My New "Invisible" Outdoor Wifi Antenna

[VanTrekker]

<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YX5yPWiAifM/UAlJb21-LnI/AAAAAAAABMw/57aAQ85xCq4/s640/Antenna+setup2.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hi,<br /><br /><br /><em>*** Update!!!&nbsp; I forgot to mention in this post that the top portion of the mast&nbsp;(and boomerang) detach and are stored in the van for stealth reasons, leaving the concealed antenna.&nbsp; **</em><br /><br />I added this to the van today.&nbsp; Since I have a plastic 1.25 inch pipe clamped to the ladder rack (a two piece mast for the TV antenna), I was able to insert a C.Crane Super Wifi 3 antenna into the lower plastic pipe...&nbsp; There are more details about it in this blog posting: <br /><br /><a href="http://vantrekker.blogspot.com/2012/07/new-hidden-wifi-antenna-for-stealthy.html">http://vantrekker.blogspot.com/2012/07/new-hidden-wifi-antenna-for-stealthy.html</a><br /><br />I wanted to share&nbsp;a couple of&nbsp;photos here since we like pics in the forum.&nbsp;&nbsp; So far the performance is impressive and omnidirectional, not to mention stealthy...&nbsp; It means that I can now get McDonald's wifi from the safe camping spot at Walmart.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xMGFsx1Lb...4rk/s400/Before+and+After_The+New+Antenna.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />The old TV antenna mast is on the top left.&nbsp; The bottom of the photo is the same 1.25" pole&nbsp;with the wifi antenna concealed inside.&nbsp; You can see the black cable going into the new cap.&nbsp; The wifi antenna goes&nbsp;about 8 inches up the inside the pipe.&nbsp; The metal rack support doesn't seem to hurt the reception at all.&nbsp; It works great.&nbsp; To most people it's invisible.&nbsp; <br /><br />The wifi antenna is&nbsp;now connected&nbsp;all the time...&nbsp; No more fumbling around.&nbsp; When in stealth mode, I don't put the TV antenna out so at least this way, I can still surf and stay entertained - incognito.<br /><br />The best part is no more rocking the van while trying to position a wifi antenna while looking for a "sweet spot" on top of the curtain rod, etc....&nbsp; &nbsp;<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pqs3LzWA1D8/UActe0ZWDZI/AAAAAAAABL4/wY5eYrT3XFs/s400/Close+Up.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />There's another shot of where the wifi cable comes out through the PVC cap (which allows drainage through the plastic grommet).&nbsp; Looks like I have the pipe cockeyed though..&nbsp; Gotta blame that one on the bifocals.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *grin*<br /><br /><br />V.T.

 

[magentawave]

Bradford - Does having your wifi antenna stuffed in the PVC tube impede its performance at all?

 

[VanTrekker]

Hi... The easy answer is no, it doesn't bother it a bit.&nbsp; <br /><br />Think of how many obstacles a neighbor's wifi goes through before it gets into a house...&nbsp; It's only the metal stuff that really causes a problem.&nbsp; <br /><br />I have noticed a small amount of directionality... You get a little less performance from the direction of the side where the pipe is fastened to the metal ladder support (perpendicular left from the van)...&nbsp; It works better&nbsp;if the network is off the right side of&nbsp;the van but the difference is negligible.<br /><br />Here is one thing that blew me away.&nbsp; I moved the van and from another location had a normal 6 networks on the netbook's built in adapter.&nbsp; But with the outside wifi antenna&nbsp;I picked up&nbsp;over 30 networks!&nbsp; Granted, nearly all are from houses and are secured, but the performance of this new system is outstanding - even stuffed in&nbsp;PVC pipe.&nbsp; <br /><br />The C.Crane was a good investment.&nbsp; This weekend I stealth camped for two days and snitched wifi easily from almost a block away... There were a number of choices in networks, too.&nbsp; One extra benefit... By purchasing the new antenna, I brought the old Alfa antenna into Dad's house so I can get free wifi for his computer, too!<br /><br />Brad

 

[Journeyman]

I have been trying to find a way to boost my signal reception with very little money and can't seem to find anything. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[VanTrekker]

I've seen some cool ideas involving making your own antenna but if you can afford about $40 (or less), the Alfa works pretty darn good.&nbsp; It gives you plenty of range and signal strength.&nbsp; The C.Crane (about $100) is even better.<br /><br />I'm not sure about options that cost any less.&nbsp; By the time you buy a USB extension cable or materials to make you own antenna, you are likely better off to get the Alfa.&nbsp; It will likely work as good or better.<br /><br />V.T.

 

[Stillwater]

Bradford - Does having your wifi antenna stuffed in the PVC tube impede its performance at all?

