Good morning fellow Forum Members,
Simple question. Can two command bases be connected to a layout to compensate for a weak signal. Total of 475 feet of track. I think they can as long as the frequency of each base is the same, but there are many people who know a lot more than I do about this than I do. If two command bases cannot be connected, how can the signal issue be resolved? Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Bob
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Bob,
Type Legacy signal issues into OGR search box, you will find much.
Ray
No, only one base can be used. Signal issues are generally mitigated by running a wire connected to the 9 pin connector pin #5 and placed in the area of weak signal issues.
Also follow this thread...
Is pin #3 the one you use for ground plane?
Ted, it's #5 for the ground plane (earth ground).
Thank you, John. My club recently moved to a building built in 1920'S and we did have a new electric box put in. The ground is there, the command signal does work but do notice flickering on the headlights. So, I am going to run a wire from pin 5 to a metal stake that I can drive into the ground on the perimeter of our O gauge room. The room is built with cinder blocks and has gravel on the base corners of the walls. Perfect spot to put that stake into the ground.
A stake right through the heart, that should get it. 
I want to thank everyone for their feedback. Now the issue can be addressed.
Ted Bertiger posted:Thank you, John. My club recently moved to a building built in 1920'S and we did have a new electric box put in. The ground is there, the command signal does work but do notice flickering on the headlights. So, I am going to run a wire from pin 5 to a metal stake that I can drive into the ground on the perimeter of our O gauge room. The room is built with cinder blocks and has gravel on the base corners of the walls. Perfect spot to put that stake into the ground.
Another ground stake is not required or recommended.
A wire from Pin #5 run over or around the layout is what is required. Normally it is the ground (third) wire in the 120 VAC building wiring. Your building may not have an extensive ground wire run in the building wiring. If so, an additional wire from pin #5 would help. The end of that Pin #5 wire just ends...not connected to anything. It's an antenna wire.
Your new electrical box should have one ground stake and that is all that is required.
Chuck,
We have been running different engines with good success on TMCC. Running a wire under the layout from pin 5 might be overkill. I know we will be doing that above the tracks where the elevated trestles are going as we did that on the previous layout and worked well.
Probably will run a ground plane wire from those trestles directly to a metal outlet plate center screw. Problem solved without going to pin 5.
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