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[nklght]

Why doesn't X-10 update the CM-15 to have a simple screw in antenna, like most wireless routers have.  They could even make money on the deal.  They include the simple rotateable stick antenna with the cm-15 and offer a remote antenna for 30 bucks. 

[Dan Lawrence]

That would be a excellent idea, but I suspect X10 isn't interested. I still have my CM11A packed away and it didn't have a antenna.  With all the mods posted here, You'd think somebody at X10 would have picked up on it.

[Noam]

The CM11A didn't handle RF signals, so there was no need for an antenna. Unlike with the CM15A, you needed a transceiver, like the TM751 or RR501 with the CM11A to be able to use RF devices.

[Noam]

Duck69 -
Yes, my post was missing a few words. go back and read it now, it (hopefully) makes more sense).

[jimby]

Hi, I had problems with the range of my CM15A especially using the samll RF wall switches. I originally did as the posts say and added a piece of 14 gauge copper wire to the existing antenna and it worked a treat, all my switches now worked flawlessly (not sure I can say the same about the CM15A though).

Anyway I had one of those telescopic antenna from a broken radio controlled toy and notices it was exactly the same length as the modified antenna, so I replace the whole thing with the toy antenna, complete with the right angle joint and it works superbly and looks a lot better than it did with the copper wire attached, which sagged after a time.

You can get these antenna with the angle joints in electronic stores for a couple bucks.

[waterstom]

I'm working on modding to increase RF range, as discussed here.  I was pleasantly suprised to find about 3 inches of wire inside my CM15A.  But, it appears that there may be a dollop (fun word!) of hot-glue inside the white plastic 90` piece, as I cannot thread it out the angle piece but rather have to just hang it out the hole.

Any suggestions?

Also, the OTHER WIRE inside is the TX side, right?  Grey wire looped inside case, in molded snaps

[Brian H]

In mine the extra was hot glued to around case in the newer ones. Older ones just a random ball of wire.
I have seen the antenne tip with the wire glued but not the 90 degree part. Thanks for the heads up on one more thing to check during a mod.

[waterstom]

No prob Brian... and for clarification, the 90` part itself is able to come right out of the case.  The hot-glue is INSIDE it, holding the wire in place (how on EARTH/CHINA they got the glue in there, I don't know)

Now the wire is just hanging out the larger hole, and taped to the wall today while I work on my system (aka kill many hours doing nothing) and the angle-piece is just there, in the middle of the wire looking like hell.

My antenna whip tube came out easily btw, I just started twisting it and it came out of the angle.  no glue there.

Tom

[Brian H]

Thanks for the added data. I found a close extension for the tube or a whole new one in a hobby shop. 1/8" styrene tube was slightly smaller and looked like it would fit; if I pulled the old piece from the 90 degree part.

[richard j]

I taped a wire coat hanger to the CM15A antenna and now it works at least up to 40 feet, however outside at 100 feet or so it didn't work and in fact I needed to go back in at around the 40 foot range for it to work again.  However, the controller that I used has been with the same batteries for a couple of years and the 40 foot range is ok for now.

By the way who are these X10 folks anyway and why do they sell such cheap stuff anyway?

[Brian H]

On a whim. I tied my modified CM15A with external antenna jack; to an amplified RCA TV Antanna; I got at a close out store. I normally used it for an FM Receiver and 310 MHz was not listed as part of its band of reception. It also gave me a very good range. With the antenna on an inside mount in the attic and the power injecto;r RF out adapter in the living room. Where I had the CM15A connected. Since I could only send from the front of the home at any great distance and the antenna was set to receive from that direction. I can not say if it was directional but I believe it may have been.

[Drews]

I just cut a length of antenna off an old rabbit ear set then popped the plastic plug off the end of the CM15A antenna. The rabbit ear antenna fit right over the white antenna. Then I extended the rabbit ear antenna to 18.5 inches. Works awesome. Much better range.

[Brian H]

Thanks for the tip. One more for the ways to add range. Users now have a varied way to do it.

[jtykal]

One more unsolicited plug for the external antenna mod (http://www.accessha.com/howto_fconnector_page1.html).  Like so many others, I was unable to get my security modules (MS10A, DS10A) registered to a stock CM15A from a range of anything more than 10-15 feet. After adding the coax connector as described, I simply plugged in a set of TV rabbit ears, adjusted the length of each "ear" to 9 inches and taped the antenna to the back of my computer hutch with one ear pointed down and one pointed horizontal. Now the CM15A is able to recognize every security module in my 2200sf house.

I've been a longtime "lurker" on the X10 forums, but this is my first post -- mostly because I wanted to say THANK YOU to those of you on the bleeding edge of making X10 products behave the way they should have when you took them out of the box. You've saved me from hours of frustration in the past, and this particular mod was just too helpful to not respond! I hope I'm able to give something back to this community as I learn more about what can be done using AHP with OnAlert and Smart Macros.

[jrlafarge]

Hi all,
I am new to the world of X10 but I have been playing with computers and ham radio since the 80s.
I build a quarter wave ground plane antenna for my cm15a and did the external connector mod.  I used a 50 ohm bnc connector rather than a 75 ohm f connector.  I ran 50 ohm coax from the antenna with pl-259 connectors and used a converter to go from bnc to pl-259.
My thought was to keep the impedance at 50 ohm.(I think I read that is supposed to be 50 ohms, If that is wrong please correct me.)
From my calculations for the length of the antenna radials I came up with 9.06 inches for a 1/4 wave. 

The formula for the radial length is the speed of light divided by mhz to get the full wave size.  Then divide the full wave size by 1/2, 1/4 or 1/8 for the size of antenna you want to build, but I am lazy and I used The Amateur Quarter Wave Ground Plane Antenna Calculator site. http://www.csgnetwork.com/antennagpcalc.html
I have the antenna hanging in the attic.

I am picking up all of my ds10s  inside my house, but I am not seeing any of my eagle eyes or active eyes that are outside of the house. They are at most about 60' from the antenna. I have set house codes to B and allowed for 2 number for each motion sensor. Any ideas of what I have done wrong?