Ceramic chip antenna broke off RN-41
Electrodude
Posts: 1,658
I realize my question isn't about a Parallax product, but everything else on the Propeller Project Board I'm using except the wires and resistors is from Parallax. Also, I doubt I'll get an answer from someone who actually knows what they're talking about in time on the Sparkfun forums or comments on this board's product page.
I have a Roving Networks RN-41 on a Sparkfun breakout board. I accidentally dropped it and the ceramic chip antenna broke off. I need this project finished today, so I would greatly appreciate a response. It's too late to order a new board.
This is for the telemetry computer on my school's car in the Solar Car Challenge, and, being on a car in a cross-country race, will get bumped around a lot and should not be able to fall off. It has to be able to have far enough range to transmit to my laptop in the RV following the solar car about 100ft behind.
I was thinking I could file away enough of the ceramic casing on the antenna to solder to the silver radiating element inside? Would I be better off just soldering my own wire antenna on? Is there any hope for getting my range back? It can go about 12 feet with no antenna and about 35 with a random ~5 inch wire I found lying around used as an antenna. I don't need the full 100m=330ft range it originally had, only about 1/2 to 2/3 of it. My dad just got a new bluetooth dongle for my laptop because my laptop's range to the RN-41 before the antenna broke off was nothing near the 300ft it was supposed to be, but I won't get it from him until tonight when I install the board on the car, so I won't be able to experiment with it until them. The longer range the better for next year, but this year I only need ~150ft.
Another idea, I know almost nothing about RF antennas, but can it hurt to use an oversized (i.e. the 2ft x 8 in metal panel the board will be mounted on) antenna?
Another question, why does Parallax use the RN-42 and not the RN-41 on their bluetooth board? They're exactly the same but the RN-41 has a better antenna. I didn't get Parallax's because it was out of stock and because it wasn't long enough range.
Electrodude
EDIT: Moderators, please move to Wireless section. Do I report this thread to have it moved?
I have a Roving Networks RN-41 on a Sparkfun breakout board. I accidentally dropped it and the ceramic chip antenna broke off. I need this project finished today, so I would greatly appreciate a response. It's too late to order a new board.
This is for the telemetry computer on my school's car in the Solar Car Challenge, and, being on a car in a cross-country race, will get bumped around a lot and should not be able to fall off. It has to be able to have far enough range to transmit to my laptop in the RV following the solar car about 100ft behind.
I was thinking I could file away enough of the ceramic casing on the antenna to solder to the silver radiating element inside? Would I be better off just soldering my own wire antenna on? Is there any hope for getting my range back? It can go about 12 feet with no antenna and about 35 with a random ~5 inch wire I found lying around used as an antenna. I don't need the full 100m=330ft range it originally had, only about 1/2 to 2/3 of it. My dad just got a new bluetooth dongle for my laptop because my laptop's range to the RN-41 before the antenna broke off was nothing near the 300ft it was supposed to be, but I won't get it from him until tonight when I install the board on the car, so I won't be able to experiment with it until them. The longer range the better for next year, but this year I only need ~150ft.
Another idea, I know almost nothing about RF antennas, but can it hurt to use an oversized (i.e. the 2ft x 8 in metal panel the board will be mounted on) antenna?
Another question, why does Parallax use the RN-42 and not the RN-41 on their bluetooth board? They're exactly the same but the RN-41 has a better antenna. I didn't get Parallax's because it was out of stock and because it wasn't long enough range.
Electrodude
EDIT: Moderators, please move to Wireless section. Do I report this thread to have it moved?