X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => User Modified Devices => Topic started by: aslamma on August 05, 2008, 10:59:20 PM
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The range of the CM15A is terrible out of the box. The slimline switches that were working before became useless. There are many good mods out there, ranging from relatively time consuming and complex to very simple (but also effective mods). My goal was to significantly improve range, while not becoming overly complex and still maintain a good looking piece of equipment since it would be exposed. The solution was to use the TM571 antenna for the CM15A. You will need to void your warranty to do this.
What you will need:
CM15A
TM517
#10 Washer (mine is from Home Depot)
Stranded wire
Super Glue
Wire strippers
Solerding Iron and Solder
1. Take out the screw on the back of the TM571 first. Then you need to separate the two halves. I pryed it apart with a screwdriver and it popped out. It took a good amount of force to do this. Remove the antenna and find a #10 washer from a hardware store/home depot or wherever. Remove the screw from the antenna and slip the #10 washer onto the antenna (as shown in the pic) and then reassemble the antenna to its base with that little screw.
2. Now open the CM15A and cut the white wire. Strip it and solder a new wire (stranded, not solid) to the end of the white wire. Read ahead to get a good idea of how long this new wire should be (see picture 2). Strip the end of this wire and fan out the strands. This will improve the surface conductivity and bond area for the next step.
3. Using picture 3 as a reference, bond the wire to the antenna base. You will want to bend the wire 90 degrees where it is fanned out. Skip ahead to view the final install of how it should look in the end. You will now super glue the wire to the base. Super glue does not cure real fast for metallic to metallic, so you will need to position it well. I taped the antenna to the surface to it wouldnt roll, and just positioned the wire. You may have to hold it down for some time if you cannot get it to position well. Add the super glue and let it cure for a good 15 min or so.
3(a). Alternative to step 3. You may be able to use the existing TM571 connection approach, shown in figure 4, and bypass step 3. There is a piece of wire with copper foil and adhesive on it that could probably be used. I did not do this, so you are on your own here...but thought it was worth while to mention it.
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4. Carefully insert the antenna into the slot. It will be a little tight, but fits amazing well. You can now see why you bent the wire 90 degrees before the bond. Also, you can now see why you need the washer. It will keep the antenna tight inside the housing, otherwise it would just flop around. There is essentially no play in the assembly when this is done.
5. Reassemble the case and you are done.
Result:
Before the mod, I could not get a slimswith to work more than 10' line of sight or 4' with a .5" wood plank in the way. After the mod, I could go through 3 walls and over 50' using a slimswitch. So needless to say, I was very happy with the end result. And at least to me, this is the most cosmetically pleasing mod I have seen. It looks totally stock (and in actuality it really is...kinda).
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AWESOME... great pics too! You got a thank-you from me!
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Haha...it is I that should be thanking you and the other members here!
I took these pics on my new iphone...I think I was too close though and lost focus. The iphone doesnt seem to take very good pictures, oh well...good enough to get the point across and super convenient.
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Nice mod. Thank you for sharing and the work it took to do the project.
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They say "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" and yours really help to clarify what you've done. I've given you a helpful.
After some careful placement of my CM15A, I'm currently fortunate to be able to receive signals from pretty much anywhere in the house without modification except from a slim switch in the kitchen. I'd like to be able to place and get a signal from a DS10A at my mailbox, however.
....After the mod, I could go through 3 walls and over 50' using a slimswitch. So needless to say, I was very happy with the end result. And at least to me, this is the most cosmetically pleasing mod I have seen. It looks totally stock (and in actuality it really is...kinda).
Hmm... If you have that good of reception from a slimswitch, that's about enough to tempt me to be brave enough to steal the antenna from a working TM517 to try it. Maybe the TM517 I'm having to use for my slimswitch now. ;)
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"Before the mod, I could not get a slimswith to work more than 10' line of sight or 4' with a .5" wood plank in the way. After the mod, I could go through 3 walls and over 50' using a slimswitch."
Put it this way, it was for all intents and purposes useless to me before the mod (since I mainly use slimline switches). After the mod, all of my slimline switches work from any location in my apartment and I could get it to work about 20-30' from outside my apartment as well. I would guess it improved effective range by about 3-5X. I had an old TM571 from years back and it was kinda junky looking anyway.
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1. Take out the screw on the back of the TM571 first. Then you need to separate the two halves. I pryed it apart with a screwdriver and it popped out. It took a good amount of force to do this. Remove the antenna and find a #10 washer from a hardware store/home depot or wherever. Remove the screw from the antenna and slip the #10 washer onto the antenna (as shown in the pic) and then reassemble the antenna to its base with that little screw.
