My Gunnrunner DMC Buffer arrived

@ThatGuy

Please explain what: the "DMC Buffer" is and what it does.

Thanks!!

@stangtrain posted:

@ThatGuy

Please explain what: the "DMC Buffer" is and what it does.

Thanks!!

This is from the instructions, enjoy

@ThatGuy

Thanks!

Now I remember this nice TMCC signal enhancement device that John Wills created following in a former (deceased) forum member’s footsteps.

I believe he was Dale Manquin who started this project and remember reading his posts.

We are so lucky to have such great creative talent here on the Forum!

Amazing!

Dale was certainly really responsible for the TMCC Buffer, he came up with the prototype and even sent it around to a few large clubs for beta tests.  Before his passing, Dale and I were in discussions of me taking the buffer design and creating a package that could be mass produced.  Sadly, that's where his involvement ended.  I languished for a year or more and then I decided to pick up where he left off and complete the project.

John are some of these buffers still available and if so do we order directly from you?

@Weener Dog posted:

John are some of these buffers still available and if so do we order directly from you?

Send me an email and we'll see if we can get you fixed up.

Does Lionel address these issues in the Base3?

We need to convince gunrunnerjohn to build us a TMCC/Legacy remote for us older guys who are not interested in the latest technology!! He would certainly be the one to do it!!!   Hope all is well, John!!!!!

Jeff

"Does Lionel address these issues in the Base3?"

Yes, to the extent that they tested/refined it on huge club layouts and decided to add an external antenna.  When TMCC was developed in the 1990s, such layouts did not exist, to my knowledge.  Neil Young tested TMCC on his own very large layout, but there are situations where the radio frequency signal is attenuated that weren't anticipated in the following years.

@Landsteiner posted:

"Does Lionel address these issues in the Base3?"

Yes, to the extent that they tested/refined it on huge club layouts and decided to add an external antenna.  When TMCC was developed in the 1990s, such layouts did not exist, to my knowledge.  Neil Young tested TMCC on his own very large layout, but there are situations where the radio frequency signal is attenuated that weren't anticipated in the following years.

FWIW, the extra antenna has nothing to do with the issues the TMCC buffer addresses.  The external antenna is for the remote to base communication, not the track signal strength.

@jjames9641 posted:

We need to convince gunrunnerjohn to build us a TMCC/Legacy remote for us older guys who are not interested in the latest technology!! He would certainly be the one to do it!!!   Hope all is well, John!!!!!

Jeff

Couldn't agree more Jeff.

"FWIW, the extra antenna has nothing to do with the issues the TMCC buffer addresses.  The external antenna is for the remote to base communication, not the track signal strength."

Thanks for the information.  That said, they tested the thing on a layout ten or more times the size of the average home layout, which should address the issues of signal propagation from the Base 3 to locos in all likelihood, yes? I'm pretty sure no such tests were done with TMCC or Legacy. Large club layouts and large modular layouts weren't as common back in the day.   Problems usually come up with TMCC/Legacy only for ancient house wiring with no ground, people installing metal cages around their basement (joke) and other unusual problems at large venues whose electrical and structural details are very different from residences. Or at least that's my reading on what folks have reported.

Well, the truth will come out when the BASE3 is in people's hands and it gets real testing on large layouts.  I think it's pointless to speculate how it will perform until it gets a chance to perform in thousands of venues.

gunrunnerjohn, I agree with you a 100% but for those of us you want our remotes we are still kind of left behind. Now I know this subject has been beat to death and I realize technology moves forward with or without us. But with collecting/buying for over four decades I still like my choices. I just find it very hard to believe most of us want this latest technology to run our trains, especially us older guys/gals. I will stick with my Cab 1,2 & DCS remotes. Just my 2 cents!1

Just a plug for Dale (RIP) and GRJ....I have had one of the buffers on my layout for a couple years now. It has worked perfectly, and my signal is great. No Legacy/TMCC signal issues since. And I had a lot! Great idea and solution.

Mike