robo rad
My brother recently had to move his music studio equipment down into my old Movie theater basement apartment and now with all his big equipment creating way more clutter,the Wi-Fi seems to get cut off more frequently when getting behind some of the big Amps and musical hardware laying around. When I let Paranormal-Rad-Robot do his Exploration around the basement,testing out all the sensors and cameras,he will lose the wi fi connection and need to be reset. I found a Quick fix was to remove the Head cover to expose The EZB cube and it seems to instantly improve Wi-Fi distance. I am wondering if it is because of the many coatings of Chrome paint I used on the robot? It is only a Plastic head cover that protects EZB from Falls.Is it possible to extend a wire antenna out of EZB circuit for better reception,where exactly is the Wifi antenna located? The video shows me testing it out with no head and working great,but thinking where to put EZB now for protection,what about adding a Mesh grill instead of plastic head?
Great question about adding an antenna to the EZB and look forward to what DJ or Jeramie have to say.
In another thread I do recall DJ mentioning that the EZB should be left exposed so the Wi-Fi is not blocked. I don't think it is the chrome paint as much as covering. How many Wi-Fi signals bars do you get in your basement on other equipment like a laptop or smart phone?
I guess I'm also not sure how you are connecting to your robot. Is it a direct connect to the EZB on the robot to a computer a laptop in the basement or is the computer in another part of the house?
Or is the EZB part of your Wi-Fi network and in client mode?
I think this was answered in the past, and the WiFi chip they use doesn't support it. The metal case of the chip is its antenna, which is why it is working better for Robo Rad when he removes the chromed cover.
I can't find the thread, so it could be the chip from the /1 but the /2 may support it. However, I have a WiFi chip I bought back in the V3 days when I was attempting a conversion that did have an external antenna, and the connector was obvious. I don't see anywhere to connect on the current chip.
Alan
Hi guys,
The metal case of the WiFi module isn't the antenna. The antenna is rather the PCB trace that is suspended in the air on /2 Wifi board, as you can see here:
As @DJ mentioned in another thread. You won't want anything metallic too close or covering this area as it will diminish signal strength. I have heard of people using parabolic reflectors to boost strength but those applications are usually very directional and won't likely work in a robot application. The best plan is to have the top of the EZ-Bv4 as exposed as possible and having it in a vertical position as seen here:
If you very serious about getting a strong connection and are a soldering wizard (or know one) you can solder on a U.FL connector and move 1 tiny SMD resistor to allow you to use external U.FL antennas. I have made this modification in the past and it does work. Disclaimer This will void any warranties if you fail. Buying a stronger router with bigger antennas (or a WiFi Repeater for the basement) would likely be the better choice if you are using a client connection.
Thanks for the great tips guys and the excellent photo Jeremie ! I am running mostly with EZB as the internet server in the default Adhoc mode because I am usually out in remote areas with no other Wi-Fi than what EZB can provide to connect everything in it's own little network,including the Free Wi-Fi-- I.P. cell phone cameras that beam the video Link signal through the EZB to my Laptop that gets the remote video and remote controls in my RV camper. I will try to move the EZB on it's side like in the photo there as to get maximum antenna signal in a good 360 degree beam! Also may try to solder an extra antenna wire to see if any gains, thanks again guys! I have had the robot run through caves and tiny Attics and other tight spots so any bit of help with the signal comes in handy! :)
Is it possible to get an WiFi extender or access point to bring the wifi signal closer to your robot? I was having a similar issue with my robot in the basement and my Wifi router on the first floor of the house. Poor signal = intermittent disconnections. I bought and set up an EnGenius Technologies High-Powered Dual-Band Wireless & Indoor Access Point (EAP600) and my problems were solved. EnGenius Access Point
Hey Dave, a wi-fi extender would work good but i noticed my issue seems to be with the older desktop computer i switched to using instead of the laptop. the laptop had excellent wi-fi range before the laptop crashed on me and this desktop puter has an older garbage wi-fi network pci card.so,instead, i was out just using my cell phone to control the robot and it actually had amazing wi Fi range out at the cottage over the weekend,i had the robot way out in the soccer field annoying the kids playing soccer just controlled by my cell phone from my porch view! crazy cool! :D
You can purchase decent little USB wifi dongles with external antennas for under $20. I've add them as secondary Wifi to my desktop and laptop. My desktop's PCI wifi card was little "iffy" as well at times.