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[Randy B.]

Is there a way to totally disable/disconnect the RF?  I've tried setting the Transceived Housecodes to "None", but they're still being received from my Palm (and other) Remotes.

[dave w]

Is there a way to totally disable/disconnect the RF?  I've tried setting the Transceived Housecodes to "None", but they're still being received from my Palm (and other) Remotes.

That is normal operation. Even if no House Codes are tranceived, any RF commands are received for macro use and for logging.  So no, not with out hacking the CM15A (i.e. disconnect the antenna wire from the receiver board in the CM15A).

[Brian H]

The receiver boards IC has a disable pin on it. It has to be pulled high if memory serves me.
There is no easy extra pad to the outside world on the receiver daughter card for the disable signal.
I will look and see if I can find my notes. I did test the disable function on one of my CM15A units and it stopped all RF reception.

OK I disabled the whole Receiver by pulling the Disable Pin High with a resistor.
One BIG point. The schematics on the FCC web site are 100% wrong for my Date Code 08B09 and 04J41 Receiver boards. Mine do not use the 20 pin RX3310A Chip. It has the 18 pin RX3310A that has a different pin out for the signals. Pin 9 is still disable but others are different. There is a small feed through hole for pin 9 so maybe a resistor could be hung on it and VCC to disable the receiver completely.

I kind of fuzzy memory remember someone cutting the received signal output or the five volt power from the daughter card to the main board.

[Puck]

I kind of fuzzy memory remember someone cutting the received signal output or the five volt power from the daughter card to the main board.

I cut the +5V line and ran it to a toggle switch that I mounted to the bottom of the CM15A. This has worked well for me for disabling all RF input so that only my V572RF32 is receiving signals. The switch allows me to reactivate it for tests.

[dbemowsk]

I did try doing a full wavelength wire antenna to the antenna pad on the daughter card.  In my test, this did not improve the signal at all.  If anything, it degraded it a bit.  I then went with the old reliable and did the F connector mod.  I then made an antenna with a PL-258 chassis mount jack and 5 pieces of 14 gauge electrical wire cut to slightly over 9 inches. One as an aerial and the other 4 as the ground plane.  That worked great.  I will be trying a slight mod on the antenna changing the wires to just over 18 inches which is 1/2 wavelength to see if I get any improvement.  I will post my findings.

Dan

[Brian H]

When you did the F connector. Did you use the VSS or Ant pad holes on the main PCB for the F connectors shell? I used VSS as in the AccessHA forums mod. In the Shed mod they used the ANT holes on the main PCB.

I did add a switch to my sacrifice CM15A to turn the whole RF receiver on and off. I choice to get brave and solder a resistor to a switch's common to the RF Receivers Disable Pad and then one leg to +5 the other to VSS. When the +5 is on the disable pad. NO RF signals are showing in the Activity Monitor. VSS on the pad and the RF Receiver again functions.

[paizano1]

Can someone answer me a question i hope.  I have done the modification with the f-connector, have tried the "ant" hole and the "vss" hole.

My question is this- Both the location for the mounting seem to be isolated from the total circuit, the circuit traces are not connected to either hole ( vss, ant).  I dont really understand all the principals of antennas, but i'm asking if the ground wire of the f-connector is even needed, and what purpose it has.

All it seems like i am doing is adding a 2inch piece of wire to the ground and sticking it in a hole that leads nowhere.

[Brian H]

Unless the new ones are different. VSS goes to the boards common and would be the better choice for the shell of the 'F' connector.

[paizano1]

the new ones must be different because it is isolated and doesnt go anywhere.  I did however actually mae the wire long enough and cleared away some of the green coating on the traces so i could get it to connect to the common.  Figured that is where it was supposed to go anyway.

So thank you for the answer.

[Brian H]

By chance does yours have any surface mounted ICs on it?

[systemdm]

Found some mods similar, but this one will not void your warranty.  Maybe get rid of that clothes hanger...

What you need:
Radio shack part number: 270-1405  $5.29
Dremel or something to cut antenna.
Few kind words

First cut the bottom off the Radio Shack antenna with the dremel.
Remove the bottom section of the Radio Shack antenna.
Remove the top button off the CM15A antenna by pulling.  Be careful and not pull the the whole antenna off of the CM15A.
Slide the Radio Shack antenna over the plastic antenna on the CM15A
Snap antenna into side holder.
May work further, test good from 60 feet and through one wall.

[Brian H]

Nice mod. Helpful from me

[dhouston]

Simple and elegant.

What would really be interesting would be to try the RadioShack antenna after making Rabbit's mod http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=21000.0 with before/after range measurements.

If you need even more range see http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=25397.msg142651#new.