looking for a usb adapter with sma option

Hi, I finally exceeded the range of my hawking 6db usb antenna and the
the surplus sat dish I used to increase range. Dish can't be mounted
high enough to avoid the foilage at my new location. I am hoping to
stay low cost still using both active and passive usb extenders I would
like to find a usb "dongle" that has an rf connector option to adapt to
a pole antenna - yagi or lightweight sector dish. I have almost 40 ' of
usb and can waterproof the dongle - pigtail connection on pole. trying
to avoid cost of power over ethernets / amplifiers and signal loss over
cable run on what will be only a 6 week deployment. Any suggestions?

On 21 Jun 2005 06:28:23 -0700, "frank" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Hi, I finally exceeded the range of my hawking 6db usb antenna and the
> the surplus sat dish I used to increase range. Dish can't be mounted
> high enough to avoid the foilage at my new location. I am hoping to
> stay low cost still using both active and passive usb extenders I would
> like to find a usb "dongle" that has an rf connector option to adapt to
> a pole antenna - yagi or lightweight sector dish. I have almost 40 ' of
> usb and can waterproof the dongle - pigtail connection on pole. trying
> to avoid cost of power over ethernets / amplifiers and signal loss over
> cable run on what will be only a 6 week deployment. Any suggestions?

Search eBay for "usb orinoco" and you will get what you need but not
exactly what you ask for in the subject. See item 5782381006 where they
opened one up - you get a USB interface and a PC Card client but the
pigtail is not SMA (or more accurately the RP-SMA often used in Wi-Fi) but
nevertheless it is readily available.

Tony

On 21 Jun 2005 06:28:23 -0700, "frank" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Hi, I finally exceeded the range of my hawking 6db usb antenna and the
>the surplus sat dish I used to increase range. Dish can't be mounted
>high enough to avoid the foilage at my new location. I am hoping to
>stay low cost still using both active and passive usb extenders I would
>like to find a usb "dongle" that has an rf connector option to adapt to
>a pole antenna - yagi or lightweight sector dish. I have almost 40 ' of
>usb and can waterproof the dongle - pigtail connection on pole. trying
>to avoid cost of power over ethernets / amplifiers and signal loss over
>cable run on what will be only a 6 week deployment. Any suggestions?

You can only go so far with USB. Most (not all) USB amplifiers
require a +5VDC power source at the radio end. I've done 80ft with
and amplified USB extension, but had to run seperate power leads for
the USB amplifier. Recently, I've seen USB extenders that don't
require power at both ends. The are mostly made of USB cameras and
therefore will not tolerate much of a power load. I have no
experience with these and have no clue if they actually function.

IOGear GUCE50
| http://www.iogear.com/main.php?loc=product&Item=GUCE50

Startech USBthere (various models)
| http://www.startech.com/ststore/item...days=&onsale=0

However, prices are $80 to $200, so methinks that may not be a
practical cheap solutions.

Of course, you could modify a USB radio radio and attach your own coax
connector or pigtail. Look for one with a tilt-up 1/4 wave antenna as
they invariably have a small length of coax going between the board
and the antenna. Chop the coax at the antenna, attach a proper
connector, and mount it inside the case.

Most of the USB "thumb drive" size radios use PIFA antennas. These
can be unsoldered and replaced with a coax cable connector. See:
| http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/wir...122/index.html
That's the inside of a Dlink DWL-122 showing the antenna. I
unsoldered the PIFA antenna, installed an SMA connector, and used it
much in the same manner as you're suggesting. The problem with this
idea is that the DWL-122 proved to be a rather mediocre radio with the
added enjoyment of a flakey USB driver. However, at $15/ea, these
were difficult to resist.

I usually end up with an "EtherAnt" type of antenna using some form of
PoE.
http://www.terabeam.com/solutions/p-.../etherant3.php
The built-in 18dBi antenna should be more than adequate.
However, you probably won't like the $350 price.

Another alternative is to use an ethernet client radio and PoE. Since
cheap seems to be the driving requirement, I suggest a WRT54G router
($70 list or $45 after rebates) with alternative firmware that has a
client mode:
http://www.sveasoft.com/content/view/3/1/
The nice thing about this particular radio is that the has a very wide
range of useable power supply voltage. Therefore, you do not need the
fancy PoE devices, with it's low copper loss 48VDC power supply. I
don't like butchering the CAT5 cable, so I just run a seperate pair of
wires for power. You can use the supplied 12VDC wall wart, tolerate
whatever copper losses are involved, and still end up with enough
power at the radio. The range of input voltages is approximately 4VDC
to about 18VDC. This is my BEFW11S4, which has a similar power supply
arrangement, running on 3.5VDC:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/drivel/low-volt.jpg
The rest, I think you may have some experience with. Find a decent
antenna for your pole, and deal with the water proofing, packaging,
mounting, alignment, etc.