2. Now open the CM15A and cut the white wire. Strip it and solder a new wire (stranded, not solid) to the end of the white wire. Read ahead to get a good idea of how long this new wire should be (see picture 2). Strip the end of this wire and fan out the strands. This will improve the surface conductivity and bond area for the next step.
3. Using picture 3 as a reference, bond the wire to the antenna base. You will want to bend the wire 90 degrees where it is fanned out. Skip ahead to view the final install of how it should look in the end. You will now super glue the wire to the base. Super glue does not cure real fast for metallic to metallic, so you will need to position it well. I taped the antenna to the surface to it wouldnt roll, and just positioned the wire. You may have to hold it down for some time if you cannot get it to position well. Add the super glue and let it cure for a good 15 min or so.
When you attach the washer to the base with the screw, are you soldering the wire to the washer or to the actual antenna base.
Does it matter if the old wire + new wire are a specific length (5 cm etc.).
I wonder if the telescopic antenna could just be purchased online, rather than trying to find an SR731.
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The extra wire gets attached to the antenna base, not the washer.
Not sure about the optimal wire distance...what I did seems to work quite good and you can see from the pictures about how long it should be. Of course there is probably something more optimal.
Yeah, I would guess the antenna could be had anywhere...provided it had the same interefacing dimensions. I thought the TM571 was a good choice because it has the proper length and interface, plus I did not need it after getting the CM15A. Since a lot of people may have an extra one laying around (and its cheap), its a convenient choice.
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I'm a software guy, not hardware, so can I ask if it's possible to solder the blue wire to a 3/8" connector (similar to the one used in another thread re: making a coax connector for the CM15A) and screw that to the base of the antenna between it and the washer?
How was the SR371 connected to the base of the antenna? Soldered in place?
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Hi Aslamma, Nice Mod :)%, this one I am willing to give a try. As just asked, I presume you cant solder a wire to the antenna base? I will try to unsolder the black wire from the TM751 board and keep the rest attached. let u know how that works out. -:) I will also be trying to use contact cement to attach the washer to the base.
My washer came from Home Hardware (other Canucks will get it) ;D.
BaBaLou. #:)
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Guys, you can pretty much use anything to attach it. I used super glue...I thought that was pretty clear?? But contact cement should work OK too...there are probably dozens of ways. Just have to get it attached somehow...but I doubt soldering will work because the antenna base is not a compatible material.
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I was thinking that the screw you referred to was in the bottom of the SR731 antenna, the way toy walkie-talkies have a wire screwed to the bottom. In this case, I presume it goes through the 90-degree joint and the base of the antenna is simply flat. This is why I though one could simply attach a connector onto the wire and screw it to the base, but I guess not.
What is the length of the SR731 antenna when extended.
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X10 should modify the CM15A to include the same antenna as the TM751 in all future sales of AHP/CM15A. That should cost no more to produce the CM15A, just substitute the TM751 antenna in the production line.
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Update, So far on the first CM15 originally bought in April of this year, Simple mod on the unit. Opened unit, White wire was not glued and was able to pull the full length out. I did connect a wire to the antenna ground on the board and then made a simple turnstile antenna and connected to CM15, With the antenna laying flat near the ceiling on the first floor of a ranch home 3000 sq'.
I now have total communication with the CM15 and so far 6 eagle eyes that range about 70 to 100 ft without missing a beat and all remotes used so far are coming in strong and consistent. It was simple and with a little tuning direction on the antenna, a very satisfactory reception. I still have 2 TM751 in the system and haven't tried to pull those out yet for total dependency on the CM15.
Unit 2, Just received it about a week ago. This unit I put in place of the first CM15 in my business. The business is a small cafe, just under a 1000 sq' no inner walls, but with a metal deck flat roof, Metal stud walls all around and kitchen equipment to make enough noise both for yourself as well as line noise to last a life time. Don't forget that the additional noise caused by other tenants in our building, many doctors and specialist with equipment and radiation and the list goes on and on. Well the first CM15 did OK, but many missed signals and many signals that just come out of nowere. With the new CM15 I haven't seen any of that yet. I did add a simple 5A plug in filter on the computer but that was it. So far the unit is working flawlessly. I am seeing all reports in the Activity monitor and the cams works well and lights turn off and on and dim and online is smooth and responsive. Nothing is missing yet. Lucky unit,? updated unit (haven't opened unit, if it is not broken or hurt then I wont touch)? There is a definite difference between the two units base on this simple comparison. The systems is slowly growing so as I do add to the home setup with more units, switches, modules, cams and security system, I will be very cautious and hope for a sweet and never ending expanding relationship to my home and business.
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Has anyone tried aslamma's mod?
I'd love to hear the results!
