I have a flow meter that is already installed in a box no more than 6" below ground level. It keeps periodically losing signal and disconnecting from the controller. It’s about 70’ away but it’s down a hill slightly so I think it’s having a hard time seeing the controller signal over embankment.
I really don’t want to pull it out of the box and re-plum the irrigation line. Anyone have any suggestions how I could get 5-10dB boost on the signal hacking the unit or adding a small antenna? Because the unit is in the box I’m tempted to remove it and try to take it apart and somehow tap into the antenna and install one outside of the box.
Thanks for the info, not sure how I missed this thread! I tried the wire taped to the face of the unit and no dice…now my other controller that was fine has lost connectivity once I placed the lid on the box. This is really disappointing. Now I have two paperweights in my vineyard until I can try to find an antenna based solution. Really bummed out. I’ll try the cantenna but I’m not hopeful. Can your engineers at least recommend an aftermarket product that I can try? I’m willing to spend a bit more to get these to work, I just can’t remove them from the irrigation system now that they are in.
This topic has been interesting. I was getting close to finding the material to build an antenna, but I may have accidentally stumbled on a possible solution for my flow meter being in ground.
my flow meter 1st installed signal was so so. after an incident, mud filled to just under the flow meter.
it’s been nothing but hell with battery life, signal strength being -10, for the past 6-8 months
From the fequency I found in this topic around 900Mhz, the wavelength appears to be about 13 inches. I excavated the dirt mud under the flow meter about 5 inches, to make rotating the flow meter for battery change easier, to my surprise signal strength has jumped up . the lowest value now is -1. most of the time it is n/a signal.
Does the flow meter need an air gap equivalent to half the wavelength under it for the signal to be optimal. it’s only been 8 days so far no disconnects, no poor signal. I know some people in this topic had rocks under the flow meter, i don’t know if rocks will have any metals that would dampen RF signal at 900 mhz, but maybe plain old dirt or dirt with some moisture seems to have been in my case. I don’t have any other explanation why it just improved so dramatically.
