# Time to retire an older MTS system??



## johndale (Dec 27, 2007)

My set was installed outdoors 17 years ago--it is a mixture of LGB locomotives with a Bridgewerks Mag 15 PS and LGB 55005 plus LGB 55016 wired controller. After running flawlessly for all this time I was starting a major makeover during Covid-19 and got around to plugging in again. Have to improve power connections to track but did get my Aristo locos running with Train engineer Wireless controller.
However my large collection of MTS have a problem due to an annoying failure of the Alphanumeric unit on the 55016. It seems virtually impossible to find a replacement and I am not too sure I could replace the actual alphanumeric unit. It is of course very hard to see which unit you have programmed in or which control feature.
So I am wondering if it is time to upgrade to a newer DCC system unless all I get some more practical ideas here so I am hoping for responses. I am guessing my MTS is the older serial as there are no "P"s on the units. What might be the simplest system to go to a newer DCC system without requiring a Phd model trainology ? !!! All help welcomed. I do have some lovely locomotives from LGB like Sumpter Valley 250 and the nice track cleaner, so it would be nice to keep those but if I had to I could sell some LGB stuff and go with less complicated Aristo and USA trains that I already have. ??


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Biggest issue with some newer systems is they do not do serial communication that the older 55020 decoders used. Zimo and Massoth do still have serial protocols in there units, and some others may have this feature also. Of course these are more costly units but can be less $$ tahn getting rid of your old engines and buying new ones. Also you need to remember the old decoders were 14 speed steps and most newer systems will do 14/28 and 128 steps which are selected by the handheld unit. 

Note to see if your old MTS system does parallel operations, type F and 9. If pressing the 6 key and you get 6 pulses it is serial, however if you only get 1 blink, it is parallel. F 9 changes the system from parallel to serial and visa/versa. Also LGB mouse is serial only!!


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## johndale (Dec 27, 2007)

Thx for response Dan-- I managed to track down an old LGB supplier who still ran a warehouse of unsold items and he is sending me the wireless 55016 replacement which can replace the wired and useless unit I have. I am hoping that will save the issues and keep the whole shebang running a little longer. Yes I was aware of the speed step issue. I will be able to check if the decoders are serial.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The wired 55016 just needed the transmitter and receiver added to the system. Only the LGB train mouse was dedicated wire and serial only operation. Be sure both pieces are USA frequencies (55051/55056) as the European versions (55050/55055) are illegal to use in the USA.


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## 1to3 (Mar 15, 2017)

Piko Digital units do both serial and parallel decoder styles, so your original MTS decoder will still work. (I use one)


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

On another note, the old LGB sound units (mikado and mogul are 2 I have dealt with) have a serial only interface to the sound board, therefore both the decoder and command station need to do serial for sound activations. One of these days I will replace the Mogul sound and LGB decoder with a modern all in one decoder from Zimo.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Maybe it would be good to make a list of the current systems that support serial commands....


Dan, I did not check the Zimo, I know NCE and Digitrax do not.


Greg


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Zimo does support serial communication.


MX1 CV99 changes serial pulse timing in the command console/station. This can help for programming some decoders that drive switches.



Decoder cv112 bit 7 (add 128) is for serial communication. Needed for using decoders on old MTS systems. I have the original 55000 which has serial only and a mouse.
Use F1 on the zimo system with multiple depresses to get function, that is f1 4 times gives F4, etc.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

??? how do you change a CV in the command station?


Do it like setting a decoder, on programming track in service mode?


Does it work in MX32?



Greg


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The MX1 has access to the CV's via the MX31 ( and older handhelds) handheld device.
You can program remote resets of the command station as well as some re-configurations.



The newer system (MX10) has access directly from the front panel.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

So the MX31 handheld could set a CV in the command station... weird... I'll have to look at an old manual...


I assume I can set serial on a loco by loco basis in my systems?


Greg


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Serial implies 14 speed steps and the MX32 needs to set the decoder address to 14 steps, and if using a zimo decoder the decoder cv112 needs to have the value of 128 added. OF course if you have the original LGB serial only decoders (55020 for instance) then only the Zimo MX 32 (read any system handheld needs 14 speed steps assigned to the engine address).


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

So if I set my MX32 to 14 speed steps on a particular loco address, does it change the functions to serial?


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I can tell you that a friend of mine with the NCE system does have to depress the F1 key and count presses for functions on the old version LGB Mikado. I worked on this engine and I believed I had to do the same but I do not remember if it was the MX1 or MX10 system that I used. 4 F1 presses will give F4 results. It is the SUSI sound unit that needs serial communication on this old Mikado and it was Klaus that installed the decoder many years ago.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

What I was asking is how to have the Zimo system send serial commands. I know very well how to push the F1 key a bunch of times.... I had an old LGB track cleaning loco with a serial decoder.

Greg


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