Anybody using Prodigy Advance 2 with MTH's DCS Commander?
I was using MTH's DCS commander supplied with power from Bachmann's EZ command DCC controller on a small 4x8 ft layout - all worked fine.
MRC Prodigy Advance 2 is not working well with DCS commander - too much power?
I just bought and swapped out the Bachmann EZ command for MRC's Prodigy Advance 2 DCC system. Because I expanded my layout to around the room main line of near 80 ft. The Prodigy has 3.5 amps max output, while the Bachmann only had 1 amp output.
When I place an MTH loco on the track with MRC hooked up. I get whine noise from the speaker in the tender and smoke almost starts immediately w/o turning the smoke feature even on. Seems like the engines are getting to much juice when the DCS is connected to the MRC DCC unit. Though it doesn't have same problem when connect the lower 1 amp Bachmann DCC unit back to the DCS. I immediately pull my locos from the track when hooked to the MRC. For I'm not too keen on burning up those expensive engines decoders. Anyone else experience this?
I'm 99 percent sure it's not my track. I tested for shorts all around with just the MRC hooked straight to the track - breaker kicked every time. Also connected the Bachmann DCC with DCS and breaker kicked every time. I cannot however get the MRC to kick when hooked through the DCS - once again sounds like a marraige problem between these 2 pieces of equipment. Though the DCS commander has a built in 5 amp breaker, while the MRC will kick out at 3.5 amps. I'm guessing the MRC wont kick because the DCS recieves the short signal first from the track. The DCS commander gets it power from the MRC unit/ Bachmann unit depending on which one I have hooked up.
Anybody with any ideas, similar systems, issues, please help me!!! I really would like to have a DCC system for my non MTH loco's. But have the ability to use the DCS commander for the MTH loco's in DCS or DCC mode if I wisjh. MTH says that you can use the DCS commander with your choice of DCC system for running DCC or DCS if you wish. At the moment it doesn't seem to be the case.
One more note! Even w/o the DCS hooked in line, just the MRC straight to the track. My MTH loco's still humm and spew smoke almost right off the bat. Again, seems to much juice. Could it be the start/resting voltage of the MRC is set higher than the MTH decoders are at, causing them to act this way on MRC's DCC system? HELPPP....
Good luck with this one, there are not many acknowledged DCS users on this site, so you may not find anyone with the specific setup that you have?
As I understand it, the DCS Commander system is connected to the track directly. It can be used in DCS mode, or there is a pass through feature that allows for the connection of a DCC system to the layout via the Commander. The way I understood the documentation, the DCS commander acted as a switch essentially cutting itself from the layout and passing through the output of the DCC system to the layout. At 3.5A the Prodigy is a middle of the road output for DCC systems, so I have a hard time believing that the Commander can not handle that level of current, given that there are a lot of DCC systems that are 5A and above.
I suspect you best bet is to contact MTH for advice here as they would have more experience than anyone here on the subject.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
Thanks for the reply. I'm going to contact MTH again tomorrow. The person I got today only said he was sure that the DCS worked with Prodigy Advance. The DCS unit does just "pass" the DCC signal through to the track. But my loco's are humming and spewing smoke with just the Prodigy unit hooked to the track in regular DCC. Thus it may not be the DCs commander at all, but the MRC DCC Unit and my MTH loco's decoder settings that aren't marrying up well?
I do hope that I do get this figured out so that others can run the same set-up if they so desire. It'll be quite nice to run DCC or DCS mode by the flick of a switch....as advertised.
janoceanisleBut my loco's are humming and spewing smoke with just the Prodigy unit hooked to the track in regular DCC
Hmmm, that is an interesting observation. Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that the DCS Commander has quite a high current/voltage output compared to regular DCC systems? So it would seem to me that the Prodigy would put out less than the DCS. Are there CV's that can be adjusted within the locos that impact the start voltages in DCC? It may be that you simply need to tweak some CV's in the decoders to resolve the issue?
Exactly, though you were able to sum it up much more eloquently than I. This be the route that I'll be inquiring when calling MTH tomorrow. I'm sure you can adjust the CV's if indeed they're the culprit. Thanks again!
I headed back down to the train room and gave this set-up another try. Figured it out! The MRC Prodigy Advance and MTH DCS work just fine together. What I thought was the MRC unit giving too much power somehow: because of the loco's humming and spewing smoke, just wasn't the case.
I used MTH's DCS command module to see the amount of electricity being fed to the track. The DCS when put in conventional mode will show the amount of electricity being supplied and what a loco is actual reading down the track. This function is nice and used to find bad/problem sections of track. Just I thought earlier my track's fine all the way around, and the MRC supplied the correct amount the whole time.
Thus I went back to the loco's. When MRC fires up a loco, it turns everything on: sound, lights, smoke, etc.. Using DCS, I programmed my loco's to different numbers beside #3. But the MRC recognized all the loco's as #3, for the addresses associated with the DCS don't carry over. Thus, each time I put a loco on the track fed by MRC, and #3 was selected. I expected all of my loco's to sit still and not all be humming and spewing smoke.
Once I figured this out. I just re-addressed each loco using the MRC. Each time I select a loco now, you just need to realize at start-up the smoke automatically turns on, even though the LCD read-out doesn't reflect it. All you need to do it toggle F8 for smoke "on/off" to get the LCD readout in sync with the loco's actions, same for the headlight at first start-up.
