Positioning the C-8 hub

[Stu_The_K]

I just ordered the C-8 hub to replace my C-7 hub. I live in a 2,500 sq. ft., 1 floor rectangular condo. Right now I have my C-7 fairly centrally located on the north-south axis, but is more to the west side on the condo on top of a wooden hutch that is about 7 feet tall. I have about 30 Z-Wave Plus devices (mostly Inovelli Red, Black and Fan+Lights), 3 FIbaro Key Fobs, and several smart plugs. (I also have a couple of Aeotec 7 repeaters that seem to do nothing). and 1 Zigbee motion sensor about 15 feet from the Hub (and it works just fine).

I have 2 questions:

1. Does it matter if I place the antennas in line with the north-south axis, 45 or 90 degrees from that? (i.e. does leaving it flat, but rotating it matter?). I know every place is a bit different, but I'm looking for "in general" answers.

2. Because the C-7 was so thin it is invisible on top of the hutch as long as I put it about 1 foot from the front of the hutch. However, the antennas on the C-8 will make those visible. I have a few choices and I'm looking for placement opinions.

I have a flag displayed in a triangular frame with a glass front. I could put the C-8 behind that, but I don't know how much the flag and glass would block the Z-Wave/Zigbee signals.

Another possibility is that the hutch actually has a pressboard top that does not extend the whole width of the hutch (to allow access to some built in lights that illuminate the shelves). I could possibly put it in a corner of the hutch the pressboard doesn't cover, but then it would be very close to the TP-Link satellite wi-fi unit it is plugged into via an RJ45 and, would be sunken a bit, so it would have the solid wood of the hutch around most/all of the antennas.

I could also put it inside the hutch (which, again is all wood except for 1 glass shelf) and/or try to hide it behind a picture I have on a shelf on the hutch (the picture is canvas with a wood frame and no glass but there would be a glass shelf either above or below it).

One other alternative is that I could sit it on an end table that is in the corner of that room, but it would then be much lower and much more to the west wall of the condo.

Any of those sound better than the other?

[csteele]

Can you mount it to the back of the hutch near the top? The antennas want to be oriented vertically so if you placed the hub's back against the Hutch's back and rotated the antenna's one up, one down, they would both be vertical.

In other words, if the power and ethernet cables were either at the top or bottom of the Hub, against the back of the Hutch, the antennas would be on the left or right side. Rotate the antennas so that the upper one is pointing up to the ceiling and the lower antenna so it's pointing to the floor.

[Ranchitat]

@Stu_The_K

Because the C-7 was so thin it is invisible on top of the hutch as long as I put it about 1 foot from the front of the hutch. However, the antennas on the C-8 will make those visible.

Is there room to move the C8 further back to the rear of the hutch?
Then rotate the antennas down, point them at the floor behind the hutch.

[Stu_The_K]

Thanks for the replies. It seems that having the antennas horizontal is more important that say having to go through the hutch, right? (Since it would now be mounted to the back of the hutch vs. being on top of it). Would that be any better than just hiding it behind the flag display as it seems it would be more open. (I know Z-Wave and Zigbee don't like metal, but I have no idea about glass and cloth).

If that is so, is being a couple of feet higher up significant? (i.e. Maybe being on a shelf, hidden behind something thin like the canvas painting vs. mounted high, but to the hutch.

[csteele]

You could also buy antenna extension cables and just mount the antenna's pointing downward at the back of the Hutch.

[Example only, I didn't validate the connector matches the C-8]