RF Inconsistancy(W800)

[CdT]

I have upgraded to the W800 RF receiver and are still experiencing difficulties with the motion sensors at the far end of each side of the house. It is probably 65 feet in either direction. They seem to work fine and then not at all. I have checked the times/appliances/computers/tvs for interference, but it seems inconsistent.

Is there a way that I can boost the reception, or could install two receivers to help with the problem?

[thymer]

Where is your antenna? I cover the whole house and all around the house with the W800 by having an antenna located centrally in the attic. The new plugin will support multiple recievers but I'd look at antenna placement first.

[TrOjAn]

I ripped the 10 inch piece of antenna wire out and replaced it with a 20" piece and it picked all my stuff up, I have one ds10 thats occasionally missed but its in a shed on the floor 60 odd feet away.. its the mouse trap sensor so not too important.

[Skibum]

I would not recommend altering the length of the antenna. It is a tuned unit.

[TrOjAn]

So I have to put up with reduced range? I ripped mine out in frustration and it works. Surely the end result justifies the change... what damage can it do?

[Skibum]

As long as you are happy... that's all that counts... I guess.
If you knew what you did electrically, and what sacrifices you made, you would not have done it.

[TrOjAn]

Skibum you cant say that!! and then NOT tell me.. what have I done? I wont be able to sleep now

[nsisman]

improving reception

CdT

I improved my reception greatly by just moving the receiver unit further away from my PC.

I have two 6 ft serial cables between the serial port on the PC and the receiver.

The coax cable is the one that came with the unit (8 ft ?)

My PC is in the basement and the receiver is just below ceiling height on the main floor (bungalow).

I have good reception at over 150 feet away from the house in any direction.

Good luck..............

Neil

[Skibum]

I'm not telling....

[Skibum]

Actually, you have un-tuned your tuned antenna. The result is overall decreased antenna sensitivity. The proper thing to do would be to move the antenna a few feet in either direction, or to move the antenna farther away from radiating sources. (Like Neil suggests)

[jay]

Seems he just doubled the 1/4 wavelength of the original antenna to 1/2 wave, thereby collecting more signal. Could be OK. The impedance shouldn't change? I don't use that product, though. Is it a simple 'vertical'? - or whatever the orientation is.

[Skibum]

A 1/2 wave ground plane cannot be directly fed. You need an impedance matching network.

Also I think this would make it a voltage fed antenna and not a current fed antenna.
If it were matched, and working, the resultant radation pattern would be flattened, resulting in decreased penetration on the vertical plane.

[JustOneMore]

I need to run this thread through a babelfish translator!

[jay]

A 1/2 wave ground plane cannot be directly fed. You need an impedance matching network.

Also I think this would make it a voltage fed antenna and not a current fed antenna.
If it were matched, and working, the resultant radation pattern would be flattened, resulting in decreased penetration on the vertical plane.

Ah, that's I was wondering, not owning the product. It's a ground plane. I only saw 'inches' and wondered whether it was a 'vertical', per my post.
Correctimundo Ski.

[CdT]

What are you guys talking about - planes?...

I have the antenna close to the computer. I am not thinking of ripping it apart, yet. I am thinking of mounting it in the attic. Does that mess with the "planes & impedance" you are discussing.

What about the V572A?

BTW, Jay - what are you using?