Range

[joshuashu]

i was just wondering what the Range on the wireless for the LE's are?  i have some neighbors asking questions and i was just wondering how far i could go before i needed a standalone or had to run a wire from a neighbors house to extend?

[knguyen916]

i was just wondering what the Range on the wireless for the LE's are?  i have some neighbors asking questions and i was just wondering how far i could go before i needed a standalone or had to run a wire from a neighbors house to extend?

This might help answer your question

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[joshuashu]

Yes, Thank you that answered my question perfectly. 

[blearning]

Wireless varies a lot due to environment .. so here is my results YMMV.

I can get across the street perfectly which is all I really need to do,  (just under 400 feet as stated somewhere in the manufacturers recommendation Thanks RJ excellent JOB)

so after that was confirmed ... time to play ..

Testing consisted of an inverter in the truck and an LE with an ex/rx module... and some walk around stuff ...  inside the truck was a little bit worse then outside the truck, But I have yet to see a synchronized light display inside the cab of a truck .. but it is possible now ...

first test was done with no antenna placement or and real thought.  Slap it together and plug it in ... this is the test above ~400 feet as specified.

then I put a 7 DB antenna on the transmitter (no match on the LE of course)   ( You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login ) and got another couple of hundred feet from there.  

Then raised it up off the ground a bit (top of carport) and got a little more distance

raised it up on the roof extended it another 100 or so feet.   (shhh it isn't supposed to do 300 to 400 yards)  

I did notice that certain trees are not conducive to wireless .. for instance this big ole magnolia the neighbor refuses to cut it down ... LAUGHING..... I can't get through it or around it with the current setup.  AS I was driving down the street the signal would disappear as I past the line of site through the magnolia.  

YES I AM physically driving down the street with it running a sequence ..

More kind of a line of sight wireless, not really Visual but structural ...  if the structure isn't going to block the signal you will be ok.  A tree for instance with its moisture and leave construction is not a good structure to try to pass wireless through.  Pines trees as well.  

I have a couple of Dipoles to try and a regular TV rabbit ears which I have had great success in the past with other wireless...  (google DIY antennas) I suspect extending this kind of DIY wireless up to a full city block would not be unrealistic.  BUT THAT IS NOT TESTED ...

As wireless does ....  it depends on your environment, structures and moisture content in the air ..  so do some testing when it is raining as well.  Your mileage (especially if you are in a truck with your LE) ... as with all wireless will vary ...

I think with the right DIY gear and set up ... 1/2 mile or better would not be unrealistic .. with some commercial off the self stuff .. who knows.  

I will likely build a cantenna this weekend for a point to point distance measure ...

Antenna's with some concentration on them would get much better results ... and I just got rid of my parabolic dish to test with ...  I did notice that I could stomp on the weak cellular signal I have in one area of the house.  

will the guy with the antenna's at the mini come visit me? Tom or JOHN .... sorry I am bad with names ...

I will post more when I can  

I wonder if I took the weed wacker out and knocked a big hole in the center of the magnolia?

seriously, it is going to work fine ..

[blearning]

I tried a $2.00 dipole on the transmitter today, yup the kind that you used to connect old tvs up with You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Radio shack and Amazon are much more expensive then the dollar store.

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if you want to build one out of 300 OHM ribbon cable here is how ...

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but just run down to the dollar store and pick one up ...

it didn't increase the distance much over teh 7DB antenna (maybe a Bit ~20 feet ) but some of the "HOLES"  or weak spots did get filled in with this antenna ..

I place it both vertical and horizontal.  One was better then the other but only noteworthy if you needed it to be.  I would call this site specific differences.

I taped the leads to a 10 foot piece of PVC and stood it in various positions from vertical to horizontal ... marginal differences and only a gain of 20 or 30 feet .... over the 7 DB antenna

this antenna also works great on the ramsey and other transmitters as that is what it was designed for ...

next up a pair of rabbit ears ... now where is that connector  ....

BTW the neighbor caught me driving up and down the street several times and ask what I was doing .... before I could say anything she said "christmas light stuff" 

Yup I said and I held up the LE for her to see ...  she gave me that look .. you likely had seen it she is thinking "and what is that" 

I told her it was a secret and not to tell anyone ... I didn't tell her what it was ... but the lights were flashing and she was happy ...   

[n1ist]

Keep in mind that the wireless is operating on 2.4 GHz.  A standard TV dipole is cut for much lower frequencies.  I'd look at antennas designed for wifi use instead.


Here's a design for a omnidirectional collinear antenna that's reasonably easy to make.  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

/mike

[blearning]

Keep in mind that the wireless is operating on 2.4 GHz.  A standard TV dipole is cut for much lower frequencies.  I'd look at antennas designed for wifi use instead.


Here's a design for a omnidirectional collinear antenna that's reasonably easy to make.  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

/mike

Hey there,

I agree ... But reading the instructions ... wouldn't that be like spoiling the fun?  JK *Smile*