Converting a satellite dish for 3G

[rolexboy]

Ive tried out several external antenna options with my USB air card ( ZTE MF668A )


1. Direct connection to my ZTE MF668A

2. Using a powered USB extension cable , and my ZTE MF668A mounted in front of the dish .

I have now been given a satellite dish

I'm no antenna expert but I keep seeing satellite dishes modified for WiFi reception , with a signal collector like ive shown below , fitted to the arm of a satellite dish

my question is, is it possible to build a 3G type signal collector , similar to the WiFi version , and mount it on the arm of the satellite dish .


Thanks

 

[Creepster]

Nothing is imposible.....but its much easyier to take a normal attena and rig the wires to boost 3g signal.go to vodacom or mtn and scout out signal boosthing equipment....

I did it and just built my own

 

[Africaner]

Possible - yes. Will it work as advertised -no. Reason: Wifi signals are of a much lower frq and do not reflect as well as the ku-band satellite waves. A correctly spaced tv aerial, will work better.

 

[rolexboy]

Ive had some success with the normal Yagi antennas , but with mounting the actual USB air card on a dish and using
a powered USB extension , not so good. I was just hoping that using a larger satellite dish and some sort of ''WiFi''
type 3G signal collector would give me better results . May be me not being able to find such a DIY set up , after searching , says it all

 

[Terencek]

Been there, tried that. I live in the bush and have tried pretty much everything to improve my signal, even having had Vodacom install a repeater/booster. The satellite dish idea did not work, nor did its slightly wackier suggestion from someone on this forum, of using a wok! A standard Yagi antenna (which some VC dealers stock) was only good for voice, which is not my difficulty.

In the end the only 'real' solution was a proper Poynting data antenna at about a thousand bucks. Anything else is just a messy cobble....

 

[rolexboy]

Been there, tried that. I live in the bush and have tried pretty much everything to improve my signal, even having had Vodacom install a repeater/booster. The satellite dish idea did not work, nor did its slightly wackier suggestion from someone on this forum, of using a wok! A standard Yagi antenna (which some VC dealers stock) was only good for voice, which is not my difficulty.

In the end the only 'real' solution was a proper Poynting data antenna at about a thousand bucks. Anything else is just a messy cobble....

Thanks for the comment , some how in the back of my cluttered mind , I was expecting to hear some thing like this
Oh well , if you don't ask you will never know

Regards

 

[chrisc]

RF signals are like water in pipes joined together (impedance). Unless you have the right sized antenna elements, you won't get any signal gain. If you look carefully how the 24db Poynting or Miro antenna is constructed, you will note that the size and spacing of the elements is vital. A few mm out will ruin it. At least if you get an antenna manufactured according to proper mathematical principals, it will work.

Its also important to mount it so it cannot move and point it very accurately towards the transmitter

 

[JimM]

Two pitfalls assuming you want to try a domestic dish:

The dish is designed to work around 11-12GHz and nowhere near the 2.1GHz of 3G and even further from 900MHz 3G of Cell C.

Most dishes are not prime focus, you would have the dish looking down towards the ground to get horizontal line of sight to the tower.

There are other technical issues, but as already suggested go the Yagi route. If you are really keen to experiment then get an old TV antenna and start trimming this down in size!