The humming I was hearing on the engines was the small whine of smoke units. Except for my MTH Erie Tri-plex, it definitely did have a humm back by the speaker. This was caused by interference from the red & black pick-up wires in the tender being to close to the sound board. MTH gave the solution and shows a mice picture of how the wires need to be routed on their web-site. I opened the shell, moved the wires, and presto the sound was gone next time on the track.
Now, finally I have an MRC DCC system, and the MTH DCS, working in perfect unison on my layout. It's truly nice to be able to run Non-MTH engines by DCC. Choose to run my MTH engines by either DCC or DCS. DCS has alot of truly nice extra's. You can select "ALL" engines and away the MTH's will go at the same speed regardless of motors, decoders, etc.. You can always select them individually of course. But not having to screw with CV's to consist different decoders, motor speeds, is really simple and nice.
Hope this helps anyone who's interested in reaping the benefits of running both MRC DCC and MTH DCS systems.
Could you write some more about how it works? Is it possible to operate DCC and DSC at the same time or you have to choose which system is active at the moment?
This is a sentence from MTH catalog:"Insert a DCS Commander in the wires from your existing DCC system to the track and you can switch back and forth between DCC and DCS with the push of a button."
So If I choose DCS I can operate DCC decoder equipped locos on the same track? Or I can operate only one kind of model at the time.
I think you are going to find that it is either/or not both.
The DCS commander is wired in between your DCC module and the track. It gets it's power from the DCC module, like my MRC Prodigy Advance 2 unit I wired in yesterday. It only uses very minimal electricity to run an LCD screen and ciruit boards. It itself has a 5 amp breaker built in too it. The DCS is wired in the system in this fashion. The output wires on your DCC system that would normally go to the track, go to the input on the DCS Commander, then the output wires on the DCS Commander go to the track. In essence the DCS Commander is just the middle man or switch that allows you to choose either: regular DC, DCC, or MTH's enhanced version DCS.
I say enhanced because if you own MTH loco's the DCS Commander unlocks even more functions and tricks than the 28 already with DCC...some are really neat. If you own just one MTH engine, I wouldn't say the extra cost of the DCS (mine was approx $150 online) would be justified. But if you have 2 or several, the DCS Commander makes running all your MTH engines easier and with more bells & whistles.....pardon the pun.
Yes...you can run DCC loco's at the same time as your MTH engines in DCS. Though you can control your MTH engines in DCC along with your other DCC engines...just w/o the certain extra features added in using DCS. If you run a non MTH DCC loco using DCC, you can switch the button over to DCS and control your MTH engines that way. Keep in mind that your DCC engine should just keep on running the same way you ordered it to before flicking over to DCS. While in DCS you wont have control over your DCC loco, until you press the DCC or "pass" through button. Then of course you wont be able to control your MTH engines using the DCS Commander, but you can call up their Addresses and control them with your DCC unit Cab as normal DCC trians. So yes you can do both at the flip of a switch. But I think the DCS Commander is more helpful if you just want to fire up all your MTH engines and listen and watch the Symphony. Rather than worry about constantly changing between loco's, speeds, functions, etc. Just makes running multiple trains (by one person) that much easier along with the extra features for a modest $150. Hope this helps anyone considering having both.....I personally really enjoy having both.
As stated, I believe, your DCC loco will continue it's orders while you switch to DCS, until you switch back to DCC. Last night I was just pleased that I was able to run my MTH engines using DCC or by DCS. I haven't pulled out my Blueline PRR J1's yet. I'll do it hopefully today and verify that you can have both DCC engine, and MTH controlled by DCS, at the sametime on the sametrack. Hopefully so, either way I'll post the age old answer as soon as I've tried it.....
CONCLUSION: I ran a regular DCC equipped engine: Blueline PRR M1a on the track using of course the DCC "Pass" through switch on the DCS commander. Then I flipped the switch on the DCS commander to "DCS" to call on one of my MTH engines. As soon as flipped over to "DCS" the DCC engine stopped in it's tracks - the DCC signal was cut off by the DCS commander. So you cannot run a DCC loco, and an MTH loco with the DCS Commander in "DCS" mode.
However: You still can operate both a DCC loco and any MTH loco's on the same track at the sametime with DCS Commander in DCC or "Pass" through mode. You still have full control over your DCC loco's and MTH loco's 28 functions provided by your DCC system if it allows the 28 function standard.
The "DCS" function on the DCS Commander, will really only come into play: when you really want to access the many neat other functions past the NMRA standards that MTH has built into their loco's. As I stated earlier, it might not be worth it for just one MTH loco. But it is a neat piece of equipment, so if you have the means, it'll add that much more ability to your layout.
I am having a similar problem just got the dcs commander hooked it up to track power ran wires from dcs input to mrc advance main hit pass thru got Er message not sure what the problem is how did you hook yours up thanks my email is jcmnkmm@aol.com help Lol have a great day
Welcome to the forum. You are replying in a thread that hasn't seen anyone post in 8 years. The original poster may no longer be in the forum.
I suggest you start your own thread and give us a little more information as to what kind of engine is on the track when you get your error message.
Edit I take back my suggestion that you should start a new thread. The title is relevant to your problem.
Also there is something called spambots that search forums for email addresses. Unless you don't get enough email spam, I suggest you remove your email address from the post.
There is a messaging system available to members by clicking on someone's name and start a conversation and send them a pm (private message)
Can't help you with you DCS question, but there are lots of knowledgeable people here. I understand customer support is not great for that system.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley