RF Switch for a 100 yards

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Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
Can any one recommend a RF or x10 switch that will work a 100 yards? It's from a house to a horse barn. They'll be kept dry. We only have the service wires ran to a small sub panel in the barn.
 

Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
The Insteon version of X-10 might be your best bet. The Rf ones I know of won't go the distance.
What is it for. There is always Wifi switches.
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
I used an Insteon switch on an outdoor patio lighting project. The HO had an existing x-10 system and I just programmed the switch and used their existing remote. It might not have been 100 yds but at least 150'.
 

GoldDigger

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Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Thanks, It's for the outside barn light

If you can get internet connectivity to the barn (WiFi extender, maybe with directional antennas?) then you can use any Zigbee protocol device with a hub placed at the barn. But the control end would have to be a smart device, not a simple switch control.
 

FionaZuppa

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Occupation
Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
Thanks, It's for the outside barn light
you need wireless at 100yds to control a ext barn light? doesnt add up for me.

why do they need 100yd remote control of ext barn light?
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
you need wireless at 100yds to control a ext barn light? doesnt add up for me.

why do they need 100yd remote control of ext barn light?

You can't look at it that way.

People are willing to pay to get whatever they want and not what they may really need. Does it really matter why they want something if they are willing to pay for it?
 

FionaZuppa

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Occupation
Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
You can't look at it that way.

People are willing to pay to get whatever they want and not what they may really need. Does it really matter why they want something if they are willing to pay for it?
dunno, but a timer or dusk-dawn motion light that has low/hi seems to cover both scenarios ?? hence, skip the silly Rf which will likely be an issue at some point in the future.

there's a ton of 433MHz fob stuff that can switch a relay at 500-600ft with no issue at all.
flea bay
amzon
gool

and you'll find something
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
dunno, but a timer or dusk-dawn motion light that has low/hi seems to cover both scenarios ?? hence, skip the silly Rf which will likely be an issue at some point in the future.

there's a ton of 433MHz fob stuff that can switch a relay at 500-600ft with no issue at all.
flea bay
amzon
gool

and you'll find something

I use those devices. They are good for 60-100 feet in real life. You may get 500 feet over water, but never on land.

Right now I am having issues with them working from one end of a semi-trailer to the other. I am going to have to put actual antennas on the relay boards to make them reliable even at that short of a distance, and I am using remote controls that have telescopic antennas on them. A FOB would be virtually useless with any form of obstruction.

Also, they are very limited as to how much power can be run through the relays, and the relays have to be rated for 120 volts. Most are for 12 volts.
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
The Insteon version of X-10 might be your best bet. The Rf ones I know of won't go the distance.
What is it for. There is always Wifi switches.

Couple of years ago he asked us to install Some INSTEON switches in his stable/barn to control the stable outside lights. The stable has a 100A subpanel fed from the main house, distance is well over 400', and it works with no problems.

https://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/17550-signal-distance-over-ac-and-rf-issue/
 

FionaZuppa

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Occupation
Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
Also, they are very limited as to how much power can be run through the relays, and the relays have to be rated for 120 volts. Most are for 12 volts.
well, need to be smarter than the relay ;)
use relay to switch a Omron SSR.
 

FionaZuppa

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Occupation
Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
I am, and that's why I know what you are suggesting won't work at 300'.
1) the relay has nothing to do w/ how far the Rf will go
2) i have used 433MHz for 1k ft+ experiment before (open field though), the right 433MHz stuff will work

Solidremote 433MHz has range 500-2000m !!
Linx long-range will also work for 300ft.
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
1) the relay has nothing to do w/ how far the Rf will go
2) i have used 433MHz for 1k ft+ experiment before (open field though), the right 433MHz stuff will work

Solidremote 433MHz has range 500-2000m !!

We aren't talking about open field experiments, we are talking about real world applications. I build 433MHz devices for testing semi-trailers. I know the limitations of these devices, if they are Part 15 compliant.

I see the Solidremote is a max of 15mW ERP and advertises 1000 - 2000 m range. I seriously doubt that claim.

Thanks for the info, though. I may try one for one of my air brake testers. If I can put the trailer between the receiver and the transmitter and have it work every time, I will be impressed. Path loss on 433 at the milliwatt level is horrendous.

Next time you test 433 remotes, don't do it in an open field. You may be surprised at how much signal attenuation occurs outside a controlled environment.

Advertised ranges for radio devices are wildly exaggerated.
 

FionaZuppa

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Occupation
Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
Well, maybe I won't be trying Solidremote.

Only two channels. I need four.

For the OP's application, the contacts are rated at 2A @ 120 volts.
just 2A, dismal, but expected. why not match/exceed that of the OCPD with a Omron SSR?
 

FionaZuppa

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Occupation
Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
Because they won't work at 300 feet. Especially considering the OP probably wants control of the light from inside his house, and the receiver will probably be inside the barn or obscured by it.
i mean, use whatever stuff that has the range, and if the receiver only has a small 2A relay on it then use that relay to switch a big Omron solid state relay so you can get full OCPD current on the remotely switched ckt.
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
i mean, use whatever stuff that has the range, and if the receiver only has a small 2A relay on it then use that relay to switch a big Omron solid state relay so you can get full OCPD current on the remotely switched ckt.

The insurmountable problem is the range. Adding relays isn't the issue, I just pointed out the capacity on the board for informational purposes. None of the available RF remotes will work for the OP. I could easily design and build one that would work, but it wouldn't be legal as the ERP would have to be way above the FCC allowable limits for unlicensed use.
 
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