Joe Fauty posted:Stackm746 posted:I am a bit confused by what seems to be conflicting information. The info from the engineer says that the ground and U wiring should be 2-4 inches apart, yet there is discussion of aluminum tape and foil under the roadbed or plywood which would seem to me to be inside the recommended 2 inches. I am just about to secure the roadbed etc and not certain if I should run aluminum tape under the roadbed? Does Dale's power booster eliminate the need for this ?
Responses are appreciated.
GREG in Wisconsin
I was under the impression the blinking light problem occurs when running a locomotive under elevated track. The engine stops and the front light starts blinking because it is recieving too much signal. The signal generated by the top track is a circle that mixes with the signal on the lower track effectively increasing frequency and confusing the engine so it shuts down. To stop the elevated track signal from propagating below the track either a foil (NJ High Railers used copper foil) or a wire running along side the track (I think only one side is needed and the wire can be coated) connected to 'earth ground' stops the signal from propagating below the track and mixing with the signal on the lower track. There was an article in the OGR magazine written a few years ago by the HJ High Railers addressing this issue and their recommendations on alleviating it.
At the NJ-hi railers, I have been removing the foil that was put under the track years ago. The electrical team has been installing telephone poles where we run a ground wire on for the locations which we have a weak signal. When telephone poles are not appropriate in the scenery, we will run a wire ~ 2" away from the outside rail on the layout. The main thing to remember is to try to keep the "U" terminal wiring (outside Rail connection), ~2" away from any earth ground connection like you have in 110V power cables and water pipes. When you have the U terminal wiring to close to earth ground, especially parallel runs, capacitance shorting effect comes into play, reducing the overall TMCC signal.
After making sure the basic wiring is correct and you still have an issue, the Dale M/GRJ booster works wonders.
Bob D
NJ- Hi Railers
