Joined: 13 Nov 2008 Posts: 5266 Location: CENTRAL Midnowhere
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 19:08 Post subject:
250 m is easy....might be able to do it with stock antennas. No need for an amp. Get a WL520GU, or a WRT54GL. Pick the one that matches your antenna pigtail. _________________ Warning: I'm "out of my element!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjYJ7zZ9BRw&NR=1
Joined: 13 Nov 2008 Posts: 5266 Location: CENTRAL Midnowhere
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 22:25 Post subject:
I would have recommended that as well....except I have a feeling he is in Canada.....Shipping can be brutal across the line, and brokerage fees are even worse! _________________ Warning: I'm "out of my element!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjYJ7zZ9BRw&NR=1
I would have recommended that as well....except I have a feeling he is in Canada.....Shipping can be brutal across the line, and brokerage fees are even worse!
I'm going to be installing a 7km link...using 2 x 24dbi Grid antennas.
I was wondering if using them both with horizontal polarization would give me a better link over vertical?
Yes. everyone and their pet monkey are using vertical polarization. Most man-made interference is vertically polarized. Most natural interference is vertically polarized.
Horizontal polarization sees neighboring vertical polarization signals 20% weaker than another vertical antenna would, and vice versa. So horizontally polarized links do not interfere with vertically polarized links.
Vertical polarization for mobility, horizontal polarization for noise immunity and to be a good neighbor.
After some testing, I have to recommend this very nice & high qualitySMC High Gain Antenna. Its a kit that includes an antenna, a stand, and an LMR200 cable for only $25. I'm not sure how long this price will stand since a quick google shows other sites selling just the antenna for $95.
**Note: the included cable has an RP-SMA female connector, so you would need an RP-TNC adapter if your router uses TNC connectors**
In testing I sucessfully connected my laptop (with stock internal WiFi card) to one of these SMC antennas from over 2600ft LOS (line of site) and had 3 or 4 bars in Windows with no errors and good signal quality as reported by DD-WRT. I'm sure it will connect further, but more on that later...
After some testing, I have to recommend this very nice & high qualitySMC High Gain Antenna. Its a kit that includes an antenna, a stand, and an LMR200 cable for only $25. I'm not sure how long this price will stand since a quick google shows other sites selling just the antenna for $95.
**Note: the included cable has an RP-SMA female connector, so you would need an RP-TNC adapter if your router uses TNC connectors**
In testing I sucessfully connected my laptop (with stock internal WiFi card) to one of these SMC antennas from over 2600ft LOS (line of site) and had 3 or 4 bars in Windows with no errors and good signal quality as reported by DD-WRT. I'm sure it will connect further, but more on that later...
~
I would be curious, how does the SMC antenna compare to this brass yagi from ebay seller innovativedevice in terms of performace?
Under what circumstances would one want one and when would one want the other? Which is more directional? Which is more potent under what circumstances? I have this one and I have seen situations with it where I get a connection that is just a little short of being useable, like I am almost there. (I am talking about cases where I don't have good line of sight or I have noise in the area.)
Joined: 13 Nov 2008 Posts: 5266 Location: CENTRAL Midnowhere
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:10 Post subject:
That SMC looks like a glorified cantenna. It would likely be enough if your signal was almost there, but antennas can't cut trees and things to get signal...somme signal has to reach them. You could likely make a cantenna and see if that works.
I have an older version of that Yagi. It works well. With one, I get a fairly decent signal at a km away and almost clear line of sight. However, it might be more than you need if the signal is almost there. The Yagi would be more directional than the cantenna. I don't think the claims that are being made are quite accurate, but I would think the Yagi is about 15db. _________________ Warning: I'm "out of my element!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjYJ7zZ9BRw&NR=1
That SMC looks like a glorified cantenna. It would likely be enough if your signal was almost there, but antennas can't cut trees and things to get signal...somme signal has to reach them. You could likely make a cantenna and see if that works.
I have an older version of that Yagi. It works well. With one, I get a fairly decent signal at a km away and almost clear line of sight. However, it might be more than you need if the signal is almost there. The Yagi would be more directional than the cantenna. I don't think the claims that are being made are quite accurate, but I would think the Yagi is about 15db.
I was talking about situations where my yagi would be challenged - could the SMC do any better?
Joined: 13 Nov 2008 Posts: 5266 Location: CENTRAL Midnowhere
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:48 Post subject:
A good Yagi will outperform a good cantenna in terms of gain. If you have a Yagi that isn't quite enough, the next step up is a dish setup. _________________ Warning: I'm "out of my element!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjYJ7zZ9BRw&NR=1
Fortunately I don't need external antennas for any reason at my house. But I thought it was a ridiculously low price for an exterior 10 dBi omni. I have purchased from this vendor multiple times before, so I can personally endorse them. _________________ 2x Asus RT-AC68U
In Re cantennas: I'm a ham radio operator and an electronics technician and we have a machine shop where I work and I buy dead cars and bring some of them back to life and I own English sports cars and motorcycles that run most of the time...
and I won't putz around with cantennas. They are a dipole with a limited aperture. not gain, just exclusion of external noise. As bogus as fat loss from just your belly pills.
yagis, dishes for outdoors. flat panels AKA patches for hanging in windows.
12 dB omnis are possible. I would need to verify any claim above that with a free sample.
how gain omnis work: You have an antenna, 1/2 wavelength long ( the optimum length for a driven element ). Then a 1/2 wavelength piece of coax in series. Then another 1/2 wavelength driven element in series. Then...
Like having multiple antennas. But you lose signal through the 1/2 wavelength coax. So one extra element gives 2.7 dB gain, and another element 2.4 over that. Get 8 elements going, you get to the point where you lose as much as you gain. _________________ Conventional wisdom among radio guys is that $1 spent on antennas is worth $10 spent on amplifiers. Solve RF problems with antennas to the greatest extent possible before increasing power.
