Wireless network questions

[George Toft]

Bill Nash wrote:
> =

> Ummmm, we used the plans linked from the various slashdot pieces about
> them. The most effort required was building the waveguide, and the hard=
est
> part there was just finding aluminum tubing. We wound up scavenging fro=
m a
> roof mounted TV antenna. We aren't sure who it belonged to, though. It'=
s
> funny how things work out when you're just wandering around with clippe=
rs
> in your hand. The rest of the wave guide is just a five inch piece of a=
ll
> thread, with some washers. Home Depot carries them. Make sure the washe=
rs
> you select FIT on the allthread before you leave the store. Don't ask i=
f
> we made a second trip. Don't ask what my drill bits are made of, either=
=2E
> Locking nuts on either end of the allthread keep it together.
> =

> Keep in mind, this project was pulled off by hooligans for whom power
> tools are verboten. Had wife/girlfriend figures known what we had been =
up
> to, this would never have been written. Just for less pain, I recommend=

> picking up two cans for each antenna you're planning to build. One, in
> case you screw up. Two, the extra lid, minus about 2mm of it's outer ed=
ge
> (accomplished with simple scissors) is perfect for the inside end of th=
e
> waveguide. And if you like Pringles, you get more.
> =

> We cut some schedule 40 PVC for our mounting apparatus, which worked ou=
t
> pretty well. Using a length about six inches longer than the pringles c=
an,
> we cut the PVC in half, except for that last six inches. We set the can=

> into the slot, hot glued it in, and then drilled the still-whole part
> through so we could side mount a u-bolt onto it. (Hint, drill those hol=
es
> on the same axis on which you cut the pipe in half.) If you're not
> mounting it, this still leaves you with a good handle with which to tes=
t
> for RF burns on your friends (joke, I swear.)
> =

> The important part to remember about the hot glue, especially in AZ, is=
 to
> make sure that when you mount it, the PVC is on the underside. Running =
a
> ring of hot glue around the can like a rubber band helped, too. Our fir=
st
> go around, we suffered dramatic signal loss when one of the cans took a=

> dive off the mount. Oops. We picked up some female N connectors at Fry'=
s,
> for installing the load into the can (By the by, proper measurements us=
ing
> a can of plain pringles has your load hole going in right about where i=
t
> says Sodium on the list of things that will kill you if you eat the
> chips.) Ideally, the copper load should be just behind the end of the
> waveguide.
> =

> When it came down to the WEP11's, oh man, now there was an adventure. T=
hey
> use the RTNC connectors for the antennae they sport, which you cannot f=
ind
> locally. Well, stock ones do. Both of mine now have one RTNC, and one B=
NC
> connector. The firmware allows you to turn one antenna off, which we di=
d,
> since we didn't need indoor access on these APs. No point in confusing =
the
> little PC card any more than we already were. Figuring out how to get
> those slick little blue cases open was fun. I dremel'd one like a jigsa=
w
> because I was too geeky to just yank on the front. That and I love
> dremelling things.
> =

> We picked up the RG6 after we discovered Rg58 just wasn't up to the tas=
k.
> With our 50 foot RG58 runs, we were losing so much of the signal that
> we got about 20 feet of signal out through the can. I probably could ha=
ve
> done the math on this had I known better, but hey, getting there is hal=
f
> the fun. I could have done without the repeat attic crawls, though. We
> crimped BNC on one end, and used twist on/soldered load N connectors fo=
r
> the Can connection. Fry's poor selection dictated our choices, there. T=
hat
> and every other electronics place in town, from Greybar on through the
> yellow pages doesn't carry RTNC. You have to order them, usually from s=
ome
> Ampenol distributer. We were in a hurry, so this wasn't an option.
> =

> The drawback to RG6 is that it's about a buck a foot, and about a pound=
 a
> foot, now that I think on it. It's about half an inch thick or so, too,=

> and gets VERY pliable under the sun. Caveat emptor.
> =

> We grabbed a couple of tripods and six foot masts from Fry's, as well.
> When all was said and done, we had only a couple milliseconds of latenc=
y
> at full speeds, and since one of the cans was Sour Cream and Onions, so=
me
> really wierd gas. The cans took the summer heat pretty well for a coupl=
e
> of weeks. The cool thing about pringles cans is that new ones are cheap=
,
> and once you build the waveguides and assemble other parts, you can kee=
p
> them in a drawer for when you need fast temporary link-ups.
> =

> - billn


Bill,

You need to document this in a web page with drawings and pictures. =

Keep the same sense of humor.

One question - how did the Pringles can hold up to the rain?  I'm sure
the Pringles would hold up well with all the preservatives, but what
about the cardboard?  I have a sinkhole in my yard from the rain - I'm
wondering about the cantenna.

George

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