Long Range Yagi PCB Antenna on Everspring SM103 door switch

Community Playground General Discussions
#1

Added a SM103 switch to my mailbox, but could not get the signal to reach the house. Added Z-wave repeaters everywhere I could, but still no signal.

So I tried this Antenna;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/900-MHz-3-element-PCB-Yagi-Antenna-/301772621456?hash=item46430cc690:g:JGwAAOxyHIlTWrVm

And it works…

#2

Gets me wondering what happens when you add a wire to the antenna and move the antenna closer?

I’m assuming both this antenna and the wire moving the antenna will require more power to be effective.

Also if you beef up the antenna on one side (the device) can VERA’s side even send signals that far back? usually you need an equal antenna on both ends to both receive and transmit at a long range.

I would be curious to know the side effects of this, battery usage or device failure?

#3

What would Vera communicate back to a door switch ??

I thought this was one way, from door sensor to Vera…

A Yagi is just very very directional antenna, so all the radiated energy is transmitted in one direction. It should not use more energy, that is a function of the circuit design.

#4

What would Vera communicate back to a door switch ??

I thought this was one way, from door sensor to Vera…[/quote]

Should be polling and such. I know in vera you would get errors if the device was out of range and vera couldn’t reach it.

#5

What would Vera communicate back to a door switch ??

I thought this was one way, from door sensor to Vera…[/quote]

Should be polling and such. I know in vera you would get errors if the device was out of range and vera couldn’t reach it.[/quote]

OH, yes polling was working with all the antenna designs I tried. I just could not get it to trip Vera as a Armed Door Switch with any other antenna.

#6

Z-Wave communication is 2 way. Vera will send poll commands to the device in regular intervals to see if it’s still alive and well. The device not just yells at Vera when it wants to tell her something. :wink: It does expect Vera to tell it ‘OK, thank you’ when it does.

I’m not that worried about Vera’s antenna capability. Firstly she is mains powered and a such has a stronger signal then a battery powered device. Secondly there is the Vera external ‘rubber ducky’ antenna mod to increase the signal strength.

I don’t think the Yagi puts more power requirements on the sensor. It’s just provides a greater antenna area and thus makes the antenna more sensitive to signals. The standard sensor antenna is what it is mostly due to space constraints I believe.

I didn’t know about these Yagi’s but will keep it in mind as I am still contemplating putting a sensor in my mailbox and that antenna may be the difference between it working or not working.

#7

[quote=“BOFH, post:6, topic:190833”]Z-Wave communication is 2 way. Vera will send poll commands to the device in regular intervals to see if it’s still alive and well. The device not just yells at Vera when it wants to tell her something. :wink: It does expect Vera to tell it ‘OK, thank you’ when it does.

I’m not that worried about Vera’s antenna capability. Firstly she is mains powered and a such has a stronger signal then a battery powered device. Secondly there is the Vera external ‘rubber ducky’ antenna mod to increase the signal strength.

I don’t think the Yagi puts more power requirements on the sensor. It’s just provides a greater antenna area and thus makes the antenna more sensitive to signals. The standard sensor antenna is what it is mostly due to space constraints I believe.

I didn’t know about these Yagi’s but will keep it in mind as I am still contemplating putting a sensor in my mailbox and that antenna may be the difference between it working or not working.[/quote]

Thanks for your info.

What about a 6-10inch wire between this antenna and the sensor? Maybe mounting the sensor inside or out of the way and mounting this outside on the back of the box?

#8

Antenna gain is gain both ways: a Yagi has better performance (both Rx and Tx) in the direction that it is pointing (and worse in other directions), so it should improve both directions :grinning:

#9

Adding an antenna feeder will cause losses and you will lose some of the net gain in the overall link. Whether the Yagi plus feeder works is probably worth a bit of trial and error, but at 900mhz the losses may exceed the gains.

#10

[quote=“integlikewhoa, post:7, topic:190833”][quote=“BOFH, post:6, topic:190833”]Z-Wave communication is 2 way. Vera will send poll commands to the device in regular intervals to see if it’s still alive and well. The device not just yells at Vera when it wants to tell her something. :wink: It does expect Vera to tell it ‘OK, thank you’ when it does.

I’m not that worried about Vera’s antenna capability. Firstly she is mains powered and a such has a stronger signal then a battery powered device. Secondly there is the Vera external ‘rubber ducky’ antenna mod to increase the signal strength.

I don’t think the Yagi puts more power requirements on the sensor. It’s just provides a greater antenna area and thus makes the antenna more sensitive to signals. The standard sensor antenna is what it is mostly due to space constraints I believe.

I didn’t know about these Yagi’s but will keep it in mind as I am still contemplating putting a sensor in my mailbox and that antenna may be the difference between it working or not working.[/quote]

Thanks for your info.

What about a 6-10inch wire between this antenna and the sensor? Maybe mounting the sensor inside or out of the way and mounting this outside on the back of the box?[/quote]

I mounted the sensor with antenna painted black under the mailbox, aimed at the front door. It is not noticeable