A new Mobilstation 2 ( Art 60667 ) is being presented in Marklin Webnews 280 ( 12 / 2020 ).

The new Mobilstation 2 unit will have WLAN support og can be updated with new Software.
More Information about the new MS2 ( Art 60667 ) in development will come in 3. Quarter of 2021.
The new MS2 is expected to be for sale in 2. Qaurter of 2022 as announced by Marklin.
The Price is announced to be 199,- Euro.

More Information in "German" in this Document.

https://www.maerklin.de/fileadmin/media/journal/Aktuelles/Information_zum_Maerklin_Trix_LGB_Funkhandregler_55017_WebNews.pdf

Google translate of the PDF gives

"The RC3 wireless handheld controller L55017 and RC3 wireless receiver L55057 introduced some time ago
are expected by many customers. A delivery with our cooperation partner was still ahead
Aiming for the end of 2020.
Unfortunately we have to inform you that we are removing the two RC3 items from the range. The
prototypes submitted by our partner do not meet the requirements. We have
therefore decided not to pursue the proposed solution any further.
The desire for a radio-based control unit remains unchanged, so we have each other
determined to immediately initiate an in-house development.
The planned new radio control device is based on and therefore based on the familiar operating philosophy
to our successful Mobile Station 2 designed as a radio-based, wireless control device. The
Control is implemented with software based on WLAN and with many other products of the
Märklin / TRIX / LGB Welt compatible.
By using WLAN, several participants in the same WLAN network can use the
Control model railroad. This promises great fun together. The network capability allows
perfect interaction with other network-compatible products from the Märklin / TRIX / LGB
Surroundings. An additionally purchased RC3 receiver (L55057) is not required with this solution
required, a CS2 or CS3 as receiving device and control center must be available. The
Integration of older LGB control devices such as B. the speed controller (L51079) is for analog operation
not possible with this new technology.
The fundamental rebuilding allows the use of a modern processor with reserves
for future extensions. Modern development tools allow us an advanced
Further development. For you this means:
Like all Märklin command stations and control units, the radio control unit can also be updated. This
guarantees you a long service life.
And best of all: We will be selling the new control unit at an introductory price of € 199
(recommended retail price).
We are working flat out on the new development, ask for your understanding
additional delay and thank you in advance for your patience. An idea is in the
3rd quarter 2021 planned, we plan to deliver in the 2nd quarter 2022.
We take the liberty of canceling your existing orders for L55017. The radio receiver L55057
will also be canceled without replacement, as this will no longer be necessary in the future.
We will contact you directly through your sales advisor with detailed information in due course."

So the already announced items aimed at the LGB market haven't come to fruition, so they are starting again!

Here we go again with guessing names.

I doubt it will be called a "New Mobile Station 2", we have already had one of those

If Marklin have any form, it will start life as a bland , but technically informative, "Mobile Station - 60667" and let the user community confuse itself with its own variety of terms. Personally I would advance the confusion with something like "Mobile Station wireless" MSw or MS-w



For that price it had better include a power supply or rechargeable batteries and a charging cradle.
And while targeted for "WLAN" radio frequency ???? - I would, personally, expect a tetherable option.
(Oh dear - the RJ45 connector has already been misappropriated - lets make a new plug - maybe a docking station for mor Euro.)
Voice recognition would be a wow factor that may try to inflate the value, but would be a waste of time


More to the point, What is the ACTUAL expected differentiator(s) over existing "radio frequency" solutions.
Aside from being (extremely) late to market, Marklin still have to address the need for a companion keyboard or booster capability. Either of which I might invest the 199,- Euro. in well ahead of a radio frequency solution.

So are Marklin pandering to the CS2/CS3 layout users exclusively?

IMHO While I am a preferer of tactile solutions, the rubbery buttons of the existing Mobile Stations, along with their "designed for two hands play station form factor" continue to leave me luke warm.

I suspect that marklin will be using existing Wifi systems because I think there will have been a backlash against the price of the RC3 system which required its own base station, so expect to use a standard Wifi router attached to a cs. This way they will also be using the existing code in the cs that handles the PC application, or possibly using a web based application in the new handset (although the users won't realise it as it will be well hidden, just like Linux is well hidden in MacOS).

I would certainly hope that for the price it would include a base station for charging (possibly an NFC system, so no contacts exposed?) but otherwise I think the price is just normal Marklin pricing (i.e. the market will pay any price we put on it).

