I would think MTH would want to make it backward compatible to run the older hardware vs. trying to keep up with maintenance for 2 apps.   Hopefully, we can export our Engines, Routes, Accessories to the new app.   We will have to wait to see.  

Looking forward to the new apps and WTIU.

If it's an upgrade to the existing DCS App, then I would imagine that our data would migrate. With that being said, we'll have to wait and see what comes out.

I'm really excited to hear about the new features, and can't wait for everything to come out. Been waiting since I pre-ordered back in 2020. It's good timing, too, since I'm finally getting started on a layout here at home.

@Up & Down the Monon posted:

If it's an upgrade to the existing DCS App, then I would imagine that our data would migrate.

Just make sure to note that MTH has indicated the recent Apple release of the app broke the Import / Export feature so don't upgrade just yet if you have an iOS device. After all the backlash they received here in the last 10 days, I'm sure they are going to make sure that feature works before they release it again.

I preordered the DCS WIFI back in March of 2021.  I’m looking forward to actually having it.  In the meantime, I picked up a DCS Explorer.  Although the Explorer is not perfect, it did unlock some features which I haven’t been able to use.  I’ll be one of those guys who will go from conventional directly to app control.  

@Sean's Train Depot posted:

Interesting that the current app will not work with the new hardware coming out next year.  I wonder if the new app will be backwards compatible to work with the old hardware?  Hate to think they would have to maintain 2 separate apps.

If the past is any indication, they'll just drop the support for the old app, after all, it's languished for about five years with no update!  Hard to imagine they'll suddenly get religion and keep both current with the new phone releases.

The news quietly announced in the blast above is that the new WiFi TIU will hit store shelves this Summer. I keep holding my breath waiting for the final invoice on a pre-order from 2 years ago, so seeing the projection is a couple of seasons out vs a month or two doesn't feel like good news to me. I guess the timeline estimate is better than keeping us guessing. Then again something as nebulous as this Summer could mean anything including this Fall. I made a conscious decision to go forward with MTH DCS instead of Lionel Legacy a couple of years back and while I am not at the point of regret, I'm not full of fuzzy love for MTH. I keep paying good money for a product they sell, but don't fully support at the time of sale either through available hardware to run the trains or software compatible with the features they included with the trains. Horrible business model.

@Mooner posted:

Horrible business model.

Covid was a horrible business model for everyone.

@Mooner posted:

...the new WiFi TIU will hit store shelves this Summer.

The email actually says “next summer.” Couldn’t that mean 2025?

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

If the past is any indication, they'll just drop the support for the old app, after all, it's languished for about five years with no update!  Hard to imagine they'll suddenly get religion and keep both current with the new phone releases.

This may be a dumb question but will this effect us that will still be using the TIU and the separate DCS wifi unit? I don't plan on buying one of these unless mine dies for some reason.

Brad

@TheRambles posted:

The email actually says “next summer.” Couldn’t that mean 2025?

Very true. They said it will "start production" in 2024. Of course it also states the app would be available in 2024 when the TIU hits store shelves so it could go either way I guess.

Brad

@B rad posted:

This may be a dumb question but will this effect us that will still be using the TIU and the separate DCS wifi unit? I don't plan on buying one of these unless mine dies for some reason.

Brad

If the old app won't work with the new WTIU, I suspect there's a good chance that the new app won't work with the TIU/WiFi combo.  Nobody has said yes or no to that question that I'm aware of, but it certainly is a real possibility.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

If the old app won't work with the new WTIU, I suspect there's a good chance that the new app won't work with the TIU/WiFi combo.  Nobody has said yes or no to that question that I'm aware of, but it certainly is a real possibility.

I sure would like to know. I would hate for what I have to be worthless. I do not have a DCS remote to use and they seem impossible to find even at a retail price.

Brad

Ever since Spectrum sent the new routers a couple of years ago with the disabled WPU button the DCS doesn't work from my phone anymore. I probably will have to but a Router just to use my DCS and Cab 2 from my phone.

@B rad posted:

I sure would like to know. I would hate for what I have to be worthless. I do not have a DCS remote to use and they seem impossible to find even at a retail price.

Brad

It is pretty logical to assume that the new app will work with the WIU/TIU. If we thought the backlash of the last 10 days of the buggy iOS app was bad it would be a Nuclear Explosion of comments about how the WIU I bought 6 months ago is now obsolete.

As far as backward compatibility goes, I know in the Android world you can publish new apps that still support really old versions of the Android as long as they also support new versions depending on the functionality of the app. An IoT app like DCS & Lionchief app, they don't care if you include support for older devices & operating systems. An online banking app, Google is going to scrutinize those pretty heavily and restrict what you can install that on.

