@BOB WALKER posted:It was just a question of time for Lionel to move to Bluetooth5 and get the operating range up to 100 feet. I have tested other control systems using Bluetooth5 and have previously verified the increased range. Wi-Fi based control systems also have good operating range. The point here is that it was a matter of Lionel's choice, not a fundamental systems issue.
Bluetooth 5 does not guarantee increased range. There are plenty of Bluetooth 5 devices that have a range that do not exceed 10 or even 3 feet by design. Lionel's current problems with existing pre-BLE5 locos are not because of using older technology but because it was designed with limited power output and PCB antennas that don't offer much range to begin with.