[Ham-80211] Providing Long-range Wifi

Mon Sep 10 14:43:58 UTC 2012

What is the antenna on the other end?

39" antenna is VERY narrow in it's focus.  And it'll have LARGE side lobes.  It's easy to focus in on a side lobe rather than the main lobe.

I also assume (yeah I know) that you are using 5 gig vs. 2.4?

I've done some 2.4 gig wifi using a 24dB grid (2') to a laptop.  Not exactly legal power wise, but you can get nearly a mile and still have good service on the laptop.

As cheap as the radios are no though, it's always best to build repeater stations into the system and use them.  Using a repeater mode will work for a hop or two but at much lower bandwidth if there are more than a couple of end users (think client radio to ap to client radio).

Nowadays I run 5 gig systems to feed my 2.4 gig systems.  Even 5 gig ptmp as the "backbone" of the system will far out perform a same band system anyday.  Especially if you want to run the new n modes that chew up 40mhz+ of spectrum.

Also, trees are bad.  This gear really hates them.

If you are running Mikrotik gear then you'll be much better off if you have one on each end and run nstream.  That mode has changed my life as an ISP!

hope this helps,
marlon

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jim Tarvid 
  To: TAPR Mailing List for Ham Radio Use of 802.11 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2012 7:16 AM
  Subject: Re: [Ham-80211] Providing Long-range Wifi

  Struggling with a 14km link myself. I have a shot down a valley which almost works (or works much of the time). Using a 39" parabolic with a Mikrotik Groove. Suspect multipath issues and a few trees in the fresnel zone. Getting closer on identifying the trees. Switching polarity may help.

  On Tue, Aug 28, 2012 at 9:39 AM, Perry - K4PWO <k4pwo at comcast.net> wrote:

    Good question!  That's getting pretty murky and it'll take a higher pay
    grade to answer.  HI!
    My "gut" impression is its probably legal but it's hard to say as you get
    into the "supervised" question (like a 3rd party using your mike, you have
    to still be in control).

    Perry - K4PWO

    -----Original Message-----
    From: ham-80211-bounces at tapr.org [mailto:ham-80211-bounces at tapr.org] On
    Behalf Of Robert Dixon

    Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 2:28 PM
    To: TAPR Mailing List for Ham Radio Use of 802.11

    Subject: Re: [Ham-80211] Providing Long-range Wifi

    Thanks Perry.  I sort of suspected the SSID ID, so I have done that.
    The point to point link we plan to run would be completely ham at both ends;
    nobody else allowed.   If we then link it to a local typical wifi network AP
    for all other users, is that any problem?  Sort of like 3rd party traffic

    Bob W8ERD

    On Aug 27, 2012, at 2:41 PM, Perry - K4PWO wrote:

    > You set your SSID of the WiFi AP to your Ham call.  You have to
    > password limit access and its only Ham to Ham, i.e. the kids and wife,
    > or others, can't legally connect to a WiFi AP run under Ham rules
    > unless they are licensed.
    >
    > 73 de Perry - K4PWO
    >
    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: ham-80211-bounces at tapr.org [mailto:ham-80211-bounces at tapr.org]
    > On Behalf Of Robert Dixon
    > Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 10:23 AM
    > To: ham-80211 at tapr.org
    > Subject: [Ham-80211] Providing Long-range Wifi
    >
    > I am working with our local EMA to be able to provide wifi internet
    > access at disaster scenes and special events in our county.  I have
    > read articles where people have achieved long distances over line of
    > sight paths. But in our case, line of sight may not always be
    > possible, due to rolling terrain, trees, buildings etc.  I have a 29
    > db gain dish on my tower at 90 feet. The idea is to aim it at the
    > required location, and use a portable gain antenna at the other end
    > (maybe 24 db at 40 feet) for a point-to-point link, and then relaunch
    > wifi locally for on-the scene laptops etc.  We plan to experiment with
    this as soon as we have the necessary equipment on hand.
    >
    > The thought is to use wifi channel 1 or 2, as that is where hams are
    > priority users in the frequency allocations.  We would like to use as
    > much power as possible, but the cost of commercial units may limit
    > that to a watt or so.  25 miles would be adequate.
    >
    > Also wondering how hams typically send their callsign ID for wifi
    > applications.
    >
    > Suggestions and comments would be most welcome.
    >
    > Bob W8ERD
    > Delaware County, Ohio
    > _______________________________________________
    > ham-80211 mailing list
    > ham-80211 at tapr.org
    > https://www.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ham-80211
    >
    >
    > _______________________________________________
    > ham-80211 mailing list
    > ham-80211 at tapr.org
    > https://www.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ham-80211

    _______________________________________________
    ham-80211 mailing list
    ham-80211 at tapr.org
    https://www.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ham-80211

    _______________________________________________
    ham-80211 mailing list
    ham-80211 at tapr.org
    https://www.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ham-80211

  -- 

  Kindness Works!
  Rev. Jim Tarvid, PCA
  12897A Grays Pointe Road, Fairfax, Va 22033
  703-594-7297 Google Voice
  703-657-0099 Condo

  38.8778239, -77.392696
  http://ls.net

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  _______________________________________________
  ham-80211 mailing list
  ham-80211 at tapr.org
  https://www.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ham-80211
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.tapr.org/pipermail/ham-80211/attachments/20120910/548b52d2/attachment.htm>