Maverick ET-73 Mod

[LilSmoker]

Hi guys, like many here i have the ET-73 and i couldn't be without it, definately a must have imo. However i have noticed that quite a few users here have range issues including myself, or the signal is getting blocked by walls etc, well the other day whilst doing some searching on the ET-73 i came accross this thread at the Virtual Webber Bullet site. Maybe some of you already know about this? but anyway.

Apparently some of the ET-73's have an internal antenna, and some don't?, even the ones with the antenna have signal/reception issues?, now i must say that mine works great with the receiver in the kitchen, but upstairs it's not so good, when i first got mine, i was using it right next to me at my pc, but that isn't very accurate i've since found out.

Although the range thing isn't really a problem for me, as i'm just happy at the fact that the ET-73 allows me to read temps without opening the door or disturbing anything, it would still be nice to see the Maverick perform in the way that it was apparently meant to.

So as we have a lot of members here that like to mod and improve on things, i thought i'd just post this link in case anybody is interested.
If the ET-73 was available in the u.k. which it isn't, i would do this mod to mine, but i just don't want to take the risk, but for anybody that's interested here's the link:

http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1780069052/m/7290051153/p/1

Obviously anybody doing this mod, does so at their own risk, be carefull with the on/off switch.

If anybody has already done this, did it make a big difference?, it should do by all accounts. ;)

[manxman]

Excellent post LS, I am like you and have no intention of operating on my ET-73 because, living on this side of the pond, we are stuffed if something goes wrong!

However to our US/Canadian friends here on the forum this may well prove useful.

Interesting that some units appear not to have an antenna whilst others do. The range of my unit is just about adequate for my needs in most instances but certainly less than advertised!

Well spotted.  ;)

[Habanero Smoker]

Interesting post; but I have no desire to try this. Although the range is not as good as advertised, when I use the ET-73 I can generally situated it in an area where if I can't see it I can hear the alarm. I also have an inexpensive baby monitor which I can place in front of the receiver to monitor the alarm.

[West Coast Kansan]

clever idea Habs!

[Habanero Smoker]

clever idea Habs!

It's a tip that I picked up somewheres. I generally use the monitor so that I can hear the Raptor/Guru alarm go off.

The more I read the thread that LS posted the more it increases my curiosity. I hope I can control myself and not tamper with my ET-73. ;D

[manxman]

The more I read the thread that LS posted the more it increases my curiosity. I hope I can control myself and not tamper with my ET-73.

Me too!  :-[  I actually had it in my grubby little hands (the ET-73 that is!!) last night, screw driver at the ready and all set to have a skeet. Common sense got the better of me in the end, the range on it is adequate and I don't actually need to modify it!!  :D :D :D

[winemakers]

habs: those baby monitors are indispensible.  A friend in law (fish/game) enforcement uses a battery operated model as 'spy gear' as their state budget is pitiful!  I believe my bride and I will retain ours as our children age thru the teenage years, perhaps for potentially useful insights?????? ::)

mld

[Mr Walleye]

Actually I use a baby monitor to monitor my "babies" (toys) in my detached garage. I keep the monitor in my bedroom. I can here someone walk up to the outside of the garage. They are unbelievable for sensitivity. I have tested several of them and have found the First Years Clear and Near 2.4 GHz Monitor to be the best for clarity, background noise, distance and volume control. It really does work fantastic for monitoring an area for any reason.

Mike

[NePaSmoKer]

My et73 works fine, in my kitchen which is over 100ft from the garage i get great readings.

nepas

[LilSmoker]

The more I read the thread that LS posted the more it increases my curiosity. I hope I can control myself and not tamper with my ET-73.

Me too!  :-[  I actually had it in my grubby little hands (the ET-73 that is!!) last night, screw driver at the ready and all set to have a skeet. Common sense got the better of me in the end, the range on it is adequate and I don't actually need to modify it!!  :D :D :D

Hahaha! i'm glad you guys have had these urges, i'm getting them to, i keep thinking, if i do the mod, i'll be able to sit watching tv, or be at my pc, and still know exactly what my temps are without even having to get out of my chair! ;D

I've managed to restrain myself so far, if this urge should get the better of me, i'll let you know what happens, but for now i have calmed down  ;D ;)

[nodak]

I GOT THE URGE, It just probably won't be for a while, Unless I get too curious tonight.  I will be out of town for a few days, but I'm definitely doing this,  Mine is only 15 ft through the kitchen window and loses transmission at times usually in the middle of the night.  If I could get this to reach to my bedroom, I could hear right away and shut it off with little disturbance to the Mrs.  as she now hears it and wakes me up.

