Any Electronics Wizards on here please ?

Hi All,

Rather off topic, but perhaps we have an electronics wizard on the zone who could assist ......

Essentially we have some "home automation" in the form of a BFT Clonix II unit, which controls outside lights from a 433MHz radio control "plipper".

The 1/8th wave external aerial had stopped working, so a new one is required ..... which leads to the problem - where do I connect the ground (screen) of the new aerial to?( I have actually bought a full wave antenna to boost the range )

Picture show the aerial signal connection highlighted in red .... I'm presuming the rest of the "auxilliary" PCB forms some sort of ground plane ... but don't know enough about it to comment further.

Any ideas ? Thanks in advance.

Can't answer the question but don't buy a P38 as you'll be wondering why the battery keeps going flat!

I'd ask in Anything Goes.

Disco1BFG said:

Hi All,

Rather off topic, but perhaps we have an electronics wizard on the zone who could assist ......

Essentially we have some "home automation" in the form of a BFT Clonix II unit, which controls outside lights from a 433MHz radio control "plipper".

The 1/8th wave external aerial had stopped working, so a new one is required ..... which leads to the problem - where do I connect the ground (screen) of the new aerial to?( I have actually bought a full wave antenna to boost the range )

Picture show the aerial signal connection highlighted in red .... I'm presuming the rest of the "auxilliary" PCB forms some sort of ground plane ... but don't know enough about it to comment further.

Any ideas ? Thanks in advance.

View attachment 164398 View attachment 164399

Click to expand...

Don't know that system what was the original aerial, was it just a length of wire or a proper aerial with a connector on ii?

Disco1BFG said:

Hi All,

Rather off topic, but perhaps we have an electronics wizard on the zone who could assist ......

Essentially we have some "home automation" in the form of a BFT Clonix II unit, which controls outside lights from a 433MHz radio control "plipper".

The 1/8th wave external aerial had stopped working, so a new one is required ..... which leads to the problem - where do I connect the ground (screen) of the new aerial to?( I have actually bought a full wave antenna to boost the range )

Picture show the aerial signal connection highlighted in red .... I'm presuming the rest of the "auxilliary" PCB forms some sort of ground plane ... but don't know enough about it to comment further.

Any ideas ? Thanks in advance.

View attachment 164398 View attachment 164399

Click to expand...

Hi @Disco1BFG

Is this any help to u

Looking at the pic REF A shows the aerial

Also enclosed the link as when u press on the pics it displays manuals


https://bftgateopeners.com/store/bft-clonix-e-2048-codes-d113674-00003.html

https://bftgateopeners.com/store/media/pdfs/bft-clonix-e-receiver-manual.pdf

Ref

x receiver provided with a container suitable for external installation.
2) INSTALLATION
1) Proceed to connecting the receiver with reference to the indications in Fig. 1.
2) Remove caps "T" (Fig. 1) and secure the receiver using the most suitable system for the type of installation. Reposition the caps.
Note: The CLONIX E receivers are already provided with a receiver antenna (Fig. 1 “A”).
For any further information, refer to the instruction manual for Clonix.

https://bftgateopeners.com/store/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=1&q=BFT+Clonix+II+unit+Clo128

Other links

http://www.bftautomationuk.com/

https://www.bft-automation.com/en_INT/

http://manuals.easygates.co.uk/PDF/bft/Clonix2Eng09-08.pdf

Kwakerman said:

Don't know that system what was the original aerial, was it just a length of wire or a proper aerial with a connector on ii?

Click to expand...

Original aerial was an 1/8th wave piece of copper wire, as shown here:-


At installation, I connected a BFT aerial signal conductor to the inbuilt, and it worked for several years. The weather has now claimed that aerial, so I'm hoping to convert it to a proper aerial to increase range .... and probably reliability.... I've bought this:-

https://www.rfsolutions.co.uk/antennas-c8/rugged-wall-mounting-gain-antenna-433mhz-sma-m-p145

But it doesn't work, when connected in the same way as above....

Thanks

gstuart said:

Other links

http://manuals.easygates.co.uk/PDF/bft/Clonix2Eng09-08.pdf

Click to expand...

Thanks for the links - The one above is the most useful in that it mentions adding an external antenna .....BUT ... doesn't tell "one" where to connect it

If only I could speak Italian !! ( cue for a song ) .... Of course we do have a member or two in Italy .... so I might see if they could assist!

Disco1BFG said:

Original aerial was an 1/8th wave piece of copper wire, as shown here:-
View attachment 164479

At installation, I connected a BFT aerial signal conductor to the inbuilt, and it worked for several years. The weather has now claimed that aerial, so I'm hoping to convert it to a proper aerial to increase range .... and probably reliability.... I've bought this:-

https://www.rfsolutions.co.uk/antennas-c8/rugged-wall-mounting-gain-antenna-433mhz-sma-m-p145

But it doesn't work, when connected in the same way as above....

Thanks

Click to expand...

