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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> Technology On The Road -> Redneck Engineering, but Cheap.
Post Info TOPIC: Redneck Engineering, but Cheap.
TXRVr


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Redneck Engineering, but Cheap.
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I bought a Wireless N adapters with a USB cable, attached it to a paper plate covered with aluminum foil, and set it in my slide out window.  My signal strength went from 2 bars to 4 with nice connection speed.  I am almost ashamed how this Redneck Engineered Wi-Fi signal enhancing system looks hanging in my window, but since it only cost $18, I can get over that.  My neighbor in the RV next to us has one of those Wi-Fi Ranger devices that costs considerably more than that. 

Image what kind of signal strength I could get if I cover the side of my rig with foil and stuck the adapter in the middle.  smile

 

 

 



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scrappy


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lol!!!  And make sure you wear your foil hat!!  hahaha.

I love it!



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Jack Mayer


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Actually, you are likely getting most of that improvement by simply putting the device in the window.The foil helps, of course, but most of the gain is the location.

If you want to play around with things, find an old sat dish and use that.....you can see some amazing results. If you get the adapter in the right location on the dish arm, that is.

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Lucky Mike


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I have one made from a dish.....took a Net Gear N-600 and an old dish network assembly..... made the soup can mount and put it on an old camera tri-pod.....

works unreal when looking for Wifi signals...


Like Jack said ....most is location

If you take a 1" 1/2 piece of pvc pipe and a suction cup shower grip , you can move this outside and add some height to the antenna


take 2 hose clamps and mount the pipe to the shower grip..(6 ft of pipe works well)...cut the neck off a 20 oz. soda bottle to fit the top of the pipe...(to protect the antenna)

run the wire thru the pipe and put the soda bottle on top.....stick the suction cups high on the window outside....your antenna will be at least 3 feet above your roof and most others in the park!!!

if you want to make it directional ....mount an aluminum pie tin to the soda bottle with silicone cement and split the pipe above the mount and add a dry pvc coupling so you can turn the antenna!!

No obstruction.....better signals

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WestWardHo


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TXRVr I can see your but Mike I'm just trying to picture your setup.......😂

Some permanent folks in this park swear by the Signal King Long Range and High Sensitivity Clipper for about $25 bucks on Amazon but I don't have a clue about it.


Sherry



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TXRVr


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Understand the direction issue, but the antenna with the foil reflector is in the same place as it was without it.  Reflector is effective.

Appreciate the suggestions on a sat dish.  Will try that with the one I use for sat, but don't want to carry another one around.

 

WestWardHo>  Thanks for the heads up on the Signal King. I looked at it on Amazon. One model had a 48 db gain which is huge. Decent price so I'm think I'll try it out. 

Lucky Mike>  Huh???  Say all again after " If you take a...."   That's OK, I get the concept of the mounting. I was trying to figure out how to make it waterproof when outdoors.  The soda bottle will do the trick, nicely. 

 



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