signal boosting for skype

To what degree can you increase range of a wifi signal through use of
long range antennas? I would like to use my skype wifi phone with an
augmented range. Any thoughts on what technologies are currenly
available toward that end? Thanks

David.Rycyna@gmail.com wrote:
> To what degree can you increase range of a wifi signal through use of
> long range antennas? I would like to use my skype wifi phone with an
> augmented range.

What kind of range are you anticipating.

Will this be from your own access point? Internet hot-spot? WISP?

Will you be able to carry a 30 ft ladder around with you?

Can you stay tethered to a fixed location? Five ft. diameter dishes are
clumsy to carry around.

On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 18:50:38 +0000, DTC wrote:

> Five ft. diameter dishes are clumsy to carry around.

yeah but think of the nerd points to be gained...he'd be like a...nerd god!

David.Rycyna@gmail.com hath wroth:

>To what degree can you increase range of a wifi signal through use of
>long range antennas?

6dB increase in antenna gain will yield a 2x increase in range.
12dB will result in 4x, 18dB will result in 8x.

>I would like to use my skype wifi phone with an
>augmented range. Any thoughts on what technologies are currenly
>available toward that end? Thanks

Nope. You didn't bother to supply a maker or model number on the
phone, or indicate if you were planning on adding this antenna on the
hanset or the access point. If you're wi-fi phone doesn't have an
external antenna connector, you might try building a foil or sheet
metal reflector.


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

DTC <no_spam@move_along_folks.foob> hath wroth:

>Can you stay tethered to a fixed location? Five ft. diameter dishes are
>clumsy to carry around.

I keep suggesting an inflatable dish antenna at various meetings, but
nobody seems interested in selling one.

I have been known to carry a 3ft (24dBi) dish antenna on top of a
telescoping fiberglass pole looking for interference. It's quite a
balancing act and requires both skill and a good insurance carrier.

The local university (UCSC) built a new science and engineering
building without providing for Wi-Fi. They also installed aluminized
mylar coated windows for thermal insulation. The result is the
equivalent of a large shielded screen room with little Wi-Fi or
cellular coverage. Students have been seen with various strange
antenna arrays including a large panel "backpack antenna", small
panels on hats, collinear verticals on a pole, and various bizarre
reflectors. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but desperation
and kludge are close relatives.

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

On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 11:54:07 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> I keep suggesting an inflatable dish...

oh yeah, what do you call her?

"mr.b" <mist@b.com> hath wroth:

>On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 11:54:07 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>
>> I keep suggesting an inflatable dish...
>
>oh yeah, what do you call her?

I'll let the marketing department pick the name. They have the
appropriate mindset.

Actually, I'm serious and have been working on inflatable towers and
masts for ham radio field day. I don't have a prototype of an
inflatable dish antenna, but do have a fair idea of how it might be
done. Basically, it's a torus (donut) around a flexible membrane that
gets pulled into a parabolic shape. Support for the feed can be stiff
wires or an inflatable tripod structure. The design is quite common
for spaceborne antennas:
<http://www.ilcdover.com/products/aerospace_defense/inflatableantenna.htm>
<http://www.jhuapl.edu/ott/technologies/technology/articles/P01488.asp>
<http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/I/Inflatable_Antenna_Experiment.html>
<http://www.toyon.com/downloads/quickfeasibility.pdf>

Probable vendor:
<http://www.china-inflatable.com>

The two RAFT video clips are worth watching:
<http://www.boschaero.com/tower.htm>

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

On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 17:25:58 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> Actually, I'm serious and have been working on inflatable towers and masts
> for ham radio field day.

Yes I've noticed, and quite frankly many in here are the better for it.
Those were some very interesting links you posted.