AEON Z-Stick USB GEN5 with External Antenna

[SchattenMann]

Hi,

I’ve been using DomoticZ for RFX and Evohome devices and Vera Lite + UI5 for Z-Wave.
However I really like DomoticZ and Vera is just getting boring so I’m considering moving everything to DomoticZ.

One of my concerns though is Z-Wave range. With Vera I can just DIY an External Antenna which is really useful but I’m not sure if the same can be done with an USB controller.

I’m wondering if anyone have done the same or have an old “faulty” Aeon Z-Stick that can be opened and see how it looks like under the hood.

[maomanna]

If you have AC powered devices, it creates a Mesh network. So if any of these devices are in the range of the Aeon, it forwards the signal.

[SchattenMann]

Thanks maomanna,
I know that but it's always better (quicker) if the devices are within range of the controller

[maomanna]

Maybe you should open the USB, find the antenna and solder some wire to it?

Kinda risky, but we are tweakers

[SchattenMann]

there shouldn't be any solder involved as they *usually* have a SMA connector...
I was just trying to avoid to open a brand new Z-Stick without even knowing how it looks on the inside

[maomanna]

Maybe a 2nd pi as slave device to extend the range?
However, it looks like it does the same as slave/routing devices

[SchattenMann]

Maybe a 2nd pi as slave device to extend the range?
However, it looks like it does the same as slave/routing devices

yeah not really what I as looking for...to be honest this is mostly one of those "because I can" things

[Gravityz]

i have opened it up once.

the antenna is on the PCB(on the backside above the black text)
it covers the complete length of the usb Stick

soldering a connector/wire does not help you since the pcb is already fully exposed with only a plastic casing in between.
also we can expect it to be the exact length for Z-wave (868Mhz)


what might help is an USB extension cable and mount it vertically.
point the backside towards the target z-wave modules.

[SchattenMann]

Hi Gravityz,
Thanks for answering. I suppose you don't have any photos?
I know having the USB on an extension can help but a decent External Antenna can provide much better results.
One can easily get a "bad ass" 868MHz antenna for a few quids http://www.conrad.com/ce/en/product/190 ... A?ref=list

[Gravityz]

Hi,

i obviously do net get notified when someone posts(have to change that.

no photo's but is is where is said it is.

i think if you want an external antenna you first havre to connect a connector to the pcb.
after that take some high end coax to extend the antenna.
since this coacx needs to be very thick to avoid losses is would advise to go for the USB extension cable.
much easier and probably better result.

if it was wifi that would be another story because you can make antenna's which increase the range but with 868Mhz this is not widely used

[nayr]

there is very little reason to attach a half-wave antenna to these frequencies and distances, they propagate very well at the power levels being used.. the onboard quater-wave is more than adequate, and in a mesh environment you'll likely just raise the noise floor with a more sensitive transceiver.

my Z-Stick is on the end of a 32ft active cable, my domoticz server is locked in a cabinet in my basement.. You'll get much better results relocating the transceiver than the antenna.. if I left the Z-stick in the basement and and attached 32ft of coax I'd get a ton of loss and much poorer results, even with a full wave length antenna.

With bidirectional radio communications one side is always the weakest link, it dont matter if you attach a huge antenna and amp to your wifi access point.. your phone dont have any more transmitting capability than it did before, sure it will hold onto a link longer but the range of actual usefull data transmission is pretty much the same as it was before you cranked up the noise into your access point... it only works when its a 1-way broadcast or you crank up the power and sensitivity on both sides... as density increases and you go mesh, your actually better off with weaker links.. all you need to do is talk to your immediate neighbors to find a route, not every device on the network.

Using Wifi as the example, I have 4 dual-band access points spread across my property.. all on lowest power they will let me set, network quality is an order of magnitude better than it was when I ran one or two access points at high power.. now I get 100Mbit internet with any device anywhere on my property, instead of just in my living room and then just a few Mbit everywhere else.. Client devices always know what access point is closest because they all dont appear @ full strength and roaming works perfectly.. battery life on phone and tablets are quite excellent compared to before, they get great speeds at the lowest radio power.

Its worse in a Mesh network, because with a bigger antenna the controller has no good way to figure out how far away neighbors are.. one 10ft away will have the same signal level as one 300ft away so all the magical mesh routing just became pointless.

Antenna design and tuning is a pretty serious engineering exercise, your going to have to be pretty damn good to implement something better than what the engineers built into your Z-Stick.. you have a solution in search of a problem, take the advice given.

[Gravityz]

yes and i like to add that z-wave uses a meshing technology(it communicates through neighbours)

i had a module which was far away and could not be reached.
i had 2 other modules in the house but they were not aware of the module far away.
i took the module which was far away inside the house and the network instantly figured out al the connections to eachother.
after that i moved the module back and have no issues since

i have timeoutes on the network bu this is normal because i now have 3 routes to the module far away and if one of them is slow it will time out.
running for months now.
One word of caution.
If i would use the repair network option it will probably kill some routes.
better have more routes that sometimes are slow then only one.

Module 10 is the one far away.
The others are inside the house

[SchattenMann]

yeah I see the point, thanks for the advise