Perspective Railpro user has some questions... Signal Range?

[G8B4Life]

RP is fairly tolerant of shorts from my understanding of users experience here, and by that I mean you are not likely to damage an LM if your short protection is up to snuff. One of the members here pretty much tortured an LM while developing his protection and the LM still worked fine. Don't just rely on the LM for short protection though, you really want proper short protection between the power supply and the LM. Ring's PWR-56 would provide this.

That said, tolerant doesn't mean the LM won't be affected by a short that doesn't trip an external-to-the-LM-short-protection-device, The LM will stop and sound will stop playing until the short is removed.

We had a thread not long ago on Atlas snap switches that were causing a problem with RP. The relevant part is from this message that has the video in it: https://rpug.pdc.ca/index.php/topic,964.msg7391.html#msg7391

- Tim

[nodcc4me]

I have Atlas snap switches. I have found that shorting only occurs on the #6 switches and not on #4's, though I can't explain why. It also depends on the locomotive. Older ones with deep flanges and some 6-axle locos seem more prone to shorting while newer engines pass right through. I am going to try grinding the frogs where the opposite rails almost come together as shown in Dave's video below. As mentioned, the RP power supplies do a good job of protecting the LM modules. I have not burned any up so far.

[KB02]

Can you set a button up to give a a grade crossing signal?
On most of my DCC sound decoders, I can press F9 and get the standard two long, one short, one long horn blast along with the bell and wig-wagging ditch lights. Is that an option with Railpro?
I've been looking at the available literature and haven't come across it.

[G8B4Life]

Not off a single button. As you have probably discovered already you can:

Have a horn button.
Have a bell button.

You can also :

Have a flash the ditchlights button and,
Can set the ditchlights to flash automatically when the horn is activated as well.

but they all work independently.

- Tim

[KB02]

So I made a small purchase of two LM’s and the PC Adapter. Figured: Why not? So far I am not seeing why I would not continue a conversion, but one more thing that popped is is the range of the radio signal.

Using the PC adapter, I’m finding I have about a 6 foot effective range. Does that seem about right? Power to the loco is straight from my DCC system, so there is no repeater in play.

[William Brillinger]

The handheld HC-2B has a more powerful radio than the CI-1.
I have about a 40ft range with the HC-2's in my place, but usually I am following my train and not generally more than 10 ft away.

[G8B4Life]

Using the PC adapter, I’m finding I have about a 6 foot effective range. Does that seem about right?...

I don't think that would be typical. I don't know if the handheld does have a more powerful radio or not (I haven't opened up a CI-1 to see nor used a signal strength meter on them) but I've used the CI-1 at a distance at least twice that through a wall, but that was just playing around with an LM hooked up to a decoder tester board.

Make sure there are no power supplies directly in between (line of sight) the CI-1 and the LM's. RFI can interfere with the signal.

I'm not sure how wide the beam is from the transmitter on different RP products (whether truly omni-directional or not). If the CI-1 is not orientated generally in the direction of the LM's (eg, pointing in completely the opposite direction) try to orientate the CI-1 to be pointing towards the LM's and see if you get better range.

Which way up do your have the LM's installed? The transmitter is on the side with the logo and product name etc. If you've got this side facing down into the frame of the locomotive you could be loosing a lot of signal strength from the LM's.

- Tim

[William Brillinger]

Tim Ring has indicated to me in the past that the signal strength of the CI-1 is less.

I have mine up on the wall on a USB extension. It helps to have it away from the PC.

[KB02]

Tim Ring has indicated to me in the past that the signal strength of the CI-1 is less.

I have mine up on the wall on a USB extension. It helps to have it away from the PC.

That's interesting... I might have to try that.

[Alan]

Don't own a CI-1 but my HC-2 works from the opposite end of a 100' basement.

[KPack]

Like Bill said the controller has a much more powerful transmitter.  The CI-1 has a shorter range, but is very useful for testing and loading files.  A long USB cable and putting it up high like Bill did will give you a bit better range.  For real running on a larger layout you can't beat the HC-2.  I've had plenty of space between me and my locomotives and not had an issue.  I haven't measured actual distance, but I've operated consistently somewhere between 20-40' feet away from the locomotives.

-Kevin