@Gene H posted:

Ever since Spectrum sent the new routers a couple of years ago with the disabled WPU button the DCS doesn't work from my phone anymore. I probably will have to but a Router just to use my DCS and Cab 2 from my phone.

The manual has instructions to setup a WIU on a router without WPS:
http://mthtrains.com/sites/def...ction/50as13515i.pdf

For Routers that Require Manual Setup (no WPS feature)
1. Attach the antenna to the WIU.
2. Set the MTH/HOME selector switch to MTH.
3. Plug the WIU into an AC wall outlet.
4. Wait 1 minute for the WIU to initialize. When ready, the PWR and WI-FI LEDS
will be lit.
5. Using A PC with Wi-Fi, navigate to see the available wireless networks and connect to
the MTH_DCS-XXXX. The network name is printed on the bottom of your module.
6. When prompted, enter the network key MTHDCSWIFI all lower case. The network key
is also printed on the bottom of your module.
7. Open your web browser and enter the IP address 192.168.143.1 in the url address
line. This is usually the top text box in your browser. This will open LuCI, the MTH
DCS web interface.
8. Enter the password MTHDCS and hit enter. Do not change the username from ROOT.
9. Select the STATION MODE tab along the top of the screen. Then, select
WIRELESS from within that tab. Wireless is the only option under Station Mode.
10. In the ESSID field, enter the network name (SSID) you want to connect the module to.
This is probably the same network you connect your phone or other devices to.
11. If your network is secured (requires a password) then select the encryption type from
the drop down menu. If you don’t know your encryption type, try the last choice which
is mixed mode. If that doesn’t work, you will need to obtain your specific encryption
type from your router.
12. Enter your home network password in the KEY field. This is also known as your
NETWORK KEY.
13. Click the SAVE AND APPLY button in the lower right part of the screen.
14. Remove power from the WIU and close your browser.
15. Set the MTH/HOME selector switch to HOME.
16. Follow the instructions for connection to your home network using WPS in the previous
section, however, ignore steps 7 and 8. The WIU will now automatically connect to your
home network each time it is powered up.

@Gene H posted:

Ever since Spectrum sent the new routers a couple of years ago with the disabled WPU button the DCS doesn't work from my phone anymore. I probably will have to but a Router just to use my DCS and Cab 2 from my phone.

I don't think I use my home wifi. I just use the default wifi built into the DCS wifi module with no Internet. I assume it is it's own router? I can't exactly remember how I set it up.

Brad

@H1000 posted:

The manual has instructions to setup a WIU on a router without WPS:
http://mthtrains.com/sites/def...ction/50as13515i.pdf

For Routers that Require Manual Setup (no WPS feature)
1. Attach the antenna to the WIU.
2. Set the MTH/HOME selector switch to MTH.
3. Plug the WIU into an AC wall outlet.
4. Wait 1 minute for the WIU to initialize. When ready, the PWR and WI-FI LEDS
will be lit.
5. Using A PC with Wi-Fi, navigate to see the available wireless networks and connect to
the MTH_DCS-XXXX. The network name is printed on the bottom of your module.
6. When prompted, enter the network key MTHDCSWIFI all lower case. The network key
is also printed on the bottom of your module.
7. Open your web browser and enter the IP address 192.168.143.1 in the url address
line. This is usually the top text box in your browser. This will open LuCI, the MTH
DCS web interface.
8. Enter the password MTHDCS and hit enter. Do not change the username from ROOT.
9. Select the STATION MODE tab along the top of the screen. Then, select
WIRELESS from within that tab. Wireless is the only option under Station Mode.
10. In the ESSID field, enter the network name (SSID) you want to connect the module to.
This is probably the same network you connect your phone or other devices to.
11. If your network is secured (requires a password) then select the encryption type from
the drop down menu. If you don’t know your encryption type, try the last choice which
is mixed mode. If that doesn’t work, you will need to obtain your specific encryption
type from your router.
12. Enter your home network password in the KEY field. This is also known as your
NETWORK KEY.
13. Click the SAVE AND APPLY button in the lower right part of the screen.
14. Remove power from the WIU and close your browser.
15. Set the MTH/HOME selector switch to HOME.
16. Follow the instructions for connection to your home network using WPS in the previous
section, however, ignore steps 7 and 8. The WIU will now automatically connect to your
home network each time it is powered up.

Thank you I'll have to give it a try

@B rad posted:

I don't think I use my home wifi. I just use the default wifi built into the DCS wifi module with no Internet. I assume it is it's own router? I can't exactly remember how I set it up.

Brad

MTH mode - the WIU creates its own WiFi network for your phone/tablet to connect directly to.
HOME mode - the WIU connects wirelessly to your home internet router and your phone/tablet uses that network to communicate with the WIU.

