TMCC/Legacy Track Signal Booster (Dale's Legacy Continues)

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Don't know why Greg, it was generated yesterday and the USPS has the package.

All good then.  Thx.  

John,

     If you don't get the balance on some of those I'll take one.

          Brad

Mine also arrived in this afternoon's mail. Everything looks great. Thanks again GRJ!  

Yea baby mine arrived this morning. Hooked it up and it works great. Vision Legacy GG1 use to have problems with flickering lights and it would stop in a area with overhead tracks and metal bridges. Now with the booster it runs right along with no flickering lights. Thank you John!

gunrunnerjohn, John Will

I want to thank you so much. I have had an area on my large layout that at times gives me a PITA. I have been messing with this part of the layout for over a year. Some days it works when it wants to and other days not at all. I have been down at the layout, installed your Buffer and that area has no problems at all...in fact the trains run better than ever after I installed your Buffer. I have NO problem with the costs of this little jewel, it is a miracle for my layout. Thanks so much for your and Dale's knowledge.

I am going to build a building for the layout and name it Dale & John's Buffer Company.

My experience with the booster:

Connected the booster as shown.

Powered up the system....  Legacy base dead...  Oh No!  Must be a bad power adapter...  Happen to have another...   Changed the power adapter... Same problem! Checked the adapters, no power..!

Ok so what is the problem...  Checked the earth ground adapter cable...SHORTED

SOOO...  Replaced a blown fuse in the Legacy Power Adapter, and repaired the shorted earth ground adapter cable. ( red center wire melted to the outside frame of the connector during soldering.)

OK... So lets try again!

Reconnected all and the Legacy base comes alive...  The status indicator on the booster shows green!   YEA!  Read the DC reference voltage on the input side... It is 1.6V and on the output side, 5.9V.

OK  Now lets runs some trains!   Trains that previously had experienced problems in certain areas appear to function normally..!!!   YEA it works.

Thanks John for a great addition to the hobby

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But as an aside, you might want to check the adapter cable before powering up to prevent a blown TMCC adapter.. (Luckily the Legacy adapter comes apart and you can change the fuse.)

Terry

 The initial problem was the shorted ground adapter cable which blew the fuses in the legacy power supply!

Great that it's working, I'm clueless to what your problems were, so what caused the initial problems!

Installed my booster today.  Got red led light indicating bad signal.  Checked base in voltage 0 .166 mv and buffer out of .661 volts.  Interestingly, problem locomotives ran better.  Will call Lionel tomorrow, hope they will repair it.

Marty

martind posted:

Installed my booster today.  Got red led light indicating bad signal.  Checked base in voltage 0 .166 mv and buffer out of .661 volts.  Interestingly, problem locomotives ran better.  Will call Lionel tomorrow, hope they will repair it.

Well, the red light appears to be working correctly, with those readings you do have a bad signal!

BlBillboards posted:

Ok so what is the problem...  Checked the earth ground adapter cable...SHORTED

Bummer about the earth ground tap, sorry about that.  All of the cables did actually test good before they went, but obviously that was marginal.  I'll blame that one on my assistant...  Wait, I didn't have an assistant!

Well, at least it came to me and I was able to repair! 

Terry

Hi John,

Just to let you know I received my TMCC buffer yesterday, and installed this afternoon on my layout. Getting a green light all the time as indicated on the buffer . I have not done any actual signal voltage measurements yet. My layout is approx. 35 x 12 with 2 track loops around; had a few minor problems with the old setup without the buffer-- the new buffer signal seems to be perfect!!!

Thanks again for doing all the follow-up design to Dale's original design and getting the new boards made and shipped out. That was a very large undertaking!!!  I am going to be anxious to hear feedback from some of the large layouts on how the buffer is helping their TMCC signals. I suspect a few of the large layouts I see at the Milwaukee Train Fest every November will work much better with more reliable operation too.

Thanks so much!!!

Regards,

Carl J

We love success stories!   Since the NJ-HR use it and apparently it solves most of their TMCC/Legacy issues, I suspect most layouts will work well with it.

96 of the first 100 units have been shipped, so almost everyone that was in on the initial batch should have one within a couple of days.

I received my TMCC Buffer, however, haven’t installed it, but, I do have a HUGH SUCCESS Story, Farmerjohn, a Kentucky friend of mine, has a really large layout, 50 by 70, with an an adjoining room, who has had multiple signal issues, running TMCC/Legacy, Atlas O. Third Rail/Sunset Models, through many bridges, multiple levels, says All his engines Run Fine Now, Do to the TMCC Buffer. Dale Manquin came to visit me here in Tennessee in 2007, prior to York, and we went to see many layouts, one being Farmerjohn’s in Kentucky.  Dale was a very fine gentleman and stayed at my home for a week. We had a great visit.  I congratulate Gunrunner John for taking his concepts and making this wonderful product available to us Operators.  Thank you John....I will install my Buffer in the next few days. Happy Days are here again. (Pictures are of Farmerjohns latout)

Wow, 50 x 70, now that's a LAYOUT!  

Hi Larry-

Thanks for posting all those pictures of FarmerJohn's huge layout!!! And the fact that the TMCC booster/ Buffer original design has been working so well on his 50' x 70' layout in Kentucky!! I can only imagine the length of time and number of people needed to get the layout to the point that was shown in your pictures!! Fantastic layout!!!

Carl J

Got my DM buffer, now looking for a place to put it, anxious to get it hooked up.

Thank you John

Ray

Hi Carl, Farmerjohn has been working on this layout for probably 7 or 8 years, with a really great wood worker and Friend. He works many hours daily on this adventure and keeps everything clean as can be. They have devised many neat features on his wonderful layout. 10 stall roundhouse with individual opening doors. A MILLHOUSE 34 inch TT.  A signal system overhead signals, track level signals. A wonderful Oil Refinery, and new Mining System, above and below ground. One feature is 4 or 5 trains can be running and there’s is no way to figure out their route. Amazing thinking, and a fun to visit friend.  Always something new to view and enjoy.  He runs TMCC- Legacy Cab1L, Cab 2.....His wide radius curves, 0120 and more, no less than 080, allows for long freight and passenger trains to interwind with each other. Thank you for your comments and someday, come to see us. 

That's the kind of layout most of us can only dream about.

I really have to thank John again for pursuing this project and carrying on where Dale left off.  I also want to thank him for donating back in Dale's name.  It's just another reason I find most train people are mostly made up of the good stuff.

Speaking of that, I almost have all the payments in and the buffers shipped, so I will be sending out the contribution in the next few days, I'll post when it's completed.

I'd still rather have Dale around to see his great project finally cross the finish line.