to control my Mth engines, and also control my MTH switches and accessories that are currently wired through my AIU's?

Craig, I have heard that that can be done through the $24.99 app when it comes out.