Cool video! As an O scaler, I love DCS! The commander doesn't have wifi and the serial port won't give you it. You'll need the TIU to use the remote control or the wifi app.
Hey Matt. Great video. I just got into HO adding it to my O and S gauge layout. I put up a test loop to test the first 2 MTH HO engines. I have a UP GP-35, ran great for a few loops around now it just stalls out and loses power. I have both the S and HO hooked up to my DCS TIU. I'll take it off the track, cycle down the DCS remote and TIU, put it back on the track and it will start up like a champ, I put it forward and it moves a couple inches and boom, power cuts out. Any thoughts? Loops are on my hardwood family floor. Thanks! Scott
Hi Matt. I was hoping you'd also include the remote in your video. One of the features of the remote which to my mind justifies DCS is the record and playback feature. Now I've never operated DCC so maybe I'm ignorant to the fact that DCC also offers that feature. It's all I use. I have a 4-track shelf layout 20' long and the four trains operate by themselves. Have you had any experience with that feature?
It’s an interesting controller for beginners like myself who can do without remote or wifi app. But I do have a question, does it run non-MTH HO DCC engines even in straight dc/conv?
Hi, DCC can also adjust volume levels vis functions and enable labored and drift chuff. Theres really no additional things the DCS can do besides for the quillable whistle which is a nice novelty but isnt really necessary. The nature of MTH making their own controller for their own decoder obviously allow them to have names for each function printed instead of just the function number. The function buttons on dcc controller also allow them to double as buttons to enter engine numbers and program CVs with. Overall, I think youre being a bit to lenient with this review. Dont get me wrong its a cool controller, but for $80-$100 I expect more functionality...for a controller that can only control engines from one brand. I have 8 MTH engines but even I still dont see the need or want to spend so much more just to get the quill able whistle functionality and slightly easier to use interface. But I respect your opinion and Im glad someone has finally made a comprehensive review on this rather obscure (to HO modelers) system! Great video!
Hello. I agree with the part of the function buttons working like that on DCC. However, this system makes it so much easier to use those buttons. Not everyone has 20+ function buttons to get to those easily accessible volume up/down. Also, $80-$100 is one of the cheapest controllers that kind of functions as a DCC controller, but only for MTH. The equivalent to that price for DCC would be the starter Bachmann EZ command and that’s no where near the level of this. So I don’t mean to start an argument, because you were very kind in your comment, but I don’t feel he’s being too lenient. I think this system is a very good alternative if you have mostly MTH, and especially for that price range. Just my opinion, thanks for reading, have a good day.
@@Tyronedaman4114 And I can understand that, but view it in another way...HO (and N) is very popular, and one reason people choose to model HO is due to the high variability in manufacturers. There were SO many manufacturers, that in fact, a standard had to be created to make all manufacturer engines be compatible with each other (NMRA). It is only my opinion of course, but I feel like if a modeler chose to model HO, but is limiting themselves to ONLY MTH equippment (which they dont even make that many engines...someone like Athearn, bachmann or BLI make significantly more models than MTH), I feel like they are missing out. These people DO exist, in fact I know of two people who does exactly this. They originally modeled O scale (which is infamous for each manufacturer to seemingly have their own controls, like MTH and Lionel, although other companies (weaver, 3rd rail etc do exist), MTH in particular. They moved and no longer had space in their house, and switched to HO. Since they were already drawn into the MTH ecosystem, they chose to not use DCC, and now theyre stuck buying only MTH engines. I finally convinced one of them to sell off the DCS system (for $100) and just pay a bit more ($160) and get a NCE powercab. Now I may be biased toward NCE, but their powercab is amazing. I bought mine a few years back for only $140, but it has all the functionality you could dream. 28 functions, programming, consisting, macro and accessory control...every functionality their top end stuff has but for very cheap. (their top end throttles have the only advantage of providing more power and being wireless, two things that arent necessary for small modelers). Also what kind of person can only afford spending $100 on a controller but can afford $400-700 MTH engines??? I dont think financial budget constraints is really a valid way of viewing DCS controls. TLDR, pay $100 for a controller that can control only one brand of $$$ trains, or pay $200 and be able to buy trains from over 100 manufacturers...
Cool video! As an O scaler, I love DCS! The commander doesn't have wifi and the serial port won't give you it. You'll need the TIU to use the remote control or the wifi app.
Ive had zero luck trying to run ho off the tiu...
@@RodimusPrime You have to use the fixed channels only for ho.
@@trainlover9943 yea i have the wiring on fixed channel 1 the remote refuses to add any track except var 1 and 2.
@@RodimusPrime You don't add tracks. You'll have to add engines to it. You'll use the engine setup menu. The instructions show you how.
@@trainlover9943 tried that also it detects nothing
Where do I get what I need to run a small to medium layout with a max of 3-4 independent engines pulling rolling stock?
Thank you very much.
~Ken
Hey Matt. Great video. I just got into HO adding it to my O and S gauge layout. I put up a test loop to test the first 2 MTH HO engines. I have a UP GP-35, ran great for a few loops around now it just stalls out and loses power. I have both the S and HO hooked up to my DCS TIU. I'll take it off the track, cycle down the DCS remote and TIU, put it back on the track and it will start up like a champ, I put it forward and it moves a couple inches and boom, power cuts out. Any thoughts? Loops are on my hardwood family floor. Thanks! Scott
Id test it out on dcc on another track and see if it behaves the same. If so maybe a capacitor problem on the board
Matt, can you use thin equipment to program individual sound volumes? Does the programming carry over into DCC operation?
Hi Matt. I was hoping you'd also include the remote in your video. One of the features of the remote which to my mind justifies DCS is the record and playback feature. Now I've never operated DCC so maybe I'm ignorant to the fact that DCC also offers that feature. It's all I use. I have a 4-track shelf layout 20' long and the four trains operate by themselves. Have you had any experience with that feature?
Cant say that ive ever tried to use that
It’s an interesting controller for beginners like myself who can do without remote or wifi app. But I do have a question, does it run non-MTH HO DCC engines even in straight dc/conv?
In straight dc it should run anything however you wont have any control over functions
Has the patent run out on MTH smoke puffs? I wish it could be adopted industry wide
Year or two yes
Scaletrains bought the HO molds so hopefully they will include the smoke units
Awesome video
Awesome!!!
Hi, DCC can also adjust volume levels vis functions and enable labored and drift chuff. Theres really no additional things the DCS can do besides for the quillable whistle which is a nice novelty but isnt really necessary. The nature of MTH making their own controller for their own decoder obviously allow them to have names for each function printed instead of just the function number. The function buttons on dcc controller also allow them to double as buttons to enter engine numbers and program CVs with. Overall, I think youre being a bit to lenient with this review. Dont get me wrong its a cool controller, but for $80-$100 I expect more functionality...for a controller that can only control engines from one brand. I have 8 MTH engines but even I still dont see the need or want to spend so much more just to get the quill able whistle functionality and slightly easier to use interface. But I respect your opinion and Im glad someone has finally made a comprehensive review on this rather obscure (to HO modelers) system! Great video!
Hello. I agree with the part of the function buttons working like that on DCC. However, this system makes it so much easier to use those buttons. Not everyone has 20+ function buttons to get to those easily accessible volume up/down. Also, $80-$100 is one of the cheapest controllers that kind of functions as a DCC controller, but only for MTH. The equivalent to that price for DCC would be the starter Bachmann EZ command and that’s no where near the level of this. So I don’t mean to start an argument, because you were very kind in your comment, but I don’t feel he’s being too lenient. I think this system is a very good alternative if you have mostly MTH, and especially for that price range. Just my opinion, thanks for reading, have a good day.
@@Tyronedaman4114 And I can understand that, but view it in another way...HO (and N) is very popular, and one reason people choose to model HO is due to the high variability in manufacturers. There were SO many manufacturers, that in fact, a standard had to be created to make all manufacturer engines be compatible with each other (NMRA). It is only my opinion of course, but I feel like if a modeler chose to model HO, but is limiting themselves to ONLY MTH equippment (which they dont even make that many engines...someone like Athearn, bachmann or BLI make significantly more models than MTH), I feel like they are missing out.
These people DO exist, in fact I know of two people who does exactly this. They originally modeled O scale (which is infamous for each manufacturer to seemingly have their own controls, like MTH and Lionel, although other companies (weaver, 3rd rail etc do exist), MTH in particular. They moved and no longer had space in their house, and switched to HO. Since they were already drawn into the MTH ecosystem, they chose to not use DCC, and now theyre stuck buying only MTH engines.
I finally convinced one of them to sell off the DCS system (for $100) and just pay a bit more ($160) and get a NCE powercab. Now I may be biased toward NCE, but their powercab is amazing. I bought mine a few years back for only $140, but it has all the functionality you could dream. 28 functions, programming, consisting, macro and accessory control...every functionality their top end stuff has but for very cheap. (their top end throttles have the only advantage of providing more power and being wireless, two things that arent necessary for small modelers).
Also what kind of person can only afford spending $100 on a controller but can afford $400-700 MTH engines??? I dont think financial budget constraints is really a valid way of viewing DCS controls.
TLDR, pay $100 for a controller that can control only one brand of $$$ trains, or pay $200 and be able to buy trains from over 100 manufacturers...
do you have any spare parts for a mth k4?
I have a tender
@@RodimusPrime I kno u work on alot of mth steam so I was hoping you'd have a junk unit for parts. I need a motion hanger and some valve gear screws.
@@RailKingMell dont have those
@@RodimusPrime ok much appreciated