Need help /opinions on MTH PS 2 system

[Anonymous]

I owned several MTH engines a while back with Proto Sound 1,had a number of battery problems and sold all of them.
I'm thinking of purchasing a MTH Steam engine with PS2 and wouild like to know :
Since I operate in conventional mode only,do I need a battery in the loco to run it around my layout.
Is there a replacement for the battery, I remember reading somewhere about a capacator or something the elemates the battery.

Thanks for your help and opinions.
4567 MARTIN

[willpick]

Martin, MTH's PS2 system still requires a battery. what particular engine are you contemplating? The NEW(2004) production engine will use a 3.3V system, which means the batteries are AA NiCad's in an accessible(from the outside) compartment. If it's an older engine, then it has the 8.4V battery in it.

If the engine/battery are new, then you shouldn't have a problem since you indicate you operate in conventional only. The battery should be good for 5 years, as the charging system on late model(2002/2003) PS2's will not charge the battery until it's almost depleted. This solves the "surface charge" problems of PS1. I'd go and buy it![:)]

[spankybird]

Hi Martin,

I also agree, go for it. I have a fair amount of both PS1 and PS2 engines. All of them have the 8.4V battery. I agree with Willpick completely.

I was not as lucky with battery replacement, I only got 4 years on mine.

The battery replacement that your are referring to is available from:

www.jandwelectronics.com

Hope this helps


tom

[ChiefEagles]

I sure hope it is good. I just bought DCS and plan on buying MTH engines when I finish my layout. [8D]

[Jim Duda]

Chief - Just get the PS 2 stuff...if the battery dies the electronics won't get scrambled. Also try and get the locos with the charging recepticle built in - that way you can charge the battery without removing it. A lot of folks are replacing the ni-cads that come with the locos with Ni-MH when the ni-cads quit. I think Spanky does this...

JD

[Anonymous]

I recently acquired a 1995 MTH Santa Fe Northern with PS1.

My local train shop guy told me, "DO NOT power the engine up until you replace the battery". He told me about the dreaded "dead battery - scrambled chip" problem. He told me to buy a new battery and charge it by powering the engine in neutral for 16 hours.

I wanted a NiM-H battery so I went to Radio Shack.

I replaced the old battery and powered up the loco in neutral and BAM the sound sytem fired up! I'm not sure what I expected but what did I accomplish with all this? If the chip was going to be scrambled wouldn't that have happened as soon as I put power to the new battery thru the loco?

Wouldn't it have made more sense to charge the battery externally before installing the battery? Isn't the engine going to sit there making it's loco noises for 16 hours while the battery charges?

I'm confused!

[willpick]

Micobiz, the PS1 "scrambled chip" problem occurs only if the battery is at a certain voltage(about 3.5V) when you attempt to take the engine OUT of neutral.
As long as the engine is in neutral, you will not scramble the chip. Also, there was a list of engines that had the potential scramble problem, I don't think that your 1995 Santa Fe Northern was on the list- If my memory is working this AM[:)], most of them were from 1997-1998 production. I've got one of the susceptable engines- the Dash 8 from 1997(Amtrak). I never had a problem with it, the next time I use it I will replace the Nicad before charging.

[spankybird]

Hi all,

What happens with some of the older PS1 engines is when the batter becomes very low in charge, it may have a reverse polarity. Positive becomes negative and this is what scrambles the chips. As Will has stated, this only happens when changing from neutral to forward.

At this point in time, I have replaced all of my PS1 engines batteries with Ni-MH. These do not have the memory problem of charging. I also use Raovac batteries as these have a higher charge voltage than most. I also use a separate re-charging unit for the first charge.

This past December and January I replaced about 6 batteries. I didn’t realize that I bought so many engines in the same time frame. This was at the beginning of the BRC and I wanted to be sure it work before I bought one. All reports are good on them. The next time I replace one, I will try it.

BTW, so far, I have not received any engines with the 3.3 volt batteries.


tom

[FJ and G]

I'm glad that I came back into the hobby in 2000, right when PS2 was coming out; thusly, all 5 of mine are PS2s but as mentioned, the alternate type battery or device recently being marketed should help eliminate the scrambled chip problem. I don't have my magazine here at work but a month or 2 ago, solutions to the problem were addressed. Can't recall if was OGR or CTT.

Anyway, the last Proto engines were produced in 1999, the last century!

Yet, I marvel everytime I open up a toy train magazine and see all of the PS1 locomotives for sale. They must have been sitting on shelves for the last 4 years!!!!!! No wonder dealers complain about low profits!!! And many of these batteries by now must be totally discharged, unless the dealer swaps them out.

Dave Vergun

[Jim Duda]

QUOTE: Wouldn't it have made more sense to charge the battery externally before installing the battery? Isn't the engine going to sit there making it's loco noises for 16 hours while the battery charges?

Yes, the engine will emit the "crew talk during engine idle" during the charging time. You could simply turn the volume down all the way and let it sit on the tracks for 16 hours, but I would be afraid any power glitch might kick it out of neutral and send it rocketing away unattended. And so you are left with two options: 1 - remove the shell, disconnect the battery, and externally charge it. Or, 2 - install a charging plug (avail from MTH) in your loco so you can charge the battery without removing it from the loco from a suitable charger, like a wall mounted type. I got mine from MTH - about $10.

Bottom line: If I find a PS-1 loco I REALLY like, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it IF I knew the electronics were OK. A NiMH battery doesn't cost that much.
http://thomas-distributing.com/ap-200-1.htm

JD

[spankybird]

Hey Jim,
I glad you posted the link for the batteries. I remembered seeing it, but didn’t have access to it here at work.

These batteries have better spec. then the Raovac.


tom

[4kitties]

I remember reading somewhere recently (and not just in willpick's reply below!) that the battery is always required in MTH engines. Apparently MTH engines are electronically very different from those with TMCC, where the battery is optional but you'll lose your sounds during direction changes. I haven't tried running any of my MTH engines (either PS1 or PS2) without a battery, and although I'm the curious type, I don't plan to do so.

Incidentally, I switched all of my PS1 and PS2 engines to rayovac NiMH batteries a few months ago and have had no problems with any of them.

Spankybird's link for the BCR's (battery component replacement) is what you need if you're a mind to do that. I would've done the same but the review didn't hit the streets until after I had already replaced my batteries. [:(]

[spankybird]

DO NOT TRY

Running your MTH engines without any batteries in them.

tom

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the help....Still sees to be a bit of a problem with the batteries,so I think I'll stay with my old standby w illaims.Thanks again
4567MARTIN

[Anonymous]

Jim Duda: Well, you saw it coming!

I turned the volume down and started to charge my battery when I accidentally "flicked" the power clip to the center rail and voila, I had 13 pounds of 4-8-4 Northern heading off the test track right for the floor. The old linebacker's hands were still pretty good so the disaster was avoided.

I bought an external charger the next day.