Hey Engineer-Joe....
Didn't mean to make it an "official" complaint....its more of a nuisance (but I'd be ecstatic if there was a fix for it). Especially when adding TMCC engines.....
OMG.....LOL!! Totally forgot about Headcheese! I'm originally from the Midwest.....my brother used to eat it with VINEGAR poured over it! I wouldn't touch the nasty stuff! Too, too funny!!
Junior... I just threw up a little in my mouth.. YUCK!!
You just made headcheese worse!
Sorry H1000......didn't mean to gross you out!
H1000 posted:The DCS Commander works with ALL PS2 & PS3 locomotives. The engine will need to be factory reset in order to have the proper DCS ID to operate with a DCS Remote Commander.
Let's please clarify this... Per the DCS Commander manual, pulse code is superimposed on flat-line DC. It was my understanding that early 5V Proto-2 locos should NEVER be run on DC. Any MTH Techs want to weigh in on this issue?
Also since the output is DC, I imagine that it's not advisable (or even possible) to wire a DCS commander in "passive" mode. If it's wired in active mode, it becomes the primary voltage supply to the track, and cannot operate TMCC/Legacy on DC. So if you want to run Legacy AND DCS locos at the same time, you're back to using a TIU and "dumbwheel" remote 
Ted S posted:H1000 posted:The DCS Commander works with ALL PS2 & PS3 locomotives. The engine will need to be factory reset in order to have the proper DCS ID to operate with a DCS Remote Commander.Let's please clarify this... Per the DCS Commander manual, pulse code is superimposed on flat-line DC. It was my understanding that early 5V Proto-2 locos should NEVER be run on DC. Any MTH Techs want to weigh in on this issue?
Also since the output is DC, I imagine that it's not advisable (or even possible) to wire a DCS commander in "passive" mode. If it's wired in active mode, it becomes the primary voltage supply to the track, and cannot operate TMCC/Legacy on DC. So if you want to run Legacy AND DCS locos at the same time, you're back to using a TIU and "dumbwheel" remote
Okay Ted I think we are two different wave lengths here. I (mistakenly) thought you were talking about the DCS REMOTE COMMANDER.
I'm pretty sure that I have run one of my PS2 5v engines on DC power via the newest DCS Explorer and with the TIU via a FIXED channel.
MikeH posted:Junior posted:Totally forgot about Headcheese
Fellas! As a man of southern Illinois German extraction, I love headcheese. Lately, it's Oberle spicy headcheese (Ste. Genevieve, MO). Don't knock it til you try it. Who doesn't dig on swine?
Mike, I'm sorry but I might have to report this for vulgar content! 
H1000 posted:Mike, I'm sorry but I might have to report this for vulgar content!
I can tell you're more of calves brains man. There's a place right next to my house. Let me know if you're ever in St. Louie! 
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I load all my sound files on the bench with DC power, that includes 5V boards. They load fine and run on the test set.
Looks like this conversation has taken on a life of it's own......I haven't laughed this hard in quite a while 🤣! Thanks guys!! You made my day. 👍👍
After reading the responses to my comment about the wifi, I am convinced that there are some things in life which are less preferable than the wifi.
I actually do have 2, but since I usually have much going on on my layout at any given time, I find that I just can't flip through screens fast enough and therefore prefer the remote. I did use the wifi's a few months ago.
I've noticed the lag/skipping with the thumb wheel when scrolling quickly (i.e. locomotive mph bounces around). It's probably because I try to spin the thumb wheel as fast as I spin the scroll wheel on a mouse. This is one case where I much prefer the speed control function on the app.
Lou1985 posted:I've noticed the lag/skipping with the thumb wheel when scrolling quickly (i.e. locomotive mph bounces around). It's probably because I try to spin the thumb wheel as fast as I spin the scroll wheel on a mouse. This is one case where I much prefer the speed control function on the app.
I repaired this one 3 years ago as i did not have a replacement...very smooth and still working.
used this to clean and lube.
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Lou1985 posted:I've noticed the lag/skipping with the thumb wheel when scrolling quickly (i.e. locomotive mph bounces around). It's probably because I try to spin the thumb wheel as fast as I spin the scroll wheel on a mouse. This is one case where I much prefer the speed control function on the app.
The difference between physical contacts and an optical encoder. 
willygee where did you buy the chemical?
Got it at local GM dealership where my friend is a tech..Wurth dist supplies the dealership. Every bench has these hanging around.
thanks willy for the info!
Alan
After I bought my DCS System, I was at the LHS and heard another lamenting the issue with his remote thumbwheel.
He was buying a replacement.
Which at that time, was a complete assembly.
So I bought one.
Then time passed, and the Thumbwheel cradle in my DCS Remote broke.
I was able to swap it out, buy a new cradle, and have a rebuilt spare-
Which is a plus since now you cannot buy the assembly, only certain parts.
It’s like the DCS Remote has become the LocoSound of the day-which the owner of LHS I bought that set from “assured me” MTH would build on that platform, and not abandon it-
And this is why I have MTH WI-FI.
Because old smart phones are cheap and easy to get if you don’t have any laying around.
And the system works quite well.
As does that LocoSound Christmas Train-
Haven’t done any Maintenance whatsoever on it, since I bought it in 2002, even on its original tires🚂😁
gunrunnerjohn posted:Engineer-Joe posted:gunrunnerjohn posted:IMO, the thumbwheel is the biggest failure of the DCS remote. They should have spend the extra ten cents and gone with an optical encoder design instead of the discrete contact based design that quickly deteriorates!
I have 3 DCS remotes. Only one, had the thumbwheel in need of replacing. It was my first and well over 10 years old (15?). The other still two work perfectly.
I think heavy thumb pressing can accelerate their demise. Our grandkids have played with mine since they were old enough to run the trains. So I know that they have had some good use and still work well. I think the design of the wheel housing is a weak spot.
My girl presses our remotes upstairs so hard, I could hear the plastic stressing. After wearing out a few remotes and telephones, I tried to coach her on not pressing so hard. I think some users get confused when a remote takes longer to do it's job? So they press harder to get a reaction.
I'm not talking about breaking the thumbwheel supports, I'm talking about the encoding contacts on the thumbwheel. An optical encoder would allow smooth control, not the up and down random jumping of the speed that the DCS remote does. I have four of them, and all but one have lousy thumbwheel control. Contact cleaner fixes them temporarily, but they quickly develop bad habits again.
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