I think I'm going to go for it. I've got many, many boxes of X10 stuff sitting unopened because I'm so disappointed in the range my CM15a has been able to reach. This to me seems like the first EASY to do mod for the CM15a and is actually the exact thought I've been contemplating for quite a while now but didn't have the nerve to do it yet!
Instead, I've been looking at stuff from WGL (ie: V572RF32)....but as I've already dumped money into the system that I'm getting absolutely no use from... that option seems a bit pricey to try... even with all of the great reviews I've read about it.
Anyway. If anyone else has tried this, please let me know. If I actually get a chance to do this, I'll try to document it and report back with pictures and achievable range information.
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Has anyone tried aslamma's mod?
I'd love to hear the results!
I think I'm going to go for it. I've got many, many boxes of X10 stuff sitting unopened because I'm so disappointed in the range my CM15a has been able to reach. This to me seems like the first EASY to do mod for the CM15a and is actually the exact thought I've been contemplating for quite a while now but didn't have the nerve to do it yet!
Instead, I've been looking at stuff from WGL (ie: V572RF32)....but as I've already dumped money into the system that I'm getting absolutely no use from... that option seems a bit pricey to try... even with all of the great reviews I've read about it.
Anyway. If anyone else has tried this, please let me know. If I actually get a chance to do this, I'll try to document it and report back with pictures and achievable range information.
I added an F-connector to the CM15A and constructed a dipole antenna from instructions found here in the forum. I saw no difference in range after the mod. I then purchased the V572RF32 and the range has been excellent.
The best price I found was at automatedhomeoutlet.com (http://automatedoutlet.com) (no affiliation). For me it was a worthwhile purchase. I've never looked back.
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I agree with Alan V, the V572 works great. Before I had it I was lucky to get a 25 feet range with a palm pad and my motion sensors and stick up switches were useless with out the addition of several transceivers. With the V572 I get 100 feet plus range with palm pads, motion sensors, keychain remotes and motion sensors. I got mine before they had the RF32 version so mine will not work with the X10 security devices. My next X10 related purchase will be the V572RF32.
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I added an F-connector to the CM15A and constructed a dipole antenna from instructions found here in the forum. I saw no difference in range after the mod. I then purchased the V572RF32 and the range has been excellent.
The best price I found was at automatedhomeoutlet.com (http://automatedoutlet.com) (no affiliation). For me it was a worthwhile purchase. I've never looked back.
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback. I checked out automatedoutlet.com and agree that the price is good.
I agree with Alan V, the V572 works great. Before I had it I was lucky to get a 25 feet range with a palm pad and my motion sensors and stick up switches were useless with out the addition of several transceivers. With the V572 I get 100 feet plus range with palm pads, motion sensors, keychain remotes and motion sensors. I got mine before they had the RF32 version so mine will not work with the X10 security devices. My next X10 related purchase will be the V572RF32.
Thanks too, Jim. Just from the review that I've read at Hometoys (http://www.hometoys.com/ezine/08.06/green/wgl.htm) , this is definitely something I've been eying for a while. I'd say that I get about the 15-25ft range too. I'd love to see that quadruple (or better!).
I've looked at the information about this unit on the site at WGL (http://www.wgldesigns.com/v572.html) and I've downloaded the documentation (http://www.wgldesigns.com/downloads/v572rf32.zip) but nothing I've googled seems to tell me whether or not this unit works with Activehome software.
Do you use yours with Activehome? Any loss of functionality? What did you do with your CM15A? (chunk it ?)
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Do you use yours with Activehome? Any loss of functionality? What did you do with your CM15A? (chunk it ?)
Well..... I just saw a pic in another thread (http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=16218.msg89366#msg89366) , posted by PajamaGuy and I'm confused. It appears he is using both? Is that how the setup is supposed to work? Mount the CM15a close to the V572RF32 so that it can send the commands for the V572 to then transmit? Am I confusing myself.... ?
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The main difference is that the CM15A receives RF directly, and can take action on that. The V572 must first relay the RF command to the CM15A over the powerline. That causes about 1/3 of a second delay when triggering a macro in the CM15A. There is no problem using both units in the same installation. But, the CM15A should be set to not transceive housecodes that are handled by the V572.
Jeff
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I followed the instructions, and installed the TM751 antenna in my CM15A.
Amazing results ! :)%
Before this, I could barely get more than 10 - 15 ft range...
Now, my CM15A can "hear" the DS10A I installed in my garage ! (at least 50 ft away), thru a couple of walls !
Thanks indeed for this suggestion and the detailed instructions !
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Amazing results !
I also tried aslamma's mod. It works well.. and looks good.