Based on info in the 2023 New Items, this will not require a CS3 (or CS2). Which is good. Surprised Marklin did not go the Bluetooth route as it seems most manufacturers are doing. A WLAN seems a little bit limiting; if you run a layout at a train show, you need to bring your own WLAN gear or risk using a public LAN. I googled for more info, specifically prices and didn’t find any.

Steve

Reading the description in the English NI brochure more carefully, it seems that the 60117 WLAN Receiver Box (to use its official description) is configured using a web page (presumably by a PC connected through the WLAN interface) or by the central station - and that it can be configured to connect to another Access Point - i.e. you could use this box to connect to your home Wifi to make contact with Marklin to do updates.

I presume the web interface also sets up which loco address(es) is controlled by the IR controller(s).

Up to 4 wireless ms2s can be connected through the 60117 interface, I wonder how many can be connected through a standard network LAN that is connected to the LAN port on the central station.

It appears to me that this could be the only controller on an ms2 track box, i.e. you don't need an ms2 to be the master controller.

Yeah, but I suspect the A/B/C/D positions will be assignable to any loco address, just like the 40 positions on an ms2 can be assigned to any loco. In this case the translation would happen inside the 60117.

Well, could this be "the new digital system" Goofy has been going on about?

No, it's better than the one he talks about.

My understanding is that if you have a MS2 plugged into the track box, that this MS2 can then update another MS2 also plugged into the trackbox.
Given the WLAN capable MS that can talk to the CS, one presumes that this WLAN connection will allow updating the MS2 WLAN's firmware as well.
So going from that to the MS WLAN using the LAN to get to Marklin to get updates directly should be doable. (our smartphones can do it, our lightbulbs and automation hubs can do it).
Combining those should be easy enough so that the wired MS2 can be updated through the trackbox talking to the MS2 WLAN.

But thats all an educated guess.

And I'm also assuming to some extent that when Marklin uses WLAN they mean WiFi, without wanting to pay the WiFi log license fees and thus being more generic.
If Marklin chose some other wireless LAN standard than IEEE 802.11 or even worse, rolled their own, then all bets are off.
If they are building a WLAN on top of bluetooth, or some special frequency transponders lord help us.

No, it has to be standard 802.11 as they specifically state the ms2-lan can be used to connect to a cs2/3 over a standard wifi router if that is the setup you already have.

Reading through the English text there is also an implication that the WLAN receiver can be configured to attach a cs2/3 to a home wifi network, which would allow the cs to update from the Marklin server.

But nowhere in the text is there any mention of the ms2-lan being able to contact the Marklin server. This may be a feature to be made available at a later date.

Indeed. ;)

My initial though was : brilliant , now I can control my Christmas tree train while sitting in the couch across the room and not have to get up to start/stop/Play sounds/etc. yeah, an expensive convenience , but then I also solve your problem as it will maybe be packed away in the box with the Christmas train and it’s tracks every January 7th.

When used with a CS2/CS3/CS3+ I don´t know if the mobile phone app isn't a better option.
In the MS2 WLAN there are the knobs for those that prefer them...
Anyway it is always good to have more options.

Regards,
Miguel

I'm wondering about battery life as well. I think it is going to be a case of two sets of rechargables, one set in the controller, one set in the charger.

I was surprised they haven't gone for a rechargable in the device, with a Mini-USB and a cable to plug it into the USB port on the cs2/3 to recharge ... , or if they had worked it right a port on the WLAN receiver ...

I also noticed the one-hand operation, but not sure how practical it really is, even with the rotating screen. Maybe one in each hand.......

Edited by user 18 January 2023 22:58:49(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

There is a short video of the new MS WLAN on the Märklin 60667 german product page, "hidden" away under the second product image.

the video has been added to the Märklin youtube channel

Edited by user 26 January 2023 21:00:19(UTC)  | Reason: youtube video added

Here, thanks to bph's video link, is what the 'handle' looks like, similar to what is on some smartphones in the world (as add on).

Capture.PNG (2,171kb) downloaded 1,852 time(s).



To note, when one holds the MS2 WLAN in the hand sideways (intended for thumb operations as is seen in bph's linked Marklin video) - the display also rotates in the screen to stay upright.


