DIY mesh antenna - suit USB !

Have been having a lot of fun with the new Netstumbler (0.4), & was
delighted to find it supports the bargain (~US$40) USB ZyDAS ZD1201
adaptors. These dongles of course need only cheap USB feed cable &
connectors & can hence be easily moved around to a reception sweet
spot! I paid more than US$40 for a short Orinoco pigtail in 2002 - grr
....

After trials at the focal point of a larger solid dish ( see =>
www.manuka.orcon.net.nz/roofscan.jpg), several DIY antennas were
rustled up,with a nifty 12" (300mm) mesh parabolic dish especially
promising. It's based around a US$4 Chinese cooking vat scoop & 15dB
gain looks feasible. With a lick of black paint it could be quite
professional & versatile + near invisible. Initial trials indicate a
couple of these should give 10km LOS & have low wind & corosion
resistance & hence be ideal "Poor Mans WiFi". See =>
www.manuka.orcon.net.nz/usbscoop.jpg Stan. in NZ

manuka <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> promising. It's based around a US$4 Chinese cooking vat scoop & 15dB
> gain looks feasible. With a lick of black paint it could be quite
> professional & versatile + near invisible. Initial trials indicate a
> couple of these should give 10km LOS & have low wind & corosion
> resistance & hence be ideal "Poor Mans WiFi". See =>
> www.manuka.orcon.net.nz/usbscoop.jpg Stan. in NZ

I like that one. The USB cable length is a limitation, but it could be
mounted outside an apartment window. I wonder which USB dongles
NetStumbler works with that are available in the US.
I could buy a stack of them at Fry's, starting at the cheap end.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

These ~US$40 ZyDAS ZD1201 are the only ones I've access to here in New
Zealand, (sold via Dick Smith Electronics )have they been POPULAR -a
corporate customer in front of me bought a dozen as a WLAN quick fix!
USB can of course run to 5m (such leads are only a few $), but active
extenders (US$20 range) allow easy cable extensions. I'd say the
average user could hence run from his roof top to the basement this
way, & have a USB lead that'd suit a swap out for a roof webcam etc
too !

UPDATE: Just managed a 5km LOS to an AP with the "Scoop" - NS 0.4
showed -80dB & not a whisper of signal without. I'm about to rustle up
a "Poor Mans WiFi" web page in fact => www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz

manuka <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> These ~US$40 ZyDAS ZD1201 are the only ones I've access to here in New
> Zealand, (sold via Dick Smith Electronics )have they been POPULAR -a
> corporate customer in front of me bought a dozen as a WLAN quick fix!
> USB can of course run to 5m (such leads are only a few $), but active
> extenders (US$20 range) allow easy cable extensions. I'd say the
> average user could hence run from his roof top to the basement this
> way, & have a USB lead that'd suit a swap out for a roof webcam etc
> too !

Hubs, which you can daisy-chain 5 of up to 5m, are $2.
Plus, you can stick extra stuff like a webcam up there easily.

Gadzooks ! 5 lengths of 5m USB 2.0 M-F extension cable just strung
together here & the USB WiFi adaptor at the far end of this 25m
(75')chain never missed a beat when reconnected.Can hardly believe
this (nor the US$2 each 5m cable)!Why would anyone still bother with
costly lossy coax & connectors ? Tree top antenna anyone ?! Ref =>
www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz

manuka <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Gadzooks ! 5 lengths of 5m USB 2.0 M-F extension cable just strung
> together here & the USB WiFi adaptor at the far end of this 25m
> (75')chain never missed a beat when reconnected.Can hardly believe
> this (nor the US$2 each 5m cable)!Why would anyone still bother with
> costly lossy coax & connectors ? Tree top antenna anyone ?! Ref =>

It may be unreliable.
For best results, you should really stick hubs every 5m.

I've had mixed results with overly long USB cables.
If it works now, it'll probably still keep working. (though I've
had a link that stopped working for no apparent reason.
You have adequately waterproofed the joins?

Ian Stirling <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> manuka <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> Gadzooks ! 5 lengths of 5m USB 2.0 M-F extension cable just strung
>> together here & the USB WiFi adaptor at the far end of this 25m
>> (75')chain never missed a beat when reconnected.Can hardly believe
>> this (nor the US$2 each 5m cable)!Why would anyone still bother with
>> costly lossy coax & connectors ? Tree top antenna anyone ?! Ref =>

> It may be unreliable.
> For best results, you should really stick hubs every 5m.

For $9.99, I bought an "active" 5m cable.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?D22912A38
Cable, USB Active Extension, A to A, M/F
* 5 Cables can be cascaded to extend the distance.
* Acts like a single pot hub
* Bus powered

---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Ian Stirling <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> manuka <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>> Gadzooks ! 5 lengths of 5m USB 2.0 M-F extension cable just strung
>>> together here & the USB WiFi adaptor at the far end of this 25m
>>> (75')chain never missed a beat when reconnected.Can hardly believe
>>> this (nor the US$2 each 5m cable)!Why would anyone still bother with
>>> costly lossy coax & connectors ? Tree top antenna anyone ?! Ref =>
>
>> It may be unreliable.
>> For best results, you should really stick hubs every 5m.
>
> For $9.99, I bought an "active" 5m cable.
>
> http://makeashorterlink.com/?D22912A38
> Cable, USB Active Extension, A to A, M/F
> * 5 Cables can be cascaded to extend the distance.
> * Acts like a single pot hub
> * Bus powered

Then again, hubs are $2, and 5m cables are around $2 too.
For a total of $20 per 25m, compared to $50.

Same idea as an active cable.

Syntax USB-400
USB 802.11b Wireless Adapter

For anyone interested, ecost.com has this USB adapter and it's free
after rebate. (there is a $3.95 handling fee).

If it's free, it's for me.

Kingfish in NC




On 1 May 2004 19:09:49 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) (manuka) wrote:

>Have been having a lot of fun with the new Netstumbler (0.4), & was
>delighted to find it supports the bargain (~US$40) USB ZyDAS ZD1201
>adaptors. These dongles of course need only cheap USB feed cable &
>connectors & can hence be easily moved around to a reception sweet
>spot! I paid more than US$40 for a short Orinoco pigtail in 2002 - grr
>...
>
> After trials at the focal point of a larger solid dish ( see =>
>www.manuka.orcon.net.nz/roofscan.jpg), several DIY antennas were
>rustled up,with a nifty 12" (300mm) mesh parabolic dish especially
>promising. It's based around a US$4 Chinese cooking vat scoop & 15dB
>gain looks feasible. With a lick of black paint it could be quite
>professional & versatile + near invisible. Initial trials indicate a
>couple of these should give 10km LOS & have low wind & corosion
>resistance & hence be ideal "Poor Mans WiFi". See =>
>www.manuka.orcon.net.nz/usbscoop.jpg Stan. in NZ