🚀 go-pugleaf

On Sun, 30 May 2010 20:50:24 -0400, "Elmo P. Shagnasty"
<elmop@nastydesigns.com> wrote:

>Or another solution to enhancing the signal in your house--something 
>anyone can come in and make use of.

Yep.  I have installed 3 of these so far:
<http://www.wi-ex.com/YX500-CEL.aspx>
<http://www.wi-ex.com/files/YX500.510_SpecSheet.pdf>
in peoples houses.  An antenna goes on the roof.  RG-6/u (yes, it's 75
ohm coax but it's cheap) between the antenna and the box.  Short dual
band antenna on the box.  The trick to making it work is that there
has to be quite a bit of vertical isolation between the outside and
inside antenna.  They should not see each other.  

I don't use the supplied omnidirection outside antenna.  Instead, I
installed a rather directional home made panel antenna pointed in the
general direction of the cell site.  It works with all the providers
(except Nextel) especially since the major providers are sometimes
co-located at the same site.   I've tried it with an iPhone running 3G
and it works.

Prices vary from $200 to $275.  I've seen them on eBay used for less.

Unfortunately, it does not improve coverage for the entire
neighborhood.  The non-removable inside antenna is the major
limitation.  I found that it works well over about a 50ft radius,
kinda marginal at 75ft, and dead at 100ft.  Data range is slightly
less.  Put an inside wall in the way and cut the range by about 1/3.
Put a concrete for foil backed insulation wall in the way and nothing
goes through it.

I'll be doing another install in about 2 weeks.  This one will be
primarily a coax cable routing exercise between a 2nd floor in an
office building, to a below ground level parking garage.  The most
difficult part will be getting the necessary permissions and permits.
I have 2 more bids pending.


-- 
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann     AE6KS    831-336-2558