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[Mr. Jones]

Looks like it's my turn to try a Mod. I just don't know that much about electronics to try some of the more involved ones. I'll try just slipping a antenna over the one that is there now and if that doesn't work, I'll try Doc_Robotnik's version.

Okay I have to ask...Doesn't someone make a receive signal booster that you can just buy? 

[HA Dave]

..... I'll try just slipping a antenna over the one that is there now and if that doesn't work, I'll try Doc_Robotnik's version.

You could try attaching a 18 inch (or 3 foot) piece of coat hanger wire to the current antenna using a couple zip ties or electrical tape.

[dhouston]

Okay I have to ask...Doesn't someone make a receive signal booster that you can just buy? 

I hope to release a preamplified eggbeater antenna kit with a BNC connector/power-injector assembly shortly. (The injector sends power over the 50-ohm coax to the preamp in the base of the antenna.) I'm behind schedule as the person I thought was going to assemble/sell them has opted out.

I have an inventory of assembled preamps w/antenna kits and have 150 PCBs for the BNC/injector assembly along with the needed components and a stencil for applying the solder paste but haven't had a chance to assemble them. 

[Mr. Jones]

..... I'll try just slipping a antenna over the one that is there now and if that doesn't work, I'll try Doc_Robotnik's version.

You could try attaching a 18 inch (or 3 foot) piece of coat hanger wire to the current antenna using a couple zip ties or electrical tape.

Dave, I did try that but I may be using too small of a wire because that didn't help. The wire diameter I used was about the same as a paper clip. Is it 18 inches from the tip of the antenna or the bottom?

dhouston, let me know what you want for that I'd be interested.How do you get that BNC to connect the CM-15A?

[dhouston]

dhouston, let me know what you want for that I'd be interested.How do you get that BNC to connect the CM-15A?

I'll provide photos when everything is ready.

[HA Dave]

Is it 18 inches from the tip of the antenna or the bottom?

Yes. 18" end to end. Some have good luck with that [passive reflector... I think it's called], others... not so much.

[Mr. Jones]

Dave I meant this...

[Brian H]

If you are taping the passive radiator to the original plastic antenna rod.
The Left diagram will couple more RF into the existing antenna.
 

[Mr. Jones]

Thank you Brian!

[localuser]

I made this mod over the weekend swapping out the Himark reciever with the Wireless Radio Superregenerative Receiver Module RM1SG.  I tuned it using the suggestions on the links provided.  It seems to work well, but I can't say that I really got a much improvement in reception with this mod.   

Ultimately the various antenna mods seems to be the most effective. 

Just my two cents for those who are considering swapping out the wireless receiveder it really doesn't seem to be worth the effort.  It does work though.

[dhouston]

The RM1SG is not recommended for an increase in range per se, but because it is very wideband compared to the HiMark superhet, it is likely to receive better from poorly tuned X10 transmitters. This might seem like an increase in range to those who were having troubles with certain transmitters. You are right that an improved antenna is needed for a true range increase. 

[localuser]

The RM1SG is not recommended for an increase in range per se, but because it is very wideband compared to the HiMark superhet, it is likely to receive better from poorly tuned X10 transmitters. This might seem like an increase in range to those who were having troubles with certain transmitters. You are right that an improved antenna is needed for a true range increase. 

On my transmitting devices, MS10A, DS10A, MS16, vt38a (motion floodcam)  I found that I can extend the transmit range by about 10 feet by inserting an 18.5 inch wire into the coil.  This seemed to work for about 1 in 4 devices or so because the extra transmission wire tweaks the signal just a bit.  It seems that if the device was poorly tuned to start with then the extra antenna just made it worse. 

However aftter doing the RM1SG mod, I now 100% working devices all with the transmitting antanae mod. 

Combined with the egg beater antanae on the on the cm15a, I no have issues with these wireless devices having poor signal.

I took apart the ss13a sticky wall switch, but there is not coil to attach a wire too, so I have to experiment with that a little bit.

[dhouston]

I took apart the ss13a sticky wall switch, but there is not coil to attach a wire too, so I have to experiment with that a little bit.

I think you'll find this will add significant range.

• http://davehouston.org/X10_feng_shui.htm

Inserting the wire in the coil will tend to detune the transmitters. Soldering a wire to any of the PCB trace antennae is even worse and the detuning persists even after removing the wire (i.e. the solder alone changes the LC values).

[Mr. Jones]

I’d like to add that I too had/have RF problem as I explained before and all I did for the short term was, rubber band an 18 inch piece of wire (the diameter of a paper clip) to the right side of my sensors. I also taped an 18 inch piece of wire to my CM-15A antenna. Luckily for me, two of my sensors are in a position where that is applicable. The strange part is, one of my sensors isn’t in a position where I can add a piece of wire that long. So, I cut it right in half and it still seems to work. Maybe this may work for some other people so I decided to post it.

[localuser]

I’d like to add that I too had/have RF problem as I explained before and all I did for the short term was, rubber band an 18 inch piece of wire (the diameter of a paper clip) to the right side of my sensors. I also taped an 18 inch piece of wire to my CM-15A antenna. Luckily for me, two of my sensors are in a position where that is applicable. The strange part is, one of my sensors isn’t in a position where I can add a piece of wire that long. So, I cut it right in half and it still seems to work. Maybe this may work for other so I decided to post it.

Yep.  36 inches is a full sine wave and 18" is 1/2 the sine wave and thus a 9 inch wire is 1/4.   I have even tested going as short as 4.5 inches with some luck...