ESU New Releases 2014

[GoingUnderground]

Pardon these idle thoughts, but before ECoS users rush off and order a carton load of extra MC2's, it might be worth pondering one possible outcome.

 

Assuming the Piko SmartControl handset is fully compatible with the ECoS, to use as a MC2 substitute.......

I fully expect that it will be. It might even work with the SmartControl app with only a few tweaks to the settings to get it to seek out the ECoS and not the SmartBox.  If that doesn't work, then the SmartControl handset would need the ESU MC2 app installing on it first, but that can be downloaded from ESU's web site to a PC and installed on the handset from the PC, or it could be installed direct from the Google Play Store site.

 

I'm sure that there will be many retailers splitting SmartControl kit from SmartControl trainsets as you suggest. After all that was the cheap way in to a MultiMaus system for many years.

 

If it turns out that the SmartBox can be used as a booster with ECoS in the same way that a Dynamis Pro Box can, (and I have no information about this use of the SmartBox), then anyone wanting an MC2 and a booster for their ECoS might find that buying the SmartControl set (i.e. handset and SmartBox) or a Smartcontrol trainset would be a lot cheaper than buying an MC2 and a 4 amp ECoSBoost separately. A no-brainer!

 

Sales and margin canibalism by ESU if they end up selling more Piko badged MC2s than ESU badged ones.

[Dogmatix]

 

[...] there is clear scope for enterprising dealers to split the sets and sell off the SmartControl separately (e.g. eBay).

 

 

.

This is already happening in Germany. The two-train box has already started to appear in the stores, and I have already seen SmartControl parts split off these sets being posted on Ebay this weekend. One seller was asking €319 or offer; someone must have made him an offer he couldn't refuse because it's already gone. Whether he is private or a dealer I know not.

[richard brown]

I fully expect that it will be. It might even work with the SmartControl app with only a few tweaks to the settings to get it to seek out the ECoS and not the SmartBox.  If that doesn't work, then the SmartControl handset would need the ESU MC2 app installing on it first, but that can be downloaded from ESU's web site to a PC and installed on the handset from the PC, or it could be installed direct from the Google Play Store site.

 

I'm sure that there will be many retailers splitting SmartControl kit from SmartControl trainsets as you suggest. After all that was the cheap way in to a MultiMaus system for many years.

 

If it turns out that the SmartBox can be used as a booster with ECoS in the same way that a Dynamis Pro Box can, (and I have no information about this use of the SmartBox), then anyone wanting an MC2 and a booster for their ECoS might find that buying the SmartControl set (i.e. handset and SmartBox) or a Smartcontrol trainset would be a lot cheaper than buying an MC2 and a 4 amp ECoSBoost separately. A no-brainer!

 

Sales and margin canibalism by ESU if they end up selling more Piko badged MC2s than ESU badged ones.

 

I was just thinking their is a driver for the MC2 on the ESU download site so I could be worth trying to put that on the piko SmartControl.

 

Richard

[GoingUnderground]

I was just thinking their is a driver for the MC2 on the ESU download site so I could be worth trying to put that on the piko SmartControl.

 

Richard

That isn't a driver. It is a PC program that allows you to update the two apps (Mobile Control II - version 1.0.14 and ESU Input Services version 1.0.6, which together make up the MC2 app as installed on the MC2) from your PC.

 

As far as I know, the update program should allow anyone who has access to the update program to install the MC2 app on any Android device from their PC. Failing that SmartControl users should be able to download the MC2 app from the Google Play Store site. This is all covered in section 14 of my translation of the MC2 manual.

 

Whilst I said earlier that I expect that the MC2 app could be installed on a Smartcontrol handset, on reflection, it is always possible that  ESU may have realised that they may end up taking sales off themselves. They may have built in a check in the MC2 app itself that stops it being installed on SmartControl handsets to try to stop folks buying SmartControl, or a check to stop it running on Smartcontrol handsets. Until someone tries putting the MC2 app on a SmartControl and confirms that it can be done and that it then works with ECoS, it might be wise to wait until it is confirmed that it is possible before rushing off to buy a SmartControl.

[GoingUnderground]

For those of you looking to the SmartControl (SC) as a cheaper alternative to an MC2, there are reports in the German part of the ESU users forum that the MC2 will work with the SmartBox (SB) to control the layout, but that it cannot be used to configure the SB itself. Not too surprising as the MC2 app doesn't have those options in its setup/configuration menus.

 

Of more interest is a report that the SC handset cannot find an ECoS. However there is no information on whether the MC2 app can be installed on an SC handset and be used with an ECoS.

 

There is also a report that ESU and Piko have said that the two systems are not compatible. ESU have still to make any comment on their Forum on the subject.

 

ESU have hinted that there may be an update to the MC2 app under development. They are also working on a further update to the ECoS firmware, it will be primarily a bugfix release.