Improving range on Aristo TE 'Classic'

[SoCalJoe]

I am incorporating the original Aristocraft Train Engineer system in my new layout, along with battery power.  I would like to accommodate guests who aren't using battery power yet.  The TE receivers and power are located in a metal shed (like a quanset hut) and the track runs from the shed up and over a rise so the transmitter can be up to 80 feet from the receivers and blocked by the rise.

How can I improve the reception from the transmitter to the receiver?  Options might include extending the wire antennas up a pole outside of the shed.  Can I use the metal shed itself as a receiver?

Looking for thoughts and recommendations.

Thanks,

Joe

[IRB Souther Engineer]

SoCalJoe

Can I use the metal shed itself as a receiver?

That sounds like a bad idea to me...but I could be wrong.

If I were you I would just lengthen the antenna(s) on the receiver(s), running the wire(s) to a higher or more central location on your layout.

[cabbage]

OK -here I speak as one of my alternate "personae"... I have a G8 and G3 radio permit. The way to increase your range is to increase the signal to noise ratio at the receiver end (Rx) . This can be by increasing the area of the ariel or by increasing the ground plane... As a simple trick try "grounding the earth side" to a rod in the ground of the your Rx but put it somewhere where it is in contact with the wet earth (maybe 60+cm down). I don't think that the terrain will affect your signal reception THAT much. The metal hut will shield quite lot of the signal -so having an external antennae is probably not a bad idea but the problem is now that it will start picking up "stray" signals... regards ralph

[two tone]

Hi    I would exstend the aerial wire on the receiver DO NOT let it touch any metal on the shed, but it on a plastic or wooden pole 4 to 8 ft should help.

[g. gage]

I would not mess with the existing antenna. The antenna and output coil are tuned to receive the transmitters frequency. Altering the antenna could adversely effect the TE’s operation.

 

I think mounting the TE in a waterproof, non-metallic enclosure outside the Quonset hut would help. Also mounting the TE, as previously mentioned, near the top of the Quonset hut and grounding the TE to the hut, the hut should already be grounded; it would act as the ground plain mentioned by Ralph and improve your operation.

 

Good luck, Rob (PS I have a FCC license).

 

[SoCalJoe]

I finally got around to addressing this problem.  My solution was to extend the antenna by running an insulated 18 gauge wire under the track bed and then up a small pole mounted close to the far end of the track layout.  Since the track is elevated in many places, the wire was elevated also.  Seems to work just fine.

[piercedan]

I always tell aristo receiver owners to double the wire length on receivers and make them vertical, going up, not hanging down.

 

This is basically the Citizens band 27mhz (CB) and the leads on the receivers are not quarter wave which usually gives great reception.

 

So doubling or quadrupling the length is a good way to improve reception.

 

Also, I found that when holding the transmiter it helps to place the antenna next to a vertical metal pole.  Unbelievable difference in performance.  Why??  Most radios like a vertical antenna and we tend to hold the transmitter at a horizontal place. 

I changed one transmitter to a flexible wire to make it always horizontal.

 

The whole antenna is a measurement of the wave.  In higher frequencies the antennae are on top of the tower as in TV and FM stations.