An Ariel question for Electronics Geeks ?

[macabethiel]

I have a remote controlled Garage Door and the receiver has a short 6 inch wire that protrudes out of the Gizmo Box that is the aerial. The box is screwed on a sidewall near the side exit

It's been fine over the years but last year when we had our replacement conservatory built it did not want to work from inside the house anymore due to the later spec double glazing. It's not the battery as its good and both our remotes are the same when used in the house. If I open a small window it's fine.

Yesterday I thought I would extend the Aerial with a metre long bit of wire but it's made it worse so have disconnected that now.

Clearly it's something to do with the Impedance or some such thing that I do not understand. I wonder if there is an easy way to extend the Aerial to make it work better ?

[Banshee]

I have a remote controlled Garage Door and the receiver has a short 6 inch wire that protrudes out of the Gizmo Box that is the aerial. The box is screwed on a sidewall near the side exit

It's been fine over the years but last year when we had our replacement conservatory built it did not want to work from inside the house anymore due to the later spec double glazing. It's not the battery as its good and both our remotes are the same when used in the house. If I open a small window it's fine.

Yesterday I thought I would extend the Aerial with a metre long bit of wire but it's made it worse so have disconnected that now.

Clearly it's something to do with the Impedance or some such thing that I do not understand. I wonder if there is an easy way to extend the Aerial to make it work better ?

If you fancy a DIY option I can send you instructions of how to make a Parabolic Reflector from a cheap Ikea lamp :nenau

[macabethiel]

If you fancy a DIY option I can send you instructions of how to make a Parabolic Reflector from a cheap Ikea lamp :nenau

Don't think the wife will approve of a home made satellite dish in our Conservatory even if it worked. lol

I thought a Wi Fi extender would do it but Frequency / Gain ?? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12DBI-WiFi-Magnetic-Base-Omni-Antenna-Aerial-SMA-2-4GHz-/252230038641?hash=item3aba14f471:g:C0oAAOSwNyFWgiw j

[solarman216]

It is more to do with wave length, it would be better to extend the Ariel with screened coax to a more receptive position with the middle wire exposed by exactly the same length as the original, failing that you could double the existing length which may improve reception or even quadruple it, I am guessing that the current Arial is quarter wave so doubling it makes it half wave, quad = full wave, Rick

[jims-terrano]

Thank Pilkington for inventing K glass, other manufacturers too but it's building regs now too to use this glass. It's got a thin metalic coating to reflect heat. Sadly it also reflects radio energy too which is why you open the window and it works.
The short length of wire is cut to the frequency or wave length being used which is probably 433mhz. So extending it will of upset it.

Two things to try

Firstly and easiest is simply touch the remote to your head whilst pressing the button. Sounds stupid but it was on top gear with car remotes, god knows how but it does extend the range and of course I had to try it and yes it does.

Secondly, can you get some tape or blue tack. Get the short aerial wire and make it horizontal, you could even use somekind of none metalic stiffener. Make one of the long sides face the conservatory. This may effect the distance of the remotes from other directions though.

Try them and let me know how you get on.

[jims-terrano]

Don't think the wife will approve of a home made satellite dish in our Conservatory even if it worked. lol

I thought a Wi Fi extender would do it but Frequency / Gain ?? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12DBI-WiFi-Magnetic-Base-Omni-Antenna-Aerial-SMA-2-4GHz-/252230038641?hash=item3aba14f471:g:C0oAAOSwNyFWgiw j

Chances are this will be the wrong frequency as it's 2.4Ghz.

[macabethiel]

Thank Pilkington for inventing K glass, other manufacturers too but it's building regs now too to use this glass. It's got a thin metalic coating to reflect heat. Sadly it also reflects radio energy too which is why you open the window and it works.
The short length of wire is cut to the frequency or wave length being used which is probably 433mhz. So extending it will of upset it.

Two things to try

Firstly and easiest is simply touch the remote to your head whilst pressing the button. Sounds stupid but it was on top gear with car remotes, god knows how but it does extend the range and of course I had to try it and yes it does.

Secondly, can you get some tape or blue tack. Get the short aerial wire and make it horizontal, you could even use somekind of none metalic stiffener. Make one of the long sides face the conservatory. This may effect the distance of the remotes from other directions though.

Try them and let me know how you get on.

I tried the suicide look and held the remote to my head...............can't believe it works !!

[jims-terrano]

I tried the suicide look and held the remote to my head...............can't believe it works !!

Cheapest and easiest solution :thumbs

Now we need uncle rustic to tell us how it works:nenau

Glad you're sorted.

[rustic]

Cheapest and easiest solution :thumbs

Now we need uncle rustic to tell us how it works:nenau

Glad you're sorted.

Hi Jim, sorry for the late reply, just been out side, checking the best preformance from different body cavities, neighbours nearly called the police though, :lol but head works, so does holding it against your chest, or somebody elses's chest :naughty

The body acts as a resonance chamber and tends to amplify the signal.

The body is quite conductive.
It might work with a tin lid behind it.
Uncle Rustic

[rustic]

You could try extending the aerial by 1/4 wavelength, so add around 17 cms to the aerial, this may not be the same length of your current aerial, due to other circuitry on the circuit board.

You might want to try a bit more, cutting a few mm off at a time lol then it will start to get worse again, so make notes of length vs performance.

:thumb2

[Monaro Pete]

Would it help of he wrapped also wrapped the wire around a ferrite :nenau

After all, AM radios all had one.

[solarman216]

Think wrapping a wire round a Ferret is a bit strong, and think Clive might object, :rolleyes: Rick

[rustic]

Would it help of he wrapped also wrapped the wire around a ferrite :nenau

After all, AM radios all had one.

The ferrite has the effect of attenuating ie reducing rf signals, at high frequencies, the old ferrite aerial only worked for low frequencies, like short, medium and long wave.

[terranosaurusdoug]

Think wrapping a wire round a Ferret is a bit strong, and think Clive might object, :rolleyes: Rick

:lol:lol:thumbs

[jims-terrano]

Far easier to touch the zapper on ya head and not worry.