Atlas switcher antenna mod?

One method of doing a better antenna would be to float the diecast shell and use the whole shell as an antenna.  I do that to tenders for TMCC conversions, that it works well.

 Thanks John, I will try that. It looks like the screws are metric so I'll have to get some nylon ones to mate. seems like there's a lot of spots that the body could touch inside too. Joe

I have a question in to Bill Seratelli at AtlasO on a related issue: to wit how do you get access to the inside of the cab to change lights or install a better antenna.

In the meantime, I have discovered that the smoke stack assembly is pop in plastic. So you may be able to attach a better antenna to it.

 I just took the cab apart. A slight prying wider of the cab and the floor came out, one side and tilt down.

 Some of the bulbs are glued on this one. They appear to have been replaced. I'm inserting a loop of wire into the smokestack as a test myself.

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My SW has 2 stacks. I took some black 22 Gauge stranded wire and starting at one end bent it so one stack had 3 thicknesses of wire in it and one stack had 2 thicknesses. This allowed two whole lenths between the stacks.  I spliced this into the gray antenna wire and then siliconed the wires to the inside roof of the plastic insert. When the glue has cured overnight I will reassemble and see if there is any performance improvement.

 Thanks John, I was hoping that's how to do it. Seems easier than isolating the whole steel body.

Thanks John, that seems easier than isolating the whole metal shell.

My experiment didn't yield any noticeable improvement. I still need a better antenna.

Spoke with Bill Seratelli at Atlas-O.

The latest version of this has a copper foil antenna mounted on the underside of the cab roof. Run a thin wire down the front corner of the cab from the foil to the gray antenna lead.

Atlas-O went to this design to cure reception problems with the previous arrangement. Atlas-O does not have a part for this. So you have to make your own.

 That's a great step by step post. I will have to get my hands on some copper foil or copper sheet. I'm still waiting for my base to arrive for testing a simple wire. Thanks guys, Joe

You're Welcome

Mike

 Well the base arrived and I connected it. The engine performs great with an extra wire coiled up in the smoke stack all around the layout. I'm not sure if that's what helped or the new base. Possibly even layout wiring changes.

 Now my DCS does not get along with the tmcc base attached. It's like it's interfering with the DCS signal response? All tmcc engines removed and still bad. Disconnect the tmcc base and all's fine. Can't these things just get along?

How do you have the TMCC Command Base connected?  I just connected the transformer through the DCS TIU and the Legacy Base to the outside rail directly.  No interference at all.

 Fixed now. Moved the base to the farthest block away from where my DCS engines sit. Seems to work decently for both systems. Each struggle a tiny bit now. I will test more. Thanks to all ( Carl Tuveson and John Sethian).