TMCC signal Lionel..?

The actual Lionel number helps us help you.

Not seeing the TMCC signal is normally either the R2LC or the antenna.  I'm "assuming" you have the modular boards, that's where the actual product number comes in handy.

You may not have a problem. On older units sometimes the sounds kick in on power up. After the sounds start try hitting the ID # and see if the engine responds in command control. You didn’t say whether it does or not. Per GRJ get the Lionel number and I’m sure he will fix you up if it doesn’t work. 

Lionel 18140...  So far on every check  not one problem... I re cleaned the track with alcohol.  and a  green scotch brite pad, along with the wheels...... I have to say maybe it was the wahl oil!!!     if it does not act up .. I am willing to admit .  at least for TMCC its not a good idea time will tell..

It does have a small board with the antenna .. if it acts up is that the board that needs replace. The other one looks like it has a the sound chip and is way longer.... thanks! ...daniel

This is an older LCRU-2 equipped locomotive, the unpowered B unit has the sound.  So, we may be looking in the wrong rabbit hole.  The B-Unit has the LCRX TMCC receiver for unpowered units, that's the one that's not responding I would expect.

What happened was yesterday . The diesel was running.. Then out of no where it lost power... I have the older PM-1 and the green light  was off I powered down and restarted and it worked.  I really don't know how or why but using another TMCC engine I had no problem.

Also it would only work in as if in conventional mode ... It would run in TK 2 the horn worked and bell  nothing else  and not respond to engine # at all... So ....

I cleaned eh boards (had a lot of white corrosion..?) used alcohol  and made sure they where plugged in. and cleaned  the rails and the pickups and wheels and it worked .. the correct way  once I put it back on the track..

Also this morning I tried them WORKS  fine ... I do notice that the closer you are to the engine the better  crew talk etc are... But will work when not as close but takes longer to receive the signal...

While the TMCC signal travels through the rails, the engine receives the signal through its antenna... NOT through the wheels. 

What "boards" did you clean with alcohol?

Jon

There are two "sides" to the TMCC signal.  As with any RF transmission, you need two sides to make a circuit.

From the Late Dale Manquen's excellent web site, TMCC Signal Basics.  For more information, just follow the link in the last sentence.  I'm not sure how long Dale's site will remain up, but it's a great resource on TMCC.

This is a paragraph from that link.

In reality, the rod is only half of the antenna system. We still need a second component so that we can have current flow through the transmitter and receiver. If we only had the rod, there would be no way to force current to flow into a dead-end circuit. The answer is to add a ground system on the other side of the transmitter or receiver connection so that current can flow back and forth between the ground and the rod, passing through the transmitter or receiver. The term “ground” should not be taken literally. For an AM radio tower, ground may consist of a radial star of copper conductors centered at the base of the tower, buried in the dirt. For the rod antenna on an automobile, ground is the metal body of the car.

Hello  the board I cleaned was in the b unit with I think the sound chip..  Before I cleaned it alot of white  power looking  stuff.the reason I had to do something is the back up light stayed on  with out the a unit  and would not respond.. and it would not work in TMCC. Plus it would blow the safety fuse in the PM-1  I tried a factory reset on the engine.. I had a extra TMCC base I changed that. no help.. whats strange is the A unit would not work when this all happened unless it was in conventional.. which gave just the bell and horn and diesel sound work only..  Sometimes  the A unit would not have any power.. But as mentioned after the cleaning all fine.. (i hope)

To me the board or something in it was making thePM-1 overload?  but so far alls good!  except a little slow making the horn and  departure  voice work But it does just seems random sometimes perfect sometimes not so much.. thanks daniel

John thanks for the link  .. I was watching lionels  video  yesterday  on this  issue.. (I'm glad I don't have to take a test tomorrow on it)

I did put my hand over the engine and at times it did seem better I have a metal 321 bridge that from reading I should insulate.. also I added that trolley line and have aluminum side girder with two metal  newer style 321 bridges.

I was thinking  before you guys wrote this . maybe I should try  earth ground to those long 12foot  aluminum girder I made and put something under the lionel tubular track I have on the 321 bridge..