My boat is moored in Anacortes at Cap Sante and this is where I do the vast
majority of my connecting. From where I'm located I am pretty sure my only
problems are getting the antenna high enough and I'm looking for a more
permanent solution than my indoor antenna attached to the wi-fi card. The
cable isn't long enough, I can't use it in the rain and it is only a matter
of time before that micro connector to the card gives out.
I have a radar mast on the stern where I intend to mount the permanent
antenna. The only issue will be keeping it above or below the radar so I
don't fry something.
My understanding is that longer antenna cables can cause serious signal
degradation. Some manufactures make exterior bridges that can be mounted
very close to the antenna and then powered over the Ethernet cable. That
seems worth looking into if you need a long run. I figure I can mount an
interior bridge about 15 feet from my antenna.
John
"Don" wrote in message
...
I'd be interested in knowing what marinas you have difficulty with. I
also have a sailboat and this weekend I was in Bellingham's Squalicum
Harbor. My slip at Gate 6 is in a spot that had very bad reception from
BBX, and at most times of the day I could not make a reliable connection
with the standard wifi card. It was sometimes better (I suspect high tide
is better than low tide). With the high-powered card this weekend I got a
rock-solid 100% connection for both uplink and downlink not even using the
external antenna.
I had similar experiences with BBX in Nanaimo at the dock, and at Silva
Bay (Gulf Islands) at anchor. I spent quite a few minutes of cell time on
the help line trying to get connected. At the time I did not have the
high-power card but I'm pretty sure that this would take care of the
situation. I've been using BBX service occasionally for a couple years
and over the past year or so the BBX web site has steadily increased their
insistence that you must have high-power gear to use their service. In my
experience this is often not the case, but sometimes it is very true. I
guess with all the local interference of multiple wifi users, good
reception in populated areas is getting very difficult to achieve.
I agree that this gear can be very expensive, and trial-and-error is not
my favorite way to go. Also, on a sailboat I have wondered about antenna
placement. I would think that the masthead would be the ideal location as
far as reception and protection from lines and sails, but there are a
couple of problems - the 60-foot+ cable run might be too long, and the
energy from keying the VHF at 25 watts with its antenna right next to the
wifi antenna might fry the wifi receiver. Are the frequencies enough
different to avoid this? I thought about putting a wifi antenna at
spreader level, maybe 20 feet above the deck, but having the antenna
parallel and close to the grounded mast might reduce its effectiveness.
Maybe halfway out on a spreader, leaving it vulnerable to flapping sails?
These problems seem more troubling than finding the components for the
right price. By the way, I have confirmed that the SMC high-power card
that I bought is identical to the one sold by BBX, even though the brand
and labeling is different. The FCC registration numbers on the card
itself match. I'm really not sure who actually manufactures this card,
but there are at least a few different labels on it.
Don
"Johnhh" wrote in message
...
Actually Don, their "Networked Boat" package is just what I need, but I
just can't justify the $750 price tag on it. I don't have a good enough
grasp of Wi-Fi hardware to know what I can get as a lower cost
substitute - I'm afraid I'd end up spending that much anyway getting
things that didn't work with their system. I just haven't found anything
yet that I feel confident in.
I couldn't even get on line until I got the high power card and 6dbi
interior antenna. Since I have a sailboat, I usually can't get good
enough reception from in the cabin.
John
"Don" wrote in message
...
Broadband Xpress has their "Networked Boat" package that seems like just
what you're looking for. Pricey, though, and I'd bet you can find the
components elsewhere for less money.
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