Tin can aerial :-)

Just using BBCNews24 and caught the current episode of Click, which they
use as a filler so it gets repeated several times a week.

The were in South Africa doing a piece on Wifi. They featured a "Can
Aerial", just put a wifi transmitter aerial into a *large* several kilogram
tin can, and it produces a directional beam so they could connect over a
range of a kilometre or so. Maybe not as good as a parabolic reflector
but IMO it should work, just as they say.
--
Dave Fawthrop <sf hyphenologist.co.uk> 165 *Free* SF ebooks.
165 Sci Fi books on CDROM, from Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Completely Free to any
address in the UK. Contact me on the *above* email address.

On Sat, 12 May 2007 10:58:15 UTC, Dave Fawthrop
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Just using BBCNews24 and caught the current episode of Click, which they
> use as a filler so it gets repeated several times a week.
>
> The were in South Africa doing a piece on Wifi. They featured a "Can
> Aerial", just put a wifi transmitter aerial into a *large* several kilogram
> tin can, and it produces a directional beam so they could connect over a
> range of a kilometre or so. Maybe not as good as a parabolic reflector
> but IMO it should work, just as they say.

Sounds a bit like the Pringles can solution - which has been around a
long time.
--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

"Dave Fawthrop" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Just using BBCNews24 and caught the current episode of Click, which they
> use as a filler so it gets repeated several times a week.
>
> The were in South Africa doing a piece on Wifi. They featured a "Can
> Aerial", just put a wifi transmitter aerial into a *large* several
> kilogram
> tin can, and it produces a directional beam so they could connect over a
> range of a kilometre or so. Maybe not as good as a parabolic reflector
> but IMO it should work, just as they say.
> --
> Dave Fawthrop <sf hyphenologist.co.uk> 165 *Free* SF ebooks.
> 165 Sci Fi books on CDROM, from Project Gutenberg
> http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Completely Free to any
> address in the UK. Contact me on the *above* email address.
>

Go here and click on Tin Cantenna:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme.../6646469.stm#3
--
Keith Willcocks
(If you can't laugh at life, it ain't worth living!)

On 12-May-2007, "Bob Eager" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Sounds a bit like the Pringles can solution - which has been around a
> long time.

I'm using, with great success, a USB adapter in a thin walled
7 inch approx plastic flower pot, half coated on the outside
with aluminium kitchen foil, held with elastic bands.
Only maintenance is the elastic bands occasionally perish,
must get round to insulating tape, someday.
Wanted it now,the pot was available, didn't want too sharp
a focus as positioning USB might be too critical.
It increased the signal strength by about 30% and
signal quality by about 50%.
I assume some of the improvement is that it cuts out
off-path, multipath reflections from the side.
Only need it at one end, speed test sites confirmed
the improvement.
As the pot is deeper than the adapter you can add
a plastic cactus.
Worth a try.

On May 12, 3:36 pm, ato_...@hotmail.com wrote:
> On 12-May-2007, "Bob Eager" <r...@spamcop.net> wrote:
>
> > Sounds a bit like the Pringles can solution - which has been around a
> > long time.
>
> I'm using, with great success, a USB adapter in a thin walled
> 7 inch approx plastic flower pot, half coated on the outside
> with aluminium kitchen foil, held with elastic bands.
> Only maintenance is the elastic bands occasionally perish,
> must get round to insulating tape, someday.
> Wanted it now,the pot was available, didn't want too sharp
> a focus as positioning USB might be too critical.
> It increased the signal strength by about 30% and
> signal quality by about 50%.
> I assume some of the improvement is that it cuts out
> off-path, multipath reflections from the side.
> Only need it at one end, speed test sites confirmed
> the improvement.
> As the pot is deeper than the adapter you can add
> a plastic cactus.
> Worth a try.

