Seven years back (based on the date of the attached file), a forum member figured out that if you filed the inside if an Atlas electric scale coupler they'd work properly. Apparently, the reason you have to hit them so hard is that the body of the coupler stops the Kadee from pushing the knuckle in far enough to lock in place. The extra speed was needed to create momentum to allow the knuckle to lock. I had copied the part of the post into the attached document. The names "Pete" and "Dave" are referenced, but I don't remember the original poster.
I never saw that post I wish I would have. I've worked with the Atlas scale sized coupler a little bit and was able to achieve better results than a stock coupler. It was one of my "get back to" projects.
What I found is that if you hold a regular Kadee over the Atlas coupler to check the profile of the Atlas, the jaw (knuckle) can be filed at the tip to match the profile of the Kadee. The gap between the jaw and coupler head is then a bit wider.
I don't have time to finish this right now, got to go. I'll try to finish tomorrow.
