Slight Odd thing going on when Running Trains...

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

Ok as far as i know, it only has happened when testing this one engine. Don't know if its happened with others but I was running an AHM 4-4-0 I recently rebuilt. and it causes my keyboard to my computer to stop responding. Not sure if its the power pack or the engine causing this. Any help?

[Joe Satnik]

Is it a wireless keyboard?

Joe

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

No. I forgot to menchon that the Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock lights blink all together.

[Jim Banner]

Beg, buy, borrow or steal (no, maybe not steal) another keyboard and see if the problem continues.  It may be a shielding problem in the keyboard or its cable.

Second alternative - move the computer farther away from the railroad.

Third alternative (only if you run your trains on dc) - connect a small capacitor across the motor terminals.  A .001 microfarad ceramic would be a good place to start.  The motor may be radiating radio frequency noise at or near the internal clock speed of your keyboard.

Fourth alternative (if you run your trains on DCC) - adjust CV9 for a wider motor pulse, if your decoder supports CV9.

[CHUG]

BO, what makes you think its the train thats punking your computer and so forth. Thanks.

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

IT only happenes when running that engine, that i've noticed. and its only a test track as i work on my trains at my pc.

[jsmvmd]

Boy Oh Boy,

A'int that Jim Banner one sharp dude!

I will remember that when I computerize my upcoming layout.

Suggest you direct this question toward Atlantic Central since he also uses computerized block control.  He may have some comments to add to Jim's.

Best Wishes,

Jack

[CHUG]

BO separate your wires because your system is sending signals to your engine and if your computer wires are real close they get in each and others way and pick up stuff from each other you see. Thats why if your ever watching bill oriley or other guys on tv and you hear stuff that sounds like interference on your set somtimes its because they have there blackberry to close to the transmit lines and when there blackberry gets to transmitting the other lines pick up interference and so forth. Same thing happens if your talking to a chick on the phone and your blackberrys too close then shell hear noise and think your up to stuff you see. Thanks.

[Tom Lapointe]

Third alternative (only if you run your trains on dc) - connect a small capacitor across the motor terminals.  A .001 microfarad ceramic would be a good place to start.  The motor may be radiating radio frequency noise at or near the internal clock speed of your keyboard.

Jim's suggestion here is probably right on the money!

I've been an amateur radio operator for nearly 39 years, & also worked in the two-way radio field at least 15 years.  Any DC motor (especially one with worn, sparking brushes!) can generate a tremendous amount of radio-frequency intererence!  (Also known as "RFI").  A very quick check would be to bring an AM radio, tuned to a relatively weak station, near the loco while it's running; if the loco's at fault, you will hear a "tearing" sound in the radio, corresponding to the loco's speed.  It may also do a number on a TV connected to an antenna (although probably not one on cable).  Some older AHM motors are especially notorious for RFI generation;  back when I used to operate O-scale 2-rail DC, I had an AHM C-liner diesel that would tear up my Mom's TV picture (with subsequent phone calls! ) whenever I ran it.  (My brass steam loco's, with better-quality motors, electrically "shielded" to some extent by the brass shells, never caused any problems- the AHM diesel's plastic shell was transparent to radio energy).  I quickly "banned"  it to our club layout, eventually sold it.                                              Tom

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

If all of the above fail, try calling an exorcist. Sounds to me like you've got a poltergeist.