I've read several posts about poor range with RF receivers but I've not seen the kind of range I'm getting with my setup. I have a 315Mhz RF remote that controls a fireplace. I have an arduino hooked up to a 315Mhz RF receiver and I have been able to successfully receive and decode the remote codes. With no antenna hooked up to the receiver, my range is literally about 1 inch. I figured it was normal without an antenna and lived with it until I had the SW fully working.
I have since soldered a 23.81cm straight wire to the antenna point on the receiver and my range has increased to about 1-2 feet! I've got to be doing something fundamentally wrong because I read people getting range in the 10s to 100s of feet with this kind of setup. All I need is about 20 feet of range.
Any help to improve the range will be greatly appreciated!