<br /><br />PVC can attenuate rf signals - some batches more than others due to contaminants. However, for the purposes of vantrekker's application, the attenuation should be negligible barring a bad batch. <br /><br />Even negligible amounts of contaminants - at high wattage - can cause enough reflection and associated molecular excitement to cause the PVC to burst into flames. Wifi? Nah... I'm referring more to the full power UHF signals we deal with in the 3-5 Megawatt range.<br /><br />Wanna check your batch? Cut off a section of PVC and stick it in a microwave. (Add a few drops of water to protect your oven.) If it heats up, then it *is* absorbing rf energy&nbsp; - at least in the same range as the 2.4GHz wifi... the 5.8GHz might be fine. Either way, if the rf in a mx is causing it to get warm, then the pvc it would attenuate the signal of a 2.4GHz wifi.<br /><br /><br />

 

[VanTrekker]

Next to a 3 to 5 megawatt signal, I&nbsp;might burst into flames as well, particularly if the belly fat starts to burn...&nbsp; &nbsp; <br /><br />You do have a point about some possible attenuation.&nbsp; Supposedly ABS pipe is a little more RF friendly but in this case I doubt that a person would notice any appreciable difference between the two, particularly at the low levels used for wifi.<br /><br />The wifi in the PVC pipe is working wonders compared to what I was using before. That's good enough for me.&nbsp; It's made a huge difference compared to what was in use before.<br /><br />V.T.

 

[psytechguy]

just got my new C. Crane antenna, and it was a lemon! :-(

Gonna send it back and try again. I mean, nobody's so unlucky they'd get 2 bad ones in a row, right?

 

[VanTrekker]

Oh no!&nbsp; I am so sorry to hear that.&nbsp; What are the symptoms?&nbsp; Mine worked perfectly from the start.&nbsp; I plugged it in and, of course,&nbsp;Windows&nbsp;7&nbsp;could not find the right drivers.&nbsp; They came on a CD&nbsp;and I was too lazy to plug the CD drive in to the netbook.&nbsp; I used the netbook's built in adapter at McDonalds to download the drivers from the C.Crane website.&nbsp; Then it worked fine.<br /><br />One more thing... There has been discussion about signal degradation but it's really not much of an issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;C.Crane even mentioned you can mount it in PVC pipe.&nbsp; Here are the instructions:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ccrane.com/instruction-manuals/super-usb-wifi-antenna-weatherproofing.pdf">http://www.ccrane.com/instruction-manuals/super-usb-wifi-antenna-weatherproofing.pdf</a><br /><br />I'm sure when you get the replacement antenna it will work fine.&nbsp; It's the best hundred bucks I've spent for a long time.&nbsp; It worked great all weekend when stealth camping.<br /><br />V.T.

 

[tinythetrucker]

Hi Bob. Yourf instalation looks good, I use a Wilson amplifier and wilson antenna and i have also ran my amp through a directional yagi style antenna for a little more range, Please also remember if the owner of the signal uses no access code or security system and you are on public on non restricted ground then no harm no foul, I am a active ham and short wave listener and enjoy radio propigation, You system sounds great and works for you so great work, Happy travels Sir!

 

[psytechguy]

I'm running Macs.

From the CD install, it gives an error about the USB driver not installing correctly. This also happens with the driver installer downloaded from their site.

I get the exact same error trying to install it on two different Macs. An iMac running OSX 10.6.8 and a Mac mini running 10.7.4

here's where it got really strange:

the included wifi utility (Ralink) sees lots of access points, and the antenna itself shows activity with the LEDS, but both the Ralink app and the Mac network prefs show the antenna as being disconnected. I suspect a corrupted or poorly written USB driver, personally.

I was on the phone for an hour or so with C. Crane tech support.
They had me re-install, try a different cable, etc. etc. and
finally decided it had to be a defective antenna.

Bummer! I was, however, impressed with the number of access points it found... even though the antenna seemed to think it was disconnected! ;-)

 

[magentawave]

Good point, but why do you need to hide the WiFi antenna anyway? Is the help at Starbucks, Home Depot, or McDonalds really that savvy about busting people with certain kind of antennas? Also, what is that weird antenna above the WiFi antenna used for?<br /><br /><br /><br />

Hi... The easy answer is no, it doesn't bother it a bit.&nbsp; <br /><br />Think of how many obstacles a neighbor's wifi goes through before it gets into a house...&nbsp; It's only the metal stuff that really causes a problem.&nbsp; <br /><br />Brad

 

[VanTrekker]

