External antenna AMST-606 window/door sensor

Forum about Click On Click Off (KAKU), Home Easy and related hardware.
Post Reply
vincenttor
Member
Member
Posts: 344
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:45 pm
Location: Netherlands

External antenna AMST-606 window/door sensor

Post by vincenttor »

Well, i found out the hard way that these sensors are not the best to use.
But for the people that already have these, i have changed the antenna to a external one to make the reach/distance a little bit better.
I know it is against the rules in some country's but i still wanted to share.

If you want to open up the sensor, beneat the sticker on the bottom or backside of the sensor is a small screw.
Dont forget to unscrew and if all goes ok you will see the following pcb.

as you can see on the picture on the pcb trace i used something sharp like a screw driver or something (watch out you don't hit other components).

Image

Image

The antenna length for this frequency would be 16.4 Cm long, i used this website to calculate it. (http://www.csgnetwork.com/antennaevcalc.html)
Image

upper right corner
Image

Image


There is improvement in the signal, i forgot to check the strength in the devices list but when i was in the garage, about 15 meters away from the RFXcom that has to look trough 3/4 walls i managed to get a reading when looking on te log file by teamviewer.
At some places in the garage there is to much interference i think but when i went to the windows/doors were they would be mounted i got everytime a reading if not opening and closing to fast (rapid every second)
Then i walked up front , thats less difficult actually from where the RFX is located, just 1 wall/windows to go trough but the distance is about 25/30 meters.
123unlock
Member
Member
Posts: 86
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 3:08 pm
Location: Apeldoorn / Netherlands
Contact:

Re: External antenna AMST-606 window/door sensor

Post by 123unlock »

haha, yes this will work fine :) i did the same for my mailbox sensor.. already had it open to extend the reed switch with some cable to fit in the mailbox the signal at the frontdoor was "poor" there so made the antenna 16.3cm as you already have 0.1cm from the last filter component on the PCB :) but in reallife you should not see any spectacular differnce with the 1mm :)
Xtrusion Digital Home Automation Project
vincenttor
Member
Member
Posts: 344
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:45 pm
Location: Netherlands

Re: External antenna AMST-606 window/door sensor

Post by vincenttor »

Well i have still some signals not being detected.
Maybe the distance is a bit to big for this sensor even with the external antennas.

Don't get me wrong , the wireless equipment is great and saves allot of money and time, well money im not sure about.
But we do not have good experiences with low power RF devices.
For example the Oregon anemometer we are using that is located on a antenna tower (10 Meters high) and the original base station WMR200 had problems receiving it, as well as the RFXcom im using now.
The rain sensor seems ok and temp/humid.
Maybe the distances are to big and i expect to much from it but i am going to wire the mailbox and gate.
raymonvdm
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 1153
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2011 1:23 am

Re: External antenna AMST-606 window/door sensor

Post by raymonvdm »

I also did this on my sensor and it seems to help but sometimes it still misses a signal. However i can live with this because i`m only using it as a door open/close sensor on a less important door. For other doors i use a Z-Wave network
Running HS3PRO on PC with Z-Wave / OpenTherm / Plugwise / RFXcom / MQTT / XAP400 / Logitech Media Server and Squeezelite on PI`s
vincenttor
Member
Member
Posts: 344
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:45 pm
Location: Netherlands

Re: External antenna AMST-606 window/door sensor

Post by vincenttor »

Well, i have been looking at Zwave, and the fact is that i don't want to spend more money on sensors that also mis allot of pulses, or well that the signal is not being received and no detection is there.
Also the Zwave cost bit more so if i have it and its not working as good as i hoped i have another "useless" sensor.
But thanks for the tip
Post Reply

Return to “Click On Click Off & Home Easy”