8ta & External Antenna's

K

kyton

Expert Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2009
Messages
3,060
Reaction score
76
Location
Port Elizabeth
Hi Guys

Anyone using External Antennas and find that they are helping at all.

Looking at getting one to se if it helps. Contact finishes in July, so i wonder if it is worth getting.
 
kytonpc said:
Hi Guys

Anyone using External Antennas and find that they are helping at all.

Looking at getting one to se if it helps. Contact finishes in July, so i wonder if it is worth getting.
Click to expand...

also looking to find out. my folks got 8TA with horrible signal, wondering if its worth it
 
how does yuors connect to your modem, also what di you find was the best way to get best signal.
 
Yes, I had one of the usual Poynting LR44s because we live in a very poor reception area, and then 8ta put up a tower within range. If you're into the technicalities, without the antenna I have a modest -90 dB signal (barely okay) -- but using the antenna pumped it up to an almost city-like -65 dB (smaller figures indicates better).

This is using the antenna plugged directly with a so-called pigtail into an old-fashioned PCMCIA datacard. Using one of those condom-like slip-on pigtails over a stick modem drops the signal significantly, down to about -80 dB, but that's still an improvement on no antenna. I live in a rural area where cellphone and data reception has been a perennial problem.
 
kytonpc said:
how does yuors connect to your modem, also what di you find was the best way to get best signal.
Click to expand...

Using the CRC9 to SMA cable also from scoop

IMHO best gain will be from a direct connection vs inductive antennae.

To find the best signal I used MDMA from ginggs on a laptop, walked around the house & then the roof, until I found the highest signal strength and installed the antennae there.

sajunky said:
Very interesting offer, +/-R315 with 5m cable and bracket.
What cable is used - RG-58? It is usually written on the cable.
Click to expand...

Just had a look now, the cable doesn't have any markings so can't tell what it is!
 
Brandon said:
Using the CRC9 to SMA cable also from scoop

IMHO best gain will be from a direct connection vs inductive antennae.

To find the best signal I used MDMA from ginggs on a laptop, walked around the house & then the roof, until I found the highest signal strength and installed the antennae there.



Just had a look now, the cable doesn't have any markings so can't tell what it is!
Click to expand...

It says RG-5U on the cable.
 
Sure about? RG-5/U has 8.4mm outer diameter. It won't fit typical SMA connector.
 
RG is obsolete standard, not regulated anymore, hence variation in size and performance, depends on vendor.
GreGorGy said:
Notice the connector has quite a collar on it - maybe it tapers down
Click to expand...
Yip, it looks like diameter converter. In such case RG-5/U can be used and is slightly better than RG58.
Anyway for such dumping price I don't expect anything special, RG-5/U is a good news.
 
Taking my stuff back for a refunf. Pointed antenna directly at the tower. No difference in dBm stil1l @-77dBM. Move the dongle while attached to coupler, signal changes due to it switch to another tower even though ti is pointed at the tower that is no more than 1km away. Antenna is place direct line of site. I think that it s something to do wit the E1820 dongle. Maybe i am wrong, but i think the dongle doesn't work with a coupler.
 
kytonpc said:
Taking my stuff back for a refunf. Pointed antenna directly at the tower. No difference in dBm stil1l @-77dBM. Move the dongle while attached to coupler, signal changes due to it switch to another tower even though ti is pointed at the tower that is no more than 1km away. Antenna is place direct line of site. I think that it s something to do wit the E1820 dongle. Maybe i am wrong, but i think the dongle doesn't work with a coupler.
Click to expand...
The E1820 only seems to work well with an inductive coupler, see:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/276198-E1820-External-Antenna-Connector
 
With inductive coupler you lose around 6dB, so adding loses on cable, it is possible to have no RSSI improvement. Try to position coupler to cover the main antenna (I think on the far end of the modem).
I suggest check, maybe stability of your connection has improved, it should be your main objective. You look only at RSSI, and based on RSSI want to trash product?
 
Last edited:
not gonna trash the product. I thought it would at least boost my signal, even on the router it still stayed at 61%. Speedtest was the same with or without antenna.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X