HI guys... I have searched the forum and can't find information on the following: I need to improve my TMCC signal. I have a small 9x9 layout with two levels. When trains go under the upper level in certain places the lights on the engines blink, sometimes stop, and sometimes the Cab-1 doesn't respond until the engine moves out from under the upper level. This is especially an issue with K-line engines.

I read a year or so ago about running a wire below the upper level to increase the signal. Is this the best thing to try? How do I do this exactly? What do I hook the wire to? The command base? Do I strip back the wire cover and expose it?

Also, any other ideas out there? I reall need to fix this issue... Thanks guys!

Dave Emerson

Welcome to the forum Dave!

The TMCC signal uses earth ground - obtained from the third prong on the CB power plug - as one half of its "antenna." The other half of the antenna is track common.

To improve reception you need to provide a better source of the earth ground, so you should run a wire connected to earth ground. You can connect this wire to a good earth ground, perhaps your plumbing. But the Command Base also makes its earth ground available on pin 5 of the 9-pin serial port on the command base. So if you have some 9-pin serial cables lying around, you can connect your wire to pin 5 of the Command Base port and not worry about getting a true earth ground.

Hope that makes sense. As far as positioning the earth ground wire, you should probably experiment with positioning it. But start with running it over the problematic tracks, under your upper level. You do not need to strip this wire (except, of course, to connect it to an earth ground or Command Base pin 5).

Yog

I took #16 stranded wire and ran it along ( under or over too ) the track that had the poor signal. Then I connected each of these wires to each other and one end I screwed into the screw at the center of a wall socket (earth ground on my layout ).

It cleared up the problem immediately. The issue arises from conflicting messages to the engine; it doesn't know wether to listen to the track its on, or the other track it is crossing or near to.

I sent back several engines to Lionel due to this in the mid-to-later 90's. They didn't seem aware of this at 1st.

There is a gret deal written on this. Try the archives or google it.

It is an EASY fix.
Best of luck,

ernie miller