Garage mote help

[Memnon]

I just installed the garage mote with raspberry pi and 2 x RFM69HW 433mhz. All is working fine at the test bench. But when i place one of the mote in the garage. I only get RSSI  ACK once every 5 times or so when I push the button "garage is" and when it does ack. The rssi is at 75. The garage is 120m from my house where my pi is placed in the second floor. Why does this happen. Is there something can change to get more stable connection.

I have enabled high power mode and choosen 433 mhz.

[luisr320]

I had a similar problem until I planted my full pinned Gateway Moteino on a small breadboard. For some reason, if it was on its own, I only got a reliably ACK link every 5 times. Not sure why but, hey, now its working just fine.

[Felix]

RSSI -75 is quite strong signal. If everything is right on the software side,  would check your install and try to have antennas perpendicular to the GND plane and parallel to each other. Not really sure what else to suggest.

[Memnon]

RSSI -75 is quite strong signal. If everything is right on the software side,  would check your install and try to have antennas perpendicular to the GND plane and parallel to each other. Not really sure what else to suggest.

The software is stock from your github, just changed to highpower and 433 mhz. The antennas and boards are installed just as you describe here. Yesterday i solder on a sma and added a 433mhz dipole antenna, with no luck. The same result. Not sure why i get this random good signal? How does a signal amplifier do with moteinos?

http://www.alternet.us.com/?p=1340

[Felix]

Do you have any 3rd Moteino to try on the sender side?
A possibility is to use a repeater Moteino somewhere in the middle...
I have not used signal amplifiers, maybe someone else has?

[Memnon]

Do you have any 3rd Moteino to try on the sender side?
A possibility is to use a repeater Moteino somewhere in the middle...
I have not used signal amplifiers, maybe someone else has?

I only have 2 at the moment, but 2 more is on its way.  So i will try when I get them.

[KanyonKris]

Before trying an amplifier I'd try a directional antenna - put it on the Moteino out at the garage (leaves the base station Raspberry Pi Moteino omni directional in case you add more remote Moteinos). As per the principle of reciprocity, the directional antenna focuses the transmitted radio energy toward the base station AND increases the received signal strength at the garage Moteino, whereas an amplifier will only increase transmit power.

This Moxon Rectangle antenna is simple, small and has 5.75 dBi gain for $35.

This 5 element yagi should get 9 dBi for $70.

These are just samples, search the web for more.