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nice mod, when i received my cm15a i noticed that my range was less then 30 feet, I didn't have a antenna handy so I cut a 4 foot piece of stereo speaker cable and wrapped it around the exciting Antenna wrapped some black tape around both securing both then strung the speaker cable up the wall and used a tack to keep it in place...lol.. not the nicest looking antenna but it does the job temporarily.
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aslamma,
#:) This is the cleanest mod to the CM15A that I've come across.
#:) Your documentation of the project was very well done.
You deserve a "Helpful" rating for this post. So, I gave you one. :)%
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aslamma,
This mod worked perfectly. Out of the box, the CM15a would not respond well to remote signals... even from as close as 10 feet away and aiming it right at the CM15A. I never knew what units would trigger when I would press an on or off button on my remote(s).
With this mod (great instructions and pictures) every remote works exactly the way it is supposed to. Amazing how an improved antennae could make such a difference.
I actually used the antenae from an old no longer used x-10 transceiver... the large box type that you had to set for either 1-8 or 9-16 for receiving signals. The antenae is exactly the same one used in the TM751 receiver, so the instructions were the same.
I did solder the wire to the antenae base rather than glue it, though. I was sure to not get too much solder on the antenae base and oriented the wire so it would still rotate freely in the CM15A without breaking the connection.
Thanks much for the mod... It saved a lot of frustration over using the CM15A.
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-:)Hi,
I have the same possession with mine
cameras wirelles X10 but CM15A and TM571
they don't send sign of all the six cameras
for my TV LCD.
I already made out all the tests and inside, with
the transceiver and recevier in several places
but I didn't get to solve the problem.
I liked his suggestion, but not yet
I understood as well as I can make that
I already asked the support for help X10 but
they don't solve. Can I help myself? ???Thanks
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cloe; Are you having problems turning the cameras on and off or with the signal reaching the receiver connected to the TV?
Do you have any noise filters or a phase coupler in your system?
Any more details on exactly what you have may help us in your questions.
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Radio Shack has a nice little antenna for around 5 or 6 bucks. It's a telescoping type which allows for half or quarter wave or somewhere in between. Works great also. about 150 ft. range outside. Basically the same reconfiguration as this one.
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I just did the antenna mod on my CM15A and it is working great. A question for the technically more proficient than I: What is the gray wire for that wraps around the top of the battery carrying cover for the CM15A? It ties to a second daughter board about an inch away from the one the antenna ties in to. Is it some kind of ground plane for the external antenna?
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...What is the gray wire for that wraps around the top of the battery carrying cover for the CM15A? It ties to a second daughter board about an inch away from the one the antenna ties in to....
Is that the internal antenna for RF transmission from the CM15A?
(The external one is just for receiving.)
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A question for the technically more proficient than I: What is the gray wire for that wraps around the top of the battery carrying cover for the CM15A? It ties to a second daughter board about an inch away from the one the antenna ties in to. Is it some kind of ground plane for the external antenna?
The CM15A contains both a RF receiver and a RF transmitter on separate daughter boards. The gray wire looks like the transmitting antenna.
Jeff
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Yes the Grey wire is the Transmit Boards Antenna and in all the ones I have seen. Glued to the case.
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Makes good sense that it would be a "Transmit" antenna. That saves the cost of a TR switch. Since my system only uses the receive function, I never gave it a thought that the unit would need to be able to send info via RF also. If I expand my system so that the transmit function is used, would it benefit from an antenna mod similar to the receive function?
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I am not sure about the transmit antenna. I believe the transmit board is not very sophisticated and may even have the antenna as part of the tuned circuits. I will look at the schematics and see what I can find.
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...... I never gave it a thought that the unit would need to be able to send info via RF also. If I expand my system so that the transmit function is used, would it benefit from an antenna mod similar to the receive function?
I use BVC to Voice Command for most of my X10 setup. The CM15A (and HA Computer) are in the basement. I have modified the CM15A with a TM751 antenna recently... I had originally just soldered on a a 9 1/4 inch wire.
When I decided to put a Ninja mounted camera in the backyard and voice command it (with the RF coming from the CM15A in the basement).... I needed more Umph. I performed the antenna mod on the Ninja (adding a TM751 antenna to the ninja). And merely pried loose the CM15A's internal transmit antenna... drilled a hole and exposed the gray wire to the outside... where it now just hangs.
Hanging the gray-wire outside the CM15A's case.... make a world of difference.
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Thanks for the responses! This forum is GREAT!
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Thanks for the great instructions and pictures. I did the mod with the exact supplies suggested by the poster -- but don't know how successful it really was. It does seem to pick up the front door sensor about 20' away more reliably than before, however an extra door sensor I tested just couldn't be "heard" by the CM15A through the walls of my kitchen in the center of the house in my old 1500 sq ft Florida ranch. :'( I did have two problems 1) the first #10 washer I bought at a local hardware store was too thick to fit - I ended up making a special trip to the Home Depot and their #10 washer worked 2) I had a terrible time getting the stripped wire end to stick to the antenna base with super glue. It had to let it set overnight and I am still not sure it is working as well as the poster's mod. I am almost tempted to use the alternate connection from the TM571 with the foil. Overall though great idea and nice looking result.
