Using a wifi antenna to extend av sender coverage

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Using a wifi antenna to extend av sender coverage

VVTiNZ

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#55246 26-Dec-2009 21:12

Hopefully this is the right section to ask this question?!
I bought an AV Sender to send videos from my pc to the tv on the other side of the house.
The problem is the distance is to great with too many walls.
The av sender is 2.4Ghz and I was thinking of putting a sma bulkhead on it so I can fit a high gain wifi indoor antenna on it to send a stronger signal.
Would this work?
Cheers for any help.

sbiddle

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#285317 26-Dec-2009 21:57

There would certainly be no harm in trying. It should improve things.

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raytaylor

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#285357 27-Dec-2009 00:45

Do you know the power output of the device and if it is analog or digital?
If it sends in analog at 2.4ghz, you have a maximum output of 1 watt eirp allowed by law. Analog AV senders cause all sorts of problems for wireless networks.
If it is digital, you are allowed 4 watts eirp.

By looking at the transmitter power from your instruction manual, and the dbi rating of your proposed antenna, you can enter the figures into here http://www.distributed-wireless.com/calculators/EIRP.html

Ray Taylor

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VVTiNZ

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Wannabe Geek

#285362 27-Dec-2009 06:19

I can't seem to find any output info on it.
It's a GigaAir 2727.
Wireless network interference is not a big issue here, we're pretty rural, next closest house is 1km away and they don't have a computer either.

raytaylor

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#285421 27-Dec-2009 13:30

I would say it shouldnt be transmitting anymore than 100mw so you should be ok to go up to a 10dbi antenna.

Ray Taylor

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VVTiNZ

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Wannabe Geek

#285475 27-Dec-2009 18:59

Thanks for that info. I was gonna go for a 5dbi antenna but 10 sounds good:)
Do you think I have to do something with the receiver antenna, maybe the same as the transmitter? How similar do wifi antennas have to be?

raytaylor

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#285491 27-Dec-2009 21:05

Well by adding a bigger antenna to the reciever, you increase its listening capability.

Generally
(TX power + antenna power) less distance loss (add reciever antenna) = signal to reciever
You can increase either of the above items to increase the signal to the reciever. In this case, adding a bigger antenna to the transmitter and reciever will be good. If you want to add one to the reciever, make it a directional one though .

Ray Taylor

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richms

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#286184 31-Dec-2009 00:04

Yes, done that with mine

Tried a 500mW wifi booster but it didn't like it.

Have pushed video massive distances with it, but sadly there is just too much 2.4 wifi and bluetooth stuff to get a clear signal these days.

Richard rich.ms

raytaylor

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#286202 31-Dec-2009 02:20

I think there is something in those wifi boosters that are specifically designed for some sort of pulse or digital signal and not an analog one. I am not too sure of the specifics but i think that could be why.

Ray Taylor

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VVTiNZ

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Wannabe Geek

#286270 31-Dec-2009 14:08

richms: Yes, done that with mine

Tried a 500mW wifi booster but it didn't like it.

Have pushed video massive distances with it, but sadly there is just too much 2.4 wifi and bluetooth stuff to get a clear signal these days.

Did you do it with the transmitter or the reciever? how did you get the massive distances?

richms

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#286304 31-Dec-2009 19:22

5km line of site - just put a 13dBi dish on both and put the gear in boxes up the pole as is done with wifi all the time.

Probably could have gone more but that is all that was needed and it worked ok for about 2 years till everyman inbetween got a free wifi router from their ISP - over 40 networks picked up on the antenna even with the other end still transmitting.

Richard rich.ms

VVTiNZ

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Wannabe Geek

#286309 31-Dec-2009 20:19

richms: 5km line of site - just put a 13dBi dish on both and put the gear in boxes up the pole as is done with wifi all the time.

Probably could have gone more but that is all that was needed and it worked ok for about 2 years till everyman inbetween got a free wifi router from their ISP - over 40 networks picked up on the antenna even with the other end still transmitting.

That's impressive:) How did you connect the dish, solder the dish cable to the av sender antenna cable?

richms

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#286327 1-Jan-2010 00:33

got some RP-SMA pigtails and soldered them onto the board in the little metal can where the stock flat antenna connected to, drilled a hole in the side and poked it out there, connected to grid antennas with standard wi-fi cables.

Richard rich.ms

VVTiNZ

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#286377 1-Jan-2010 12:19

richms: got some RP-SMA pigtails and soldered them onto the board in the little metal can where the stock flat antenna connected to, drilled a hole in the side and poked it out there, connected to grid antennas with standard wi-fi cables.

Thanks for that.