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viper antenna tuning

Discussion in 'Car Alarm, Remote Start and other Accessories.' started by Hautewheeler, Aug 14, 2006.

  1. Hautewheeler

    Hautewheeler Full Member

    My pal has a 560xv (same wonderful little alarm that I have and love)

    He had some trouble with a defective antenna, which was good for about 1/4 mile, then just went kapooey one day.

    directed sent him a new antenna, and the boys at dr dash put it in for him (2days before they went out of business), but now he only gets about fifteen feet of range.

    Mine still gives me about 1/4 mile (open air) and it's on three year old batteries in the remotes.

    any installers out there remember the protocol on tuning these antenna's?
    where to start, and how to get maximum range? I found the az on the unit, but don't know where to go from there.. any ideas?
     
    Hautewheeler, Aug 14, 2006
    #1
  2. Ranger SVO

    Ranger SVO Full Member

    Unfortunately no. But antenna tuning is making the length of the antenna and the length of the frequency the same. In fact, antenna length can be any factor of the frequency length and it will work.

    Any radio (CB or Two-Way) shop can find the frequency with a machine called an IFR. Then speed of sound divided by frequency equals length.

    Sorry I cound not be more help. I have an IFR if your in Abilene. I use it mostly to monitor cell phone calls when we're slow.
     
    Ranger SVO, Aug 15, 2006
    #2
  3. Hautewheeler

    Hautewheeler Full Member

    thanks, ranger.. for the comeback (CB humor:D )

    I'm not anywhere near abilene.. I'm in terre haute, IN, and Moving to Ocala, FL in three weeks..

    Bummer.. Maybe clipser can ask his friends at directed..

    ps, any CAT guys in ocala, or near?

    thanks again, Ranger!
     
    Hautewheeler, Aug 15, 2006
    #3
  4. Hautewheeler

    Hautewheeler Full Member

    crap, where's clipser???
     
    Hautewheeler, Aug 16, 2006
    #4
  5. TheViking

    TheViking Well-Known Member

    Is it one of the external plug in antenas? If so it may have a tuning coil in it or possibly on the main board of the alarm unit. Generally the tuning coil looks like a small inductor with a ferrite core that can be screwed up and down in it to change the tuning. Sometimes these coils are covered in "wax" to prevent the turning of them. I would look for the aforementioned coil, and using a PLASTIC screwdriver, (if you use metal, it will throw the tuning way off, and you run a chance of trashing the ferrite core) adjust the coil up and down....COUNTING YOUR TURNS FROM THE ORIGINAL SPOT! that way if its not helping any, youcan go back to the original setting. This same technich can be used to adjust some transmitters also. Try just a little movements at a time and see if it effects range. Done alot of HAM radio and CB over the years, same basic principles apply to your alarms transmit/receive functions.

    just my 2 cents on it, good luck!
     
    TheViking, Aug 16, 2006
    #5