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The boards are proprietary and MTH does not share information. No comprehensive manual is available to the general public. So if you want to service your own boards I guess you will have to become a technician. The PS2 boards I have are the old variety and are not repairable as a practical matter. I know as a technician this is frustrating. Dale H
Another fine product of the Cleveland Public School system.
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| Location: Pa | Registered:: February 14, 2002 |  |
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How positive are you the boards are junk? Has anybody in your part of the state worked on them?
Marty Fitzhenry
TCA # 79-13758
TTOS # 3057
LOTS # RM-4833
LCCA # 28444
MTH Repair Technician
MTH DCS Beta Tester
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| Location: Dedham, Massachusetts and North Palm Beach, Florida | Registered:: April 22, 2002 | |
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quote: Originally posted by rwgreen:
Have you tried going directly to MTH parts. I was on the phone with the Service Dept earlier this week and I had the impression that the replacement boards were available from Parts for $120.00. This is the board only and not the entire kit. RW Green
They will not sell them to me. thanks for your reply |
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| Location: Salem Massachusetts | Registered:: September 03, 2009 | |
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quote: Originally posted by Marty Fitzhenry:
How positive are you the boards are junk? Has anybody in your part of the state worked on them?
I tried them in another engine and I also borrowed a board tester from a local store. Thanks |
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| Location: Salem Massachusetts | Registered:: September 03, 2009 | |
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quote: Originally posted by Dale H:
The boards are proprietary and MTH does not share information. No comprehensive manual is available to the general public. So if you want to service your own boards I guess you will have to become a technician. The PS2 boards I have are the old variety and are not repairable as a practical matter. I know as a technician this is frustrating.
Dale H
I would if I could I am told a dealer must sponsor you. Is this correct? |
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| Location: Salem Massachusetts | Registered:: September 03, 2009 | |
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I could be wrong but I thought there was a federal law regarding a manufacture having to supply repair parts and not forcing a consumer to pay a repair shop to have out of warranty work done. Mike  Trains are a winter sport. Anything sold as a collectors item will never be a collectors item. |
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| Location: Ellicott City, Md. U.S.A. | Registered:: July 08, 2003 | |
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quote: Originally posted by Helichuck:
Why don't you just buy an upgrade kit, Then you will also have an assortment of spare parts and the boards you need.
I would but they are not available, back ordered with not expected dateof delivery. I am told they are having a problem getting speakers. I told them I don't need the speaker and they still will not sell me one. Thanks for your reply! |
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| Location: Salem Massachusetts | Registered:: September 03, 2009 | |
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John This is all conjecture on my part. I read an article in OGR a while back,an extensive interview with MTH. One section was with an MTH EE who was working on making the boards smaller. If he is far enough along they may be gearing up to production of the smaller boards. This may account for the short supply. One advantage would be more room for a good quality speaker rather than the anemic one now supplied. Unless there is some technological breakthrough in getting a very high performance small size 2 inch speaker PS2 as it now exists will always lag in fidelity IMO. See the post of the guy who replaced the stock speaker with better ones. Another benefit would be elimination of the battery and maybe a true wireless tether and more powerful chips and storage. Other than initial design and tooling costs the boards should be cheaper in the long run. This is speculation on my part but that is my take. If it happens it would be welcome news. As a conventional operator I prefer Railsounds because of fidelity issues and flexibility in installation. Looking at competitors products, Electric Railroads is making some pretty small boards that now use Lionel sound chips. I have spoken to an EE in the industry who said he could also make RS boards smaller and more powerful. This is all doable, the question is economics and priorities. I can not answer your question on sponsorship. I am a retired electronics technician not an MTH technician. I wish they had prints and a comprehensive manual available. I do not bother trying to repair MTH boards unless it is an obvious problem. I am not a mind reader and have more productive things to do. I am from the old school of fixing things and electronics is now mostly throw away. Right now I am working on a 1958 amplifier with first generation transistors. But what I do have is a schematic with parts lists and check points so I can fix it. I witnessed progression in electronics in my lifetime and it is amazing. Having a small wireless phone where you could talk to anyone around the world was total science Dick Tracy type fiction when I was young. I do not think even Edison would believe what we have today. The PS2 and RS system do impressive things and are also amazing to me. However the execution and reliability is not quite there yet and technology rapidly changes. It would be a real challenge for relatively small producers or even Microsoft to keep up with what is happening and O gauge is a fairly small pie. Progress would be much faster if the systems were open and standardized but I do not see that happening. Dale H
Another fine product of the Cleveland Public School system.
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| Location: Pa | Registered:: February 14, 2002 | |
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quote: Originally posted by Dale H:
Progress would be much faster if the systems were open and standardized but I do not see that happening.
Dale H
Ahhh...the key! Dave |
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| Location: Mercer, PA | Registered:: April 23, 2008 | |
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quote: Originally posted by Dale H:
John
This is all conjecture on my part. I read an article in OGR a while back,an extensive interview with MTH. One section was with an MTH EE who was working on making the boards smaller. If he is far enough along they may be gearing up to production of the smaller boards. This may account for the short supply. One advantage would be more room for a good quality speaker rather than the anemic one now supplied. Unless there is some technological breakthrough in getting a very high performance small size 2 inch speaker PS2 as it now exists will always lag in fidelity IMO. See the post of the guy who replaced the stock speaker with better ones. Another benefit would be elimination of the battery and maybe a true wireless tether and more powerful chips and storage. Other than initial design and tooling costs the boards should be cheaper in the long run. This is speculation on my part but that is my take. If it happens it would be welcome news. As a conventional operator I prefer Railsounds because of fidelity issues and flexibility in installation.
Looking at competitors products, Electric Railroads is making some pretty small boards that now use Lionel sound chips. I have spoken to an EE in the industry who said he could also make RS boards smaller and more powerful. This is all doable, the question is economics and priorities.
I can not answer your question on sponsorship. I am a retired electronics technician not an MTH technician. I wish they had prints and a comprehensive manual available. I do not bother trying to repair MTH boards unless it is an obvious problem. I am not a mind reader and have more productive things to do.
I am from the old school of fixing things and electronics is now mostly throw away. Right now I am working on a 1958 amplifier with first generation transistors. But what I do have is a schematic with parts lists and check points so I can fix it. I witnessed progression in electronics in my lifetime and it is amazing. Having a small wireless phone where you could talk to anyone around the world was total science Dick Tracy type fiction when I was young. I do not think even Edison would believe what we have today. The PS2 and RS system do impressive things and are also amazing to me. However the execution and reliability is not quite there yet and technology rapidly changes. It would be a real challenge for relatively small producers or even Microsoft to keep up with what is happening and O gauge is a fairly small pie. Progress would be much faster if the systems were open and standardized but I do not see that happening.
Dale H
Thanks for your response! I have heard about the smaller boards and I also heard it would be all on one board. How about that! |
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| Location: Salem Massachusetts | Registered:: September 03, 2009 | |
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As of the York meet last month, MTH had PS2 upgrade kits in stock. They had many dozens of them at York, and I bought one for a steam engine conversion. When did MTH tell you they were out of stock, or having trouble getting speakers? You should try calling MTH again. You might also try talking to one of the repair techs at MTH. They are quite helpful and knowledgeable.
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| Location: New London, PA | Registered:: May 02, 2001 | |
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Call MTH parts and speak with some one. Hopefully Midge. Get an order in. They are always back ordered on PS/2 kits especially around York time. Just order what you need. I've never waited more then 2 months for a back ordered kit.
Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.
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| Location: Boston | Registered:: November 09, 2005 | |
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quote: Originally posted by Trevize:
Call MTH parts and speak with some one. Hopefully Midge.
Get an order in. They are always back ordered on PS/2 kits especially around York time. Just order what you need. I've never waited more then 2 months for a back ordered kit.
OK thanks for the reply I will call Midge today, I have talked to her before. |
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| Location: Salem Massachusetts | Registered:: September 03, 2009 | |
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I have just been through this board business. MTH has requested from all dealers to return ALL boards they have sent replacements for, warrantied or not. They no longer manufacture 5V boards and for some time now have sent them out to be refurbished. The supply gets smaller and smaller. If you need a 5V board, the best thing to do is find a local dealer who has a 'board tester' who will work with you and order the board you want. He can then test the board when it comes in to be sure it works. Since they are rebuilt, all functions do not always work. Once it is sold to you, the warranty is void. Be ready to hand over the old board in trade or else the dealer will have to pay MTH. 3V boards are not a problem, but you can do the same operation as described above for a replacement OR just buy an upgrade kit! BTW, in some cases of standard 5V PS2 situations, doing an entire conversion may be simpler. By standard, I mean not a tri-plex or units with double smoke units etc.
All the best,
Hugh
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| Location: Venice, FL - TCA 70-3150 | Registered:: August 22, 2007 | |
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quote: Originally posted by choochoohugo:
I have just been through this board business.
MTH has requested from all dealers to return ALL boards they have sent replacements for, warrantied or not.
They no longer manufacture 5V boards and for some time now have sent them out to be refurbished. The supply gets smaller and smaller.
If you need a 5V board, the best thing to do is find a local dealer who has a 'board tester' who will work with you and order the board you want. He can then test the board when it comes in to be sure it works. Since they are rebuilt, all functions do not always work. Once it is sold to you, the warranty is void. Be ready to hand over the old board in trade or else the dealer will have to pay MTH.
3V boards are not a problem, but you can do the same operation as described above for a replacement OR just buy an upgrade kit!
BTW, in some cases of standard 5V PS2 situations, doing an entire conversion may be simpler. By standard, I mean not a tri-plex or units with double smoke units etc.
Thanks for your response. I guess I am lucky I only have 3v boards. I have ordered an upgrade kit but no idea when I will get it. |
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| Location: Salem Massachusetts | Registered:: September 03, 2009 | |
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Boy I would love to witness the repair of a 5 volt board. I would rather do brain surgery. Do these things actually come apart? Dale H
Another fine product of the Cleveland Public School system.
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| Location: Pa | Registered:: February 14, 2002 | |
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Find a cheap MTH diesel with PS2 on auction. Gut it. Then auction it off cheap as a dummy. You now have everything you need and someone else just got a cheap dummy to doublehead with. Everyone wins.
[Service, comfort and style for all passenger silhouettes]
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| Location: Fairfax VA | Registered:: May 22, 2005 | |
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Dale, quote: Originally posted by Dale H:
Boy I would love to witness the repair of a 5 volt board. I would rather do brain surgery. Do these things actually come apart?
Depending upon what's wrong, the repair is often much easier than you would think. I've repaired several 5 volt boards where a function stopped working because a FET failed. The FETs are right on top of the board and all it takes is a replacement FET and a very steady hand on a soldering iron.
Barry
DCS Ambassador & author of "The DCS O Gauge Companion"
Train-Ca-Teers - All For O and O For All!
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| Location: Lake Forest, Florida. USA | Registered:: April 27, 2002 | |
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If the folks making the boards for MTH are anything like the folks that make parts for Uncle Sam, you may be in for a long wait.
Whenever we found the need to replace a circuit card (or just about any costly, or special item), if there wasn't one on the shelf, then a contract would have to be cut to make additional parts. Special fasteners/hardware seemed to be a major problem. Unless it was an emergency, they wouldn't even write a contract until there were enough requests for a particular item to justify the expense of the contract, which was usually for a minimum quantity, and then it took 2-3 years to get. Many times a deploying ship would have to "borrow" a part from a ship that was just going into a repair availability.
Maybe MTH is waiting for (1) funds to have more made, or (2) waiting for enough requests to justify spending the $$$.
I don't know how old my engines are, but if the locosounds and PS2 go belly up I'll gut them and run straight DC to the center rail and outside rail directly to the motor.
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| Location: Virginia | Registered:: February 03, 2004 | |
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quote: Originally posted by Bob Delbridge:
I don't know how old my engines are, but if the locosounds and PS2 go belly up I'll gut them and run straight DC to the center rail and outside rail directly to the motor.
You do not have to do that,inexpensive e units can be installed or you can simply install a 6 amp bridge rectifier in the engine for unidirectional operation. Add a big capacitor and a few voltage dropping diodes and it will run very smooth. Keep the AC to the track then you can still use the PW whistles,a type of sound which is without equal. Dale H
Another fine product of the Cleveland Public School system.
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| Location: Pa | Registered:: February 14, 2002 | |
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