Capture.PNG (1,316kb) downloaded 1,859 time(s).

My "perception" of all of this is actually more towards the 60117 (WLAN Receiver Box) and not necessarily the WLAN bit in the first instance

Up until now there has been little ROI (return on investment) for the IR remotes / control Stick from the various MyWorld starter sets.
Originally these where "power to the track" options , which morphed to the "Direct to Loco/Battery powered" solutions.

Either way , if the aim was to "move customers up" by building on the tools already at hand, the only option has been to discard the IR remote and invest in a 60113(grey)/60116(black) (Connector Box/TrackBox/RailBox plus power supply) and a Mobile Station (60653(grey)/60657(black))

At least now you only need the Connector Box (and power supply) along with the 60117 to migrate while still using the IR control devices.
(Depending on your starting point, the power supply might also get another lease of life)
OR
just the 60117 if Dad/Granddad already has a CS.

I am not saying that a Mobile Station (60653/60657 or 60667) is not on the horizon for migration, however I do think there is something to be said for maintaining the Control Stick type of control for a certain group of users (children?) while allowing them to mature into the "big" layout of ,say, dad or granddad.

Extending the "Controlled Access/Parental Control" line of thought, it would be nice if even the current mobile station 60653/60657 devices were able to be managed like the legacy 60651/60652 mobile stations can be. i.e. allocate a specific loco per unit (or a limited roster).
Personally I have thought Marklin missed an opportunity for those wanting to operate in TowerControl mode by not making the UI more "appropriate"

Back to the 60117 and how it might be configured. It is hoped that there is an enhanced means to map an IR channel to any available Locomotive address.
I use the term "hope" but confidence is low - not least because , at first glance, a mobile station (with latest software) would be needed to manage this.
I am not going to start guessing how the button on the unit is intended to work other than to think that it would be a very limited WiFi registration only.

Jumping to the other end of the spectrum, the 60117 appears to offer a means for the 60667, Mobile Station - WLAN, to connect to a CS2/CS3 without the CS2/CS3 actually having a network connection itself.
Yes, I know the words say you can connect the 60667 to a CS2/CS3 though an existing WLAN router if you have one, however if you do not (e.g. out in the garage or at a exhibition) this adds another "contained environment" configuration option.

Extending this further, if the 60117 is in part just a mini router, albeit with a /28 (sic) mask, and the protocol remains UDP - CAN over ethernet, then any WLAN device might connect to it.

Wondering if the LocoCard is being retired - I would be disappointed it is - scrolling through 40 slots is a big turn off

Your standard Class C IP address range uses a 24 bit subnet mask (255.255.255.0) so because all 8 bits in the last octet are available we can have a maximum of 256 available addresses (less 2 for the network and broadcast addresses).

A 28 bit subnet mask is expressed as 255.255.255.240 and the range of addresses in the subnet is limited to 16 addresses

A 29 bit subnet mask is expressed as 255.255.255.248 and the range of addresses in the subnet is limited to 8 addresses

And so on until you get to a 32 bit mask (255.255.255.255) and because all the the 32 bits are used in the mask there are no bits available for addresses.

Very pleased to see a better positioning/attribution of the "2 Amp" agianst the MS trackBox rather than the 60667 itself,
Or 5 Amp against the CS3 in the 60667 details
https://www.maerklinshop...ail/index/sArticle/64420
although the older images are still found against the 60117
https://www.maerklinshop...ail/index/sArticle/64418

The other (prototype) images add some life.
Appears to be left handed - shows image rotated 90degrees one way

- "Daisy" embossed throttle knob " ....New haptic knob for even more comfortable handling."
- Still no insight/image of a LokCard option .. although " .. and of course all the great features of MS2."

Sure you can!
Just need the CS3 to be connected to your LAN/WLAN at home and use the available Märklin apps.
With the new CS2 wireless you get the physical knobs that you don't have in the phone or tablet.

Edit: Also there is Lodi-Con (search in youtube) as explained by bph in other thread: https://www.marklin-user...nd-several-other-systems
This solution is colorful and has knob but is more expensive.

Regards,
Miguel

Is it possible that Märklin will add more icon symbol when MS2 WLAN did arrived out to the market?

To equal with the CS3 because MS2 are connect together with CS3 too.
Customer are expected to see this.

I see that you want MS2 in function?
Cool Per...you are first customer.