Greetings one and all:

I just wanted to post my experience with the CS2 smartphone/tablet app (Remote CS 2) currently available at the Android Play store.

After a lot of trial and error, much cursing's of my lack of brain cells, and so on, I did finally manage to get it up and running

For anybody wishing to try this, I offer a couple of tips. For those who are much more computer savy, please disregard these rambling rantings of a lunatic (ME!)

Step #1 Internet Connection (Very, very, very important)

[in order for this darn thing to work, your CS 2 must be hooked up to a "live" internet connection. Once this is connected, reboot the CS 2 to allow the controller to identify that you indeed do have it connected to the net. This reboot is also required if/when you choose to update your software on the CS 2. Believe me when I tell you that due to my ongoing onset of Alzheimer's , this little factoid was definitely (and stupidly) overlooked. Which at that time made everything from here on in a complete waste of time. Of course, once this situation was rectified, and after many a renewed curse about my stupidity, the instructions from the site (Remote CS 2) made more sense.]

Step#2 (Wireless connection of said phone/tablet with the CS 2 Controller) The fun begins

[Make sure your Controller IS set to broadcast (this can be found in the set-up menu under the sub menu CAN (click on the wrench which will make the screen change to blue). At the bottom of the screen will be the sub menu which can be scrolled left or right to offer more sub menus. To those of us living in Canada, the title "CAN" in the sub menu does not mean Canadian eh! At this point you will see a number of options (which may or may not vary from Controller version to Controller version). Since my controller was the 60213 with the latest update, I had three clickable options to choose from. Choose/click the broadcast button, if it's not already set to that one. You will now have to reboot the CS 2. In most cases this will get you up and running (don't you just love it when the author says this line, because inevitably, things don't always work out that way, or at the very least, it works for the other guy, not you.]

Step #3 (Or what to do when it still won't connect)

[Okay...if you have followed all of the previous steps and it still tells you that there is no CS 2 to connect to (even though you are looking at the darn thing in front of you)
You then (hopefully) as well as having the prompt "Select Broadcast on the CS 2", you will have a bunch of numbers separated by dots (XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX.). To those of us not aware of it, this is what is referred to as the phone's/tablet's IP (Internet Protocol address (again, for those with a good grasp here its not important). However, I'm assuming that there are those out there who are not quite up to speed on this tech talk (or at least, even though I once was, I seem to forget the simplest of things these days). So then... this number refers to the "Target" that the Controller is required to communicate with (Your phone or tablet). After much frustration and greif at trying to track down my smartphones IP address, it was pointed out to me that the number that the Remote CS 2 was referring to was in fact... my own phone's IP (as I said... Alzheimer's). So... to continue. We now have to click on the menu (target address) and type in the devices IP address.]

What happened then, was really weird. After I typed in the required Target, the application came back and informed me that there was no CS 2 in the vicinity

By now you might be tempted to throw the device out the window or in the trash compacter (I certainly was). However, no sooner had I seen the prompt, it quickly (somehow) changed and informed me that, although the target address wasn't in the vicinity, there was a target within 1 number of the last 4 digits of the address (. 67 instead of . 66). My suggestion to any of you who have similar problems... wait a minute because, like the Alberta weather, it can quickly change.

Of course, once there was communication between the Controller and the devices, my world (Marklin has it so right here) seemed a little bit brighter. I am so easy to amuse

In closing, let me say that the program does work, although in my case it can be sluggish (probably due to the fact that I only have a 3 gig phone and just at the bare minimum version of the phone's software). If I were using a newer 4 gig device, it would probably work a lot better, but none the less it works, and it's fun to have control of the engines through a wireless set-up. For now, at least until Marklin comes out with their own Android App, I'll stick to using it through my phone. When Marklin does offer up their app for the Android, then I will be buying a tablet, which will offer greater control (two locos), giving me the capability of controlling 8 separate locos (two of them wireless)...

NOW THAT WILL BE COOL

Regards to one and all
James B

Thanks for the update David.

I do recall reading the post, it was a great read. When it comes to keeping many of us on the list up to date with these new “toys” there is no one better. It was, thanks to your review, that I went ahead and downloaded the app.

However, as I mention in the post, my computer/reasoning skills these days are not what they once were. Simple things that for many, seem to be a no-brainer, like step #1 (ensuring that there is a connection between the router and CS 2) escaped me, so when I went to initiate the app. it didn't work, which led me down the path of confusion, frustration and grief, but sometimes I'm a stubborn twit and I just have to keep at it.

I just want to provide a step by step explanation to anyone like myself who is struggling with the digital concept.

Regards
James B

I think James diary (or any documented experience) is of benefit to all, however I would hate to have people get the impression that the (issues with) tasks like setting up the CS2 on the Ethernet or connecting ones Smart Device to the WiFi are because of RemoteCS2. The comment about G3 v G4 is also misplaced as it refers to the telephony side of the device not the WiFi.

So any review of RemoteCS2 specifically should be on what it has influence over. Marklins use of UDP Broadcast is something that all smart devices and apps have to try and work with.



This is something RemoteCS2 does address! Should your CS2 pickup a different IP address from the DHCP server(in your router) then, as long as it is on the same subnet, RemoteCS does attempt to find it and will prompt with message to continue using the new address.

In both these situations I have found the messages that RemoteCS produces to be far more informative and constructive than most.

On the (mobile throttle) product/apps themselves, I will continue to applaud Marko (and Jens, TouchCab) for being prepared to put a product out into the wild and open themselves up for a barrage of complaints (justified or unjustified) and wish list items.

Personally I think the best thing in v1.5 of RemoteCS2 is the use of the Volume buttons to "notch" the speed up and down. This means you do not have to take your eyes off the layout when do those fiddly shunting activities. I am hopeful that a reverse function will be added in a similar way.

This is something RemoteCS2 does address! Should your CS2 pickup a different IP address from the DHCP server(in your router) then, as long as it is on the same subnet, RemoteCS does attempt to find it and will prompt with message to continue using the new address.


This is true, but, i think, if the adroid app changes its address, you have to go back to the CS2 and change the target address in the CAN Bus settings. So it is maybe a good idea, to go into the router device and change both, the CS2 and the android device adresses to be permanent addresses, so the addresses of those 2 devices never change.

FYI, Marko continues to tweak his app, and v2 is out with accessory support