Aristo Basic Train Engineer

[Eaglecliff]

I have been happily using one of these cheap and simple bits of kit, albeit with a 19v 6amp power supply, for some time. I have no intention of upgrading, if only on the grounds of cost and the small size of my layout. However, I have a slight niggle; despite there generally being only a short distance between the handset and the aerial, the signal doesn't always seem to get through and the train carries on its merry way despite me punching the "Emergency stop" button several times, or indeed any other button.
Is there a "best" way of arranging the aerial, i.e. vertical, horizontal, whatever? Is it possible/advisable to replace the wire with the sort of telescopic type generally fitted to radios, or something else? Or is it the handset - same questions? I notice that some more advanced/bigger systems usually have longer aerials on the handset.

 

[maxi-model]

Have you checked the batteries' condition?
Max.

 

[Eaglecliff]

D'oh. Actually the meter says "?" - i.e., the needle's settled in the little halfway position between "OK" and "Replace" so I'll find a new one. However, I'd still be interested to hear from anyone with comments on the other points.

 

[Neil Robinson]

Is there a "best" way of arranging the aerial, i.e. vertical, horizontal, whatever?

I believe the optimum is to have both antennae in the same plane, a worst case but typical situation is to have the base unit antenna vertical and point the handset directly at it horizontally.

Is it possible/advisable to replace the wire with the sort of telescopic type generally fitted to radios, or something else?

Yes but the length is important, it needs to be a multiple of the frequency. Take a look here
http://www.tamiyaclub.com/tools.asp

 

[Tony]

Is your receiver anywhere near your transformer or other device that has an electric field if so your lucky to have been able to link them in the first place ..... it's caught me out a few times .try separating them by at least 6 ft

 

[Glengrant]

Mike, interesting post. Your circumstances seem to be rather similar to mine. Not a very big layout, quite happy to slogalonganalogue, and use the TE. I in fact have two, there were grand ideas which never came to anything, so I just use one now. I would say the one I use is the second one up from the basic, with the short aerial. The other one would be the next one up with the telescopic aerial, but frankly, I never noticed any difference between the two. The reason I have stuck with the older one is because I have got it tuned in, probably by accident, and if a thing ain't broke don't fix it. I find tuning in the TE a complete mystery, despite all the help I have been given in the forum, and when I accidentally get the thing to do what I want, that's where we stay. The receiver is a long way from the TE handset, and is in fact inside my garage, round a couple of bends, so no line of sight, but I am told this does not matter. What is in the way sometimes is the greenhouse, and sometimes I think this does interfere. However, yes, there are times when the receiver does NOT respond to the TE, and I am left with an embarrassing situation. I mean, passengers might have wanted to get off at that stop. However, if I wave the damned thing around, sooner or later it will respond. I do not think battery power has anything to do with this. I have not experimented with the aerial, that is the wire aerial, but have stuck to the instruction that it should be vertical. I do feel that the TE buttons are a bit unresponsive at times, I do not like this almost touch type sort of feel. I would like to hear a positive click when I press the button. I just feel that is the way it is built, and if I want to use it, too bad, I just have to put up with it. As always with this sort of thing there can be other factors. For instance I was running for the first time this season one of my U25B locos, the rather bonnie New Haven jobbie. Its running was rather erratic, response to the TE indifferent. I began to suspect possibly a rail join fault, but I decided to give the engine a bit of a clean, and when I lifted it off the track I was appalled at the amount of gunge on the wheel treads. Took it into the workshop, gave it a good cleanup, and bingo, goes like a bomb. Happy running. Sorry I can't be more helpful

 

[Eaglecliff]

Neil, that's most interesting - my aerial is definitely too short - or too long! What a useful website that is. I'll also try and work out how to optimise the relative positions of the aerial and the handset. It's very tempting just to point the handset in the general direction of the aerial, which is normally stretched out on the ground parallel to the track. And Tony, yes, my transformers could be further away so I'll try that as well. Glengrant, my electrics are close to the greenhouse but unlikely to be affected, I imagine, as they are between it and the layout. And on a more general note, I didn't get any instructions with the TE - it had been split from a set, but for £10 you don't quibble!
Thanks for all your suggestions. Neil, what would we do without you?!

 

[Eaglecliff]

Sorry to have to report that, following extensive work on the layout over this glorious Summer, on attempting to start running stuff, I now discover that the "slow" and "emergency stop" buttons on the T/X are no longer functioning, despite the little red l.e.d. lighting up when they are pressed - and they don't feel right when you press them. Had a quick look inside, nothing obvious, so I've e-mailed Mr Polk to see what replacement bits are available. As the date on the pcb is 1998, I'm not hopeful. Are the basic T/E's still included in Aristo Starter Sets? If not, what's available that's cheap and cheerful? Revolution seems much too big a leap in complexity - don't need/want it, and more cash than I want to fork out. Would also prefer new rather than secondhand - as the saying goes, you never know where it's been...

 

[Gizzy]

Might be worth taking the cover off the handset, so you can get to the pcb inside. From memory, on the black version of the TE, the screws are quite long!

Then spray the buttons with a switch cleaner.

Another suggestion; whilst the length of the Aerial on the Handset is important as Neil mentioned, on the Receiver, you could extend it with a chock block and a very long wire. You can then have it down the garden, possibly clipped to the fence....

 

[Eaglecliff]

Mine's the orange one. Yes, I took the thing apart, but the duff buttons seemed to have lost their "crispness" of operation. I'll try switch cleaner if I can find some soon. And I took previous advice from GSC correspondents, put in a new PP3, checked the recommended Tamiya website and extended the aerial to the recommended length.

 

[philg]

I had a similar problem with the buttons on my TE losing their "snap" - managed to replace them all with components from Maplins at a pretty small cost.

Phil

 

[Eaglecliff]

I'll try that as well; thanks.

 

[Wobbleboxer]

Not wishing to profit from your misfortune, but I have a Basic TE that I need to get rid of so if you find that yours is beyond repair send me a PM and maybe we can sort something out.

 

[Gavin Sowry]

Trick taught to me by a Canadian garden railroader. To get a better response, touch your rubber ducky aerial (but not a metal one) on one of the rails when sending a signal. Don't ask me how, but it works.

 

[Eaglecliff]

Hi, yes, I think someone mentioned that earlier, and it does work. However I have also replaced the R/x aerial with one the correct length and fitted three clips close to where it normally lives when in use to keep it straight and parallel to a straight section of the line.
Thanks for your suggestion anyway.