# MTH Infrared ITAD vs Lionel 153IR



## ftauss (Sep 18, 2012)

Advantages of one over the other? Will they work the other guy's toys?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The MTH seems overly sensitive to room lights, the Lionel is pretty much bullet-proof. 

The Lionel 153IR will run most accessories of any manufacture, it's pretty flexible. Here's a couple of chunks from the manual to give you an idea of the connection flexibility.


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## KarenORichmond (Nov 14, 2011)

I had one of each controller so when I wanted to get rid of the action device under the track for another signal I didn't really have a preference. However, I am now having a problem. Trying to connnect a MTH 153 block signal to it and having issues. The green light is on and if I cover the controller with my hands sometimes I can hear the click and it switches back and forth, but not all the time. I tried playing with the relay and range and that doesn't seem to be helping. Does this mean the controller is bad?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Which one are you having a problem with, the Lionel or MTH?


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## KarenORichmond (Nov 14, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Which one are you having a problem with, the Lionel or MTH?


Oops, sorry. The MTH one, but I stayed up and played with it some more and proved that it seems to be the light in the room, however, only the new MTH one is having this issue. Anything else I can try? And yes, I am looking for a Liionel one on ebay!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'd lose the MTH ones, they're very prone to false triggering or not triggering due to ambient light. The Lionel ones work much better.


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## KarenORichmond (Nov 14, 2011)

So I got a Lionel one and hooked it up and now the green light on the signal light stays on all the time and the train is not signaling for it to change. I put the sensitivity all the way up and still no luck. 

I have another Lionel one working just fine with a gateman and a signal light on another part of the layout and a MTH one operating a crossing gate on another part of the layout but for whatever reason I am not having any luck on the other section.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Did you try swapping the two Lionel 153IR units?


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## KarenORichmond (Nov 14, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Did you try swapping the two Lionel 153IR units?



I guess that is going to be the next step.


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## KarenORichmond (Nov 14, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Did you try swapping the two Lionel 153IR units?


Put the new one where the old one was and no good again. It has power since the light on the accessory is on but apparently the sensor is bad.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Are you saying that two 153IR units don't work in one position, but do in another? Sounds like it's not the 153IR units that are bad.

I'm not sure from your description exactly what happened.


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## KarenORichmond (Nov 14, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Are you saying that two 153IR units don't work in one position, but do in another? Sounds like it's not the 153IR units that are bad.
> 
> I'm not sure from your description exactly what happened.


ok, I'll start over. I had one Lionel controller in one spot working fine, a MTH one in one spot working fine and when I got a third one for another area on the layout (an MTH one) I was having problems with the newest MTH one. Eventually I read about MTH ones having issues with light in the room and sure enough when I turned out the lights at night in the room the MTH one worked just fine. So, I got a Lionel one and put it where the MTH one had issues. No luck. I took your suggestion and took the new Lionel one and put it where the existing Lionel one was which was working fine. The new Lionel one won't work still. It has power (lights come on) but nothing makes it "sense" anything and I have tried adjusting and readjusting the sensor. So I am concluding it is the sensor unless someone has any suggestions?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

OK, so the problem moved with the 153IR. Yep, given the same configuration for the two, I'd say it's defective.


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