[Wildcat]

I, for one, would never get an urge to tinker with electronic stuff. ::)  I know my limitations and my limits with electronics is the battery replacement and moving the on/off switch. ;D

[nodak]

Yes I have limitations also, but man's desire for a better mouse trap drives me more than my common sense telling me not to do it.  I will probably shelling out another $40.00 for a new ET-73.   


P.S.
The bright spot is I won't be able to electrocute my self :D.  My hero is Wild-E-Coyote cuz he has try and never gives up no matter how beat-up he gets.

[LilSmoker]

Well guys, my urge got the better of me just like i knew it would  :o yeah i bit the bullet and went for it ;D.

Ok, i don't want to keep everybody in suspence, so here's the verdict...................it works! and damn well at that

On that link, some of those guys soldered a wire to just one terminal, and it worked, others didn't have any luck and soldered to three terminals, and bingo! it worked, i tried one terminal and saw an improvement, but not much to shout about, so i decided to do three terminals and that did it, and was what i was hoping for.
I'll give you an idea of the difference, before the mod, if my BS was in the garage and my receiver was in the kitchen at the window, right next door to the garage i could get a good reading, anything after that was a bit hit and miss. Now i can have the transmiter in the garage, and the receiver in any room upstairs or down, and it works a treat!.
I was very worried about doing this mod as the ET-73 is very precious to us on this side of the pond, but i'm glad i did it now ;)

Anyway for those that are considering doing this mod,here's a little guide of how i did mine, this is not for the squeamish  ;D nah just kidding, it really isn't that difficult, ok here we go:

Take the batteries out of the receiver, remove the 6 screws carfefully, ok now here's the bit where you need to take extra care. The 2 halves should come apart fairly easily, mine did, but some have reported silacone/glue from the on/off switch sometimes sticks the 2 halves together, very steady pressure should get them apart, apparently some have used a very small screwdriver to ease the glue away.
Try and just seperate the 2 halves, without side to side movement.
Ok, once apart this is what you should see:



The arrow points to where some ET-73's sometimes have a wire, although the horseshoe shape on the circuit board is said to be the anttena?
Anyway mine didn't have a wire, so obviously that's the next step, i used some multi strand wire about 1mm thick.

So i soldered the wire as shown:



Ok, next i wanted to fit an anttena mast to keep the wire neat and safe, so first of all i drill a 1/8th of an inch hole on the rear section of casing:



Next job is to fit the mast, when doing this don't let hardly any of the mast penetrate too far into the casing as this will foul the circuit board when reassembling. I fitted mine flush to be on the safe side.
The mast is an anttena mast from a model RC truck, it has a small rubber end cap to keep the wire anttena tidy. The mast is a snug fit in the 1/8th hole, but i used a dab of hot glue to secure it.:



And the end cap:



Ok like i said after doing a test, there was an improvement, but not enough imo, now this could have been a bad bit of soldering on my part?, i don't know, but after reading the link again, i decided on plan b.
So i took everything apart again(easier second time round) and decided to solder the wire accross the 3 terminals:



I carefully tinned the other 2 terminals, and resoldered the wire accross all 3, i then measured the wire from the point of solder, and cut it to a length of 6 1/2 inches. i fed the wire through the mast and reassembled everything.
Now this time it was on the money!, to test it i went into the garage with my cell phone and the transmitter, my wife was in the house with the receiver and another phone, she went from room to room, and we checked with each other our readings. it was spot everywhere we tested it, updates were quick also.
So i've concluded this a big success, if i were doing this again, i would just do plan b, and use the 3 terminals because i know it works, although on the link some say just 1 terminal works?

Anyway here it is all back together:



Hope i explained clearly guys?, but if anybody wants to do this i'll help in any way i can.

Bye for now guys..............LilSmoker

[iceman]

VERY, VERY, nice LS. How much booze did you have to consume to get your hands steady enough to solder that up? ;D :D
Your hired!!! :)