# airwire range and antenna



## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

I am half way through my first Airwire install (G2 decoder and T9000 throttle) + Phoenix P5 sound in a Bachmann 2-8-0 Connie.

The G2 decoder is located in the tender along with the batteries, P5 and speaker. I have wired up the tender and tried a range test in the back yard. Once I was about 30-40 ft away the tender stopped receiving the commands. The loco is not wired up so the motor was not causing any interference.

Is this the normal range to expect?

Can I improve the range? Is it worse sticking the antenna out side the tender? Can I place a longer piece of wire for the antenna?

I remember reading that some modifications to the throttle is required to ensure the antenna on the T9000 mates well with the socket. I pulled off the plastic cover on the T9000 and directly connected the antenna, the range was the same.

Any tips?

Alan


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Alan, 

NO, this is not a normal range. I took my engine down to Jonathan Bliese at EMW yesterday to have my older Airwire decoder replaced with a G2 decoder. My engine is an Accucraft C19, originally with P5 Phoenis sound and the older Airwire decoder. I had range problems with it and so last November at Fairplex, Jonathan suggested that I drill a small hole in the coal load and extend the antenna straight up. BIG improvement!! Yesterday, he suggested I build a real coal load mounted on a sheet of styrene and extend the antenna straight up again. That will optimize the range. My tender is all brass, so he suggested the styrene base to help optimize the antenna. In your case with the plastic tender (I also have a Connie with Airwire/Phoenix P5) just extend the antenna vertical, get rid of that pot metal coal load and make a coal load with real coal and mount it on a piece of styrene. Don't change the antenna that comes with the system. That is the "tuned" length for the system. Hopefully Jonathan will see this thread and jump in here. The normal range for this should be about 100 feet. Good luck with your install.


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

I also had issues with my LGB/Aster K-28, I drilled a hole through the top of my tender, which is brass and coal load...used a rubber grommett to poke the antenea through so it doesn't touch the metal. That improved the reception better then anything else I tried.
Remember if the antennea touches any metal the antennea stops where it touches the meta, which will affect reception. 

Bubba

l


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I have my A/W in a USA trains coal car with the antenna bent down, and can get about 150 foot or more.

Don


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Trains on 15 Mar 2011 11:28 AM 
I have my A/W in a USA trains coal car with the antenna bent down, and can get about 150 foot or more.

Don
The USA coal car is PLASTIC right? It's the metal cars and tenders that are the problem.


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Thanks for the hints and tips! I'll give them a go.


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

In my one and only attempt at Airwire, I never had any problems with range on motor control (even with motor noise), it was just NO RANGE with the DCC interface to the sound card. Hopefully that has changed by now. Never the less, I am thankful for that experience, because it launched my business into building my own R/C systems in the 2.4GHZ range, which is (in the always referenced "IMHO") far superior to anything 900 MHZ will ever have to offer! 

Edit: 150 feet? How about several blocks with houses in between. (Probably further, but I was using the sound system for the test, and I can't hear it from that distance.)


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## jebouck (Jan 2, 2008)

When I'm extending the antenna thru a brass loco and real coal load, I also install a small length of styrene tube from inside the tender up to the level of the coal.
(Paint it black and it disappears.)
No problems with range.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Del, did you ever get an explanation from Airwire/CVP why there was a range difference between functions to the motor and the sound card? From a theoretical point of view, in DCC, the speed command is sent over and over, so if you "miss" one, you will probably receive the next one. Sound commands, though, are basically sent just once. This might be the explanation, but I was curious if you got any "official" explanation. 

Regards, Greg


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 16 Mar 2011 09:09 AM 
Del, did you ever get an explanation from Airwire/CVP why there was a range difference between functions to the motor and the sound card? From a theoretical point of view, in DCC, the speed command is sent over and over, so if you "miss" one, you will probably receive the next one. Sound commands, though, are basically sent just once. This might be the explanation, but I was curious if you got any "official" explanation. 

Regards, Greg Simple answer: No. And any further public comment would just be considered bashing, so I won't.


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary,
You really had two problems back in November. First the coal load on your loco was made of metal which blocked the signal. Drilling a small hole through the load and poking the antenna through will take care of that. or like you said just make a new coal load. Your other problem, and I think the biggest, was that the antenna on your transmitter was not seated properly thus not making contact You actually had no transmitter antenna. Sometimes on the T9000 when you put the case on and attach the antenna it can catch on the plastic case and not seat.

steam5,
Check your transmitter antenna and make sure it is seated. Do not over tighten. It's a very good chance that this is your problem. I actually reamed out the hole a little on both my T9000's to make sure this would not happen.


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Posted By Paul Burch on 16 Mar 2011 09:39 AM 

Check your transmitter antenna and make sure it is seated. Do not over tighten. It's a very good chance that this is your problem. I actually reamed out the hole a little on both my T9000's to make sure this would not happen.


Paul, I removed the face of the T9000 out of the plastic box and directly attcahed the antenna, the range was the same.

It seems my problem is in the decoader location. Before I got concerned I wanted to know how others perfromed. It seems I can improve with some small modifications.

Alan


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Alan,
Do you know anyone close to you that has an Airwire system? It would be very easy then to isolate the problem. Use his transmitter with your decoder. Still bad,then its the decoder. Good ,then its your transmitter. You should easily get 200 feet or more for motor and direction control.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Paul Burch on 16 Mar 2011 09:39 AM 
Gary,
You really had two problems back in November. First the coal load on your loco was made of metal which blocked the signal. Drilling a small hole through the load and poking the antenna through will take care of that. or like you said just make a new coal load. Your other problem, and I think the biggest, was that the antenna on your transmitter was not seated properly thus not making contact You actually had no transmitter antenna. Sometimes on the T9000 when you put the case on and attach the antenna it can catch on the plastic case and not seat.

steam5,
Check your transmitter antenna and make sure it is seated. Do not over tighten. It's a very good chance that this is your problem. I actually reamed out the hole a little on both my T9000's to make sure this would not happen.


Paul,

When I saw Jonathan on Sunday, he commented that I could get more range with my Accucraft C19 by building a real coal load on a styrene base. I believe he said that because the BOTTOM of the coal load is brass, that it would effectively shorten the optimum antenna length. Maybe Jonathan will see this and comment. I may have misunderstood what he was saying. He is supposed to have my G2 on the C19 installed this weekend and I'll ask again. I STILL have to ream the antenna hole.


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Posted By Paul Burch on 16 Mar 2011 06:26 PM 
Alan,
Do you know anyone close to you that has an Airwire system? It would be very easy then to isolate the problem. Use his transmitter with your decoder. Still bad,then its the decoder. Good ,then its your transmitter. You should easily get 200 feet or more for motor and direction control.


Paul, I do, and I plan to. Problem is due to work commitments I'm located no where new my G scale trains. I was home for a few days and spent some time on the install last weekend.

This locomotive is slowing being work on, time before I was down over Christmas I installed a BBT drive in her. When I'm down next I'll play around again with the Airwire, it maybe Christmas time again...

Alan


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