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Need more output from my motion sensor!

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UncleHarley

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I have a Honeywell 5800PIR-RES wireless motion sensor in a metal outbuilding about 130 feet from the control panel of my security system. I have also placed a 5800 repeater in my house on the wall nearest the outbuilding. When the overhead door of the shop is open, the motion sensor signals the control panel. When the overhead garage door is not open, the signal does not get to my security system control panel. I would like to boost the power output of the motion sensor if possible to get it to signal the control panel when activated. I am no electronics person. I have looked at the circuit board of the PIR, and have no idea of what is what. Can I attach some sort of antenna and run it out of the building? I saw a Youtube video where a guy removed some sort of FCC mandated power limiter from a circuit board to get a stronger signal transmission on some device. Is this possible on my motion sensor? Any other ideas for solving my difficulties?
 
Sounds like the garage door is metal and is shielding the rf from the transmitter, is the whole building metal?, if not try moving it around in the building and see if that will work.
There probably isnt a power limiter.
You might be able to improve the transmitting aerial, but you'd need to know the exact frequency to get the length right, does it say on the unit what the frequency is.
A better way if you can might be to put the repeater closer to the building under a weathercover with a cable leading back to the supply.
 
Thanks for your input. The whole building is metal sheeting and the overhead door is metal as well. I have moved the sensor around with no success. I took the repeater down to the outbuilding and tried it just outside the building. No success there either. Can I have two repeaters, say one directly outside the outbuilding, and one in the house on a wall closest to the outbuilding? The frequency listed on Honeywell's web site is 345Mhz. When I took the circuit board out of the sensor I did not see an aerial or any indication of where the transmission would be coming from on the sensor. If I knew where on the board the transmission was coming from, perhaps I could try to solder an aerial on. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
Do you have any windows in the out building, maybe you can position the repeater so it sees the main panel through the window.
 
The aerial might be a coil or pattern on the pcb.

Could you put the transmitter on the outside of the building?
 
No windows in the outbuilding. The motion sensor needs to be inside the building. We have a lot of deer, bear, fox and other animals that would set it off at night if it were located outside the building. I have a small (4x4) wooden plate that replaced a bit of the steel wall. I will try to place the sensor near it inside the building, and the repeater near it on the outside of the building to see if that will help. I appreciate all of the input. I do have another repeater being delivered. Is there any problems with having two repeaters between the sensor and the control panel? If there are any other ideas out there, feel free to share them. Thanks.
 
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