The_Joker
regular
Reged: 20/01/2007
Posts: 855
Loc: ked Away
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I know you can buy a wifi antenna that will allow you to pick up a signal from a good distance away.
I think i read on here up to 3kms.
I cant remember what they are called or where to get them from?
Also i seem to remember that they are very directional so do they come with some sort of mounting bracket which will swivel?
Or do you have to make that bit yourself?
any help would be appreciated
Rob
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Why so serious?
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sarabande
regular
Reged: 06/05/2005
Posts: 5668
Loc: up on the moors.
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try
http://www.wifispark.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=123&Itemid=153
I can pick up stations at least 5k away.
Their support is very good, too.
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Enlightenment is motor-sailing
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BrendanS
regular
Reged: 11/06/2002
Posts: 38439
Loc: Me: Wilts. Boat: Lymington
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Your response require here then
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1910005/an/0/page/0#1910005
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See http://www.frappr.com/ybw to add yourself to the forum map
and as everyone else is doing it
www.plaintalkconsulting.co.uk
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JeremyShaw
regular
Reged: 18/04/2005
Posts: 595
Loc: UK/Caribbean
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I see the Repeatit, linked by Sarabande, is a directional antenna. This may be a problem at a mooring or anchor, though would be fine in a marina.
The Radio Labs Wave RV II is omnidirectional and has a USB connector. This is constrained to the usual USB limit of 15’ (though maybe more with a booster?). Personally I had problems with the RV I but I know several people who are very happy with them. Don’t know if there is a UK distributor, but you could probably get it shipped from the US – it doesn’t weigh much. http://www.radiolabs.com/products/wireless/waverv2.php
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Jeremy Shaw
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david_brighton
regular
Reged: 15/11/2002
Posts: 1031
Loc: Brighton UK, boat nr Trieste. ...
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They look great but anyone know which one works with Mac OSX?
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Is August a sailing month?
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JeremyShaw
regular
Reged: 18/04/2005
Posts: 595
Loc: UK/Caribbean
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I see Radio Labs are now doing the Wave Magnum and say that works with Mac OS 10.3 and 10.4.
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Jeremy Shaw
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rolygate
new user
Reged: 07/06/2007
Posts: 3
Loc: UK Kent, or living aboard else...
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There are cheap and expensive options. If you need long range or painless operation, buy a commercial system. If you just have a basic requirement and/or funds are low, then you might find this a better solution as it's a home-brew wifi cantenna microwave waveguide antenna that costs around £5:
http://www.pelaginox.com/pc/pc-cantenna.html
I'm a radio guy so the theory, formulae and practical stuff are all pukka. I get half a mile range with this cantenna on my boat, just to the normal sort of base units owned by unknowing but cooperative DSL subscribers. You can get double the gain if you want to try harder, with a bi-quad woktenna... And for 3 times the gain, get an old satellite dish and change the little active element in the centre. Heaps of fun for very little cash.
chris
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ForeverFreedom38
regular
Reged: 05/07/2004
Posts: 196
Loc: Cyprus
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Yes - we use it - no problem - you have to ask for the Mac software though.
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david_brighton
regular
Reged: 15/11/2002
Posts: 1031
Loc: Brighton UK, boat nr Trieste. ...
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Thnx for that, just ordered one. Trying to keep my daughter happy onboard!
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Is August a sailing month?
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NathanLee
regular
Reged: 09/06/2008
Posts: 296
Loc: London
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3km from wi-fi is unlikely, although possible, but not on a boat.
From 5 watts of output on a marine hand held radio you can expect about 5/6 miles line of sight, right. The output of a wifi device for a computer, whether it's internal or external is about 50mw, also it's microwave to so doesn't propagate well at all.
The only way you can get that kind of range from wifi is to use an extremely directional antenna. This is to focus the 50mof power into a fine beam rather than radiating it everywhere. the problem with this is you must maintain line of sight, and with an antenna as directional as the kind required to achieve that sort of range you would struggle very much to keep the connection as your boat rolls around.
