PS3 upgrade information.

Thanks Marty! & Mike!

Thanks Marty, a well thought out product range, will make upgrades a breeze.

One thing I did not touch on is you can replace any bad PS2 3 volt boards when needed with the upgrade board set and your locomotive will now be PS3.  This is not just for 5 volt replacement.  Just order the AE-1003v36 top adapter board plug it into the bottom board and you are good to go.  

It's been a long wait but this is indeed great news!

Thanks Marty

Marty, do the new Proto 3 boards also have to have the flash codes put into them for pantograph operation too?

That is the one that is not available yet.  You will see it.  The board will be flashed for your operation when ordering.  

Marty, which of the above are available to the hoi polloi and which are only available to those who get their mail with an MTH tech?

Thanks Marty. I have two blown PS2 (5V) steam locomotives I've been dying to get back into operation. Any word on when the steam conversion sets will be out? On the 5V steam, there's the MUX board issue to deal with.

Hello. I have a question concerning the speaker situation. Does the speaker (8 OHM ) in a 5 volt PS2 system need to be replaced in the PS3 upgrade as it did in the 3 volt PS2 upgrade with a 4 OHM speaker?

Does the speaker (8 OHM ) in a 5 volt PS2 system need to be replaced in the PS3 upgrade as it did in the 3 volt PS2 upgrade with a 4 OHM speaker?

Yes, if you want to preserve the engine's loudness. You can leave an 8 ohm speaker instead of the 4 ohm if you can live with reduced volume.

The reverse, however, is not true.

The PS32 boards will be available to the tech guys.  The upgrade kits can be purchased by everyone.  Matt, the boards you want are available now.  Total plug and play.  Pull the 4 pin, 5 pin, 7 pin, 8 pin, and 12 pin off your blown 5 volt board and plug them into the replacement board.  Good to go.  You do not have to do anything with the Mux.  Just plug in the board.  All existing wire stays in place.

Great news Marty, thank you. 

Marty, if someone wanted to upgrade a non MTH engine to DCS would they use the PS1 upgrade kit or will there be another kit with additional components like the older PS2 kits?

It sounds like all of the kits above reuse some of the components the engines come with.

Pete

Norton, "PS1" is the pre-DCS sound system.  When I upgraded my non-MTH locos to PS2, I gutted all the wiring except for the wires from the rollers.

Marty, could someone upgrade a proto 1 to proto 3 using the upgrade kit or aren't the necessary wires included? Also, is there a projected MRSP? Thanks
Nickstrains

RJR, I understand that. What I am asking is will this kit contain all the connectors, lights, couplers, tethers, etc that used to be included in the PS 2 upgrade kits or is it a scaled down kit that reuses those components and only intended for MTH PS1 engines.

Pete

Pete, I'm not Ralph.  Not having seen the PS3 kits, I won't venture an answer.  But, the PS2 upgrade kits did not include a volume pot (re-used the PS1 pot or you could use alternatives), and included a standard gap tach reader which might or might not have the proper gap for your particular loco.

RJR

Pete, the PS3 kit will have every item the PS2 kit had.  The PS3 kit will be less the battery and related wiring.  The PS3 upgrade I did was a PS2 kit with the PS2 board swapped out for a PS3.  Everything will be present to do whatever locomotive you want.  When Mike first came out with the PS2 upgrade kit, it was intended to do PS1 locomotives.  It did not take long before the guys were doing almost anything that ran on rails.

I have done 148 PS2 upgrades and 2 PS3 upgrades.  I  have done Weaver, 3rd Rail, Atlas, and Williams.  I am happy the guys will get the PS3 kits but more happy that all of us with PS2 5 volt boards will have a plug and play option to make those locomotives PS3.  

I know MTH bashers are lurking but I want to say I know how much energy MTH has put into this program and being an operator I am thankful to MTH and the great people at MTH R&D.

Apologies, RJR. Thank you Marty for the clarification. I am hoping MTH brings these kits to York.

Pete