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[Duck69]

I wonder if there is something blocking/interfering with your RF.
In the hallway of my house there is a Swamp Cooler drop down for vents that branches off to 4 rooms. Made of metal.
There are other obstacles as well and I had to be very careful in the placement of my RF receiver.
You may want to take a look around to determine if there is an obstacle somehare.

[Ant]

I have had similar problems with the CM15a not receiving (or intermittently receiving) the Sensor signal.  Sometimes the Door will indicate as open and sometimes it is ignored.

However, I have found a very simple way to improve reception on the CM15a.

1: Go to kitchen
2: Put the kettle on
3: Make some Tea
4: Take a length of tin foil - 1.5 feet long
5: Wrap the foil around the CM15a antenna about half way up the antenna
6: Wrap a few times but leave about 8 inches unwrapped and pointing sideways (see Autocad drawing below).
7: Note: you can buy the heavy duty foil which is thicker and more sturdy

When you are done the antenna should be like a flagpole and the foil the flag.  My sensors now are recognised EVERY time (The flag greatly improves reception.


    |-|
    | |-------------------------
    | |                        |
    | |   Tin Foil Flag     |
    | |                        |
    | |-------------------------
    | |
    | |
    | |
    | |
    | |
    | |   <-----CM15a antenna

[JMac]

Well for what it's worth.  I now have decent RF Transmission on my CM15A.  I move the computer as far away from the interface as the USB cable allowed, unplugged my Dell Axim USB, placed the CM15A in the horizontal, and now I get about 30 feet.  I was having problems installing the sensors for the security plugin and the SH624 would not arm or disarm the plugin (as indicated on the status bar or activity page) past about 10 feet from the interface.  I do have a SR731 repeater, but that didn't seem to help with extending the range.  I'm not sure exactly what improved the range but I'm glad it's better.

[Tuicemen]

Doing a search for RF reception will turn up lots of helpful advice!
I have no problems with my security sensors one 55 feet away in a wooden shed!

[li]I have done no mods to the CM15A [/li]
[li]Antenna is straight up[/li]
[li]CM15A is on a different circit then the PC[/li]
[li]CM15A is located on the second floor (hight does make a difference)[/li]
[li] PC and CM15A are as far away from each other as the usb cable will allow[/li][/color]
[/list]

[julian]

I bought the repeater a few days ago, plugged it in, and everything started acting up!
I should mention I have AHP, smartMacros, iWitness, myHouse, and onAlert, using 3 House codes (A,B,P).
I also have a phase coupler (SmartHome). As soon as I plugged the repeater in, my motion sensors OFF position would trigger most of the lights to turn off (as opposed to just the sensor's address). I don't know what causes this to happen, but as far as I'm concerned the repeater is just a rip-off. Not only does it repeat, it blasts the same signal to all units it finds. And it doesn't happen with just one motion sensor - with most of them (and I have 11 of them!). In any event, there is nothing more embarrassing than having company over for dinner and have all your lights turn off. I was able to turn it into a "Halloween feature" I created, but this repeater is really a poor, poor module. Either that or the combination between AHP, repeater, and SmartHome's coupler is deadly!

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

I bought the repeater a few days ago, plugged it in, and everything started acting up!

What repeater did you buy?

[Brian H]

I have seen reports that the HCA02 has issues with the CM15A in some installs. My Smarthome has issues with two way AM14As.

[julian]

What repeater did you buy?

SR731 Smart RF Repeater. Before this I had a Coupler/Repeater combo from SmartHome. That one did the same thing, so I exchanged it for a Coupler only. I thought that adding an X10 repeater would work, but clearly it did not. Any thoughts on how I could use this repeater successfully?
Thanks!

[rhunt]

I also am having huge issues with the range of the 15a.   I also bought the repearter from x10 in hopes of picking up my sensors (furthest is about 30 feet away).   My security console picks them up just fine, but the 15a doesn't see a thing.

The repeater does nothing that I can see... except cause double signals to occur.

I will try the aluminum foil trick.  Sounds like they should have just put on a telescoping antenna instead of the current one.

[JMac]

Somewhere in the bowels of the forum there is a page on "Boosting Signal Strength" which involves placing a 19 inch wire on a DS10A to increase RF transmission.  I put a 16 5/8" (just what was available at the time) wire on the top of a DS10A and my security macro finally functioned.  That is, the CM15A received the signal for use by OnAlert.  The security console had been functioning and receiving all along.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Anyone else tried this?

[Puck]

Somewhere in the bowels of the forum there is a page on "Boosting Signal Strength" which involves placing a 19 inch wire on a DS10A to increase RF transmission.

The link for the passive repeater can be found in TakeTheActive's post here: Re: Project To Increased Range CM15A

I haven't tried this yet, but I will see if it helps improve the reception of a motion sensor in my garage.

[Walt2]

The sr731 is picking up all the rf signals from remotes and door sensors (I see the flashing lights), I don't know if it's injecting them into the powerline.  I don't see them on the AH Activity Monitor.

My SR731 doesn't seem to work at all with my CM15A.  As you stated, the AH Activity Monitor shows nothing.  This is even when I use the "test button" on the SR731, which generates a M1 "on" and M1 'off'.   Nothing in the Activity Monitor.

IMHO, the CM15A is not compatible with the SR731.  Possibly because the SR731 "tags" its repeated RF signals, as repeats, and the CM15A "sees" these tags as making the RF signal invalid (and therefore ignores them).

[Walt2]

SR731 Smart RF Repeater. Before this I had a Coupler/Repeater combo from SmartHome. That one did the same thing, so I exchanged it for a Coupler only. I thought that adding an X10 repeater would work, but clearly it did not. Any thoughts on how I could use this repeater successfully?
Thanks!

I got one of the Smarthome coupler/repeaters, the 4826B, and found it totally incompatible with my X10 2-way modules (LM14A).

I have never found a way to get the SR731 to work with the CM15A.  For my home, I absolutely had to use the SR731 to get full RF coverage.  My "fix" was to disable the Transceiver functions in the CM15A, and use separate, standalone, Transceivers.

[lslavik]

My range is about 5 ft. Anything more and the CM15A does not see any security devices. Tried a SR731, but it did not help. I have explained this to X10 support 4 times now and I keep getting a different tech who 'doesn't understand my problem.. Could I explain it again..'. Sounds like a run-around to me. Anyone thinking about buying onAlert should reconsider!!!

[Billaban]

See below.  This works very well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote from: dave w on December 28, 2006, 11:32:05 AM
Get yo' solderin iron and dremel tool warmed up!

http://www.accessha.com/howto_fconnector_page1.html

Mod for CM15A

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?parentPage=search&pg=3&summary=summary&cp=&productId=2103641&accessories=accessories&kw=antenna&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=summary&custRatings=custRatings&features=features&origkw=antenna&support=support&tab=support

Good antenna for the attic

http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=pl-259&origkw=PL-259

Coax and "F" cnnector for CM15A


Done.  I hung the antenna from the apex of the rafters in the attic and used 50' of coax to get to the CM15A.  Appears to work fine. 
About $60 for all the hardware. 

WOW.  I've got at least 80 yards of exterior range using a HR12A controlling my PR511 in front of the house.  Could be farther but it is hard to see a light on a
bright sunny Maryland day.   I guess I'll find out fairly soon if any of my neighbors have X10 systems.

Thanks for all the help.  HNY.

Billaban