Also, you mentioned yagi and sector dish. I don't like yagi's for
2.4GHz. They have the highest cost per dBi of gain. They are fairly
difficult to build, have lobes in weird places, and become very long
at gains over 14dBi. Also, there's no such thing as a "sector dish".
Most dish antennas have a beamwidth (depending upon gain) of 5 to 20
degrees, which is hardly a sector. For do it thyself, I prefer:
Patch or Biquad 8-10dBi gain
Panel antenna 10-18dBi gain
Dish 18dBi to 24dBi


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558

Thanks Jeff,
My usb2 active extension is only $25 but it is also only 16'
(http://www.usbgear.com/USB-Extenders.html) . I put 2 10' passive
extenders downstream and it still runs the hawking hwu54d. I'll have to
look up its power requirements to see how it compares to a $57 buffallo
client I found on the net that appears to come with rf connector for
external antenna. I should be able to get away with another passive in
front of the active extender if i need more length but my main reason
for looking at the yagi or what I mistermed a sector dish (meant grid
antenna) was light weigh and low wind resistance. I haven't selected a
mast but again looking for low cost simple installation - maybe pvc -
the yagi looked lowest in weight of the directional type - but the grid
type or cantenna might also fit this requirement.
Frank

On 21 Jun 2005 20:07:41 -0700, "frank" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Thanks Jeff,
>My usb2 active extension is only $25 but it is also only 16'
>(http://www.usbgear.com/USB-Extenders.html) . I put 2 10' passive
>extenders downstream and it still runs the hawking hwu54d.

The official maximum USB cable length for USB is 16ft. Two things
will fail if you go farther. The data waveforms get "smeared" and the
+5VDC power drops below where the device fails to function. I've
tried longer lengths of cables and had random success. Some things
worked, some didn't. If you can get away with it, by all means, use
it. However, don't count on it working with every USB device.

>I'll have to
>look up its power requirements to see how it compares to a $57 buffallo
>client I found on the net that appears to come with rf connector for
>external antenna.

Some of the devices were original made for a connector. For example,
this ancient Linksys WUSB11 radio has pads and holes for an SMB
connector.
http://jeffl.ihwy.com/linksys/wusb11/wusb11-2.jpg
Note the pads in the upper right.

>I should be able to get away with another passive in
>front of the active extender if i need more length but my main reason
>for looking at the yagi or what I mistermed a sector dish (meant grid
>antenna) was light weigh and low wind resistance.

I like to call it a "barbeque grill dish". If wind resistance is a
problem, then large panel antennas will be a problem.

>I haven't selected a
>mast but again looking for low cost simple installation - maybe pvc -

PVC will sag and move around in the wind. Think Radio Shack steel
pipe and tripod base. They're cheap, strong, and easy to install.

>the yagi looked lowest in weight of the directional type - but the grid
>type or cantenna might also fit this requirement.
>Frank

Well, if weight is an issue, try carbon fiber tubing. Costs a small
fortune but is really strong and light.
| http://www.graphitestore.com/itemDet...d=34&curPage=1
For 1.120 OD and 72" long, only $318.

I have a bad attitude about can antennas. They work and are usually
good enough. However, I prefer a biquad antenna, which methinks is
better, has more gain, more bandwidth, etc. If you can live with
8-10dBi of gain, then a coffee can or biquad will work. If you need
more, methinks a dish will be best.

Biquad:
| http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/antennas/Biquad/
| http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/antennas/biquad2/
| http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/

Coffee Can:
| http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/antennas/coffee2400/

I did this chart a few months ago from the http://www.fab-corp.com web
site prices. They're probably somewhat cheaper these days, but I'm
too lazy to do it again. Note that the yagi is the most expensive in
cost per dB of gain.

Type specified -3dB bw Cost Cost per
gain dBi degrees $US dB gain

Patch
Rootena RT24LP14 14dBi 35 $42 $3.00
Maxrad Wisp 13dBi 35 $39 $3.00

Dish
PacWireless 15dBi 19 $35 $2.33
PacWireless 19dBi 17 $41 $2.16

Yagi
Maxrad 15 15dBi 30 $59 $3.93
Antennex 14.6dBi 30 $65 $4.45


--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831.336.2558 voice http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
# (E-Mail Removed)
# (E-Mail Removed) AE6KS