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#2 Maybe the problem. If the glue is insulating the wire from the metal antenna. The range may not be much better.
Also Motion Sensor range is controlled very much by distance and what is between it and the receiver. Metal can decrease the range.
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If the glue is insulating the wire from the metal antenna.
I soldered the wire on my antenna mod... and I think that does help. But getting the new antenna (and the CM15A) up higher... can make a big difference also.
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Have not been around for a while and was curious to see how everyone was doing with this. Been working great for me, I am close to (if not) 100% reliable after this mod. Glad to hear it works well for others and I have always been a perfectionist and wanted it to look nice as well.
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Hey...Noob here, so I'm a little late in the game.
But, I just wanted to tell you how good this mod works...it works real good!
And, I wanted to share how I attached the white wire to the TM571 antenna base...I soldered it.
To get the base to accept solder, I used 80 grit sandpaper to "scrub" the nickel/chrome finish off. There's brass-colored metal beneath that shiney
finish and once it's gone it doesn't take much iron heat to get the antenna wire soldered to the base. I used my old soldering pencil with it's nearly worn-out 30 year old tip to get the job done.
My remotes now work from the street...approx 75' from the CM15A!
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I just received my AHP kit 2 days ago and I was very disappointed in the coverage the cm15a "had". I was trying to use an old transceiver with it to just to get coverage to other end of my house but that was causing other devices to turn and off along with the ones I was wanting to control. I found this thread and decided to give it a shot. Best thing ever! X10 should just use the antennas they use on the tm751's. I now get signal from all corners of the house with just the cm15a; upstairs and downstairs. I did change it a bit though. Actually much easier way. Instead of a washer I used a ring terminal instead. Cut the wire out of the old antenna and crimped it into the ring terminal. Nice and tight fit with metal to metal contact, and no soldiering or gluing required; a real 10 minute job. I will be doing this to my brothers tomorrow.
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The new version of the TM751 has the Same Receiver Board in it as the CM15A.
The new TM751 beats the unmodified CM15A by a long shot. Shows what a better antenna can do.
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Tcruz, I like your idea (as well as the one as cantbreak80) for improvments. Can you upload a picture or two?
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Thank-you aslamma for starting this thread and your solution which looks great and works very well.
Another place to acquire an antenna is a portable radio device. I found a nice black anodized antenna that I "borrowed" from a small battery operated radio to try using with the CM15A. It fit the bill because it:
- Includes a tilt and swivel base needed to match the range of motion of the original CM15A antenna
- The base diameter matches the plastic antenna, so that the case clamp in the cover of the CM15A holds keeps the antenna in any position when assembled
- Is telescoping, which allows tuning the exposed antenna length
- Collapses to a size that does not extend beyond the length of the CM15A
- Is retained securely by the case clip on the side of the CM15A, like the original plastic antenna
1 - Parts.jpg shows the antenna, standard 1/4" lockwasher bent flat, 4-40 bolt, ring terminal, 4-40 lock washer, and nut.
(http://www.csnetserver.com/computers/X-10/1-%20Parts.jpg)
2 - DryFit.jpg shows the parts in position to make sure everything will fit and operate mechanically as desired.
(http://www.csnetserver.com/computers/X-10/2%20-%20Dry%20fit.jpg)
3 - Installed.jpg was taken after clipping the wire to the old antenna, stripping the antenna wire, tinning it, attaching the ring terminal with a crimp tool, then soldering it for good measure, bolting the ring terminal to the antenna, and assembling it in the case with the 1/4" lock washer guiding it in the center of the slot. No glue is required.
(http://www.csnetserver.com/computers/X-10/3%20-%20Installed.jpg)
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Here are photos of the assembled CM15A.
The range of the CM15A with the antenna extended to the maximum 10.5" has increased to 40 feet with a Palm Pad, 23 feet with a Slimfire, and 17 feet with a SlimLine. This is approximately a 60% improvement. I am not getting the 100 foot range reported by others. The coverage for a Palm Pad now appears to be a circle about 80 feet in diameter.
What exposed antenna length are others using for best results?
I am getting my best results with 10.5", which is as far as this antenna telescopes. Now that I have the swivel adapter installed, it may be worth a try to remove the telescoping part and see if a Radio Shack 30-1/2" Replacement Telescoping Antenna Model 270-1401 will fit in the metal swivel adapter now installed. I believe someone posted half wave is 19" and I would like to try that and other exposed lengths.
