Consistent loss of radio signal

[Lackawanna810]

Hello,

Can anyone clue me in as to why I keep losing radio contact with my locomotives?  My locomotives shudder as if they want to start, and then the radio icon on my HC turns red.

This occurs even after I fully clean the rails and locomotive wheels and am standing less than 2 feet and in direct line with the locos.

Thanks in advance for the due diligence.

[G8B4Life]

Welcome.

You haven't given us a lot to go on. Loss of radio contact is usually from a loss of power (dodgy wiring from the pickups to the LM or quite dirty track and wheels) or it can be from RF interference.

Does the loss of radio contact occur in just one place or all over the place?
Is this small scale (H0) or large scale (LGB)?
Are the LM's mounted the correct way up?

- Tim

[CPRail]

Which way is UP on a LM?

[G8B4Life]

The side with the logo etc. This is the side of the PCB that has the transmitter on it. I only bring it up as it's not impossible that someone, somewhere could hardwire an LM in upside down. Not that it wouldn't work but I suspect it wouldn't work as well as it should; and I do believe I have read somewhere words to the effect of installing the correct  way up.

- Tim

[darryl.trains]

Now that is something I never realized ?  I usually install with the printed side up in case I want to know exactually is there but didn't know that was a proper way to do it. I have a couple engines that were just a tight fit and had to install everything sideways. Since there were no issues, I lucked out?  Still learning all these years !

[Lackawanna810]

Hello Tim,

I can answer your questions now after further testing.

I took my entire system to another part of my house for testing. The issues remain the same. When I check in the locomotive on the HC, sometimes the system recognizes the locomotive and sometimes it does not. It even has issues when I try logging into the engine by typing in the password.

These are S scale (not AF) locomotives. I know the power supplied to the track from the PWR-56 is sufficient because when I put an American Models DC powered engine on the track the motors run just fine and the engine will run away if not caught.

I saw to it that the LM is mounted properly. The top side is face up. I even tried reversing the 8 pin plug and also tried to run the chassis without the shell.

The headlights light up properly in whichever direction I try to run the engine.

Am I missing something?

Ed

[G8B4Life]

Hmmm, ok,

This is happening to all your locomotives right? What brands and type of locomotives?

Do the locomotives loose radio contact if you don't try to move them with the throttle? ie selected with the HC but just sit there, don't try to move them forwards or backwards.

You mentioned 8 pin plug so I'm wondering if there could be something about the board the LM's are plugged into. While it isn't impossible you could have a flaky HC I wouldn't think that'd be the case.

- Tim

[Lackawanna810]

I actually got an S Helper Service engine to work properly, but I still think it could revert back to my original problem at any time.

Right now, this problem is on the back burner due to another situation I described in another post here.

I am positive that I caused both these issues somehow. I'm just trying to find out what I've done wrong.