Nearing completion of the design and procurement phase of a new 3 level 9' x 19.5' layout with multiple power districts and blocks for simultaneous Conventional and Lion Chief independent controls of 3 primary track loops plus independent siding/yard operation. Power and control will be primarily handled with 2x PW 275Watt ZWs, a combination of rotary and double throw switches/relays, with options for accessory power from additional small transformers. Yes this will be somewhat complex, but I enjoy keeping track of signal flow and the speed, look and tactility of lots of physical controls. I think I have a firm grasp on this part.
In addition to conventional and LC control, while building the layout I would like to incorporate electrical infrastructure that will make adding Legacy (and maybe DCS) afterwards go smoothly (ie. not having to remove or re-do what would already be in place.) I've been reading a lot of great information on Legacy (and to a lesser extent DCS) here on the forum, including parts of the Legacy manual. Right now the Legacy control system components and locomotives are beyond my budget, but the wiring for it is on hand.
In the future, if adding a ground plane to my layout to improve reception of the Legacy signal in problematic areas becomes necessary, the way I build my bench-work, it should be easy enough to add if there's an issue.
The ground plane discussions on the forum got me thinking about another possible issue that I might have with the signal, and this is the ungrounded Faraday cage around and over the layout. This Faraday cage is part of the thermal envelope I installed when turning the previously unfinished space of our 2nd floor into additional bedrooms, storage, and best of all … finally, A TRAIN ROOM! One component of the thermal envelope is Foil-faced Polyisocyanurate insulation boards. They form a continuous radiant barrier around the exterior walls and ceiling of the 2nd story of the house (except for the windows and floor).
This barrier is also very good at blocking cellular phone reception. However, Dual band WI-FI, Bluetooth and cordless phone communication between transceivers within the envelope all seem to work fine up to their expected ranges.
While contemplating the pros and cons of earthing the cage, I quickly decided against it because I don't want to create a more appealing target for lightning strikes.
Do any of you Electrical or Broadcast Engineers foresee any issues with control signals inside this shield? If so, do you have recommendations about what I might want to consider and/or do to make future Legacy and maybe DCS integration go smoothly with respect to the Faraday cage issue?