The best solution for internet access is probably going to be one of these phone dongles. They're about 15 quid a month.
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The wonderful adventures of Kudu the magic sloop.
http://onkudu.wordpress.com
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david_brighton
regular
Reged: 15/11/2002
Posts: 1031
Loc: Brighton UK, boat nr Trieste. ...
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I asked at the 3 shop, but it would be prohibitively expensive in Croatia.
Altho very cheap in Italy, where there is a 3 network.
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Is August a sailing month?
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Wightknight
regular
Reged: 30/10/2007
Posts: 46
Loc: South Wight
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I have a Wave RV antenna that is just great, its omidirectional with a gain of about 8db. I have picked up hot spots over 2 mines away whilst sailing past them... Im using it now to browse the web.
You can get the antenna from Budget Marine in St Martin for about $200
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hideaway
regular
Reged: 23/02/2006
Posts: 21
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I have a unit called ALFA which I got on-line from Allied Data for $65. It is an antenna, coax to card (3x2x1/4),usb to laptop usb.The CD has drivers for Windows and Mac, the range is at least 1/2mile (line of sight) and it is Omni. I hoist the antenna on the backstay and keep the card in the saloon, it dont seem to make a difference how high the antenna is however it will drop its single from time to time. Retuning takes seconds and away we go again for days. All the people who have seen the unit working have got themselves one. Free WiFi is the norm here in Florida, houses are large and most have routers so they can get on-line at the pool etc.Give it a look , all the best. Peter
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Metabarca
regular
Reged: 23/08/2002
Posts: 1537
Loc: Trieste, Italy
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Let me know how you get on, David!
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Sailing info for the Adriatic here: http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html
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Amari
regular
Reged: 23/11/2004
Posts: 241
Loc: Suffolk/Turkey
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I use a Repeatit in Turkey. Limited experience so far but it strengthens marina wifi signals from 'poor' to 'excellent'. I use the laptop on saloon table and put the Repeatit through saloon hatch and change its direction by hand.
Couldn't get it to work until help-line advised me to disable my laptop's integral wifi
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Giles
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Lemain
regular
Reged: 31/01/2004
Posts: 5975
Loc: Fiumicino canal (Rome, Italy)
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That's my experience. Repeatit has been a good choice for us but is directional and does need to be turned.
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My daily blog on the current financial crisis is at:- http://davidscompass.blogspot.com No PMs for now ybw1.20.lemain@spamgourmet.com
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charles_reed
regular
Reged: 29/06/2001
Posts: 4031
Loc: Central Mediterranean/Adriatic...
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of course, illegal to use someone else's ADSL connection without their agreement and at least two successful prosecutions have been made in London.
So, Rolygate, I would be wary of incitement to commit a criminal offence.
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rolygate
new user
Reged: 07/06/2007
Posts: 3
Loc: UK Kent, or living aboard else...
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I think it unwise to take light-hearted forum jocularity too seriously, perhaps a little sense of humour failure here. On the other hand it is encouraging to see that one's posts are read with extreme attention to detail, though a little worrying.
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Lemain
regular
Reged: 31/01/2004
Posts: 5975
Loc: Fiumicino canal (Rome, Italy)
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Quote:
of course, illegal to use someone else's ADSL connection without their agreement and at least two successful prosecutions have been made in London.
So, Rolygate, I would be wary of incitement to commit a criminal offence.
I don't think that it is illegal in Spain. Is it in other EU countries?
