Digitrax Radio Throttle Problems at Big Shows

[WIMorrison]

I assume that by modem you actually mean Access Point?

 

The placement of the AP is as much an art as a science, but you can help in the signal propagation by ensuring that where you place it isn't compromised by extraneous interference caused by almost all electrical appliances. Televisions and microwaves are real challenges as are many mains  powered LED bulbs which have poor circuitry. I was able to completely swamp an access point in a room using 4x12w GU10 LED bulbs, returning back to the halogen restored the signal. This noise is understood and documented by 'ham radio' whi have been complaining about it for many years.

 

Another issue that often affects garage to house comms is the type of glass in the double glazing, high thermal efficiency is a very effective barrier to WiFi, and the type of construction and insulation in the house can have a major impact Celotex, Kingspan, and similar are especially bad because the have aluminium covering. My house is 100% brick, double skinned with thermal plasterboard (aluminium foil on one side) an I am toiling to get from one room to another!

 

Powerline adapters are a godsend for home installations, either that or wire cat 5/6 to each room - powerline is much easier

[TEAMYAKIMA]

I will admit straight away that I am not an expert on DCC - far from it - but I do use Digitrax and I have just exhibited at the big Glasgow show and I was using Digitrax radio and we had terrible problems.

 

I will also admit that I completely lost the plot in this thread when it got technical - it's way above anything I understand - but a friend who uses Digitrax has just asked me "Why didn't you simply change channels?' 

 

From what he was saying you can change channels with the Digitrax radio - is that right? And does it make a difference?

[roundhouse]

I recall having a layout at Railex some years ago. Our WiFi network using Digitrax system but via JMRI worked to start with but then kept dropping out so we just used the tethered throttles.

On Sunday morning the WiFi was working again till we heard the large O gauge switch on their power and we lost the WiFi. I changed the router Wi-Fi channel from auto to a fixed channel and it thrn worked fine. I guess that thr other layout had we much ore powerful wifi system to us. I love tech but am not particularly up on the more advanced bits.  In more recent times pre pandemic we have generally not been using the WiFi throttles.

[JimFin]

It uses the 2.4Ghz band which will be swamped other networks Have a read here - 

Changing channel is in this link - but if the frequency is swamped, good chance all channels will be the same, switching channel would only help if it was something specific causing the issue, maybe a nearby more powerful router on the same channel. https://www.digitrax.com/tsd/KB1053/lnwi-advanced-options/

 

[melmerby]

On 04/12/2019 at 08:36, WIMorrison said:

Televisions and microwaves are real challenges as are many mains  powered LED bulbs which have poor circuitry. I was able to completely swamp an access point in a room using 4x12w GU10 LED bulbs, returning back to the halogen restored the signal. This noise is understood and documented by 'ham radio' whi have been complaining about it for many years.

 

Although somewhat off topic and not answeringTeamYakima's problem, an update on this.

 

I have found that many of the later LED lamps do not have any fancy control gear in them. (no cheapo switched mode devices to reduce the voltage and blot out the radio spectrum.) 

A lot are now a string of LEDs in series & parallel driven by nothing more than a bridge rectifier and smoothing capacitor a series limiting resistance and on the mains side a series polyester capacitor (say 0.22uF 450v) used as a re-actance to drop the 240v mains to something more suitable for the LED string.

The higher the light output, hence more individual leds, the more likely a simple circuit.

 

All the new 5000lm & 6000lm led battens (8) I have installed have simple circuitry and also a "corn bulb" such as this:

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by melmerby

[Nigelcliffe]

1 hour ago, JimFin said:

......................

Changing channel is in this link - but if the frequency is swamped, good chance all channels will be the same, switching channel would only help if it was something specific causing the issue, maybe a nearby more powerful router on the same channel. https://www.digitrax.com/tsd/KB1053/lnwi-advanced-options/

 

 

That's a link to the Digitrax LNWI, which is for WiFi devices such as smartphones, so wrong device.   

The UR92 or UR93, the radio access point for DT402D/502D/602D throttles will have different methods to access similar settings. 

 

The channel swamping is the same, and there's not a huge amount one can do about it.  Possibly swap any UR92's to UR93 - they're a bit better, and at the same time update throttle firmware.   Position the radio base station high above the layout, so it is above the operators.   

 

And, have a wired backup plan, with multiple connection places for wired throttles for when the radio stuff fails, which it will do at large shows.  

 

ps.   if using smartphones or tablets as control, then (at least for Android) one can buy device-to-ethernet adaptors, which go into the USB/charge socket of the phone/tablet, and provide a wired ethernet connection.   Some types will allow charging via the adaptor as well, so the phone/tablet can be charged while in use on a wired network.   They're about £20-£30 from established brand names in computer networking devices, non-brand items probably cheaper.  

 

- Nigel

 

Edited March 4, 2022 by Nigelcliffe
added the "ps"