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viper 5904 range 1 mile? not quite


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rbimdxe 
Member - Posts: 10
Member spacespace
Joined: March 05, 2006
Location: Australia
Posted: December 20, 2012 at 11:26 PM / IP Logged  
Hi there
I've recently put in a Viper 5904 due to the benefit of one mile range.. And the paging functions as I like to know if anything happens to the car.
Today I thought I'd do some testing whilst out to lunch but was told I was out of range...
Strange, because I was 250m from the car, with one building between us (both outside in open air). 250m is less than a quarter-mile, and pretty close to 1/8 mile...
Walking back to the car I again was testing range and finally got a response at approximately 160m (or roughly 0.1 mile)..
The antenna is mounted high on the windscreen and the remote is fully charged.
Does anyone have any suggestions how to improve range or is the advertised 1mile range really meant to be 0.1mile range??
Thanks
Alex :)
howie ll 
Pot Metal - Posts: 16,466
Pot Metal spacespace
Joined: January 09, 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: December 21, 2012 at 3:19 AM / IP Logged  
If I give you the whole story of why you haven't got the range, you'd be reading for the next six months but simply.
1 mile is a MAXIMUM under conditions of flat ground, no buildings* or natural objects, hills trees etc.
Antenna quality and placement.
Transmitter battery condition.
It's a bit like European (the US is more stringent) market mpg economy (fuel consumption) lists.
NEVER achievable in the real world.
The whole thing is a mixture of science and installer experience/ingenuity.
Ever tried to make a cell call from inside a buildings lifts (elevators)?
*Steel framed concrete building with tinted glass? Forget it.
lurch228 
Silver - Posts: 1,338
Silver spacespace
Joined: August 08, 2012
Posted: December 21, 2012 at 3:22 AM / IP Logged  
1 mile range is a maxium range with true line of site, not with a building between you and the system as every wall will effectively cut range by half. And brick or block walls will be more so degrading to range. Also if the windsheild has a foil layer to it will also cut range.
howie ll 
Pot Metal - Posts: 16,466
Pot Metal spacespace
Joined: January 09, 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: December 21, 2012 at 4:19 AM / IP Logged  
Some Euro vehicles also had a metal film in the windscreen (wind shield) I remember in the cell phone car kit days that glass mount antennae were useless, also GPS.
rbimdxe 
Member - Posts: 10
Member spacespace
Joined: March 05, 2006
Location: Australia
Posted: December 21, 2012 at 4:49 AM / IP Logged  
Thanks for the replies.
Yes I understand it is a theoretical maximum however I have read on here someone's account of having a range of 3-5 thousand feet in a city area... With one of the older models..
I don't believe that even with true line of sight on flat ground (when I did get reception) that one-tenth of the advertised range is acceptable...
Obviously it would be a case of "the company is too big to try and take to court so I'll have to shut up and deal with it" but come on. I'm a bit disappointed..
No, no foil layering on the windscreen. Australian delivered Jap car.
soundnsecurity 
Gold - Posts: 2,711
Gold spaceThis member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: November 10, 2008
Location: Louisiana, United States
Posted: December 21, 2012 at 10:48 AM / IP Logged  
what car do you have exactly? and are your windows tinted at all? lots and lots and lots of things could be killing your range, buildings, atmospheric conditions, obstacles such as buildings, interference from power lines and other high power utilities. the 1 mile range is maximum for the absolute ideal conditions. the 1 mile range is a gimmick on every alarm that claims to have it.
kreg357 
Platinum - Posts: 7,781
Platinum spaceThis member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Electrical Theory. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Mobile Security and Convenience. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: January 30, 2009
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Posted: December 21, 2012 at 11:01 AM / IP Logged  

Times 2 with all the above.  Range "claims" are the maximum possible under very ideal conditions.

You could try moving the antenna to different locations to see if you can get better results.

Of course, the effect of Earths magnetic flux lines where North is South, Winter is Summer and everyone drives

on the wrong side of the road might have something to do with it...   viper 5904 range 1 mile? not quite -- posted image.

Soldering is fun!
lucasoil4u 
Copper - Posts: 317
Copper spacespace
Joined: May 11, 2009
Location: Minnesota, United States
Posted: December 21, 2012 at 11:28 AM / IP Logged  
Viper always over rates there systems. I install alot of excalibur. I have gone 1 mile from the truck and hit the button it took a minute but I got a confirmation. The antenna shouldnt be behind the dot matrix that will hurt some range. I truely doubt you will ever see 1 mile range in the cities with that. Power Lines kill the range. Cell phone towers kill the range. If you want a true one mile of range look at a different unit.
kreg357 
Platinum - Posts: 7,781
Platinum spaceThis member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Electrical Theory. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Mobile Security and Convenience. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: January 30, 2009
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Posted: December 21, 2012 at 11:29 AM / IP Logged  

Visiting Australia is on my Bucket List.  Hopefully someday I'll get there ( and rent a Holden Ute SS and try to learn to drive all over again ).

I wonder if anyone has tried extending the Antenna harness ( with a little cut and splice surgery ) and mounting the antenna at the rear window?

Soldering is fun!
soundnsecurity 
Gold - Posts: 2,711
Gold spaceThis member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: November 10, 2008
Location: Louisiana, United States
Posted: December 21, 2012 at 7:23 PM / IP Logged  
i had the idea once to put the antenna in one of those magnetic waterproof key holders and mount it under the plastic panel at the bottom of the windshield. this way the antenna would be outside the cabin and probably get better range
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