8ta & External Antenna's

[kyton]

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.

 

[johndoe1983]

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.

also looking to find out. my folks got 8TA with horrible signal, wondering if its worth it

 

[kyton]

Well i bought one to try it out.

This is what i got.

http://www.spacetv.co.za/pages/our-products/adpt-usb-3234.php

http://www.spacetv.co.za/pages/our-products/asplp3g-725.php

 

[Brandon]

Definitely helped me.

Using 3G antenna from Scoop, changed signal reception from 40% to 95%, speed also went from +-2mbits to 13mbits.

 

[kyton]

how does yuors connect to your modem, also what di you find was the best way to get best signal.

 

[Terencek]

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.

 

[sajunky]

3G antenna from Scoop,

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

 

[kyton]

Don't know about the Scoop one. The SpaceTv one has Spacecom LMR195 low loss cable. Antenna plus inductive adapter sells for R499

http://www.spacetv.co.za/media/brochures/brochure-asplp3g.pdf

I will be so glad if it works. so tired of the connection timeouts while playing BF3.

 

[GreGorGy]

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

I'll tell you later - they are around the corner from me so I will check it out.

 

[Brandon]

how does yuors connect to your modem, also what di you find was the best way to get best signal.

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.

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

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

 

[GreGorGy]

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!

It says RG-5U on the cable.

 

[sajunky]

Sure about? RG-5/U has 8.4mm outer diameter. It won't fit typical SMA connector.

 

[GreGorGy]

Sure about? RG-5/U has 8.4mm outer diameter. It won't fit typical SMA connector.

Ja - check pics. Although caliper shows 7.xmm

Notice the connector has quite a collar on it - maybe it tapers down

 

[sajunky]

RG is obsolete standard, not regulated anymore, hence variation in size and performance, depends on vendor.

Notice the connector has quite a collar on it - maybe it tapers down

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.

 

[kyton]

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.

 

[ginggs]

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.

The E1820 only seems to work well with an inductive coupler, see:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/276198-E1820-External-Antenna-Connector

 

[kyton]

The E1820 only seems to work well with an inductive coupler, see:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/276198-E1820-External-Antenna-Connector

this is the one i used

http://www.spacetv.co.za/pages/our-products/adpt-usb-3234.php

 

[sajunky]

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?

 

[kyton]

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.