@B rad posted:

This may be a dumb question but will this effect us that will still be using the TIU and the separate DCS wifi unit? I don't plan on buying one of these unless mine dies for some reason.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

If the old app won't work with the new WTIU, I suspect there's a good chance that the new app won't work with the TIU/WiFi combo.  Nobody has said yes or no to that question that I'm aware of, but it certainly is a real possibility.

@B rad posted:

I sure would like to know. I would hate for what I have to be worthless. I do not have a DCS remote to use and they seem impossible to find even at a retail price.

Reading through this thread, I was wondering the same thing.  I have the "old" TIU/wi-fi combination along with some DCS remotes.  I have several older Amazon Fire (Android) tablets that are used only for DCS - they've been a cheap way to access the system, and bigger/easier to read than my phone.  Perhaps these will become like the DCS remotes - obsolete dedicated devices for which I cross my fingers that they don't break.  Maybe it's time to buy a few more, if they're still available.

@H1000 posted:

MTH mode - the WIU creates its own WiFi network for your phone/tablet to connect directly to.
HOME mode - the WIU connects wirelessly to your home internet router and your phone/tablet uses that network to communicate with the WIU.

Thanks for the info. I knew I wasn't crazy. BTW, what is the point of using your home wifi if you have the MTH mode? Is it to put updates on the TIU or wifi module? Mine are probably 5+ years old now. I have never updated them or know how to.

Brad

@B rad posted:

Thanks for the info. I knew I wasn't crazy. BTW, what is the point of using your home wifi if you have the MTH mode? Is it to put updates on the TIU or wifi module? Mine are probably 5+ years old now. I have never updated them or know how to.

Brad

mainly so that when you use your phone you are not disconnecting from one network, and joining another just to run trains. Adds a little ease to the start-up process and prevents your phone/tablet from complaining about the lack of internet on your MTH WiFi connection.

It's very possible that home mode could add automatic updates via the internet but personally, that is something I'd rather apply myself when I want to.

My WIU runs in MTH mode but it is also connected to my home network using a wired ethernet connection. I can use devices on my home network or devices attached to the MTH network to run my trains.

@H1000 posted:

mainly so that when you use your phone you are not disconnecting from one network, and joining another just to run trains. Adds a little ease to the start-up process and prevents your phone/tablet from complaining about the lack of internet on your MTH WiFi connection.

It's very possible that home mode could add automatic updates via the internet but personally, that is something I'd rather apply myself when I want to.

My WIU runs in MTH mode but it is also connected to my home network using a wired ethernet connection. I can use devices on my home network or devices attached to the MTH network to run my trains.

Thank you. Makes sense now. I noticed I was getting interrupted by text messages and phone calls so I put my phone in airplane mode while using my phone for trains in the MTH mode. I usually only run trains for short periods of time so enjoy not having the interruptions.

Brad

@H1000 posted:

Covid was a horrible business model for everyone.

A lot of truth in that so point well taken. Not sure how I forgot about Covid but I'm trying.

@B rad posted:

Thanks for the info. I knew I wasn't crazy. BTW, what is the point of using your home wifi if you have the MTH mode? Is it to put updates on the TIU or wifi module? Mine are probably 5+ years old now. I have never updated them or know how to.

Brad

I run in HOME mode since I can pick up the device and access the app from anywhere.  Also, I don't have to switch WiFi networks when I'm not using the app like you do with MTH mode.  Another bonus of HOME mode is the connection to your router is probably better than the connection to the WiFi box when connecting directly, at least for me it is.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

If the old app won't work with the new WTIU, I suspect there's a good chance that the new app won't work with the TIU/WiFi combo.  Nobody has said yes or no to that question that I'm aware of, but it certainly is a real possibility.

this would be a bummer - but would not be surprised at least.  I would be interested to understand what 'new features' they are planning or have implemented - because if you are really honest, the components and the technology in DCS is really nothing special in 2023 and kind of disappointing. 

There has been not much noise about the WTIU lately, I think we'll have to wait for the release to actually know what's actually "in the box".  Kinda' like Congress voting on a bill to see what's in it.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I run in HOME mode since I can pick up the device and access the app from anywhere.  Also, I don't have to switch WiFi networks when I'm not using the app like you do with MTH mode.  Another bonus of HOME mode is the connection to your router is probably better than the connection to the WiFi box when connecting directly, at least for me it is.

I agree, i have taken it one step further and ran Cat 6 back to the router Switch, even more reliable.

and the MTH network is also there if i choose to connect to it and not be disturbed.

As far as the updated IOS app goes it still works with the original WIU/TIU.

was curious and tested it today and worked perfectly no issues.

works with both MTH and HOME WIFI

this is MTH app version 3.2.2 the latest since last week.

I have updated my DCS app to v3.2.2  and when attempting to add a TMCC/Legacy engine with the iPad the "Done" button will not light.  Independent of this, the Legacy Command Base will not recognize commands from the DCS remote. The SER2 module's green LED flickers when getting commands from the handheld but the Command Base shows no response. I bring this up because I may be fighting 2 separate issues - software updates & hardware.

