Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Cannot get signal to track (MTH RTR) with DCS Explorer or Z Controller

2851 views
2 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, November 26, 2018 3:49 PM

Welcome to the forum.  I'm sorry no one had anything to say about your DCS problem but glad you found, and posted a resolution.

The posts I have seen in the forum about DCS in HO have not been positive.  I wish you better luck.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    November 2018
  • 2 posts
Posted by ShuckyD on Monday, November 26, 2018 9:09 AM
So this has been resolved, I found a local shop where i could take the engine and test it on their track (it worked) and also both the DCS Explorer and Z Controller transformer I have. It's unfortunate that the transformer is shot, but the shop I took it to has also had a bad batch of the Z-Controller units before. On the DCS Explorer I had to be a bit more patient with the clumsy app :) We've got HO and O scale going around the Christmas tree, looking great!
  • Member since
    November 2018
  • 2 posts
Cannot get signal to track (MTH RTR) with DCS Explorer or Z Controller
Posted by ShuckyD on Friday, November 23, 2018 11:55 AM

So I purchased our first O-Scale set (MTH PRR Steam 2-8-0) for our family and after unboxing it and spending literally hours I cannot seem to get either the DCS Explorer controller (using mobile app on iOS) or the Rail King Z Controller (purchased for my toddler to operate) working.  I have the green light connector to the track (banana plugs) that has only lit a couple times, not sure what causes it to or not to light, strange.  I did get some sound from the locomotive when the green light was on the track, but it seems I cant get it to stay on consistently nor could I get the engine to move, only make some sounds from the app (using DCS Explorer). 

I took a multi-meter to the track to look for shorts, continuity, etc. and I dont seem to be running into an issue there.  I did try to just take the piece that I broke out the tab for and run it in a straight line, but I dont know if I needed to complete the circuit for it to operate correctly.  On the bottom of the engine I found what I thought to be an 'on/off' switch, but there is clearly no switch there and right behind it is the wiring harness to the tender, which is connected and appears to be seated just fine. 

I am at a complete loss for what to try next, I've been around model trains for years, but thought I would get a nice starter set that's a bigger size than my HO stuff for my daughter to enjoy and build on (for both of us) over time.  I am technically saavy so I connected the DCS to my home wifi so I dont have to keep connecting directly to the unit, I cant seem to figure out something that seems simple... although trains nowadays seem to be way more technical. 

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!