Transmitter antenna

[Flying Eye]

Hi All,

I'm wondering, which direction would that 1080 and 1081 PCB antenna favour for strongest signal transmission.

As it's a flat strip on the PCB does it do it's best work from it's thin edges or from the side of the LED or the opposite side to the led?

I guess it's a rectangular loop, but I don't know which is the best direction for a loop to radiate out to!

[AllyCat]

Hi,

Most antennae of this type are either "omnidirectional" (e.g. from a vertical "rod") or "figure of eight". So the maximum radiation (i.e. for best range) might be from the front and back, or maybe from both edges (the "symmetry" of the antenna is often a clue). In general, the width/thickness of the track is not very significant.

However, a loop could be considered as a "folded dipole" (which radiates from its "faces" or as a (magnetic) loop antenna (which generally radiates along its plane). Also, bear in mind that FO sell models using three different frequencies so the antenna may well not be "optimised" anyway. In practice the antenna might be moderately omnidirectional, but if not the directionality is difficult to predict.

I had intended to measure the radiation pattern of my units by placing the transmitter (and maybe later the receiver) on a very slowly rotating turntable (hours per revolution) and noting when the signal failed. But with a range of up to 50 metres (my maximum range from end of garden to front of house) my 1081 hardly ever lost contact, so I had to abandon the tests !

However, a 3080 which I installed for a friend did not appear to have as good range (maybe 10 metres) but it's difficult to say if this is a fundamental design flaw or just the general variability of mass production (particularly with FO's apparently rather limited quality control).

So provided that you check for "external" adverse infuences (interference, etc.) then I think it's reasonable to consider that your unit is "faulty".

Cheers, Alan.

[The QCC]

Have the front face of the FO transmitter facing toward the console.

Do not expect to get the 100m stated in the documentation.
Every wall the signal goes though will likely reduce the distance by almost hallf.

I managed three walls at 20m, but lost contact at 23m.

Carl

[goldrush]

As Carl says you are unlikely to get the stated range.
I have tried 3 different FO systems in wide open ground... at least a mile in all directions, and the best I achieved was 60 metres

Wall construction will also make a big difference... I live in a "wee hoosie" with yard thick granite stone walls and the maximum range I can get with 1 wall between the transmitter and reciever is 12 metres.. unless I stick the receiver in the window...

[Flying Eye]

Have the front face of the FO transmitter facing toward the console.
Carl

Thanks.

In what you say above, the front being the one with the led and cable sockets? I just want to make certain that I correctly understand which direction you are saying offers the strongest output. I've probably got mine backwards if that is the case! Since installing it, it has spent much of it's time sideways (thin edge) on, so that probably won't have helped the reliability very much.

Since having set it backwards, the reliability has been noted to be significantly greater, and while there have been 3 "lost contacts" since then, it has automatically recovered inside 10 seconds each time, assuming the error messages are 10 seconds apart, but I can't tell anymore as I'm thankfully only getting single incidents now!

Of those 3 instances, I have reason to suspect the last one could have a very local source of interference which I was lucky enough to witness. I'm seriously narrowing down the best way to set this up and also discovered some of the worst ways in my particular location.

Assuming it is interference then as long as it stays at 1-3 10 second drop outs spread fairly evenly across 24 hours then that's at least workable. The first time it ever lost contact nothing but a power down of the console would work! I went through that on what quite soon became an almost daily basis.

Definite, improvements then!

[AllyCat]

Hi Ian,

The transmitter ONLY transmits a data packet once every 48 seconds and AFAIK the receiver only reports a "lost contact" if about 6 - 8 consecutive messages are not received. The 10 second interval is between each request by Cumulus of data from the receiver/logger. So you might have a problem with the USB interface.

Also beware that the units for use on the North American continent (should) use a different radio frequency so may behave differently.

Cheers, Alan.

[The QCC]

Ian:

The back of the transmitter has the two RJ12 jacks. The front has the logo.

How long is your USB cable? If it is close to 5m, does it have a ferrite core on one or both ends?
Note: USB cables with ferrite cores are a bit more expensive than standard cables, but they do reduce the amount of interference picked up by long cables.

If it is close to 5m, you should seriously think about replacing it with an active USB extension cable. The price of the active USB cables has dropped considerably and you can pick one up for about $5,00-$10,00 on Amazon.

