Dynamis Infrared Defective

[trainstrainstrains]

Its going on 3 weeks and I still don't manage to get help from the service dept at Backmann, I get tired of waiting for ages for someone to become available when I ring, Laura who answers my emails when I write to Bachmann has very kindly tried to put me in contact with someone in the service dept but this week he has been away. Hopefully, probably next week I'll finally get some help.
But since I've spent months building my first ever DCC n scale layout , it is frustrating not to be able to use it because of the Dynamis.

There is something definitively wrong with the Infrared in my Dynamis, it's maximun range of 3 yards  is far to short and the sender must be pointed straight at the receiver and right on front of it for it to connect. Everything else seems to work perfectly.

I have been reading about infrared and it seems that it is a rather simple quite straight forward sender receiver communication. Which makes the fact that mine does not work properly an even greater mystery. I keep thinking that what prevents it from working as it should must be something rather simple. I've tried without the lights in the room  on and without the wi fi in the apartment on but it still does not work properly.
I have the following questions:
Can one use 2 infrared receivers in different places? I have the chance of buying an extra receiver with an extension cable that I imagine  could be split into two in order to connect both receivers at once.
Will a third party infrared range extender meant for TV work?
Will reflectors work? What type of reflector? Tinfoil? Mirror? Mounted on sender or receiver?
Is the problem more likely to be in the sender or the receiver?

I hope someone can help.

Thanks.

[skipgear]

What type of lighting is in the room? 

We tried to set up a Dynamis system in our store for our display/test track. It would not communicate at all. We fought with it for a week. I finally took it to the back room, away from the fluorescent lights of the show room and it worked fine. We sent it back to Bachmann, they replaced it and the new one acted the exact same way. At that point we boxed it up and shoved it aside. It wasn't worth the hassle.

It works fine under incandescent or natural lighting but fluorescent lighting messes with the infrared for some reason.

[Ken G Price]

What type of lighting is in the room?  
It works fine under incandescent or natural lighting but fluorescent lighting messes with the infrared for some reason.

I had to dismiss using the Dynamis system, after reading about this problem around 2007, since I knew I would use Sun Bright Fluorescent lighting.

And yet Bachmann has known about this problem for many years and never addresses the issue.
Why?

[trainstrainstrains]

Tried without artificial lights, that is with only daylight comming from the windows,  even  tried with the wi fi router unplugged.  No change whatsoever.  
Users in England talk about the infrared working so well they can point the receiver in a totally different direction at quite a distance and  still it works fine for them?

[Ken G Price]

Tried without artificial lights, that is with only daylight comming from the windows,  even  tried with the wi fi router unplugged.  No change whatsoever.  
Users in England talk about the infrared working so well they can point the receiver in a totally different direction at quite a distance and  still it works fine for them?

I have read the same, and It should work as they say. No matter what part of the world you are on.

Even if the batteries are new, it still could be the handset or even the command station that is bad. Hopefully some one with more Dynamis knowledge will chime in.

Seems to me that, with no doubt, it is defective.

[trainstrainstrains]

I was hopping I could solve the problem without having to send it in, but the only help so far from Bachmann has been "Send it in" If only this would be like good car insurance,  that is,  that Bachmann  would provide me with a replacement Dynamis while they fix or replace mine, then that would be OK.
I just don't want to be without it when I have just finished my layout.
I'll wait a little longer for experts advice from Bachmann  or the forum before I part with it.

[trainstrainstrains]

PROBLEM SOLVED!!!
It was the position, I did suspect that possibility, the receiver was right in an  upper corner  of the room, surrounded in very close proximity by white walls and white roof,  the position  can be seen in my first  photo, two wires, black and white where the receiver was connected can still be seen in that first photo.  I've spent the time I could spare  since the problem arose  relocating the receiver. Had to make a wood box, order a little wall mount, install 6 meters tubed electricity through  the attic amongst other things.
But  honestly I did not think this would work, but wow it did! And how! I can now  control the train from anywhere in the room.
With this new position there are no wires visible. I can switch the power off completely from anywhere in the room with the remote light switch inside the attic, this can be seen between the wall socket and the power supply on the second photo.
The third photo shows the little wood box with the receiver in the new position.
The fourth photo shows the track along 2 beams and the distant place from where I can now direct everything.
My 2 8 8 4 Bachmann runs beautifully along the roof beams, it is the only one since the other  5 locos have to have decoders installed. All six turnouts and their Peco motors work too! I feel like posting all my progress from now on and thanking all the people who have helped me with thus project in the forums. I will do this. I feel initiated to DCC!

Tried to upload 1 photo 127KB  -- A  message -- " The upload folder is full. Please try a smaller file and/or contact an administrator. "  

Photos can be seen on my latest post in nscale.net under DCC thread:  Bachmann EZ Command - I am confused as hell. (Please help)

[Ken G Price]

Now, wasn't that fun!
Congratulations!!!!!!