433MHz remotes with >500ft range

I found that a V-beam on 2-meters pushed by a kW works just fine :-)

...Jim Thompson

I liked the early GE RF remotes that operated just above the AM band. They could get a bunch of GE TVs without trying.

You must still be on the sauce, you don't get it! ;)

You're one to talk about anyone not getting anything.

You are still in the barrel, dog piss mouth.

Qualify? Bwuahahahahahahahaha!

Simple proof that he is about as stupid as one can get. But hey, the dumbfuck reads your pathetic horseshit, so it is a given that he is a total retard.

Jeez, it doesn't get much more wussified than a spelling lame and the third person dialog... again.

Bwuahahahahahhahahaha! You're a joke, T E R R E L L

Did I spell that one right, ASSWIPE?

^^^^^^ Lurn tu spel Nymbecile. It's ARSEWIPE

Can't get into details but think "farm" or "golf course" :-)

AFAIK they simply used its alarm clock function, at least that's what our morning paper reported.

From propagation point of view, those are quite a bit different situations.

At 150 m and 433 MHz, the free space loss is less than 70 dB, so even if the transmitter power is less than 10 mW (+10 dBm) to remain within international standards, the receiver power would be -60 dBm, i.e. a very generous signal at least compared to thermal noise from the receiver itself or the surroundings.

However, this assumes free space propagation, which should not be too hard to achieve with one antenna in a high place on a golf course. Some light vegetation (bushes) should not cause much problems on 433 MHz.

However, golf courses are typically locating within a short driving distance from population centers, so if the receiving antenna is in a high place, it will pick a lot of signals from other non-licensed devices in the band, making it impossible to predict a reliable communication range. The situation with a single transmitter high up and the receivers close to ground is easier, since the terrain will somewhat block distant signals.

The situation on a farm in the middle of nowhere is quite different, you usually do not have to worry about other emitters on the band, so a receiver high up in the air should not suffer. However, large concrete or metallic structures often found on a farm, will cast a shadow, if you are just behind it.

You need to specify the environment more accurately or take the worst case of both the farm and golf course example to determine the reliable range in an unspecified environment.

This assumes a full-blown antenna though which is usually not possible or desired. Mostly it's the "rubber duckie" kind, meaning another 10dB or so drop.

This is something that at least in the US we don't have to worry much about. We live on a hill with the high-gain antenna pointing towards Silicon Valley. No problem to listen to signals from there yet the 70cm ham band is almost deserted. Not much going on there.

Non-licensed signals are quite weak and a good hopping scheme can get around that. Problem is, most remotes aren't that smart.

Way to deal with that is, for example, FHSS. As long as the receiver won't choke in the presence of strong signals and that's what I find to be a rather sore point with modular designs. There I'd rather design my own. But not the remote, that should come pre-certified and all. The challenge that this presents is that many FHSS schemes are kept secret, for whatever reason.

That is what we'll have in most cases, some sort of building the signal has to go through. Or bounce around and get there on a secondary path with a lot less amplitude.

Sure, but first I'd have to find a viable solution. Then we'll try it out in the field. The solution requires most likely finding a good quality remote with full documentation, then a matching chip set to build a receiver around that. I'd really like to design my own receiver because my experience with commercial modules is, let's say, rather "mixed".

Use a diversity receiver and several strategically located antennas.

I know, but in this case we don't want to drive the effort quite that far :-)