I've built myself an outdoor BT speaker but the signal is pretty poor as the BT unit is buried in the thick walled wooden enclosure. I have to have my phone within a couple of metres.
Is this the aerial..the wiggly copper trace? And can I just solder the central core of a coax cable to this and add an external wifi type antenna?
Is this the aerial..the wiggly copper trace? And can I just solder the central core of a coax cable to this and add an external wifi type antenna?
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The wiggly pcb trace is a 2.4ghz microwave strip line antenna.
Soldering a coax cable to this will upset the impedance matching the bluetooth module transmitter will see.
Normally the pcb will have a u.fl connector fitted to the output of the module so you can fit an external antenna.
Its possible to retro fit one, but I don't see any ground plane to solder to (unless its on the bottom of the board).
Soldering a coax cable to this will upset the impedance matching the bluetooth module transmitter will see.
Normally the pcb will have a u.fl connector fitted to the output of the module so you can fit an external antenna.
Its possible to retro fit one, but I don't see any ground plane to solder to (unless its on the bottom of the board).
Is that class 2 or 3 BT device? Class 3 is only designed for a few metres anyway. Class 2 is somewhat better and normally used for audio.
Siting the board against a plastic panel at the back of the enclosure should help, perhaps an electric socket blanking panel of something like that that comes with nice screw holes already. Kiln-dried wood would also help due to less moisture content, but outdoors that wouldn't last long!
Wooden wedges in waveguides are used an dummy loads in amateur microwave comminications BTW.
Siting the board against a plastic panel at the back of the enclosure should help, perhaps an electric socket blanking panel of something like that that comes with nice screw holes already. Kiln-dried wood would also help due to less moisture content, but outdoors that wouldn't last long!
Wooden wedges in waveguides are used an dummy loads in amateur microwave comminications BTW.
Thanks for the replies guys.
Looks like I'm maybe stuck with the performance as it is unless I do cut a 'window 'and add a thinner piece...although I have no idea how the signal is recieved so whether location is important . This thing is about an inch thick hardwood.
Sorry I'm not quite understanding the last 'wooden wedges' comment!
Happy Easter....stay safe
Looks like I'm maybe stuck with the performance as it is unless I do cut a 'window 'and add a thinner piece...although I have no idea how the signal is recieved so whether location is important . This thing is about an inch thick hardwood.
Sorry I'm not quite understanding the last 'wooden wedges' comment!
Happy Easter....stay safe
Cutting a window would be directional.
If you are listening with your phone in front of the speaker & the window is in the rear.....
If you are listening with your phone in front of the speaker & the window is in the rear.....
Thanks for the additional advice.
All 3 of the things are actual drivers....odd I know. It is a 3 channel amp with one low passed for that 4" .
And obviously to make my life awkward I have all the electronics on the back wall , so a window may not help a lot...
....but this is all academic now because as of yesterday the Sure BT module would appear to have become defective....I cannot connect to it and even adding a 3.5mom aux cable seems to elicit zero output.
Hey ho!
All 3 of the things are actual drivers....odd I know. It is a 3 channel amp with one low passed for that 4" .
And obviously to make my life awkward I have all the electronics on the back wall , so a window may not help a lot...
....but this is all academic now because as of yesterday the Sure BT module would appear to have become defective....I cannot connect to it and even adding a 3.5mom aux cable seems to elicit zero output.
Hey ho!