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[Bill59]

Just did the F - connector modification. Was using radio shack antenna. It seems that I have lost some distance with the mod. I guess I'll have to try different locations, and get coax cable that is a multiple of the wave length.The cable now is 14 ft. (custom TV job)!!  I'll try 21 ft. that will get me to the outlet. I'm using extention cord now.

[dbemowsk]

I don't know what kind of antenna you used from Radio Shack, but I don't know that they sell one that will work with for this application. 

I made myself an antenna like the one in this link http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=126.  The only things I did different were using 14 guage electrical wire for the arial and ground plane instead of the brass rods.  I also did not use the ring crimp lugs.  I just made the wires extra long, bent the ends of the wires into hooks and cut them to length afterwards.  I also did not use screws and nuts to attach them.  I used my tap and die set and threaded the holes and found some appropriate screws in my parts box.  The end resulting antenna looks about the same though and works excellent.  I have mine mounted in my basement pointing up where others have mounted theirs in their attics and suspended from ceilings pointing down.  For your best range, you would probably want to put it in your attic if you can.

Hope that helps.

Dan B.

[eagle]

Bill,

Is this the antenna you are using?

http://RSK.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pRS1C-2266208w345.jpg

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103641

r,
eagle

[Bill59]

No, but it looks good.  I Soldered a piece of brass brazing rod on to a f-con, mounted to metal bracket. The antenna is 18". Had whole unit in the attic and it worked well, with warm weather coming around the corner I went ahead with the mod.to get the unit out of the attic. Now it is move it around here and there to fine tune it. Front of the house motion sensors don't work, but the back of the house and inside ones work. First I'll try to get the right coax length.

[dbemowsk]

Bill, the length of the coax shouldn't matter too much.  Use good coax though, quad shield is probably the best, but if you have a decent braided shield you should be okay.  Try not to use the cheap stuff with the foil shield though, especially if you are going a long distance. 

You say your brass rod is 18".  That is about a half wavelength antenna.  You may improve the reception a bit by adding a ground plane.  The link I showed in my previous post showed a quarter wavelength antenna which is what I built and it works very well, but you might do fine taking the concept to create your ground plane.  Just make your ground plane rods 18" like your arial.  You may have a little trouble if you use the crimp lugs shown in the link, so you may want to do what I did on mine and make your ground plane rods about 19" and bend the ends into hooks to attach them.  Trying to use the crimp lugs with 19" whips may have a tendency to bend easy by the lugs and potentially break off.

When making antennas, the length of the rods is a place where size does matter  .

Dan B.

[Bill59]

What kind of range are you getting outside?

[dbemowsk]

I have not yet checked the range outside since the yard, up until this past week, was filled with snow.  I may not get the best reception outside, but I think I should get a little range, and my antenna is in the basement.  I can get anywhere in my house pretty much.  There are some areas I have not tested in the house, but I can use my keychain remote in the corner of the house farthest from the antenna. I don't anticipate needing to use my remotes outside much, but if I find the need and need a little more range, I will re-mount my antenna in my attic.

If you find that you are not getting the range you want from your half wave antenna, cut your arial and your ground plane rods down to 9" which is the quarter wave.  I have seen many posts on here where that one has worked well which is why I went with that design myself.

Hope things work out for you

Dan B.

[Brian H]

Bill did you use the vss or the ant pad for the shield connection in the CM15A? The AccessHA used the vss and the other the ant. I believe the ant pad just floats.

You may also want to check the cable isn't shorted or open. As all I have to do is stick a piece of wire in the F connectors center pin and I get better reception over the original wire in the plastic tube.

[dave w]

FWIW

I experimented with an attic mounted  9" 1/4  wave with a copper plate ground plane, and a 18" 1/2 wave monopole (1/2 wave does not benefit from ground plane) and found no difference up to about 50 feet from house. I did not test any farther. I stuck with the 1/2 wave because I could mount it a little higher in the attic.  

[Bill59]

Thanks for the suggestions, I look in to these tips!