X-10 antenna question

[grant fair]

I recently got some X-10 devices, including a transceiver which receives RF from a handheld RF-remote. Everything was working fine.

Then I accidentally broke the antenna (an extendable 12" whip type) but held the two pieces together with a short piece of steel tubing. It was still working fine..

Then, for unknown reasons this hack failed and the antenna would not stay in one piece. I tried subbing a piece of wire the approximate length of the antenna. I just put this inside the bottom section of the antenna, which was still attached to the transceiver. No luck, it no longer works.

Is there a better way to make an antenna which might solve the problem?

[Bigglez]

Then I accidentally broke the antenna (an extendable 12" whip type) but held the two pieces together with a short piece of steel tubing. It was still working fine.

If the original antenna was a telescopic metal rod,
and can be collapsed, did the Tx work then?

Unless you have a very weak signal, a deaf
receiver, or very bad QRM (interference) the
Tx should work with the antenna up or down.

I tried subbing a piece of wire the approximate length of the antenna. I just put this inside the bottom section of the antenna, which was still attached to the transceiver. No luck, it no longer works.

Did the new wire penetrate the TX and short it out?

Is there a better way to make an antenna which might solve the problem?

Open question. Yes and no is the definitive answer.

[grant fair]

The transceiver worked fine when the antenna was in one piece, but not when the antenna broke, until I held the two antenna pieces together with a short steel tube. It worked for a week or so then.

When this arrangement stopped working mechanically (the tube no longer worked to hold the pieces together) the problem started.

It is possible the Palm Pad (RF transmitter) is the problem, I have not tested it yet.

The antenna screws into a side mounted little bracket, so the wire did not get into the transceiver.

Grant