Complete Integrated Electronics Suite for next to nothing.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 6:52 pm

prowlersfish wrote:Wi fi is kind of usless once you leave the slip

Not in fact correct... the boosted antenna kits allow you to pickup a signal several miles away. So there are many boating areas and anchorages that can serve up a wi-fi signal. Of course a wireless card helps to fill in any gaps.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:59 pm

ready123 wrote:
prowlersfish wrote:Wi fi is kind of usless once you leave the slip
Not in fact correct... the boosted antenna kits allow you to pickup a signal several miles away. So there are many boating areas and anchorages that can serve up a wi-fi signal. Of course a wireless card helps to fill in any gaps.

Bull so you can stay on wifi when running boat ???

pick up signal several miles away?? show me one that can and I will buy it

wifi is ok in marinas but thats about it now if you never go more then a few feet away from a marina thats fine and many marinas you will find many dead zones . the best antenna in the wolrd can't pick up a signel thats not there

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 2:29 pm

Paul, I know you don't need hand holding.. do an Internet search and find many liveaboard boaters that get free wifi while away from a marina while at anchor.
http://www.clrmarine.com/589.html?new_sess=1

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:55 pm

Not to be argumentative but the wi-fi I have at my house and the one at the yacht club are good for approx. a quarter mile at the most. However, the droid cell phone can provide a hot spot for your laptop through your cell service $$$ or satelite $$$$$$. That's all I know about that.

I guess I'm going to have to have someone hold my hand until I find a better way to get wi-fi while out boating. I will check out that website, hold on...hmmmm....... click, click......click...hmmmm..., I thought you said it was free.

.......I'm going back out to finish building the riser that goes under the couch to raise it up a foot so we can all see out the windows while we're under way, I'll check back later when you guys get it figured out, it does look interesting.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:27 pm

Storage in the riser???

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 5:36 pm

wowzer52 wrote:Not to be argumentative but the wi-fi I have at my house and the one at the yacht club are good for approx. a quarter mile at the most.

When you say good for a quarter mile is that using the antenna in your pc/laptop/router? All of those have miniscule reach when compared to the antenna's I am referring to.... the power of the antenna is the key to picking up and sending to the source

You were not being argumentative just ill informed

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:31 pm

if the signal is only good for a 1/4 mile , then its only good for a 1/4 mile sure a directional antenna will help if your on the edge but nor much beyond that , and if moving or swinging on the hook a directional is useless anyway .

But if you show me a antenna that will get wifi 2 miles away I will buy it ( if they guarantee that it will work) .and I have seen all types and none are that great .

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 10:41 pm

If it does work, is it worth $300 plus for the antenna and is internet that important on the water while fishing or relaxing on the back deck in the evening? Maybe, but that must be quite an antenna to get that kind of reach.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 10:45 pm

wowzer52 wrote:If it does work, is it worth $300 plus for the antenna and is internet that important on the water while fishing or relaxing on the back deck in the evening? Maybe, but that must be quite an antenna to get that kind of reach.

When living on the boat it makes sense.... which is my interest for this fall when I take up permanent residence on one.
I agree for weekends on the boat and vacations I can do without Internet.... once my boat is my home no way.

risctaker · Post by **risctaker** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:17 am

Guys, This website was posted on page one of this thread:

http://stores.ebay.com/Wireless-Online- ... 4340.l2563

These guys sell several flavors of "boosted" wireless antennas all designed to pick up a weak signal then amplify it. Yes, there are "directional" and "omni-directional" flavors as well. I bought both flavors: the "directional" while at the dock so I can point directly towards the strongest hot spot and the "omni-directional " type while away (since the signals can come from any direction while the boat moves). You will note that the specs for the two types are different.

Their claims of up to 2 miles reception is based on the fact that their amplfiers work at up to 48 bDm or appoximately 16 times the power of the WiFi card built into your laptop or PC. While I haven't yet been away from the dock to test the omni-directional version, I can tell you that the high-powered "directional" version works like I'm hard-wired to the net on the dock.

While these antennas are not "pretty", they are nonetheless waterproof and functional. Check it out.

Steve

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:46 am

prowlersfish wrote:if the signal is only good for a 1/4 mile , then its only good for a 1/4 mile sure a directional antenna will help if your on the edge but nor much beyond that , and if moving or swinging on the hook a directional is useless anyway .

What do you use to measure the signal only being good for 1/4 mile? Your laptop?

Do you really believe that signals just drop off to zero in that short a distance?
On a similar tack have you experienced not getting an OTA television signal with rabbit ears but pick it up clearly with an outdoor antenna?? It is not the signal that died it is the antenna capability difference.

I guess you would say based on your rabbit ears that there is no signal.... in my example it is there just not able to capture using a rabbit ear antenna.

That is all I am saying......

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 11:02 am

There is a similar topic on another board.

Here's a booster which claims to signal up to 7 miles from a clean hot spot.

http://www.wavewifi.com/rogue-wave.html

risctaker · Post by **risctaker** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:09 pm

I'm familiar with the "Rogue-Wave" but ruled it out for my application because my basic premise was to replicate high-end navigational electronics at budget prices (unless, of course I find out that my "budget" gear just doesn't perform. Then I start looking up-market).

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:40 pm

I posted the link more so, for those who were on the discussion of distance applicability.

risctaker · Post by **risctaker** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:50 pm

For an overall discussion of WiFi signal generation and Attenuation (fade) see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-range ... _placement

If you build a large enough antenna and receiver, WiFi can be broadcast and received over amazing distances. Here's one notable example:

The longest unamplified Wi-Fi link is a 304 km link[8] achieved by CISAR [9] (Center for Radio Activities) in Italy.

link established on 16-06-2007
frequency: 5765 MHz
IEEE 802.11a (Wi-Fi), bandwidth 5 MHz
Radio: Ubiquiti Networks XR5
Wireless routers: MikroTik RouterBOARD with RouterOS, NStreme optimization enabled
Length: 304 km (189 mi).
Antenna is 120 cm Satellite dish prime focus with handmade waveguide. 35dBi estimated