All of the components as listed on pg 229 of the DCS WIFI Companion are installed: Rev L TIU v6.1 > #50-1032 cable > SER2 module > 6-81499 LCS DB-9 cable > Legacy Command Base v1.60. Wifi is through DCS.  Individually, DCS and Legacy work perfectly on the layout.

The Command Base will recognize commands from the DCS remote if I bypass the SER2 and plug the 50-1032 cable directly into the Command Base.

Thoughts?

@ScottM posted:

I have updated my DCS app to v3.2.2  and when attempting to add a TMCC/Legacy engine with the iPad the "Done" button will not light.  Independent of this, the Legacy Command Base will not recognize commands from the DCS remote. The SER2 module's green LED flickers when getting commands from the handheld but the Command Base shows no response. I bring this up because I may be fighting 2 separate issues - software updates & hardware.

All of the components as listed on pg 229 of the DCS WIFI Companion are installed: Rev L TIU v6.1 > #50-1032 cable > SER2 module > 6-81499 LCS DB-9 cable > Legacy Command Base v1.60. Wifi is through DCS.  Individually, DCS and Legacy work perfectly on the layout.

The Command Base will recognize commands from the DCS remote if I bypass the SER2 and plug the 50-1032 cable directly into the Command Base.

Thoughts?

Copy & Paste from MTH Dec 27 Newsletter

Unfortunately, a couple of bugs, including one that affects the creation of lashups, have been identified in the just-released iOS version that will necessitate a subsequent revision early next month. iOS users may not want to update their app (if they don't have auto-update enabled) until the revision is released in January.

I was using a single MTH FT locomotive when I tested

@Jim Teeple posted:

Copy & Paste from MTH Dec 27 Newsletter

Unfortunately, a couple of bugs, including one that affects the creation of lashups, have been identified in the just-released iOS version that will necessitate a subsequent revision early next month. iOS users may not want to update their app (if they don't have auto-update enabled) until the revision is released in January.

Correct - I have an old iPod (old software) and the ability to add TMCC/Legact engines exists, ie, the "Done" button lights. So hopefully the next round of updates from MTH addresses this.

I still have an issue with the SER2 not communicating with the Legacy Base regardless if an iPad or DCS remote is used.  I will address throught the Legacy forum.

@yardtrain posted:

Maybe Mike should come back out of retirement and watch over MTH again.

While I would wish immortality for Mike Wolf, just so he could run MTH in perpetuity, barring that, he deserves a retirement. Watching a video of him giving a tour overseas, that dude has lived one **** of a life, seen things I will never see. If not for his vision, would Lionel have been pushed to CAB 2 or CAB 3? Or would we have been content with TMCC forever? Just guessing in absence of competition.

@H1000 posted:

It is pretty logical to assume that the new app will work with the WIU/TIU. If we thought the backlash of the last 10 days of the buggy iOS app was bad it would be a Nuclear Explosion of comments about how the WIU I bought 6 months ago is now obsolete.

As an admitted long term lurker, I have an admission. I did not delve into the MTH waters till the last Mike Wolf Big Boy run, I never thought Lionel would do another run so soon. However I did not not have an MTH TIU. I preordered the new TIU at the same time as the Big Boy. I considered getting an older TIU, but the scalper pricing pushed me away. I even considered buying the premium version of the app ahead of time, to be grandfathered in, but there was a nagging thought I could waste my clams. Now that I read there will be a new app, it confirms my hesitation, and cools my desire for an older TIU. But I've acquired more MTH locos in anticipation of the new TIU. Regardless I now assume your premium purchase on the current app won't apply to the new app. Hopefully there won't be a premium for full use of the app with the new TIU/App?

@bravada posted:

As an admitted long term lurker, I have an admission. I did not delve into the MTH waters till the last Mike Wolf Big Boy run, I never thought Lionel would do another run so soon. However I did not not have an MTH TIU. I preordered the new TIU at the same time as the Big Boy. I considered getting an older TIU, but the scalper pricing pushed me away. I even considered buying the premium version of the app ahead of time, to be grandfathered in, but there was a nagging thought I could waste my clams. Now that I read there will be a new app, it confirms my hesitation, and cools my desire for an older TIU. But I've acquired more MTH locos in anticipation of the new TIU. Regardless I now assume your premium purchase on the current app won't apply to the new app. Hopefully there won't be a premium for full use of the app with the new TIU/App?

I think the best advice here is to not assume anything. All that we need to know will come out soon enough.

I have the "standard" version of the existing app, I didn't go for the premium as I don't really use the WiFi to run trains, but got it in case guests were enamored with that mode of operation.