I have read every post on this subject that I can find in this forum, as well as a half-dozen online "tutorials," and I am still having the same problem, so I started this new string.
Pardon the length, I will try to list everything I have done correctly so far, plus most of the alternatives I have tried, and then describe my present wiring configuration ... all of the above leading to the fact that I still have an objective marker appearing over the Reflector Platform, and therefore the apparatus will not teleport me to the Institute:
-- I have completed the Freedom Road quest, had the Courser Chip anolyzed, joined the railroad, built a community at the Mercer Safehouse, built and powered a recruiting beacon, welcomed settlers and built positive scores on all the food, water, happiness, yadda yadda stuff that is tracked along the top of the workshop screen.
-- I have scrounged more than enough material to built all the "Special" components of the Signal Interceptor apparatus, plus twice as many generators as the game calls for. There is nothing left to scavenge.
-- Tinker Tom (the Railroad Scientist) and Desdemona (Railroad Leader) have been present at the Mercer Safehouse site since after I scavenged the stuff from the hospital and communication site, as directed earlier by Tom.
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-- I have successfully built and placed the Stabilized Reflector Platform, Molecular Beam Emitter, Relay Dish, and Console, all in an open and relatively obstruction-free area in the middle of the settlement.
-- I have built, placed, and wired in consecutive series 13 mid-sized generators capable of producing 5 lightning bolts each, for a total of 65 bolts, which is almost 2 1/2 times as much power as the sum of the components calls for in the game.
-- I have wired the components as follows:
-- one wire from the last-in-line of the 13 generators to a single Large Power Pylon;
-- from that Large Power Pylon: one wire to the Console, one wire to the Relay Dish, and one wire to the top of the Molecular Beam Emitter. All of those components show that they are sufficiently powered;
-- lastly, from the Console, one wire to the Relay Dish, and one wire to the Molecular Beam Emitter.
-- The above wiring configuration is, in my judgement, the collected "best wisdom" from all the forum posts and tutorials I have read.
In addition, I have tried numerous other alternative configurations as suggested by various sources, and nothing works. I still have an objective marker appearing over the Reflector Platform, Tinker Tom still says the same inane [censored] that he says before the apparatus is constructed (instead of saying some last words before I teleport away), and when I step on the Reflector Platform, nothing happens except that by the 37th time I have torn down and rebuilt the apparatus, I am feeling better about wanting to strangle someone at Bethesda.
Some general comments about stuff others suggested, and some weird stuff:
Weird: When I tear down the apparatus, storing the components and wires in the workbench, the software will not let me store the last component. For example, I can store the Platform, the Emitter, and the relay dish, but when I try to store the last component -- the Console -- the only alternative I am given is to "Select" it. "Store" and "Scrap" are not available as choices.
Things I tried that don't work, or don't fix the problem:
-- Turning on the Classical Radio, which is supposed to be the carrier wave for the Institute signal;
-- Powering each component individually with its own generators;
-- Operating two Relay Dishes;
-- Operating two large power pylons;
-- Turning the Reflector Platform one way, then another, then every other conceivable way before setting it in its snap-in position under the Beam Emitter;
So, in summary, I have tried all of the above and still the objective marker hovers over the Reflector Platform and I cannot teleport to the Institute.
If you have some suggestions that aren't covered above, I'll be happy to try them, because side-quests or no, if I can't finish the "find Sean" thing, I am finished with this game.
Thanks in advance....