Throw out those Cheap Chinese RF Modules

I previously discussed how the receiver can benefit from better hardware. As part of my shed door monitor project I replaced the SAW based transmitter and prebuilt receiver modules with something I built up around IC's designed for this purpose. The difference was outstanding.

Previously I had measured the reliable line of sight range at 35m. I am now getting over twice that range with the receiver sitting in the car near the gear shift lever. That's a dramatic improvement and if the unit is sitting on the dashboard it works intermittently out to over 120m. We're not talking LORA ranges. But we are getting a meaningful coverage with simple very low cost hardware that lends itself to a host of projects.

As a result I'll no longer be tagging these blogs with "Cheap RF Modules". You are simply far better off by avoiding SAW based transmitters and pre-built receivers with unknown IC's.