[TriLUG] slight OT: multi-band cell booster

[David Burton]

Intrex sells a dish for $50:

   NWI-TLANT2424B

TP-Link TL-ANT2424B 2.4-2.5GHz 24dBi Outdoor Grid Parabolic Antenna, ideal
for a long-distance outdoor directional connection. This weatherproof
parabolic antenna is compliant with 802.11b/g wireless networks. The
directional grid antenna can be easily mounted on a pole or a wall and has
an N Female connector.

   - N Female connector, applicable in most outdoor solutions
   - Weatherproof design, suitable for all weather conditions
   - Provides easy installation mounting kits (Pole mount or wall mount)
   - Compliant with 802.11b/g
   - Frequency Range: 2.4GHz ~ 2.5GHz
   - Gain: 24dBi
   - Polarization: Vertical or Horizontal
   - Horizontal Beamwidth: 14°
   - Vertical Beamwidth: 10°
   - F/B Ratio: >30dB
   - VSWR: <=1.5
   - Maximum Input Power: 100W
   - Dimensions: 60x100 cm (23.6x39.4 in)




On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 1:12 PM, Joseph Mack NA3T <jmack at wm7d.net> wrote:

> On Mon, 27 Jun 2011, David M. wrote:
>
> My CEO has a place in Martha's Vineyard which is apparently fairly remote.
>> He has both AT&T And Verizon 3G type connectivity at his house but the
>> signals are weak.
>>
>
> Here's a cheap solution that may not fit a CEO's temperament. I expect
> Chris' is better in that respect.
>
> My FiL's house in ME has a similar problem. For wifi access to a wap across
> a bay (1/2 to 1 mile away), I use a standard piece of foam board insulation
> (8'*4', like sheet rock except blue foam) with aluminum foil on one side as
> a reflector. To make it pseudo parabolic, I make lengthwise (8' long) cuts
> on the foam side almost through to the aluminum backing and then crack open
> the cuts. Here's the board from above
>
>  ___
> /   \
>  x
>
> The arms of the parabola are about 1.3' long
>
> I sit my laptop on a table at the "x" and adjust its location for max
> signal. I get about 3db gain, enough to dhcp and keep the link up.
>
> virtues
>
> o freq insensitive
>
> problems
>
> o need to position the laptop correctly (at the focus) and point the
> parabola at the cell tower. Presumably the CEO would have to sit in the
> right place to make phone calls.
>
> o your body blocks the aperture. I sit to the side. Presumably you could
> have a squint geometry instead.
>
> enhancements
>
> to work as a parabola, the dimensions of the surface have to be large with
> respect to the wavelength. It would be better to have turned the board
> sideways and make the cuts across the short side making the arms 2.6' long
>
> Joe
>
> --
> Joseph Mack NA3T EME(B,D), FM05lw North Carolina
> jmack (at) wm7d (dot) net - azimuthal equidistant map
> generator at http://www.wm7d.net/azproj.**shtml<http://www.wm7d.net/azproj.shtml>
> Homepage http://www.austintek.com/ It's GNU/Linux!
>
> --
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