The other thing I wonder about if the remaining loop of white wire seen in photo 3 attached to the previous message is causing signal cancellation, and if a 19" exposed antenna length connected with a minimal length of white wire to the circuit board would work best.
(http://www.csnetserver.com/computers/X-10/4%20-%20Assembled%20Top.jpg)
(http://www.csnetserver.com/computers/X-10/5%20-%20Assembled%20Side.jpg)
(http://www.csnetserver.com/computers/X-10/6%20-%20Assembled%20Vertical.jpg)
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#:)
Nice work csnet.
Helpful from me.
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I got the Radio Shack (whoops "The Shack") antenna and I use 18 inches. Works really well. Nice job by the way on the conversion, and pictures.
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Here are photos of the assembled CM15A.
Those are nice! It's the pictures that really stick in people minds. Thanks for sharing!!!
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I got the Radio Shack (whoops "The Shack") antenna and I use 18 inches. Works really well. Nice job by the way on the conversion, and pictures.
Hi Bill,
Would you happen to know the part number for the Shack antenna?
Is it similar to csnet's replacement antenna with a tilt/swivel base?
I'd rather get that vs. cannibalizing the TM571.
Great post csnet.
Thanks,
eagle
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Sorry I don't know the number, but they have them in stock all the time. I think they have a longer one too. They are really cheap under 10 bucks.
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I found three on the Shack web site. One on MCM also.
Guess comparing sizes would be in order.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062260
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062262
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062261
MCM shows.
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/DISTRIBUTED-BY-MCM-186146-/30-392
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Thanks Brian and Bill.
I'll head out to the local Shack and check them out.
r,
eagle
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Thank-you for the kind words!
Eagle, I looked at the Radio Shack antennas yesterday and gave up because the replacements they have require a base to which to attach them. That's why I had to borrow the complete black anodized antenna from an old radio that you see in the photos for this project.
I am going back to Radio Shack today to see if the 270-1401 replacement telescoping 30.5" antenna rod matches the size of the opening in the swivel base of the 10.5" antenna seen in the photos.
That swivel base is needed to do this project the way it is shown. The person at Radio Shack offered to order a replacement complete antenna assembly for one of their radios and that sounded good, but I wanted to get started yesterday. :)
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Thanks for the update on the RS antennas. Was hard to see the TINY photos on the site and the descriptions where not that clear. ???
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Hi csnet,
I actually suspected that it doesn't have the base based on the pictures. :(
I'll try to make it to a local shack and see if they have any that might be a good substitute.
r,
eagle
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Back from "the Shack" with a 270-1405 replacement, the thinnest model, that telescopes out to about 28". Even though this was the thinnest model they had, I had to grind off some of the thickness of the end for it to fit in the anodized swivel antenna base assembly seen in the photos.
I tried 18" and 19" and they were better than the full 28" of the Shack replacement and better than 10.5" of the original anodized replacement in the photos with these results:
SlimLine 20 feet
Slimfire 36 feet
PalmPad 55 feet
For some reason, 13" produces these unexpected best results:
SlimLine 24 feet
Slimfire 38 feet
PalmPad 60 feet
The ability to easily adjust the length of the antenna to find the "sweet spot" is a nice feature of telescoping antennas.
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Thanks csnet! #:)
Would you be able to post some pix for us to see?
r,
eagle
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You bet.
Here is the Shack replacement set at 13 inches:
(http://www.csnetserver.com/computers/X-10/7%20-%20Shack.jpg)
This shows the replacement rod junction with the anodized swivel assembly borrowed from a portable radio:
(http://www.csnetserver.com/computers/X-10/8%20-%20Junction.jpg)
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Super! You "da man" csnet!
>!
r,
eagle
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Thanks for all the added information.
Some that have gone the 'F' connector route. Have used the WGL 40020 replacement antenna set for the V572A units.
Near the bottom of the page is the 40020
http://www.wgldesigns.com/v572.html
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I have been looking in the Mouser Catalog for some parts I need.
I saw an antenna for 315 MHz {315 MHz seems to be a standard X10's 310MHz is unique} that I may try along with a telescoping one that looked interesting. Hope to have more data in a week or so.
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.... Hope to have more data in a week or so.
I will be looking forward to your findings! You do really good work and have already added a wealth of useful data and infromation to the forum. Thanks!
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Well I have these on order and will post findings.
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/430-1415/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMv4cjTLgUCErRsJh4AhamaQ
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Linx-Technologies/ANT-315-PW-RA/?qs=K5ta8V%252bWhtamaM%2fIxDm76w%3d%3d
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Got the antennas and they are quite large in diameter. I may try one anyway but it is looking like a Dremel day. B:(
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I would not waste time with a little TM571 antenna. I just finished replacing my little plastic CM15A antenna with a telescoping one from Radio Shack with excellent results! It took only 2 minutes.
