How much track can TMCC signal handle?

 I believe the signal travels through the air, not the track. Hence the antennas.

Unlike DCS, TMCC doesn't care about the size of the layout.  As long as all your commons are tied together you only need the one connection.

Actually Joe, the signal travels through the track AND the air, so you need the antenna and the track connection.  As for how much track, only really large layouts like the NJ-HR one typically have track signal issues.  You're far more likely to have issues with the over-the-air part of the signal, that's the reason for all the "ground plane" discussions you see.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Actually Joe, the signal travels through the track AND the air, so you need the antenna and the track connection.  As for how much track, only really large layouts like the NJ-HR one typically have track signal issues.  You're far more likely to have issues with the over-the-air part of the signal, that's the reason for all the "ground plane" discussions you see.

As John points out, there are potential limits as to how much track you can get a proper signal through. My layout has more than 3000', but was still working pretty well at around 1500' - 2000'. When I brought the upper deck online, signal levels dropped. Dale Manquen came to my rescue, with his signal booster. I believe he is still looking for more beta testers.

Side note regarding TMCC signal:

I've had a bunch of engines with dirty wheels and rollers, so I took them over to the workbench, put them in the cradle, and used the Dremel with a wire wheel. I have a small transformer to get the wheels turning for cleaning, but for some reason, they wouldn't go. This was not a new issue, and was a source of great puzzlement for me. Matt recognized the problem right away. I was trying to run them in conventional, but they were still getting TMCC signal through the air while the layout was powered. Two simple options to solve this: turn the layout off or use the cab-1. BTW, the workbench is about 3' from the nearest TMCC source, so they were picking it up through the air.

To date the largest layout the FCTT Hirailers made included 600 ft of triple mainline (1800 ft) plus sidings and stub yards. One Legacy base drove the whole layout. Its not so much about linear feet of track but how much is shielded by overhead metal objects like bridges and metal screen mountains. Also how much of the building ground is in proximity to the layout.

Pete

As an experiment, Phil disconnected all the "third prongs" from his power source to the TMCC wall wart, making it 'ungrounded", just the current and common wires connected, and it all ran fine for his 1500+ foot railroad.    TMCC does not need to be connected to a ground to function correctly, at least on both our layouts.

Additionally, our TMCC "brick" and DCS TIUs are all buried under the freight yard, which is basically covering it with a screen of eight tracks, and we don't have any reception problems.  Might move them up into the mountains when that scenery is put in place, but don't see any real need to as long as we don't have signal reception problems.

Going to string one wire under the roadbed along the entire upper loop, although it probably only needs a "ground plane" where one track is above another close by, or passing over a lower track, and connect it to a separate ground rod outside the house, to suck off that excess signal.

We've been hammed into the corner that all seems to work well as long as we keep it simple and close to basics.  Going for the enhancements seems to make it work "less than mo betta" ...

Also regularly operate DCS and TMCC trains together under the seperate systems, sometimes on the same track, with no problems.  The TMCC engine responds to the CAB1, and the DCS with the handheld.  Don't use the "TMCC under DCS" feature.  One does not confuse the other.

Every layout seems to be different in that somethings which work fine on one don't do so well on another.

Everyone's mileage will vary of course!