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🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Topic started by: chris on August 20, 2005, 08:30:44 PM

Title: Now I've got range !!!!
Post by: chris on August 20, 2005, 08:30:44 PM

Did the external antenna mod on my cm15a
today. WOW. All of my stick-a-switches work
now. The remotes work 100 feet from my
house. Dimming is now smooth instead of
jerky. Think I'll keep the cm15a now.

Title: Re: Now I've got range !!!!
Post by: Brian H on August 21, 2005, 07:10:14 AM

Not too surprising. I have seen others say
their range was vastly improved. Was your
internal antenna wire in a big jumbled mess
or hot glued back and forth over the pc
board? My early one was a jumbled mess the
later one hot glued around the pc board as
is the transmitting antenna to the case.

Title: Re: Now I've got range !!!!
Post by: SteveRF on August 21, 2005, 12:20:22 PM

Chris,
I have seen the mods at accessX10.  Did you
follow that design ?  Did you build the
external antenna or purchase one.  I was
going to do the same to mine but have not
gotten around to it yet.  Thanks for the info !
SteveRF

Title: Re: Now I've got range !!!!
Post by: chris on August 21, 2005, 12:54:27 PM

Brian, the receiving antenna was hot glued
to the pc board. The tx antenna was glued
to the rear cover. Didn't look bad. Steve,
this is the mod I
used.http://www.shed.com/tutor/CM15mods/CM15
mods.html and the antenna I made was this
one. http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?
s=e298fbdd7672e85c41e812fe8f34e76f&showtopic
=126.html  I used 12gauge copper wire
instead of brass rods.

Title: Re: Now I've got range !!!!
Post by: chris on August 21, 2005, 12:59:08 PM

And I hung it in the attic from the roof
trusses. The antenna page said to bend the
ground plane rods to a 45 degree angle. I
left mine straight for now but I may play
with it some to see if it makes a
difference.

Title: Re: Now I've got range !!!!
Post by: AccessX10 on August 21, 2005, 02:13:17 PM

Interesting mod...

http://www.accessx10.com/howto_fconnector_pa
ge1.html

Title: Re: Now I've got range !!!!
Post by: Brian H on August 21, 2005, 02:39:32 PM

I used www.accessx10.com for mine but have
seen it on .wwwshed.com also.

Title: Re: Now I've got range !!!!
Post by: Brian H on August 21, 2005, 02:42:18 PM

Oh one more point. I used the antenna from a
WGL V572A All House Code Receiver. The cm15a
was much better, but the WGL still beat the
pants off of the cm15a. Though the price of
the antenna mod versus the WGL sure makes it
an attractive thing to do.

Title: Re: Now I've got range !!!!
Post by: DIsgusted CM15A Owner... on August 31, 2005, 06:42:03 PM

regarding...
"Did the external antenna mod on my cm15a
today. WOW. All of my stick-a-switches
work  now. The remotes work 100 feet from
my  house. Dimming is now smooth instead
of  jerky. Think I'll keep the cm15a now.
"

Great, now I can come drive by your house
and cause havoc with your lovely RF X-10
system !  :)

Title: Re: Now I've got range !!!!
Post by: chris on September 01, 2005, 09:16:41 PM

I live 1000 feet off the road. In the
woods. Before you could get that close my
dog would take care of your remote for ya.
Haha