Here's the Radio Shack part number 270-1402 Replacement 34 3/8" Telescoping Antenna for $4.99. You don't even need to open your CM15A to install this new antenna either. Just grab the middle of the existing plastic antenna with a pair of pliers and pull upward. The plastic housing will slide up and off. It's made that cheaply. Leave the elbow joint attached to the CM15A, as you're just pulling the vertical antenna plastic off. You'll find a little gray wire inside, just hanging loose within the plastic tube. You want to strip off the end of the gray wire's insulation (about one inch). Then wrap the bare wire around the threaded hole in the base of the replacement metal antenna. Do two wraps. The replacement antenna comes with a screw which is too small to fill up the hole, but since you've wrapped the bare wire through the hole a couple times, the screw will thread into the hole and lock there, using the wire strands for filler. Next step: hold the metal antenna against the side of the CM15A case. Run a couple lengths of black tape all the way around the case of the CM15A to hold the antenna up. Extend the antenna all the way up. If you have extra gray wire hanging down from the bottom of the antenna screw, just push it back into the CM15A case hole. Plug CM15A back in somewhere.
My range tests with KR22A 4 Unit Credit Card Controller:
before mod, plastic antenna = only 12 feet in the clear, only 6 feet through 1 wall
after mod, metal Radio Shack antenna = 50 feet through 3 walls
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My range tests with KR22A 4 Unit Credit Card Controller:
before mod, plastic antenna = only 12 feet in the clear, only 6 feet through 1 wall
after mod, metal Radio Shack antenna = 50 feet through 3 walls
Thanks for the post!
Any chance of pictures?
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I would not waste time with a little TM571 antenna. I just finished replacing my little plastic CM15A antenna with a telescoping one from Radio Shack with excellent results! It took only 2 minutes.
Here's the Radio Shack part number 270-1402 Replacement 34 3/8" Telescoping Antenna for $4.99. You don't even need to open your CM15A to install this new antenna either. Just grab the middle of the existing plastic antenna with a pair of pliers and pull upward. The plastic housing will slide up and off. It's made that cheaply. Leave the elbow joint attached to the CM15A, as you're just pulling the vertical antenna plastic off. You'll find a little gray wire inside, just hanging loose within the plastic tube. You want to strip off the end of the gray wire's insulation (about one inch). Then wrap the bare wire around the threaded hole in the base of the replacement metal antenna. Do two wraps. The replacement antenna comes with a screw which is too small to fill up the hole, but since you've wrapped the bare wire through the hole a couple times, the screw will thread into the hole and lock there, using the wire strands for filler. Next step: hold the metal antenna against the side of the CM15A case. Run a couple lengths of black tape all the way around the case of the CM15A to hold the antenna up. Extend the antenna all the way up. If you have extra gray wire hanging down from the bottom of the antenna screw, just push it back into the CM15A case hole. Plug CM15A back in somewhere.
My range tests with KR22A 4 Unit Credit Card Controller:
before mod, plastic antenna = only 12 feet in the clear, only 6 feet through 1 wall
after mod, metal Radio Shack antenna = 50 feet through 3 walls
VERY interesting! I'd love to see a couple pictures. I'm getting close to 0' range with my keypad remote. I might also suggest zip ties instead of "black tape" for aesthetics.
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All the posts that help increase the wireless range are very welcome. Thank you all.
I managed to increase the range between the motion sensors and CM15A without any soldering or modification of the original housings.
The trick is in passive resonant circuits where electromagnetic field (radiated energy) is coupled between the oscillator and the outside antenna through the air.
It is nothing new and old radio amateurs (or hobby electronic members) will remember antenna circuits with coils that were tuned that way.
Long story short - if there is still some interest for this topic, please reply and I will provide more detailed description with some photos.
The results without changing radiated power (no battery voltage alternation) were very good.
From having difficulties receiving motion sensor signals through one inner "wall" (drywall) and 6-10 feet distance, the CM15A now 'sees' signals through several walls, from basement, from outside the house, from the second floor etc.
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Well, I for one am VERY interested. I have close to 6' range without walls right now for some reason (probably the keypad transmitter). I just got my phase coupler installed and things are working great on the PLC side, so now I need to focus on the motion sensors. I picked up the 3 antennas Radio Shack currently carries and they look promising. HOWEVER, if there is a way to increase range without modding the original, I'd love to see it's implementation. I don't mind mods at all, but I generally prefer ones that are reversible...especially when they are unproven to work in all situations.
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@bkenobi:
1) Unfold and straighten wire coat hanger.