This sort of stuff (antenna matching) can actually get fairly complex when you get into the nitty gritty stuff. What sort of antenna mount do you have as that would form the ground plane rather than the pcb? I assume you have a coax cable with a sma connector at one end (to mate with the antenna) and the other with two flyleads (inner conductor and screen)?

Disco1BFG said:

Thanks for the links - The one above is the most useful in that it mentions adding an external antenna .....BUT ... doesn't tell "one" where to connect it

If only I could speak Italian !! ( cue for a song ) .... Of course we do have a member or two in Italy .... so I might see if they could assist!

Click to expand...

Ur very welcome mate , sorry I couldn’t find anything else , fingers crossed someone will be along that knows

Kwakerman said:

This sort of stuff (antenna matching) can actually get fairly complex when you get into the nitty gritty stuff.

Click to expand...

I'm beginning to see that ( wish I'd just bought a new clonix 2 )

Kwakerman said:

What sort of antenna mount do you have as that would form the ground plane rather than the pcb?

Click to expand...

Er.... tis just fastened to the fence near the electrical cabinet containing all the relays which the clonix drives ..... I'll take a picture

Kwakerman said:

I assume you have a coax cable with a sma connector at one end (to mate with the antenna) and the other with two flyleads (inner conductor and screen)?

Click to expand...

Exactamundo .... and it is the connection of the screen which is the issue beyond my simple understanding - I do wonder if the other obvious "hole" in the PCB is usable as a screen connector .... or maybe just ground it ? .... but the pcb doesn't have an obvious GND connection...

@Kwakerman - with apologies for the rubbish grainy photo ...

Not sure if this helps ... but the "white" box is where the latching relays and PSU live, and the clonix lives externally....

Disco1BFG said:

@Kwakerman - with apologies for the rubbish grainy photo ...

Not sure if this helps ... but the "white" box is where the latching relays and PSU live, and the clonix lives externally....

View attachment 164506

Click to expand...

Tech blurb on the aerial website says 'ground plane independent' so that shouldn't cause an issue with the mounting. Looking at this from a distance (and all the usual caveat stuff) I would think you are correct in assuming you just need to identify suitable connection points on the pcb. Obviously the coax inner will go where the original wire was so just the screen to sort. What actually powers this kit is it mains powered or from a plug in psu? Generally the power supply negative would form the ground connection and is generally (but not always) the biggest area of copper on the pcb. If one of those screw terminals is a negative or ground connector and you have a good multimeter then it may be worth doing a continuity test between the terminal and any large expanse of copper near to the antenna connection point (power off obviously). If you can find a suitable area then try connecting to there. You want to keep the fly leads as short as reasonably practicable hence looking for the copper. area near the antenna connection point.

Edit: Ah just looked at picture 24 VAC supply or 12VDC in which case I would suspect you need the -ve terminal

Disco1BFG said:

Thanks for the links - The one above is the most useful in that it mentions adding an external antenna .....BUT ... doesn't tell "one" where to connect it

If only I could speak Italian !! ( cue for a song ) .... Of course we do have a member or two in Italy .... so I might see if they could assist!

Click to expand...

Have you tried google translate app on your phone? Just hover over text and it translates reasonably well when I tried it (Swedish)

Looking at the pcb I would expect this area to be a ground

Kwakerman said:

Looking at the pcb I would expect this area to be a ground

Click to expand...

Ah! Thank You Very Much @Kwakerman - I have glued it all together and....... it only bl@@dy works !!!!! Thanks again

(The area you identified is actually linked to the connection I have labelled "-VE" on the pic below.... )



Also, by coincidence had an email from a certain company in a certain country telling me that it couldn't be done:-

Viz:- "the CL@NIX 2E already has integrated aerial in the original. But there is no option you could install the aerial as there is no such output." ( there was more, but it made even less sense )

Damn good job they didn't tell me that before it was working ..... .....

( though I guess if it lets all the smoke out .... it won't be their fault )

Disco1BFG said:

Ah! Thank You Very Much @Kwakerman - I have glued it all together and....... it only bl@@dy works !!!!! Thanks again

(The area you identified is actually linked to the connection I have labelled "-VE" on the pic below.... )

View attachment 164595

Also, by coincidence had an email from a certain company in a certain country telling me that it couldn't be done:-

Viz:- "the CL@NIX 2E already has integrated aerial in the original. But there is no option you could install the aerial as there is no such output." ( there was more, but it made even less sense )

Damn good job they didn't tell me that before it was working ..... .....

( though I guess if it lets all the smoke out .... it won't be their fault )

Click to expand...

Glad to hear it is working, curious they used the term 'no such output' when it is actually a receiver we are talking about so it would be an input. Probably just covering their rear in case it blows up and takes out the local primary school or causes a tsunami or some such drivel

Kwakerman said:

Glad to hear it is working, curious they used the term 'no such output' when it is actually a receiver we are talking about so it would be an input. Probably just covering their rear in case it blows up and takes out the local primary school or causes a tsunami or some such drivel

Click to expand...

Agreed. Outputs / inputs - all the same to them - and I thought my electronics knowledge was poor

Tis a funny old world ..... now

Thanks Again