<p>The top (boomerang)&nbsp;antenna is for VHF and&nbsp;UHF TV.&nbsp; Hiding the antennas is more for keeping away the thieves or nosey neighbors.</p><p>When driving, I separate the upper and lower masts and store the boomerang inside.&nbsp; All you see is the lower mast.&nbsp;&nbsp; Not having any kind of visible TV or wifi antenna helps keep the "work vehicle" image.&nbsp; If I need to, I have slap on business magnets that make it look like a handyman's van.&nbsp; Later this summer I'm planning to add to large pipes to the roof for carrying water and to obscure the view of the solar panel.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="width: 473px; height: 365px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6tr0HrWKO...60/Vsn+Trekker+late+summer+with+windmills.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="366" /><br /><br /><br />The TV antenna lower mast is on the other side.&nbsp; This is the view of the van people will see this weekend.&nbsp; I don't often stealth camp any more (particulary now that a white van has been trying to kidnap&nbsp;children in this area)&nbsp;but when I do, it's better to have the antennas out of sight, the bike rack off, no visible light, etc.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br />V.T.</p>

 

[magentawave]

Oh I didn't realize you stash away the big antenna when not using it. That is very clean and clever setup and you do nice work!<br /><br />1) What kind of TV shows can you pick up with a UHF/VHF antenna these days? In San Diego I think the only thing left since going digital a couple years ago are Spanish speaking channels.<br /><br />2)&nbsp;Will you use white PVC pipes for the water storage on the roof? If so, what diameter? Will you frame the entire outside perimeter of the roof rack with them?<br /><br />Thanks<br /><br />Steve

 

[VanTrekker]

Hi Steve,<br /><br />Thanks for the kind words.&nbsp; The TV antenna works fine - I get Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC, Public Broadcasting, as wells various networks like MeTV and Antenna TV on the sub channels.&nbsp; There's always something to watch.&nbsp; Dad has basic analog cable ($36 / month) and gets fewer channels - they are blurry, too.&nbsp; Mine is all free and hi-def.<br /><br />As far as the water system goes, I've been contemplating using 4" pieces of black pipe down each side.&nbsp; Each would hold roughly 2.5 gallons of water.&nbsp; If I join them in the&nbsp;front and rear, that would&nbsp;net&nbsp;8 gallons or so&nbsp;of storage - enough for a couple of&nbsp;hot showers.&nbsp; For now, it's just a "pipe dream".&nbsp; <br /><br />The van never had plumbing added to it because of the kind of camping I do.&nbsp; Most of&nbsp;it is done near an Anytime Fitness location.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now if it was on BLM land or some other remote area, water storage would be a priority.<br /><br />Have a good one.<br /><br />VT

 

[magentawave]

Thats an excellent idea for a water heater. Would you attach the pipes to the rack with stainless steel hose clamps?<br /><br />Steve

 

[VanTrekker]

I'm not sure at this point...&nbsp; If I go with 4" inch pipes it opens up more possibilities.&nbsp; There are a number of solutions that exist using "U bolts" so I might go that route...&nbsp; The whole thing is on the back burner till next year.&nbsp; After trying the black bag type water heater, it's likely going o happen at some point.&nbsp; A lukewarm to hot shower is definitely a plus!

 

[sl1966]

Is it just me or does everyone else also, when seeing the title of this thread, flash back to when we were kids and remember that one neighborhood kid who had the invisible friend.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />

 

[magentawave]

I dunno about that, but I do know that my friends and I used to talk about being invisible when we were little kids so we could check out girls.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />

 

[VanTrekker]

LOL...&nbsp;&nbsp;Nowadays, as much as I walk around talking to myself there might as well be an invisible friend.&nbsp;&nbsp; :-/<br /><br />I was thinking about all the references to being invisible.&nbsp; Genie used to do it in "I Dream of Genie".&nbsp; Then there was that old show "The Invisible Man".&nbsp; It was also fun watching when Ralph from "The Greatest American Hero"&nbsp;would become invisible.&nbsp; Of course, in "Bewitched", there were plenty of instances f invisibility, too.<br /><br />It was way cool when Klingons and Romulans would become "cloaked" on Star Trek.&nbsp; (And once w/ the Enterprise - Episode "Balance of Terror")<br /><br />There is a certain fascination&nbsp;we humans&nbsp;have with&nbsp;being invisible.&nbsp; I guess any "super power" would be fun.&nbsp;<br /><br />Any no, I won't mention anything about being invisible and looking at girls although....&nbsp; As&nbsp;a red-blooded teenager, I always wanted Superman's x-ray vision and you could guess why...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*grin*<br /><br />There is, to some degree some&nbsp;invisibilty these days.&nbsp;&nbsp;For a chubby 46 year old guy in&nbsp;tie dye walking through the bar area in a college town virtually nobody sees you!&nbsp;<br /><br />V.T.