"amdx" wrote in
:


" W4NNG" wrote in message
...
Hello fellow HRO's

I've got a 50ft tower w/ rotor. Been thinking mounting
a 2.4 Ghz WiFi antenna on the rotor to see what it picks
up in way of WAP / WLAN's

To get around cable loss problem was going to put a USB
adapter at antenna then run USB cable up tower. Have
tested USB at ~ 5X it's spec'd range but
suspect the 60 - 70' run will be way too long.

Anyone know of a way to 'remodulate' so to speak to 802.11
wirelessly link the output from the antenna mounted
adapter back to computer?

Thanks for any thoughts
A programmable router would be better, especially one that
has a Linux os and is Hackable. Here is an interesting video
that makes a run of the mill Lynksys 80 dollar router do what
a [600 dollar] Cisco AirNet 2400 can, Repeater and all, they
hack the OS and install their free to public home brew
features.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08eVqpPVGiU

So much for spending 600 bucks if it works, you'll be under a
hundred. Only 235 milliwatts max though.
Personally I am lazy and employed; I would just go out and buy
a Cisco 1/2 watt or other top end product and be done with it.
Can't use a whole watt if you woryy about FCC dudes lurking
around, that and a 30 db gain your way over limit.
Too bad these little routers do not support PoE [Power over
eithernet, you can use a power injector [40 bucks] to send the
power to the router through two of the 6 conductors of the
CAT5 cable.

For now just run a cat 5 cable and low voltage power supply
bell wire to the router witch HAS WiFi 2 channel built in.
Check and make sure there are External Antenna outputs on this
otherwise walk away from it. Soldering 2.4 GHz equipment
___s#$ks. If I didn't own a 1300 dollar wire bonder unit I
wouldn't try it, but fortunately I do and the job still stinks
, If your not a neat freak with connections you have sporadic
rf leaking everywhere.

Bob

W4NNG


Hi Bob,
I have done something similar to what you want to do. I
picked up MFJs yagi
antenna MFJ-1800
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/man/pdf/MFJ-1800.pdf
and a $13.00 wireless USB adapter. I adapted an N connector
to the wireless USB adapter.
(a little troublesome, large connector, small adapter) I
then connected the N connector/adapter assy
to the yagi. I mounted the whole thing in a 4" pvc pipe. I
purchased two 15 ft USB male to female cords.
I found I had intermitent performance, The problem was 30
ft of USB cords,
I cut back to one 15ft cord
and the ass'y works wonderfully. I can see over 20 wifi
signals from where I'm at, only 3 to 4 are strong
signals (over 50%, whatever that means). While trying to
solve the intermitent performance I did find
there are cords available with amplifiers built inline to
extend the usable USB cable length. I did not try
these I just moved my yagi. The others are way ahead of my
knowledge regarding the wireless router and
it's operation on top of your tower.
Mike