SUPPORT : AIRcable Host XR ™ / Industrial XR ™

AIRcable Host XR / Industrial XR FAQ

Q1: What is the range of the Host XR / Industrial XR?

A1:

The range of the AIRcable XR products depends on 3 things:

1. The Antenna attached to the XR product
2. The other Bluetooth device you are wirelessly communicating with
3. The environment you are communicating in

Generally speaking we give range figures using 2 XR devices (AIRcable Host XR or AIRcable Industrial XR) with the same antenna talking to each other outdoors in a line of sight environment and in beautiful Santa Cruz weather, for example: on the beach.

The standard range you can expect with the included antenna is about 1km range. The largest rubber duck antenna (9dBi) gives you 2km range. This is about the limit of the FCC certification for omni-directional antennas. Using directional antennas we can reach a range of about 10km within the FCC regulations using two 18dBi directional antennas.

If you use one XR and one other device with a weaker radio you get less range. With a cell phone or PDA you can expect about 100m range depending on the antenna. With a good directional antenna you get about 1km range maybe more communicating with a cell phone.

Bluetooth headsets attached to your ear will have a more limited range. Bluetooth radio waves do not pass through your head, and in fact don't even get through the outer layers of the skin. If you turn your head so that your head is between the antennas, your head will reduce the range.

Stereo Bluetooth headsets are better since right and left ears are connected, which helps the reception even if the antenna is only on one of the ear muffs.

Anything between the transmitters will reduce signal strength. A wall will reduce the range. The range reductions will depend on the wall's material and thickness.

Bluetooth radio waves bounce off walls too. A staircase between stories allows the signal to go from one level to another, even in a steel reinforce concrete building.