tmcc cab-1 issue

When you open it up, look on the back side of the circuit board to make sure there's no oxidation on the traces.

Be careful, and discharge static electricity before touching the board.

I have not found a good long-term fix when the contact tips wear out.  (I have the same problem on my car's key fob!)

I wonder if there's some spray on carbon coating you could use to fix the keys?

luck or? I disassembled cab-1 and used denatured alcohol and cleaned the area that soft keys push on the PCB board.

I also cleaned the bottoms of soft keys on the push pad and also the top side so as to eliminate any small dirt areas causing keys to stick all remote key pad holes in body of remote have been cleaned.

so far I'm having positive results with all key pad pushes.

the main PCB traces I used q-tip on was semi dark after cleaning used 4 of them with last one being pretty much void of any dark matter.

thanks for the help all as I use this when issues arise to see if a wiring or a command base issue is at hand also a few times when legacy system went to lionel for repair.

I assume no more new cab-1 remotes/bases are available as new in the box?

also the newer cab-1L remote is not compatible with the old TMCC base?

StPaul posted:

I assume no more new cab-1 remotes/bases are available as new in the box?

Maybe in a museum.

also the newer cab-1L remote is not compatible with the old TMCC base?

No Cab 1L is NOT compatible with TMCC base BUT is with the Legacy Base.  The Cab1L also is available with it's own base.  That would be your next step as a cheaper redundant control system.

StPaul posted:

luck or? I disassembled cab-1 and used denatured alcohol and cleaned the area that soft keys push on the PCB board.

I also cleaned the bottoms of soft keys on the push pad and also the top side so as to eliminate any small dirt areas causing keys to stick all remote key pad holes in body of remote have been cleaned.

the main PCB traces I used q-tip on was semi dark after cleaning used 4 of them with last one being pretty much void of any dark matter.

I do what you did about once or twice a year on my TMCC remote.   It's the original one I bought in 1996.   it just keeps plugging away for me.

Check out the for sale section.  I think there have been  some on sale recently.  Cab1 & TMCC base.  I'm not interested in Legacy myself.  Overkill.  Next year they'll come out with LegacyII and a Cab3 the size of a laptop and all the guys will start all over again.  Gotta sell product!

William 1 posted:

I'm not interested in Legacy myself.  Overkill.  Next year they'll come out with LegacyII and a Cab3 the size of a laptop and all the guys will start all over again.  Gotta sell product!

I think you overstate the case.  The current Legacy system has been round since 2006 and is still being upgraded and improved.  With the CAB1L, Lionel added a better CAB1 to use with the Legacy system, so the remote got smaller, not larger.  Add in the LCS with the iPhone application, and the Legacy remote is smaller than your old CAB1 with that PITA antenna.