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My daily blog on the current financial crisis is at:- http://davidscompass.blogspot.com No PMs for now ybw1.20.lemain@spamgourmet.com
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Metabarca
regular
Reged: 23/08/2002
Posts: 1537
Loc: Trieste, Italy
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Sure to be illegal in Italy: if you log on to a public wifi network (using your laptop in a bar, for instance, the bar has to take down your particulars). An extremely useful bit of anti-terrorist legislation. they must be trembling
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Sailing info for the Adriatic here: http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html
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Lemain
regular
Reged: 31/01/2004
Posts: 5975
Loc: Fiumicino canal (Rome, Italy)
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I wonder how they know that you have logged onto their network? People with a laptop might be connecting via their GPRS/3G service or working off-line. Isn't it rather dangerous to empower bar staff in cafes to take 'particulars' from customers willy-nilly? More of a pro-crime intiative than an anti-terrorist one, I would think? Do cafes actually take these details down?
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My daily blog on the current financial crisis is at:- http://davidscompass.blogspot.com No PMs for now ybw1.20.lemain@spamgourmet.com
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charles_reed
regular
Reged: 29/06/2001
Posts: 4031
Loc: Central Mediterranean/Adriatic...
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and few WiFi s are unencrypted - and even the unencrypted ones can and do reject un-logged computer DINs.
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charles_reed
regular
Reged: 29/06/2001
Posts: 4031
Loc: Central Mediterranean/Adriatic...
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I was buying 15Mb for the equivalent of £0.15, on a PAYG card, in Croatia last year.
Prices everywhere (except UK) are tumbling on data traffic.
And what about WiMax - though the latest news on it roll-out isn't so good.
By-the-by, the prosecutions to which I referred were in the UK - haven't heard about other countries
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charles_reed
regular
Reged: 29/06/2001
Posts: 4031
Loc: Central Mediterranean/Adriatic...
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I was using DeutschTelekom's T-Mobile Simpa card.
3G coverage is limited - round Dubrovnik, Split and Pula, were the only places I found it and the outer islands were a dead loss.
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ThereAndBack
regular
Reged: 02/04/2006
Posts: 291
Loc: Durham
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Quote:
Do cafes actually take these details down?
They most certainly do - usually by taking a photocopy of the user's passport.
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No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned.Samuel Johnson
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Metabarca
regular
Reged: 23/08/2002
Posts: 1537
Loc: Trieste, Italy
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You need a password to log on, so it's simple. I've only used in one bar in Italy, and they simply asked me to jot down my details in a little notebook. This is an excellent example of knee-jerk reaction legislation, serving no purpose other than showing 'we're doing something'.
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Sailing info for the Adriatic here: http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html
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Lemain
regular
Reged: 31/01/2004
Posts: 5975
Loc: Fiumicino canal (Rome, Italy)
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Thanks. Of course what this is all about (in the UK, IT and elsewhere) is to allow 'authorised' officials to listen to all phone calls you make, emails you send and receive and records of all websites you have visited. That it is happening today shows how far we have gone along the lines of '1984' and just how disinterested is the man in the street who cannot see why he should be concerned about a total erosion of his privacy and freedom.
Very scary stuff, but it's far more scary that nobody is troubled by it! People should be outraged. All the talk about the Chinese and 'human rights' - what about the 'right' to enjoy private liaisons with others without being spied upon by Government?
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My daily blog on the current financial crisis is at:- http://davidscompass.blogspot.com No PMs for now ybw1.20.lemain@spamgourmet.com
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Vanilla
regular
Reged: 04/06/2005
Posts: 224
Loc: London
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Totally agree Lemain.
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phlim
regular
Reged: 16/05/2001
Posts: 648
Loc: Channel Islands
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Google poor mans wifi
Got to say I didn't have much success with the wok basket...
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Rgds
Phil
Dream as if you'll live forever..
Live as if you'll die today..
James Dean
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Jonny_H
regular
Reged: 15/08/2006
Posts: 1512
Loc: Liveaboard - following the sun...
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I've just bought one of these:
Hawking USB WiFi
Haven't used it in anger yet but at home it seems to pick up a lot more than just the laptop wifi does (trouble is most are encrypted!)
Jonny
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www.freewebs.com/jksailing
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