Wireless Time:o:stat location guide
How to avoid poor signal by positioning your Time:o:stat correctly
The radio frequency (RF) used by the wireless Time:o:stat passes easily through stud work walls. However in many older properties the internal walls are solid brick. Radio waves have difficulty passing through solid brick walls and metal household appliances such as microwaves, cookers and fridges. If your property has solid internal brick walls it is important to minimise the number of walls the time:o:stat RF signal needs to pass through. When wiring the receiver to the boiler, mount it outside of any cupboard and where the line of signal does not travel through the boiler itself. (position A1 is better than B1 in the diagram below).
Typically the wireless Time:o:stat has a range of around 15 meters through three stud walls. It will only reliably pass through a single solid brick wall and the range will be dramatically reduced. Consideration when mounting the Time:o:stat at installation can easily prevent connection problems. The diagram below shows a well located and a poorly located Time:o:stat.
A1 to A2 location – GOOD line of signal only passing through: one wall
B1 to B2 location – BAD line of signal passing through: two walls, cupboard, boiler, microwave and mirror.
You can check the RF signal quality of the time:o:stat when mounted in the desired location by following the steps below:
Signal Strength Testing for Time:o:stat 2.0
Pressing the reset button (on the right hand side of the unit) will reset the unit and show the product and firmware code.
If you press and hold the :t: button whilst this is being displayed then the unit will go into an RF level evaluation mode:
Initially an LCD display test is done before going in to the RF evaluation mode
It shows the Unit’s current RF ID (00 to 15) and two numbers on the bottom of the display.
The left hand number is a measure of the RF level received by the slave from the master and the right hand number is a measure of the RF level received by the Master from the Slave. Generally, the higher the number the better, 00:00 means nothing received by the master. It is normal for these numbers to change erratically and occasionally show 00.00. A desirable signal is above 00.75 for both values. Below this indicates a poor signal strength. To exit this mode and return to normal operation press and hold the :t: button.
Connection Troubleshooting for the Time:o:stat 2.0
No radio frequency connection is shown by – Spanner symbol on Time:o:stat and flashing red LED on the receiver by the boiler.
Check the green power light is showing on the black Time:o:stat receiver next to the boiler. If the green light is not showing then have a qualified electrician check the wiring to the boiler.
Check for a low battery symbol showing on the Time:o:stat. If present replace the existing batteries with new high performance AA batteries.
Check the signal strength in current location – reset while holding :T: button (see full procedure above)
Check the communication channel, Time:o:stats are factory paired and do not require pairing. Changing the RF channel is only required if there are more than one Time:o:stat in close proximity. However the settings may have been inadvertantly changed. You can check that the Master and receiver IDs are the same – look through the apature on the back of both the receiver and the master and ensure the 5 bit switch settings are the same.
Check the range - The controller and its receiver may be too far apart or there are solid walls in-between the units. Relocate the wireless Time:o:stat closer to the receiver minimising metallic and solid objects in its line of sight. (positioning tips and the signal strength test are detailed above)