Re: Need some antenna advice (for my CM15A, of course)

["Michael G." <514mike@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Dave,
Thanks again for responding!

Believe it or not, the unit worked WAY better last week.  Now it's just
terrible.  I have a credit card controller right in front of me, and I
am 2 feet from the antenna, yet unless I cup my hand around the
controller, it just won't work.  When I switch housecodes, the
controller registers well with my old Transceivers upstairs, though.

My ActiveHawk PIR sensor is about 6 feet away, and it works
sporadically.   Another Active Eye is in the room next to this one, and
it seems to register only 50% of the time.

Too weird.

It isn't much better than the original antenna at all.  It was last
week.  Maybe it is all about position.  Last week, it was "okay",
meaning the 16-in-1 palmpads worked fine throughout all 3 stories of my
house, but the thin controllers worked in 75% of places.  Not now,
though.

For the phasing, I used that 8 or so inches (I forget) of the RG62, 93
Ohm Cable.  The one you recommend.  That is the same cable that I use
from the unit to the antenna.  I used BNC Connectors, but they may not
be the ultimate match in terms of Ohms, though.

The cable does come out of the connectors very easily.  Although I have
a great crimping tool for RJ6 Coax, these were all about trial and
error.  What a messy project.

I wonder if the connection between the stock while antenna cable and my
connector has anything to do with the problem.  It seems like the
connector is hanging by a thread.

I did a test today, using a continuity tester.  I made sure that each
pair of the screws on the antenna is indeed making contact with the
CM15A.  Indeed, it is.  (That was a little disappointing, because I was
hoping that would solve my problem).

I wonder if part of the problem is simply where I have this antenna
located.  I am in the basement, and it's right behind this massive
22" CRT I am using to type this letter.  My two other transceivers
are on my main level of the house, and those work with EVERY palmpad,
active eye, eagle eye, and thin controller, anywhere and everywhere.

I think I will have to somehow move this large antenna onto my main
level, and straighten out the circles that look like warped eggplants
now.

I was hoping that I'd be okay with like this, in the basement.

I was wondering - If I wanted to run this antenna up to the next
floor of my house, I will certainly need a longer cable.

Was I correct in using RG62/U for the main wire, too?  I do have 100"
of RG6 cable here.  Could I make an extension from one to the other?

This is quite strange...!

MG