Maverick redi-check issues

[headgames]

Spoke with customer service today ........... they said ship it to us and they would figure out the problem or replace it ..........  thinking I will ship it . and let you all know ... thanks

[LilSmoker]

Yes please let us know how the exchange unit performs, apparently some have an internal wire
antenna as well as a printed circuit antenna?, if so this would explain why some have range issues.

Lot's of things to be considered i suppose, signal interference, blocked signal, electrical equipment etc, then just like everything else there's always gonna be a few "lemons".

Anyway hope the new one works for you, if not you have the option of surgery!  :o ;D

[headgames]

even if I get it back and it works well I may still perform surgery. ;D  just to make sure I have the optimum distance.......... In case I want to drive 3 miles down the road to get more beverages and want to know my box temp from the store ........lol  mailed it out on monday ..  time will tell  :)

[IKnowWood]

so what are the surgical options to extend the lenght?  how about taping into the signal for those remote temperature gauges.  those have some real good range.  I wonder if there can be a bypass from the reading in the Mav to the transmit on one of those wireless transmitters.

Any other ideas?

[LilSmoker]

IKW: I did the mod, by soldering in an additional antenna wire, i cut the wire exactly 6-1/2 inches from the point of solder, and fitted a small antenna mast, i was nervous of doing the mod, as the Mavericks are not available in the u.k., but i'm glad i did it now, big difference for me.

Anyway, in case you didn't see it, here's the mod:

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=4712.0

LilSmoker ;)

[IKnowWood]

Thanks I missed that.  I will take a look.

[headgames]

wow great link and found a great explanation  here it  is  the quote of  Troy Reitz


  Hi,
I have been in the electronics field for 25 yrs, and a WSM cooker for 1 year and Love it!

I can answer some of the questions I have seen posted on the Mavrick modification.

The Mavrick's wireless signal is 433mhz.
The wire modification on this forum is a 1/4 wave length wire antenna.

1.) Yes the wire length is critical!
The length of wire for 433mhz is 17cm (6.7 in) so 6.5inches is close.

2.) The wire size should be 22 awg or larger.
Wire size of 14 awg will work but is a little large. I would be afraid it would put stress on the circuit board and may crack it. I think a wire size of 18 to 22 awg is fine.

3.) The antenna wire should leave the circuit board at 90 degrees like this __|__. If you put a bend in the wire it add impedence the more impedence is added you can have a drop in signal gain. I belive for the purpose of this mod it will not effect the overall signal.

4.) A loop in the wire will not get the signal gain you are looking for. The loop has to be at a perfect size and wraps! Even then the signal will be semi directional and not Omni directional (360 degrees).

5.) soldering the wire is a must. if you layed it on the trace and did not solder it. two things could happen. it could slip and short the output amplifier to the antenna or over time do to the copper it will oxidize and no longer make ample connection to the antenna trace.

I actually peformed the modification on both the Transmitter and Recievers. I am now able to sit in the house from my couch watching TV with a cold beer in my hand and occassionally looking at the timer!
Hope this answers a few of the questions?


  the pic is by a Hains Lain with this description

I went ahead and did this mod on my Maverick. Last night I was having trouble getting updates in my office from the porch. After installing this 6.5" antenna, I'm good to go!

Used a piece of 18AWG stranded wire. Tinned the three pads and then tinned the exposed wire cut in length to fit across all three pads. Pre-formed my wire to fit out through a cut out in the side of the case. To solder you set the tinned wire on the tinned pads. Press your soldering iron down on the tinned wire and it will heat the solder to melt the tinned pads

thanks for the link  LilSmoker .......... ;D

[LilSmoker]

You're welcome headgames, i actually did the mod, i only did the receiver which did the trick for me, my Maverick now works in any room of the house, even with the BS in my garage.
If only Maverick would put an external antenna on the ET-73's it would make a great product perfect imo  ;)

[headgames]

Got my mavrick back today .about a 10 day turnaround . not bad.  they sent a whole new one .  I gained about 25 feet ............. now I am operable at 50 feet ............... next step ....... MODIFICATIONS >>>>>>>>>..  lol 
gonna install the wire antenna..........  with fingers crossed . will let you know the improvement ........  I only need another 12 feet to my lazzzzzzzy boy chair  and 25 feet  to the night stand by the bed .  ;D

[cingnut]

I have to prop mine in the bathroom window that over looks my garage in order to maintain connectivity.  I am in the wireless business so I MUST do this MOD or I will be ridiculed by my peers for this inadequacy!

[NePaSmoKer]

anyway to make the photos larger and exactly where you place the wire to solder it. sorry i blind ;D

nepas

[NePaSmoKer]

do you think that a small antenna wire from a remote control truck would work? I have a few from when i used to race em.

nepas

[LilSmoker]

Hi Nepas, there are 2 versions of the mod, some just solder the wire here and get great results:



That didn't get the required result for me, maybe i didn't solder it very good?, anyway here's the second method, just solder the wire across these 2-3 terminals, that did the trick for me:



Btw, you can use RC antenna wire, that's what i used, and i used an RC antenna mast also to keep it neat.

If anybody wants the link of how i did the mod it's here, which also links to the forum where the original mod came from:

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=4712.0

If you do the mod, take extra care when seperating the 2 halves of the case, as the on/off switch is very delicate, apart from that, the mod is very easy to do.

LilSmoker

[headgames]

WOW  thats what I like . just ask and you receive here  NePa  you wanted a larger pic . HOW DO YOU LIKE THESE   THANKS A TON LILSMOKER   I could not see crap in the other ones either but was  too proud to ask . lol

[Tiny Tim]

Looks like I'm gonna have to perform surgery too.  Tried with the smoker over the weekend, and couldn't get the signal from the smoker through the vynil siding to even the top of the fridge less than 20 feet from the smoker...not to mention to my chair about 30 feet away through another wall.