Help with 433Mhz Antenna Location
Help with 433Mhz Antenna Location
(OP)
Hello,
I have some degree of experience in electronics, buy know very little about RF. I have 2 questions if you experts can help me.
I have on RF transceiver with 10mW output power and this antenna:
htt p://pt.mou ser.com/Se arch/Produ ctDetail.a spx?R=ANT- 433-MHW-SM A-Svirtual key5900000 0virtualke y712-ANT-4 33-MHWSMAS
I have to glue this antenna on a box that have an alumimium frame around and the front is acrylic. The back of the box is aluminium sheet.
My question is: What is the best place to glue the antenna? Is the aluminium ok? (will act like a reflector) or bad? It is better to glue it in the acrylic?
Second question: If the antenna goes inside the box will loose much signal? I read someware that attenuation could reach 30%.
Box is 1,5 meters by 1 meter x 9cm and the aluminium and acrylic are 3mm tick.
Thank you in advance for any help.
Best regards
Joaquim
I have some degree of experience in electronics, buy know very little about RF. I have 2 questions if you experts can help me.
I have on RF transceiver with 10mW output power and this antenna:
htt
I have to glue this antenna on a box that have an alumimium frame around and the front is acrylic. The back of the box is aluminium sheet.
My question is: What is the best place to glue the antenna? Is the aluminium ok? (will act like a reflector) or bad? It is better to glue it in the acrylic?
Second question: If the antenna goes inside the box will loose much signal? I read someware that attenuation could reach 30%.
Box is 1,5 meters by 1 meter x 9cm and the aluminium and acrylic are 3mm tick.
Thank you in advance for any help.
Best regards
Joaquim
RE: Help with 433Mhz Antenna Location
Dipoles (like your selected antenna) will provide a symmetrical cardioid radiation pattern if they're installed in free space, not affected by nearby conductors.
A metal surface approximately one quarter wavelength (about six inches ?) behind the dipole would act as a reflector increasing signal in the opposite direction.
Your box is more than big enought to possibly be arranged into a corner reflector with quite high gain in one direction. This depends on exactly what side is open.
Acrylic is not a bad dielectric as far as I know.
The best choice depends where you want the signal to go. If you're not sure, then mount it high and clear of other metal.
RE: Help with 433Mhz Antenna Location
You should specify what area you want to cover, such as Omni (in which case you chose the wrong antenna) or forward/aft/upwards. Then you can be guided.
If you need to look in a quadrant, you might want to switch to a patch antenna and place it on a metallized surface. Be careful buying one, I just found a Chinese 433 Mhz patch, said 433 Mhz patch antenna right under the picture, specs says operates at 450-470 Mhz ? damn puzzling.