# Smart phone or tablet DCS controller?



## Lynn D Bennett (Jul 27, 2013)

MTH has announced a Wi-Fi module for the DCS TIU that allows an application running on an iPhone, iPad or android phone or tablet to control the DCS just as the current remote control does. 

It is a color display and has a big display for touch speed control (it appears???) and touch buttons for some of the DCS features. It is previewed in the 2014 Vol. 1 catalog I just got but there is no order info in the catalog. Availability is unknown until MTH responds adequately to my email. I want one! 

While the current remote control is adequate, the display is hard to see unless you turn on the backlight which kills the battery pretty quickly if used all the time. Apparently it can be used along side the regular remote giving almost anyone who visits your layout a DCS controller in their pocket. Almost everyone has a smart phone or tablet. All they have to do is download the Application from MTH. You, of course, have to have the Wi-Fi module connected to your TIU.

LDBennett


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have an application for my Android phone that I got for free, it talks Bluetooth to a little $20 adapter plugged into my Legacy command base. It allows me to control trains, switches, and accessories from my phone. 

I use this controller: http://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Wirel...-Female/dp/tech-data/B009NQUGR4/ref=de_a_smtd

The author has a Yahoo Bluetrain Group where you can download the program for free.


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## deviltrigger529 (Jul 9, 2013)

Sweet, sounds awesome! I was hoping MTH would release something like this after I saw it in the Lionel catalog since I run all MTH and DCS.


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

Thanks for this. I'm going to give it a try.


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## Lynn D Bennett (Jul 27, 2013)

*Official MTH response*

_*"Thank you for contacting MTH Electric Trains. We appreciate your interest in our products. I am afraid there are no details available yet on the DCS WiFi. More information including price and release date will be announced early in 2014."*_

It boggles my mind that software and computer hardware companies can get products on the market in months and MTH takes many times that to get their product out the door that happen to be a product like the computer/software industry introduces every day. Building the hype long before the product availability is not a good idea in my experience. The newness is gone and the product forgotten before the new product reaches the masses.

OH well.

LDBennett


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

In partial defense of both MTH and Lionel, they have had serious overseas manufacturing issues with their products lately. Lots of churn in the Far East plants and many products have been delayed, some for many months.


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## Lynn D Bennett (Jul 27, 2013)

John:

Sorry to hear that. Maybe Lionel and MTH ought to consider moving manufacturing back the USA. There seems to be a movement in the manufacturing world to do that. 

It will have to eventually happen anyway as the labor cost in the Orient get closer to USA labor and manufacturing costs. By the time they pay for shipping both ways they may even be able to (eventually) keep the pricing the same. It is probably not a good idea to have the Communist Chinese government in charge of your product manufacturing. They really don't understand the free market. Add to that the labor force eventually causing an uprising and stopping all product deliveries (Is that where MTH and Lionel are now?).

I'm not a hater of the world market (lots of my guns are non-USA made) but at the first sign of problems with a world market supplier, the manufacturer should consider getting the products under local control, I would think. Cheap labor rates in the Orient are not forever. Just look at Japan. They used to be the go-to place for cheap products and today their products are often more expensive because of real and implied quality. It will eventually happen with the rest of the Orient.

LDBennett


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## Lynn D Bennett (Jul 27, 2013)

I see a problem with this WiFi product for iPhone and iPad users. Apple only allows APPs from their store to be loaded on their products. The APP has to meet Apple's APP standards and be approved to be in the store. If MTH is not tuned into that for the software then Apple products may never be able to control DCS systems. I hope they have that understanding (???).

LDBennett


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm sure that MTH is dealing with Apple, they well understand that. Lionel's LCS control application is already available for download in the Apple store.


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