I'm having a problem with the remote control from Leviton Home Controls. I used the HCCKR keychain remote with the appropriate HCPRF receiver. The receiver is plugged in in the garage. This is controlling a switch module in the basement.
The problem is the remote will not work consistantly, and when it does work you have to be less than 40' away.

I did call their tech dept. They said the range is only 75' which is borderline acceptable to my customer, 40' is unacceptable.

Here is the kicker. The house is metal lath under stucco. Could this be creating a sheild around the receiver, even though it is pretty much straight behind a wood garage door?

The other kicker is the house has a 400 amp service, actually dual 200's parallel all the way back to the underground xfmr.
Leviton does not recommend a signal bridge anymore, they recommend the HCA02 Amplifier/Repeater Module, which I do have installed.

Bottom line is their tech said the house could be an issue and the range is marginal. I even tried to put the receiver outside on a short extension cord to get it out of the envelope of the stucco. I figured I could install a discrete wp receptacle with an in-use cover to house the little receiver. No dice.

Leviton "off the record" recommended looking into X-10 as they are compatable. He seemed to think they had a distance booster. Anyone know off hand something that will work, or even help???

Thanks all.

[This message has been edited by Speedy Petey (edited 02-26-2005).]

Petey,

I have had luck with the keychain remote in the instance you talk about. One thing I did was install the receiver on a receptacle outside the garage up underneath the soffit. Also I was always told you need to make sure the receiver and the switch are on the same phase for it to work properly all the time.

Getting the reciever outside will definately help extend the range of the remote. The metal lathe under the stucco essentially makes the house a big faraday cage. The house I currently live in is stucco over lathe construcion and I have horrible signal problems in the house. I have to go outside to use my cell phone and I had to run a coax cable to an antenna on a mast for my home stereo system. (reception in the house sucked AM or FM)
Ian

[This message has been edited by IanR (edited 02-28-2005).]