# \[Modding\] Homey Pro (Model Early 201x) Antenna modification **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions & Help\ **Tags:** homey-pro, modding\ **Created:** [October 17, 2018, 10:43am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928 "2018-10-17T10:43:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![danone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/danone/32/115743_2.png) [@danone](https://community.homey.app/u/danone)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/161 "2019-01-30T20:57:07Z")
> [@Undertaker](#): > > Please do not connect Bosster to Zwave. > The transmission power is so strong that you have to put Homey in the garage. Nearby devices no longer have reception. There is always a balance somewhere, isn’t it? Thanks for letting us know. ---
**Author:** ![Conny\_Svitzer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/conny_svitzer/32/9645_2.png) [@Conny\_Svitzer](https://community.homey.app/u/Conny_Svitzer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 11:47am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/162 "2019-02-02T11:47:00Z")
Do you think it would be possible to rebuild the homey Hardware with new pro specs (like LAN port, new cpu more ram etc) and just move the software maybe via SDcard slot? ---
**Author:** ![Dijker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dijker](https://community.homey.app/u/Dijker)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/163 "2019-02-02T14:42:58Z")
If you order an compatible i.MX6 Som ([https://www.solid-run.com/nxp-family/imx6-som/#specifications](https://www.solid-run.com/nxp-family/imx6-som/#specifications)) un-fused (if I remember correct) and blow the correct fuses (fuses can only blown once), add the Homey ID to their Cloud Database and flash it with the correct Homey Firmware Image that they for obvious reasons don’t provide for download… If you get it to 99% of that I guess you should apply for a job at [https://www.athom.com/careers/](https://www.athom.com/careers/) If you get it to 100% and run it a month until they close the hole you found you absolutely deserve the job… (or at least a one month bonus if you won’t disclose before the hole is fixed) It would be silly if they made it that easy or open, there would be Super Homey Clones from China within a month and Athom would be stalled in development of the software and bankrupt within a year… ---
**Author:** ![Homey\_Lampje](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/homey_lampje/32/10392_2.png) [@Homey\_Lampje](https://community.homey.app/u/Homey_Lampje)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/165 "2019-02-10T20:55:21Z")
food for thought, have a look… [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpKoLvqOWyc&list=PL3XBzmAj53RlTmobqwIZQ3Hw-rfG\_cpvl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpKoLvqOWyc&list=PL3XBzmAj53RlTmobqwIZQ3Hw-rfG_cpvl) ---
**Author:** ![AdrianLiteAuto](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/adrianliteauto/32/8740_2.png) [@AdrianLiteAuto](https://community.homey.app/u/AdrianLiteAuto)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 6:30am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/166 "2019-02-13T06:30:54Z")
within the developer setting page, you can adjust the signal strenght of the z-wave module, maybe this will allow you to reduce the signal strength of the booster also. ---
**Author:** ![Undertaker](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/undertaker/32/53278_2.png) [@Undertaker](https://community.homey.app/u/Undertaker)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/167 "2019-02-13T18:15:27Z")
adjust?? ---
**Author:** ![kaz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/kaz/32/10315_2.png) [@kaz](https://community.homey.app/u/kaz)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 9:31am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/168 "2019-02-15T09:31:38Z")
The power % does not seem to be “editable” at least on 1.5.13 ---
**Author:** ![danone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/danone/32/115743_2.png) [@danone](https://community.homey.app/u/danone)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2019, 10:05am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/169 "2019-02-15T10:05:39Z")
Cannot be edited in 2.0 either. Unless I am missing something. ---
**Author:** ![danone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/danone/32/115743_2.png) [@danone](https://community.homey.app/u/danone)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 2:51am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/170 "2019-02-16T02:51:44Z")
One last update… and I am done now. I’ve tidy up my Homey’s look. I found it too ugly with two large antennas sticking up behind its back. And I love the look of Homey’s sphere, so for me to move Homey’s guts in a square coffin box was not a choice I would have ever entertained. **Zigbee:** With the use of an extender, I’ve hidden the 2.4GHz antenna behind the TV cabinet. No change in range. ![IMG_2583](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/a/ad72f92c13658658921be155557f65bbcef962c1.jpeg) Inside also the ZigBee cable is now tidy. ![IMG_2579](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/3/39de540b8ed14620e0dd11682ec65184aae5ff9d.jpeg) **Z-wave:** I did try initially to have it hidden behind the tv cabinet, but the z-wave signal was behaving weird, having the mesh changing quite often and lots of devices hopping whereas before all quite stable. Hence, I replaced the long black antenna with a short 1/4 wave antenna and left this one screwed behind Homey. Interesting, the signal now is even better than before using this small quarter wave antenna. It is the very same antenna that Fibaro Home Center 2 uses. It was black, so a can of white spray did a good job. ![IMG_2620](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/d/dddae9332cb333b3196a7168d9ac90b49adee55d.jpeg) ![IMG_2622](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/d/d338db4f3790c4369940c4a2a041594e902228c8.jpeg) As well as inside is now tidy. ![IMG_2580](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/c/caaa676ba9041b39744f608a51c26bed55d8aa6f.jpeg) Just as a fun fact. I got an amplifier similar like @Undertaker and also a big, fat antenna (40cm long, 8dbi gain). I connected this to the z-wave. The mesh was a total mess, devices closed by Homey were hopping 4 times. The mesh was changing every minute. However, I went out of the house and across the road to my neighbour (that’s like 50m away from Homey and through many walls…) And with no problems I could include/exclude a Fibaro battery powered MultiSensor. Eventually I settled for the small 1/4 wave antenna, no amplifier. Love my Homey and its performance to the max now! P.S. FOR SALE! Ex-rubbish Homey z-wave internal coil antenna. 