leonpc Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 I some posts and during setup of my ISY994iZw I noticed that there is talk of an external antenna to extend the range of Zwave. I have looked all over the site to order such a beast but it does not seem to exist. Has it been discontinued? Most of the references I see in the forum are from early to middle 2014. Thanks in advance.
stusviews Posted October 13, 2015 Posted October 13, 2015 Yes, the external Z-Wave antenna has been discontinued.
MWareman Posted October 13, 2015 Posted October 13, 2015 The external antenna made the signal very directional, making communication worse for apparently more people that it helped. UDI did the right thing by pulling it. That being said - there are antenna you can buy...
stusviews Posted October 13, 2015 Posted October 13, 2015 The external antenna kit included a snap-on connector to the board wired to a bracket with an external SMA antenna connector. This is what the wire with connector looks like, no bracket included. You'll need a 900Mhz antenna. Edit: new boards may not even have the pressure connector.
Banichi Posted March 7, 2016 Posted March 7, 2016 The z-wave board that I just picked up still has the pressure connector. I only have a door lock or two so maybe the antenna idea might be viable vs z-wave repeaters/extenders. We'll see I suppose.
kohai Posted March 7, 2016 Posted March 7, 2016 I just passed my tech license for ham radio and they talk a lot about antennas (obviously). In the ham world, the right antenna can be more important than the power of the radio. Is this mostly an issue of finding the right antenna?
kohai Posted March 7, 2016 Posted March 7, 2016 http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/12175-feedback-on-udis-own-antenna-kit/
rafarataneneces Posted August 16, 2016 Posted August 16, 2016 So in 2014 an antenna was discontinued I get really 4 feet of reception since I am using the IR module and my UDI is in my home theater furniture where it's supposed to be so Logitech Harmony can send IR signals. I also have the Ethernet cables and the router. Is there any external antenna that works better than the dongle? I know most posts are from 2014. I have NO idea why the z-wave antenna is on the back??
giesen Posted August 16, 2016 Posted August 16, 2016 I'd love a solution also since I want to stick my ISY in a 42" can Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk
MWareman Posted August 16, 2016 Posted August 16, 2016 Is there any external antenna that works better than the dongle? Nope. Sigma lab tested the ceramic patch antenna to perform best for 99% of installations. Range issues are generally a symptom of an insufficient mesh network. As I asked to your other post, how many wired (non-battery) devices do you have?
rafarataneneces Posted August 16, 2016 Posted August 16, 2016 I have ***ONE*** Z-Wave device lol and it runs in batteries. Fibaro motion sensor
jtara92101 Posted August 16, 2016 Posted August 16, 2016 I want to stick my ISY in a 42" can That's one hell of a can?! Where do you get a can opener for it, though? I think there may be a regulatory issue here. Unlicensed bands generally have an effective radiated power restriction, rather than simply output power. AND the entire thing I think is supposed to be tested as a system. The FCC has been cracking down, and some external antenna connectors have been removed in response. I wouldn't be surprised to see router antenna connectors go away - at least on consumer routers. (Sometimes there is a provision for "professional installation"). I though for a minute you wanted to build a "can antenna"... The Yuban antenna popular as a DIY wifi hack might work well here, as the dimensions of a Yuban can are closer to those for 900 mHz than for 2400 mHz. (It is completely wrong for 2400!) I've built a few of these, but using a skinnier coffee can. (Local San Diego coffee roaster Caffe Colabria uses the perfect size for 2.4gHz!) This would be good for aiming at a specific remote Z-wave device, or at a Z-wave repeater. But you would probably be breaking the law! For a single device as in OPs case, easiest thing is to shop online for 900mHz antennas. For this case, use one that is directional. The problem with the (previous) supplied antenna is that it provides omnidirectional gain, which doesn't work well in most homes. It would be more appropriate for an outdoor wide area.
