Transitional Command Control?

Are all items TMCC and not Legacy?  I've not had this problem myself, have you checked your wiring?

sinclair posted:

Are all items TMCC and not Legacy?  I've not had this problem myself, have you checked your wiring?

Yes all my items are TMCC  I don't have a legacy base.  Right now my set up is one powermaster one powerhouse and one command base.  If I unplug the command base the power master received signal no problem but as soon as the command base is powered up I only get the red flashing light from there.

Original PowerMasters have a switch on the side for command or conventional.  What position is that switch in?  My memory may be foggy, but I believe if you put it in Command, it will put full voltage to to the track all the time in anticipation of you running command engines. 

The command engines don't care what switch position is set on the PM.  Any command signal seen by the command engine is sufficient to take the engine out of conventional mode, it will just sit there until you start sending it commands from the remote.

I think (again, memory may be a bit foggy) if you leave the PM switch set to Conv, you will still be able to address it as you do without the base (i.e., TR, 1 (or whatever # you used) and then spin the knob to adjust the voltage).  Your TMCC engines will respond (when commanded) as well once they see enough voltage to be operational (they do not require the full 18 volts, they will certainly operate lower, at least as low as 14 or maybe even 12.  Someone here may know an actual lower limit).

When you say you "lose control" of the track voltage, does that mean there is full voltage to the track, or no voltage to the track (or something else?).

I hope these suggestions may help you solve your problem.

-Dave

Dave45681 posted:

Original PowerMasters have a switch on the side for command or conventional.  What position is that switch in?  My memory may be foggy, but I believe if you put it in Command, it will put full voltage to to the track all the time in anticipation of you running command engines. 

The command engines don't care what switch position is set on the PM.  Any command signal seen by the command engine is sufficient to take the engine out of conventional mode, it will just sit there until you start sending it commands from the remote.

I think (again, memory may be a bit foggy) if you leave the PM switch set to Conv, you will still be able to address it as you do without the base (i.e., TR, 1 (or whatever # you used) and then spin the knob to adjust the voltage).  Your TMCC engines will respond (when commanded) as well once they see enough voltage to be operational (they do not require the full 18 volts, they will certainly operate lower, at least as low as 14 or maybe even 12.  Someone here may know an actual lower limit).

When you say you "lose control" of the track voltage, does that mean there is full voltage to the track, or no voltage to the track (or something else?).

I hope these suggestions may help you solve your problem.

-Dave

Dave, 

  You are correct, there is a switch on the side  and when it is in conventional mode I can adjust the track voltage up and down with the cab-1. When it is in command mode there is a constant 18 V going to the track.  There seems to be no problems running in conventional from the powermaster alone. The problem starts when I turn on the command base.  At that point the powermaster stops receiving  signals from the remote and  only the command base has a flashing red light.  In theory, what I believe is supposed to happen in transitional command control, is that you can keep the powermaster in conventional mode  with medium to high voltage in order to run your conventional engine and also turn on the command base to communicate with your TMCC engine.  The powermaster should still be receiving a signal from the remote for things like hitting the halt button to cut power. In my case, that isn't happening. 

The command base and PowerMaster should be 100% independent of each other as the PM does not receive any signals from the base, only the handheld.  The fact that when you plug int eh command base the PM stops responding tells me there is a wiring issue of some kind.  How do you have the base and PM connected?  Should be wall outlet to PowerHouse to PowerMaster to track, and different wall outlet to command base to different spot on track.

Need more details... the only thing the Command Base & PM-1 have in common is that they both respond to the 27mhz CAB-1 signal, they have no communication between them.

-Where exactly is the PH-1 plugged in to the AC mains?
-Which PM-1 posts are connected to where & which rails on the track?
-Where is the Command Base attached to the layout? Where exactly is it plugged in to the AC mains?
-How far apart are the CB & PM-1?

Also, check the AC outlets with an outlet tester to be sure there are no issues with the house wiring.

 Here is my set up:

 135 W powerhouse connected directly to the wall outlet and pm connected to powerhouse.  Command base is plugged in to the same wall outlet. A terminal on pm goes to center rail and U terminal goes to outer rail.  U terminal from  command base connected to the U terminal of pm.  I turn the PM on first with the switch to CONV and the green light turns on.  I hit TR 1  and the red light begins to flash as I turn the wheel  and I can see the voltage increasing and decreasing on the track.  I plug the cord into the front of the command base and the green light from base turnes on.  Without pressing any other buttons on the remote if I turn the wheel the red light begins to flash on the command base but not on the pm.  As soon as I unplug the command base the red light begins to flash on the pm again. When you say that the command base needs to be connected  to a different part of the track, I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Doesn't the command base connect to the pm?

BPars posted:

 ......... When you say that the command base needs to be connected  to a different part of the track, I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Doesn't the command base connect to the pm?

In most cases, I believe what you have would be acceptable.  I operated a PM and command base with the command base literally on top of the PM and connected to the U terminal on the PM with a very short piece of wire between them for many years.

-Dave

That's all hooked up right.

Which Wall-wart(AC adapter) are you using for the Command Base?

When the PM-1 is functioning, how is the CAB-1 range - is it 30 ft. plus? How far away can you get?

Are you using fresh CAB-1 batteries(confirmed with battery checker)?

ADCX Rob posted:

That's all hooked up right.

Which Wall-wart(AC adapter) are you using for the Command Base?

When the PM-1 is functioning, how is the CAB-1 range - is it 30 ft. plus? How far away can you get?

Are you using fresh CAB-1 batteries(confirmed with battery checker)?

 The adapter I am using is the one that came with the  powermaster.  I bought it as a new set. 

Just to make sure I went out and bought a new outlet tester to see if the wall outlet was properly grounded and it is wired correctly. This is such a conundrum, ugh!

When I said the command base connects to the track at a different spot, I mean anywhere on the track to the outer rail that isn't where the PM connects.  I have had issue when I connect the command base to the U terminal of a track power supply.  Have you actually put a locomotive on the track, or has your testing only been to look at the blinking red light?

BPars posted:

 The adapter I am using is the one that came with the  powermaster.  I bought it as a new set.

Just checking to see if it is the grounded adapter that came with the Command Base...

I have used the same set up many times when working out of state, on the road managing construction sites.  Never had a problem, with same as you have described.  One thing, be certain you power up the Command Base first, then power the PH, after CB is functional.  And, yes, with the PH in conventional select, I have ran both, command and conventional, on same track simultaneously.  I believe your difficulty may be not powering up the Command Base first, the Power House second.  Hope this helps.  And yes, if you can, power the CB and PH from separate outlets, it can make a difference sometimes.

Jesse   TCA  12-68275

SUCCESS!!!! I moved the command base to the opposite side of the track and powered it up before I turned on the powermaster and everything is running great! THANK YOU ALL for helping me work through this. I really appreciate the help.