0.50 Eurocents, buyer pays freight, packaging, insurance etc Disclaimer: it will only give you a range of maximum 3m to maybe 5m, but it can be used for things like throw it in your enemy’s eye! 🤣 ![IMG_2623](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/2X/0/041bf0b6157ef26daf57e6c58286ea7a49896516.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Skorpion](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/skorpion/32/275_2.png) [@Skorpion](https://community.homey.app/u/Skorpion)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 8:19am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/171 "2019-02-16T08:19:24Z")
Thanks for the update @danone. I am still waiting for the parts to arrive to do the mod. Is the z-wave range much better with the 1/4 wave antenna than the first antenna you had? ---
**Author:** ![danone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/danone/32/115743_2.png) [@danone](https://community.homey.app/u/danone)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 8:23am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/172 "2019-02-16T08:23:44Z")
I could not see a difference in range when both mounted behind Homey. Just that I wanted a more aesthetically look, and when I did hide the full wave antenna behind the cabinet, it did weird things. So I left the quarter wave antenna behind Homey, as you can see it is much nicer now. ---
**Author:** ![Xtasy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/xtasy/32/12671_2.png) [@Xtasy](https://community.homey.app/u/Xtasy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/173 "2019-02-16T13:48:28Z")
I see your z-wave antenna is grounded. Do you have any experience what difference it makes between grounded and not grounded? ---
**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 2:13pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/174 "2019-02-16T14:13:26Z")
It’s not grounded, the spot on the PCB where the shield is soldered to is not connected to anything. ---
**Author:** ![danone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/danone/32/115743_2.png) [@danone](https://community.homey.app/u/danone)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 8:50pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/175 "2019-02-16T20:50:10Z")
Just an anchor point as per few above posts. ---
**Author:** ![Xtasy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/xtasy/32/12671_2.png) [@Xtasy](https://community.homey.app/u/Xtasy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/176 "2019-02-16T21:01:02Z")
Ah okay. I used a bunch of hotglue to keep it in place ---
**Author:** ![Marlon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/marlon/32/3794_2.png) [@Marlon](https://community.homey.app/u/Marlon)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 4:59am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/177 "2019-02-17T04:59:55Z")
That 1/4 wave antenna looks awesome. Gotta get me one of those! ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Rockall](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/adrian_rockall/32/13209_2.png) [@Adrian\_Rockall](https://community.homey.app/u/Adrian_Rockall)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 9:19am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/178 "2019-02-17T09:19:36Z")
I’ve just ordered a z-wave antenna. I will loose some warranty on homey but if it works its will be worth it. Currently homey is missing events from PIRs and door sensor too often, making it useless at automation. If it dies then I’ll go back to the Pi with HA or OHab. Thanks to everyone for the instructions that are giving me hope. ---
**Author:** ![danone](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/danone/32/115743_2.png) [@danone](https://community.homey.app/u/danone)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 10:21am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/179 "2019-02-17T10:21:32Z")
Good luck! And don’t forget, after you fit the antenna and power on Homey, let it first run for about an hour then go into dev tools and start Heal one by one all devices including your battery powered ones (plenty of info on this forum of how to heal battery powered devices) 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Rockall](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/adrian_rockall/32/13209_2.png) [@Adrian\_Rockall](https://community.homey.app/u/Adrian_Rockall)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2019, 11:38am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/180 "2019-02-17T11:38:32Z")
Thanks. All my devices have mains power now but I will follow your advice. ---
**Author:** ![kaz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/kaz/32/10315_2.png) [@kaz](https://community.homey.app/u/kaz)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928/181 "2019-02-19T18:27:47Z")
The built in antenna is not that bad. It is just that Athom does not know how to set it up. So it is blasting out at 100% - which is to loud for the receiver sensitivity and antenna combi. So Homey kills its own reception of signals. But because it beams out too loud - lots of devices will think they can talk direct (that is the network preference) - but when they talk - homey can’t hear them and you loose packets. Then the device will try to find another route. If Athom lowered the power output from 100% to maybe 50-80% I think a lot of the issues would go away and the mesh networks would work as they should. But it is like having a kindergarten where Homey is the screaming child in the middle group - so no-one can hear the other children - and the child in the middle never stops shouting so never hears anything either… [Previous page](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928.md?page=8) [Next page](https://community.homey.app/t/modding-homey-pro-model-early-201x-antenna-modification/2928.md?page=10)