Wire Directional Radios!

[sean1572]

ive downloaded this and ive had it for ablout a week, i cant figure out how to wire any of it up. this is probobaly (from me flicking through the pages) the best wire addon ever, and i would realy like it if i could use it.

Can someone please draw a diagram on how to wire it up and what to wire it to. i would be realy greatful.

by the way just because im new to the forum, dosnt mean im new to wire. im reasonably good (can make reasonably advanced things).

THX to anyone who helps me.

[tuusita]

Hey, might I suggest that you start testing with an omni directional radio? This way you can find out if it works or not.

To use them is pretty simple. Here's how I made my test setup: (no Resource Distribution)
- I spawned two small omni antennas (one of them as Transmitter)
- Created a constant value chip with two values (one for the kW transmit power in range of 0-200, second for the frequency which seems to be best at around 15MHz)

- Wired frequency to both antennas and transmit power to the transmitter (obviously)
- Created an on/off (0-1) toggle button for enabling the transmitter, wire it up.
- Created an advanced keypad input for testing a transmit value. Wired it into the transmitter channel 1.
- Created a wire screen with two values and wired it into the receiver for both the channel1 value and channel1 signal strenght ( dB ).

If you're getting random values in the channel1 and the signal strength is below -90db, your transmitter is too far away from the receiver (OR it's on a different frequency). If your transmitter is already at max (200kW?), you'll have to adjust the convar that'll change the reach of the radiowaves on that map. Forgot the convar name tho.

Once you get this setup working, you're ready to switch on to other antennas which will have directional transmit beams...

[sean1572]

oh wow, thats amazing

Thx, so much

One question though, why is my signal strenth a minus value?

EDIT: ok i got another question, why dosent having a uplink dish (transmittor) and a log (pole with spikes(not transmittor)) work though

[tuusita]

One question though, why is my signal strenth a minus value?

Don't know the answer to that one...

...maybe if it were louder, you'd start hearing the radiowaves?

[sean1572]

how would i link up other models instead of an omni, like one of the satalite dishes?
Is there a max distance they can travle (im gunna make a space station, from one planet to annother). is that to far away?

Info Greatfully appreciated

[tuusita]

how would i link up other models instead of an omni, like one of the satalite dishes?
Is there a max distance they can travle (im gunna make a space station, from one planet to annother). is that to far away?

Info Greatfully appreciated

I'm just guessing here, really since I haven't tried the other models yet but...

I assume linking (wiring, really) is the same for the other models, too. You'll just have to line them up yourself so they face each other. Since these radios are created to be realistic, I gotta assume there's no artificial limit on the distance a transmitter can be heard, you'll just have to make sure you give the transmitter enough TxPower (although recommended max power is 200, I think).

[sean1572]

I'm just guessing here, really since I haven't tried the other models yet but...

I assume linking (wiring, really) is the same for the other models, too. You'll just have to line them up yourself so they face each other. Since these radios are created to be realistic, I gotta assume there's no artificial limit on the distance a transmitter can be heard, you'll just have to make sure you give the transmitter enough TxPower (although recommended max power is 200, I think).

ll if the recommended is only 200, i went well over it on a test to see how much it hurts you with too much ( i went up to 1000000 ).

I know you need to point the modal at the transmitor but i dont know what part of it to point at it. (except the log model, i can use that)

[tuusita]

Uh, is there some sort of disturbance programmed in the addon?

I mean I built a test bed with radios using the square-standing-on-one-corner models and made it work. Then I just spawned a small omni antenna as a receiver and it immediately affected the received signal strenght of the 'square' dish depending on the position of the omni antenna. ???

[philxyz]

That is probably the same thing that affected the signal strength between R3 and R4. You can tweak any of the settings in "lua/autorun/server/sv_radiosystems.lua" I think it was...

[tuusita]

That is probably the same thing that affected the signal strength between R3 and R4. You can tweak any of the settings in "lua/autorun/server/sv_radiosystems.lua" I think it was...

That file defines the console variables for (map)Scale, MaxTxPower and RxSensitivityThreshold. They'll be useful for setting up radios properly for your map(s)...


But I'm thinking your reply isn't much help in the issue I'm experiencing (mentioned in my previous post). How/why do spawning more unconnected antennas affect the signal strength between a pair of 'connected' (as in, receiver is hearing the transmitter) antennas?

PS. I'm starting up Gmod in order to check if other (than the first ch) channels are also affected by this.

EDIT: Tested with the small omni antennas:
When I aim at the transmitter antenna and spawn another antenna (a receiver, dunno if that matters) attached to it, it weakens the signal. On the other hand, when I spawn an antenna (or more) attached to the receiver, it'll boost the receiver signal strength, which sort of makes sense to me. Although, it's kinda funny when you spawn an antenna next to the receiver and THEN spawn another attached to that one, it'll also boost the signal even if it's not connected to the receiving one. Makes no sense to me at all, but then again, I'm not even an amateur with radios... ;D