X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => User Modified Devices => Topic started by: Kramer Chins on March 11, 2009, 08:37:25 PM
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After fighting with the paddle on the VR36A I decided I want better reception! So I thought about putting a 2.4ghz Router antenna on it and see if it helped. (Have seen al ot of mods using the router antennas) So after some thought and lots of help from Knightrider ( >! Thanks Again) I gave it a go...
Before the mod I couldn't get a picture from all my cameras without moving the paddle around everytime. And lets face it, that's a pain! I tried different channels, tried putting the VR36A in different places, etc. and still the same old story....
After the Mod I am able to pick up every camera with NO problem now and don't have to move the VR36A around for each camera. I thought having the VR36A high would help with reception, in some cases that might be the issue. But for me it's just the opposite! If I put mine on the floor I get the best picture ever ( :( But I can't leave it on the floor). So I placed mine on top of my CPU (which is on the floor) and everything works great :)%
What I Did:
Went to Radio Shack and bought a twin pack of 2.4ghz router antennas. Then the mod began............
1- First I took the VR36A apart ( 4 screws underneath)
2- I separated the paddle with a little screwdriver.
3- Then I cut the wire that was soldered to the "Flat Panel Antenna" that was in the paddle
Now this is where I had the biggest problem... I couldn't find a matching connector for the antennas I had, so i had to modify them also.
4-I cut the connector off the bottom of the antenna, and disassembled the antenna, unsoldered the wire from the antenna to the connector.
5- I then soldered the antenna wire from the VR36A to the inner antenna of the router.
6- Then I a piece of Shrink Tubing over the connection point (This is the way it was in the router antenna when I took it apart)
7- Then I slid the inner part of the antenna back up in the outer casing of the antenna.
Now the second big task......... With the connector cut off the antenna I had no way to attach the finished antenna to the VR36A....
8- So I got a "Hollow" elbow from Radio Shack and put the wire inside of it.
9- Then I glued the elbow to the top of the VR36A
10- Then glued the bottom of the Antenna to the top of the elbow.
11- Tape in place and let it dry
:)% That's it !! I was done..........
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Here's the rest of the pictures...........
Hope this might help someone else if they are having the same issues I was.
:' And if I can do this mod ANYONE can do it !!!!
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Kramer Chins,
GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!!!!! (no emoticon for "Great")
Thank you SO much for sharing both the mods and the results. Happy that I could help you out in your quest to be helpful to others!!!!! I'm sure that some one else will benefit from this!!!
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An excellent mod of a video receivers antenna (<those words added to ease future searches). An awesome and HELPFUL post!
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Nice Nice Nice!
Someone mail a router antenna to x10 so they can see what one is. ::)
It's like they are trying to fall short. It's just baffling. First the CM15a then the DS10 and now this.
Way to beat the system man.
:)%
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thank you I think in the near future I will be trying a few mods and with you photos and documentation I should not be able to screw it up badly...
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Outstanding work Kramer Chins,,
:)% :)% :)%
and thank you for the help.
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Have a question on this... I"m have problems with my VR36A connecting to all the cameras. I did the mod and there was no change. I checked the cable and there was continuity between the feed line (center wire) and the shield. dealing with antenna cables at work I know that this isn't normal. so my Question is; is this normal for this unit?
Thanks for the help!
Michael
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Great Job and pic's!
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#:) Thank you for sharing. Many will benefit from you project.
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I have an extra antenna that I removed from my wireless router that i would like to use, but these instructions aren't really clear to me. I only see that you mention one wire to you soddered, but arent' there going to be two wires(I assume)? The antenna that I have also has a coax style screw on base like yours in the photo, and that has two connection points as far as I can tell. where does the second wire get soddered too?? Excuse my ignorance. I just want to make sure that get this right before I disassemble my vr36a. I also have an old wireless booster that has TWO antennas on the back and I'm thinking about tyring to disassemble those along with their screw in connector and try those. Thanks for the tips and photos.
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Bitman,
Ref: 6 post's ago.
Sometimes I think X10 needs a better interpreter to explain it to the Chinese mfr.........
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Thanx Kramer Chins. :)% I just did this mod to my VR42A-Audio/Video Receiver and it works. The video images are clearer.
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Doing this mod now on a vr31a. Thank you for the posts. :)% >!
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B:(
I'm Stumped....i used an antenna from a motorola wireless router, cut the paddle antenna off, soldered the wireless antenna to it and nothing happened: no picture, no reception, nothing. What did I do wrong?
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Did you accidentally solder the inner wire and the shield together by mistake?
That would short the antenna completely and probably kill all reception.
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Perhaps a solder short? Did you splice the two conductors of the coaxes togeather (center lead to center lead and shield to shield) or solder the center lead and the shield directly to the antenna?
Post a picture.
Sorry Brian, I stepped on you again. Delete this post, I am just repeating what Brian said.
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That must have been what had happened. how do i fix it, or can i?
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dave w; Actually you explained the connections in more details than I did.
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Can you give more details on the antenna?
Did it have two wires coming out of it or have a connector on it?
If you look at the small coaxial cable from the receiver. You will see it actually is a very small wire in the center and some braided wire around the outer circumference. They are two different connections. Depending on how the Motorola antenna was connected. We should be able to assist you in getting the correct connections.
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the antenna end was encased in a spinning housing. it appeared to have a small wire inside and a mesh casing (i thought it was plastic as it felt like typical wire coating). i cut the paddle off of the receiver wire, cut the connector off of the antenna and soldered the two together. i didnt realize that there were two solder points.
(http://C:\Documents and Settings\owner\Desktop\0303111547.jpg)
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Kramer Chins (it appears) had posted pics of his mod. Can anyone see them? I cannot see the pictures?!?!?!
EDIT: Once I logged in, I could see the pics.... (duh)
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purchased 2 off the shelf antennas Ebay and added the mini yagi (about +10dbi) to the X10 camera via modified usb cable ( mounted antenna on pole facing my reciever)
added the panel antenna (about +15dbi) to my X10 reciever via coax and mounted outside.
WOW!!
now ALL my cams come in much stronger and comes in as clear as I have ever seen them.
and the 1 with the mini yagi attached is now 212ft from reciver, on my houseboat and comes in as clear as I have ever seen them.
My cams are on 3 corners of my house and 1 ontop looking down driveway (no line of sight but each about 40ft away) and one on a building (100ft away)
and the KICKER is the one on my houseboat (212ft away).
Not too bad on distances, and I get no RF interfearances at all. the audio is still crystal clear too.
Mini YAGI info
Weatherproof
No signal loss from USB cord like coaxial cable
7 Elements
14 DBi gain
Dimensions: 1" x 2" x 11 1/2" (W x H x L)
Panel info
11''x11''x2''
Gain-dBi 18dbi
Polarization Vertical
Horizontal Beamwidth -° 35
Vertical Beamwidth -° 18
Maximum Power -W 100
Bandwidth -MHz 83
Model VR31A (modified with panel antenna)
X10cams : Nightwatch low light black n white.
X10 Sentinel PTZ (got modified with yagi)
Total spent $26 for antennas and $13.00 in beer!!
Mr Mike™