2) Measure and cut approx 18-19". Best to try 18.5".
3) Tape beside antenna on CM15A.
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I know about the passive antenna concept, but I guess I forgot to try it in larger scale. I tried a 9" copper wire, but that's probably no longer than the original antenna. Perhaps I should give the 19" or 38" version a try before modding the box permanently.
If that doesn't work, I may just install the F-connector mod so I can try different antennas more easily. Thanks for the suggestion!
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The original antenna wire is 9". Some of it is coiled and glued to the inside case. For reasons only known by X10.
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The original antenna wire is 9". Some of it is coiled and glued to the inside case. For reasons only known by X10.
Maybe that is X10's idea of a "bottom load" antenna. rofl
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I have recently added the RS 270-1402 34" antenna to my cm15a. All I did was remove the plastic over the antenna, stripped off enough insulation to crimp and eyelet on the wire. Found a screw and nut to fit through the hole of the replacement antenna and clamped the wire to the antenna. With the antenna fully extended and counting the exposed length of the original wire antenna, I have about a full wave antenna and my reception is wonderful. All ds10a sensors on all 5 doors report without a problem and my ms16a on the front porch reaches without a problem. I can even see all my security keychain remotes without any problems.
Here is the antenna I used: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062261
FYI, the cm15a is located on the main floor in a central location. My house is 2 story with a full basement. Almost 2000 sq feet. Furthest ds10a is about 40 feet line of site. I have another that is about 30' line of site but passes through a few walls, around a few corners and sometimes through a door when closed. Another about 30' away is always behind a second door.
The ms16a is about 25' away and outside on the front porch so it only passes through one outside wall to reach the cm15a.
I did have my cm15a plugged in to the same outlet as my ds7000 but I was getting quirky results. So I moved the ds7000 console to another outlet on the other side of the room and the quirky went away.
Also, I used a palm pad and a kr22a slim remote to trigger a chime and walked throughout the house testing range on both. I could use the palm pad anywhere in the house. The kr22a worked almost every where except in the far corners of the house. This includes the basement for both remotes.
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I picked up the 34" antenna as one of the 3 yesterday. I wasn't sure if I would need to add a significant length of wire for that one to reach 38" (full wave length), so I had been thinking of using either the 30" or 28" units. The 28" one has a smaller diameter which pretty much matches the original plastic antenna cover of the CM15a, so it was the one I was leaning towards. However, since these are fairly easy to switch between, I could try the largest one and then go smaller if I can't get a full 38".
The other thing I was contemplating was going with the F-connector mod and finding a 38"+ TV antenna. If I did that, I could place it anywhere I wanted to optimize performance without needing to use an extension cord on the CM15a. I suppose the Radio Shack antennas are an easier mod that would be on the way to the F-connector mod, so I might as well try that one first.
EDIT: What about using a Dipole FM antenna such as this one:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062691
Couldn't I cut the ends of the antenna and resolder them together to make a 38" span rather than 58"?
Or perhaps one like this that covers UHF, VHF, and FM?
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103077
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Aslamma....
just finished the mod. Took maybe 20 minutes. Did a few things differently...
I sanded down the end of the antenna base. Once sanded I was able to solder the wire directly to the base...no glue!
Then I realized I used to have a perfectly good working TM571 and now I have parts and an old CM15A antenna....
Using some tin snips I was able to make the CM15A original antenna work in the TM571. Since I'm no where near concerned about range with the 571, this worked perfectly!!
Thanks for the tip. Keep 'em coming.
s
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The other thing I was contemplating was going with the F-connector mod and finding a 38"+ TV antenna. If I did that, I could place it anywhere I wanted to optimize performance without needing to use an extension cord on the CM15a. I suppose the Radio Shack antennas are an easier mod that would be on the way to the F-connector mod, so I might as well try that one first.
No, no. You're making this too hard with all those wacky antenna theories. I'm an AM and FM transmitter engineer. I can tell you that all this little x10 jobby needs is a longer "real metal" antenna to function better. Just jam a Radio Shack antenna onto the end of the existing wire and it will work to its fullest. It literally takes a couple minutes to screw it on and fasten it to the case. Do that, and you can spend your time worrying about something else, man. :'
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I agree - 10 inch piece of coathanger will do the trick. Everything else is cosmetics.
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Yes. You are not messing with the transmitter antenna in the CM15A. So it should not be critical.
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I installed an F-connector mod a couple weeks back and used the 20-176 from Radio Shack. When it was in the office on the ground floor, I was able to get coverage over the vast majority of my 5 acre property. When I installed it upside down in the attic, I get good coverage in the house, and ok coverage outside (I didn't need to be able to control the lights from the next county anyway).