MWareman Posted August 16, 2016 Posted August 16, 2016 I have ***ONE*** Z-Wave device lol and it runs in batteries. Fibaro motion sensor That's probably why. Zwave is a mesh network - you need at least three wired devices (ISY counts as one). I'd pick up a couple of Aeon 'Sirens' and plug them in around your house to work as security enabled repeaters. (Don't buy the Aeon 'repeater' - they are junk).
rafarataneneces Posted August 16, 2016 Posted August 16, 2016 Will this be a good repeater? I can install one in the ceiling (I did a custom installation once and added an outlet in the ceiling for my Insteon cameras) and another one upstairs in the hall where nobody uses it so then I can have excellent communication (I hope) upstairs When I add this device to Z-Wave do I have to do anything else or will it automatically work as an extender?
MWareman Posted August 16, 2016 Posted August 16, 2016 Will this be a good repeater? I can install one in the ceiling (I did a custom installation once and added an outlet in the ceiling for my Insteon cameras) and another one upstairs in the hall where nobody uses it so then I can have excellent communication (I hope) upstairs When I add this device to Z-Wave do I have to do anything else or will it automatically work as an extender? Just add the two Aeon 'Sirens' to ISY (closest one first!) then heal the network a couple of times. You should find a vast improvement of your battery device.
rafarataneneces Posted August 16, 2016 Posted August 16, 2016 What about this?? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LEWQYPI
MWareman Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 What about this?? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LEWQYPI Won't help much. I've not seen a single outlet repeat everything properly. Get these: https://www.amazon.com/Siren-Gen5-ZW080-A17-Aeotec-Cert/dp/B00PKKM2HO/ref=sr_1_1
rafarataneneces Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Won't help much. I've not seen a single outlet repeat everything properly. Get these: https://www.amazon.com/Siren-Gen5-ZW080-A17-Aeotec-Cert/dp/B00PKKM2HO/ref=sr_1_1 What if I buy two, or three? Will they work at all or no? Why is siren recommended something else maybe I don't need to spend $100 on sirens that I have no use for
MWareman Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 What if I buy two, or three? Will they work at all or no? Why is siren recommended something else maybe I don't need to spend $100 on sirens that I have no use for I have 8 outlets in my house. They didnt help one little bit with my locks. Two sirens solved all my issues. Its reported all over the forum about the siren solving zwave mesh issues.
rafarataneneces Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 what about this? https://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-DSD37-ZWUS-Repeater-Aeotec/dp/B00K7QZUZM
MWareman Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 what about this? https://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-DSD37-ZWUS-Repeater-Aeotec/dp/B00K7QZUZM Had three of those. They didnt help with my locks. Threw them out - replaced them with two sirens. It solved all my issues.
mwester Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Apparently somebody has a thing against those sirens. I don't get it. I got the siren simply because I wanted something to repeat the signal, and at least the siren does something USEFUL in addition! If you're going to have something plugged into the wall, it should be useful, I think. Regarding the outlets -- I suspect they have the same issues all RF devices in wall have -- plaster and drywall attenuate RF signals, and if the box happens to be metal, the signal suffers still more. A plug-in device might look ugly in the wall, but it's far far better to have that RF antenna and circuitry as far away from that drywall, plaster, and/or metal box as is possible. Oh - and switch to a plastic or nylon switch or outlet plate as well, the less metal is near the device, the better.
stusviews Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 In most cases, if a metal box is installed, then the local code requires metal.
mwester Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 In most cases, if a metal box is installed, then the local code requires metal. For a switch-plate?
rafarataneneces Posted August 17, 2016 Posted August 17, 2016 Apparently somebody has a thing against those sirens. I don't get it. I got the siren simply because I wanted something to repeat the signal, and at least the siren does something USEFUL in addition! If you're going to have something plugged into the wall, it should be useful, I think. Regarding the outlets -- I suspect they have the same issues all RF devices in wall have -- plaster and drywall attenuate RF signals, and if the box happens to be metal, the signal suffers still more. A plug-in device might look ugly in the wall, but it's far far better to have that RF antenna and circuitry as far away from that drywall, plaster, and/or metal box as is possible. Oh - and switch to a plastic or nylon switch or outlet plate as well, the less metal is near the device, the better. Ok but when I bought Insteon the kit came with an Insteon Hub and Two Dimmer modules so I can plug them in the wall. Now what about Z-Wave what is the 'starter kit' can I at least get On/Off modules? At least that's useful it would allow me to turn the camera on/off. A siren is useless for me it really is
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