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Thread ID: 46419 2004-06-23 05:25:00 2.4ghz extension cables Fatcam (1700) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
246974 2004-06-23 05:25:00 Hi there

I am setting up a wireless point to point network and looking to boost the signal by extending the aerial that came with my wireless card. Is it possible to purchase extension cables. I noticed it was a similar type of coaxial cable to a tv aerial cable, so is a tv aerial cable good enough or will it not be strong enough for the signal?

cheers
Cameron
Fatcam (1700)
246975 2004-06-23 05:42:00 >I noticed it was a similar type of coaxial cable to a tv aerial cable,
> so is a tv aerial cable good enough or will it not be
> strong enough for the signal?

Unless your "extension" cable is only a few inches long, standard TV co-ax cable will be far too lossy.

You need a very high grade low loss cable at 2.4 GHz to avoid signal losses. (which will easily negate any benefit of relocating the aerial otherwise)

Talk to a professional wireless installation company for a cable and a recommendation on maximum length.
godfather (25)
246976 2004-06-23 05:46:00 Hi Fatcam,
Unfortunately at these frequencies, there is no cheap cable that is of any value, losses are just to high. Even the cable that Sky installers use is good only for short runs. Sad but true. So, the stuff that your friendly local tv store will sell you will just swallow your signals and negate the gains your good antenna and location are capable of.
It's not the "strength" of the cable that is important, but the impedance, losses and uniformity of manufacture.
It's the old formula again, -
Price, Quality, Performance. Pick any two

Cheers R2
R2x1 (4628)
246977 2004-06-23 06:05:00 Cheers for the help.

Does anyone know where i can purchase the proper extension cables from?
Fatcam (1700)
246978 2004-06-23 06:33:00 www.ascent.co.nz godfather (25)
246979 2004-06-23 06:35:00 > Does anyone know where i can purchase the proper
> extension cables from?

As godfather said: Talk to a professional wireless installation company for a cable and a recommendation on maximum length .


At this point it might be a good idea to find out exactly what you want to do .

For example:

How long is this extension to be?

What sort of antenna do you want on the end of it? (If it is the omni-directional stub antenna off your wireless card it might not produce any improvement at all if simply hung on the end of a longer cable) .

What distance do you need to communicate over?

Will the other end of the link use a similar antenna?

If you use a high gain antenna system at one end of the link only, you might be able to talk to the other end but not receive its signals back .

Cheers

Billy 8-{)
Billy T (70)
246980 2004-06-23 09:30:00 >If you use a high gain antenna system at one end of the link only, you might be able to talk to the other
>end but not receive its signals back.

Eh?
I thought antennas can suck as hard as they blow ? Or have the rules changed?
R2
R2x1 (4628)
246981 2004-06-23 10:05:00 >Eh?
I thought antennas can suck as hard as they blow ?

good spotting ;-)

basicly extending the cable will drop the signal so they may be no overall gain. best bet is to use high gain aerials. having high and low gain aerials at either end shouldn't matter much. most important is the overall gain.

going back to the day where iwas involed with an early wireless internet company we used cable similer to tv cable (much much fatter than what sky guys use) but it was 50ohm instead of 75ohm tv stuff. also the connectors where big and not cheap.

do your homework before buying as the stuff is not cheap.
tweak'e (174)
246982 2004-06-23 10:26:00 While an accurately aligned directional antenna such as a yagi can focus its radiation onto the receive antenna, it is not a perfect radiator plus its receive efficiency may not equal its transmitting efficiency . An omnidirectional stub may be able to receive the tramnsmitted signal, but not radiate sufficient power into the receiver at the other end of the link for a reliable two way connection .

In a perfect world, where all things are equal, it may work well . Sadly, the world of RF communications, especially at 2 . 4 GHz is less than perfect .

That is why I asked the length of the cable and the length of the signal path .

Cheers

Billy 8-{) :|
Billy T (70)
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