Carl

[Flying Eye]

Ian:

The back of the transmitter has the two RJ12 jacks. The front has the logo.

How long is your USB cable? If it is close to 5m, does it have a ferrite core on one or both ends?
Note: USB cables with ferrite cores are a bit more expensive than standard cables, but they do reduce the amount of interference picked up by long cables.

If it is close to 5m, you should seriously think about replacing it with an active USB extension cable. The price of the active USB cables has dropped considerably and you can pick one up for about $5,00-$10,00 on Amazon.

Carl

Oh, that's odd, my transmitter has no logo, just the led aperture/vent and the two sensor sockets. Only other feature on that side is the lump in the case (lower half protrudes) I suppose.

USB cable is about 80cm, it's the one that came with it. That is all I am using in this case. I keep USB extensions to 3M or less. Then most cables that come with various bits of kit never go over the limit, doing it that way they just get close at the very worst.

Thanks for the advice though. I use "Amazon Basics" cables and find them pretty good. They tend to use dollar=pound conversion here so that makes them a little heavy on price, but it's not quite a deal breaker.

[Charlie]

To be more specific, the front or back can face towards the console.
It's the side that will have the minimum radiated power.
The top and bottom are bad too.

[Flying Eye]

To be more specific, the front or back can face towards the console.
It's the side that will have the minimum radiated power.
The top and bottom are bad too.

Thanks Charlie, that feels nice and intuitive. I see it as wide is good, thin is not so good! This seems to fit having looked over the photos of the insides posted elsewhere on the forum.

Initially I had the antenna edge on, and got poor performance of course, since then I have made it "wide side" facing, and I got significantly better performance. It's good to know that change is probably what made the difference.

I'm feeling fairly confident now that any poor performance I am seeing is probably going to be due to interference and for this site that isn't too surprising. Since changing the orientation I now get errors that only come in ones and recover on the next cycle. Before they would come in gangs and never recover. Maybe see 3 a day now at most. Sometimes I dare say there will be none. Will have to wait and see really.

I probably got this about as good as it will get now, short of an antenna mod, and I'm not yet 100% confident in my ability to make that one. I'll live with it for now.

One thing worth noting is that I am now not so sure this really is a loop as the ends are in no way connected, it's more what I would call, in my non tech newbie way, a bent dipole I suspect.

[Mike60UK]

If You want to see inside antenna.
Sensor are from WS-2080 / 868MHz.

Mike

[artex_thewild]

Hi there I wasnt sure which spot to post this into, but i have an Easyweather Version 6.1 wireless weather station, and im having trouble getting the out door information, like the temperature and humidity and wind speeds, its showing me all the indoor info but nothing for out doors. I have also changed all batteries numerous times to no avail, If any one has any ideas id love to hear from you.

[AllyCat]

Hi,

It's usually best to start a new thread (which Steve may/can move if it's not in the correct section), I believe the OP of this particular thread eventually decided that his station was faulty and returned it for a refund.

AFAIK, easyweather is (only) the name of of the PC software which is used with various versions of hardware manufactured by Fine Offset. The hardware model number may (or may not) help us to help you. Otherwise, whether it has a touchscreen and/or solar charging and/or solar data (Lux,UV) and particularly which Country you are located in may help.

Getting the receiver (console) synchronised to the transmitter (outdoor unit) can be tricky. You should start with them close together, initially follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully and insert (and re-insert) both sets of batteries at (about) the same time. If this doesn't work we may be able to lead you through other checks to ultimately decide if your station is faulty (which is not unknown with these FO stations).

Cheers, Alan.

[AllyCat]

If You want to see inside antenna.
Sensor are from WS-2080 / 868MHz.

Thanks Mike,

That's interesting, quite different from the 1080/1081 434 MHz versions. It's probably worth posting or linking these pictures in this dedicated sticky thread.

Presumably the black wires go to the RC Clock antenna, is the red wire a "factory modification" (perhaps related to solar charging)?

Cheers, Alan.

[apenwith]

Hi
I think the positioning of the receiving antenna may be an issue - it's a short length of red wire which I guess should be as near vertical as it can be inside the case. I replaced mine with an external (roughly) 125mm whip antenna and that did improve things though I had to move the transmitter close to the house because a neighbour has a similar station which caused many dropouts.
Regards
Alan