Unable to add engine DCS

Try adding the engine on a small test track with no other engines receiving power anywhere on the layout.

Hopefully you have a perfect dcs track signal(10) on the test or programming track.....

Thanks, Gregg, I appreciate the help. I just tested the track signal with another loco (Blue Comet 20-3028-1) and it's 10. I then took the Blue Comet off the track, put the Dreyfuss back on, and still get "No Engine To Add." 

Well that's not good.   How about trying the recover engine feature, Menu/ System/ engine set up/ Recover engine...

This feature does not automatically add the engine, It will  tell you though whether the engine was recovered or not.

 I know what I would do in this situation, I have a spare remote that I can reset which eliminates any ID conflicts.

Trouble with resetting the remote, everything is deleted..

I'm  guessing the engine is dark & silent when power is applied to the track?

I just tried adding it again, and it worked; several trips around the layout and no issues. Baffling, but this is only my 2nd week with DCS. I also took your suggestion of recovery and I got "No Engine Recovered." 

Baffling, but this is only my 2nd week with DCS. I also took your suggestion of recovery and I got "No Engine Recovered

Perfect!     hang on  DCS can be frustrating at time but it's a lot of fun, There are so many neat features you'll discover down the road...

John,

   After MartyE upgraded my TIU and HHRC's to 6.1 I had to Read one of my engines and TIU into the DCS HHRC 4 times, before it finally entered correctly.  I could not make it work entering the engine via the normal process, but the Engine entered finally using the READ function.

This only happened with one of my engines, all the other engine entered the 1st time, using the normal process.  I have been running DCS sense it hit the market, don't feel bad about what happened.

Glad you finally go the engine entered.

PCRR/Dave

After running for a few minutes, the loco became unresponsive and the only way I could stop it was to press the red button on the remote. I shut everything down, deleted the loco, re-added it, and it seemed to go ok after that. Before shutting it down for the evening, I did a track signal test using the Dreyfuss Hudson, and it's also a 10. Thanks again, guys--I'll keep trying. 

John

BlueComet400 posted:

After running for a few minutes, the loco became unresponsive and the only way I could stop it was to press the red button on the remote. I shut everything down, deleted the loco, re-added it, and it seemed to go ok after that. Before shutting it down for the evening, I did a track signal test using the Dreyfuss Hudson, and it's also a 10. Thanks again, guys--I'll keep trying. 

John

I see you have another thread about a  remote problem, Sounds like loose  transceiver board  however  I don't blame you for  sending  it back. I tool one apart and it never worked again....

 The" read" can't add dcs engines. It may find a previously added engine.

The remote out of range issue seems to have gone away; I'll keep an eye on it but for now that issue seems to be ok. Thanks again for the tips. 

John

Dave,

I had to Read one of my engines and TIU into the DCS HHRC 4 times, before it finally entered correctly.  I could not make it work entering the engine via the normal process, but the Engine entered finally using the READ function.

Ummm, I don't think so.

The READ command only reports on engines already in the remote. It doesn't add new ones.

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

  I could not make it work entering the engine via the normal process, but the Engine entered finally using the READ function.

PCRR/Dave

can you explain this statement a little better and with picture if possible?

Thinking that a bad or weak battery might yield track error , engine not on track etc messages and perhaps the unresponsiveness. I just put a Green NIMH in mine and it works real well. 

last year, the engine with the original ( almost 20 years old) battery worked fine with DCS but would not move forward or reverse when I tried to run it conventionally. The new battery corrected the conventional running issue.  

Thinking that a bad or weak battery might yield track error , engine not on track etc messages and perhaps the unresponsiveness.

I'm somewhat skeptical about that.

last year, the engine with the original ( almost 20 years old) battery worked fine with DCS but would not move forward or reverse when I tried to run it conventionally. The new battery corrected the conventional running issue.  

That's perfectly normal for weak battery. A well-charged battery is required for conventional operation. However, a PS2 engine without any battery at all will add to the remote (or the DCS App) and will operate just fine, until it loses power, even for an instant. Then, it will need to be deleted and re-added

Barry,

 Then when I entered the Engine it took and never reported the entry on the HHRC Screen.  I am just telling you what actually happened when the engine finally entered the HHRC and showed up on the screen.  After finally Reading for the 4th time, the engine finally came up on the HHRC Screen, as far as I know the TIU had already been entered properly.  I entered the engine several times using the normal process before with no luck, MartyE advised to try using the READ and see what happens, sure enough the Engine came up on the screen after the 4th READ.  This made no sense to me either, but it happened. The 263E was the only engine on the track and all other Transformers were turned off, as I tried to enter the Engine.  The funny thing is when MartyE programmed everything in after upgrading the TIU's and the HHRC's, the engine was there, we ran it.  After shutting everything down that night, the engine was gone when I started the Layout in the morning.  That engine sits on the over head layout, and now runs perfectly.  Please explain how this could happen.

PCRR/Dave

Dave,

MartyE advised to try using the READ and see what happens, sure enough the Engine came up on the screen after the 4th READ.

My point is that the engine had to have already been in the remote. The READ command simply does not add engines.

Barry Broskowitz posted:

Thinking that a bad or weak battery might yield track error , engine not on track etc messages and perhaps the unresponsiveness.

I'm somewhat skeptical about that.

last year, the engine with the original ( almost 20 years old) battery worked fine with DCS but would not move forward or reverse when I tried to run it conventionally. The new battery corrected the conventional running issue.  

That's perfectly normal for weak battery. A well-charged battery is required for conventional operation. However, a PS2 engine without any battery at all will add to the remote (or the DCS App) and will operate just fine, until it loses power, even for an instant. Then, it will need to be deleted and re-added

  Yes it will run without a battery and  add to the dcs remote,    If it adds back at the same ID created when the battery was good it'll run forever with no need to delete and re-add. I suspect we all might have one or 2  on our layout.  Everything is fine until we want to change a setting and the new setting doesn't stick .... and as mentioned the engine drops in neutral  at the slightest power interruption.

The "read" is king  of engine /tiu association.... It can't add engines but can change the engine/  tiu association...

Ex... In normal mode we add a engine using tiu #1... If we want to run the tiu in another tiu's zone we  have to  delete the engine and add it back in tiu #2 zone.... The engine is now associated with tiu #2...

 Pressing the "read" can accomplishing the same thing, It can move the engine /tiu association in normal mode.

Greg,

   Now your explanation does make sense.

PCRR/Dave

I just tried the Dreyfuss Hudson and it worked perfectly; didn't have to do anything except power everything up. Track signal is still a perfect 10!! 

Self Healing  If the older 5V Dreyfuss if can be a board starting to fail.  I have repaired plenty of those.  But for now all is good.  G

Back to the drawing board.....

The problem has resurfaced. Now, when I try to add an engine, the remote says "looking for engine." Then, for a split second, it says "RF out of range" then "unable to add engine." 

Since I got the "out of range" message, I figured I would try the phone cord, but that didn't work; all that did was a permanent message of "looking for engine." I've tried resetting everything, even added new batteries to the remote, but no luck. 

The Dreyfuss Hudson runs perfectly in conventional mode. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks. 

John

If this is only with Dreyfuss, clean wheels and pickup rollers.  Especially between roller and pin with a good electrical contact cleaner and retry.  Or does this happen with all engines, which case make sure TIU connections are tight. G

Thanks GGG. Marty Fitzhenry walked me through some steps last night on the phone and arrived at the conclusion that the TIU is defective. 

John

Try a TIU Reset and make sure DCS On.  On all Channels. G