Note to any war-drivers - look out for a sideways plant pot buried in
someones wall with tin foil on it

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Dave Fawthrop
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>Just using BBCNews24 and caught the current episode of Click, which they
>use as a filler so it gets repeated several times a week.
>
>The were in South Africa doing a piece on Wifi. They featured a "Can
>Aerial", just put a wifi transmitter aerial into a *large* several kilogram
>tin can, and it produces a directional beam so they could connect over a
>range of a kilometre or so. Maybe not as good as a parabolic reflector
>but IMO it should work, just as they say.
Was on a HP storage course and the hotel had WiFi access but only in two
public places not the rooms Using my laptop one night in my room, I got
a *very* low and intermittent signal from their network, one lump of
blu-tack, one USB WiFi stick with extension cable, the room's steel
waste bin and a little experimentation to find the 'focal' point of the
bin got me a very usable, stable connection.
--
Clint Sharp

In news: (E-Mail Removed) - Dave Fawthrop
wrote :
>> Just using BBCNews24 and caught the current episode of Click, which
>> they use as a filler so it gets repeated several times a week.
>>
>> The were in South Africa doing a piece on Wifi. They featured a "Can
>> Aerial", just put a wifi transmitter aerial into a *large* several
>> kilogram tin can, and it produces a directional beam so they could
>> connect over a range of a kilometre or so. Maybe not as good as a
>> parabolic reflector but IMO it should work, just as they say.
>> --
>> Dave Fawthrop <sf hyphenologist.co.uk> 165 *Free* SF ebooks.
>> 165 Sci Fi books on CDROM, from Project Gutenberg
>> http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Completely Free to any
>> address in the UK. Contact me on the *above* email address.

http://kick-butt.co.uk/baby/?jYfFrR84

Have fun....

Chris

--
Cheap As Chips Broadband http://yeah.kick-butt.co.uk
Superb hosting & domain name deals http://host.kick-butt.co.uk

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:

>
> On 12-May-2007, "Bob Eager" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Sounds a bit like the Pringles can solution - which has been around a
>> long time.
>
> I'm using, with great success, a USB adapter in a thin walled
> 7 inch approx plastic flower pot, half coated on the outside
> with aluminium kitchen foil, held with elastic bands.
> Only maintenance is the elastic bands occasionally perish,
> must get round to insulating tape, someday.

Anyone on the lookout for obscure ways of doing WiFi should have a look at
http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/. Who'd have thought Chinese cookware could
have so many uses?

> As the pot is deeper than the adapter you can add
> a plastic cactus.

I'm not quite sure I understand why you'd want to do that. You might want to
microwave anything you obscure the antenna with first, if it heats up it
means it's absorbing some of the microwaves, and will be attenuating your
wireless signal.

--
<http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) ((E-Mail Removed))
18:41:14 up 13 days, 20:41, 1 user, load average: 0.10, 0.10, 0.09
09 f9 11 02 9d 74 e3 5b d8 41 56 c5 63 56 88 c0

On 12 May 2007 08:11:39 -0700, Steve <(E-Mail Removed)> mused:

>On May 12, 3:36 pm, ato_...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> On 12-May-2007, "Bob Eager" <r...@spamcop.net> wrote:
>>
>> > Sounds a bit like the Pringles can solution - which has been around a
>> > long time.
>>
>> I'm using, with great success, a USB adapter in a thin walled
>> 7 inch approx plastic flower pot, half coated on the outside
>> with aluminium kitchen foil, held with elastic bands.
>> Only maintenance is the elastic bands occasionally perish,
>> must get round to insulating tape, someday.
>> Wanted it now,the pot was available, didn't want too sharp
>> a focus as positioning USB might be too critical.
>> It increased the signal strength by about 30% and
>> signal quality by about 50%.
>> I assume some of the improvement is that it cuts out
>> off-path, multipath reflections from the side.
>> Only need it at one end, speed test sites confirmed
>> the improvement.
>> As the pot is deeper than the adapter you can add
>> a plastic cactus.
>> Worth a try.
>
>Note to any war-drivers - look out for a sideways plant pot buried in
>someones wall with tin foil on it

Sideways?
--
Regards,
Stuart.

On Sat, 12 May 2007 18:46:39 +0100, alexd <(E-Mail Removed)>
mused:

>> As the pot is deeper than the adapter you can add
>> a plastic cactus.
>
>I'm not quite sure I understand why you'd want to do that. You might want to
>microwave anything you obscure the antenna with first, if it heats up it
>means it's absorbing some of the microwaves, and will be attenuating your
>wireless signal.

Sense of humour gone away for the weekend?
--
Regards,
Stuart.