No tmcc antenae

quote:

Originally posted by taylorra:
Just found in latest OGR that a new steamer from 3rd rail has abandoned the separate antennae in favor of using the tender wheels on one side as the signal pickup. A copper wiper rubs the wheels and must be internally connected to the antennae input on the TMCC board. I think the success of this innovation could be
a major improvement and perhaps, a useful retrofit for engines with signal problems.
What do you guys think?

Not understanding it...
Normally, all the wheels are connected to one side of the rf receiver and the other side of the receiver is connected to the antenna. And you are saying that where the antenna used to plug in, more wheels are connected? Does this second set of wheels conduct to the outside rail?

...ok...I just read the article (run 255, page 34) and I could be wrong...wouldn't be the first time missing some possibility in the area of fields and waves...but this sounds more like the author misunderstands how tmcc works and how it was implimented by 3rd rail.

I'm having a hard time with using the wheels as the antenna, that makes no sense to me.

I hate to conterdict anyone but that will not work. According to Lionel Service the surest way to prevent the TMCC from working is to connect the antenna to anything connected to the outside rail. Why do you think it is such a problem if the hand rails on an engine, when used as an antenna, short out to the frame which is connected to the outside rails. Somebody is mistaken.

Al

I'm usually generous when it comes to bogus RF theory...heh. But I really do think, since this is the second glaring example of misinformation on the theory, that OGR needs to have a referee read these articles before they print. I'm not asking for a sufficient contribution to the field of study, but just an accurate one.