repeating scenario

Here is the explicit setup: I am trying to serve a square mile or so of
geographic area. My problems are twofold. My first is that the signal is
coming out of a depression to a hilltop where it will be broadcast. Am I
simply looking for two antennas with an amplifier in between?

My second problem is that from the hilltop, I would like to broadcast 360
degrees horizontally but would like more than a 15 degree vertical beam
width. It seems there would be some way to take advantage of being on the
hilltop but it seems I would be better off at 50' above the ground. Does
anyone know of an antennae provider who might be able to help. I have
looked at Hyperlink and may have to settle on a few panel antennas at a much
higher cost. Another option is to go with several of the cheaper omni's and
simply use them on different planes?

Thanks,
Todd

"Todd Archer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news975b.6804$(E-Mail Removed) ink.net...
> Here is the explicit setup: I am trying to serve a square mile or so of
> geographic area. My problems are twofold. My first is that the signal is
> coming out of a depression to a hilltop where it will be broadcast. Am I
> simply looking for two antennas with an amplifier in between?

No. You need to receive and demodulate the signal, then repeat it. This
can be done with D-Link DWL-900+ access points in 'repeater' mode or using a
wireless Ethernet adapter (client) wired to an access point. Using a client
wired to an access point has a slight bandwidth advantage because it uses
two radios which can simultaneously carry data whereas the single radio
repeater is never talking and listening at the same time.

>
> My second problem is that from the hilltop, I would like to broadcast 360
> degrees horizontally but would like more than a 15 degree vertical beam
> width.

You're describing an omnidirectional antenna with downtilt.

> It seems there would be some way to take advantage of being on the
> hilltop but it seems I would be better off at 50' above the ground. Does
> anyone know of an antennae provider who might be able to help.

http://www.fab-corp.com/index.htm
Scroll down to the 12 dBi and 15.4 dBi omnidirectional antennas with 3º
downtilt. There are many other suppliers that sell many other omnis with
various angles of downtilt. This doesn't change the fact that an omni's
major lobe is either a flat plane or a cone. The higher the gain, the
flatter the plane or thinner the cone.

Look at a cell phone tower and you'll see a better way (and more expensive!)
to do what you're trying to do. There's no free lunch here. If you want a
bigger coverage area, you'll need multiple access points with sector
antennas. Using highly directional antennas on the clients will
dramatically extend range.

Don W.

> I have
> looked at Hyperlink and may have to settle on a few panel antennas at a
much
> higher cost. Another option is to go with several of the cheaper omni's
and
> simply use them on different planes?
>
> Thanks,
> Todd
>
>