tate886
join:2009-09-10
Elkview, WV
|  [ Equipment] Coffee Can antenna really does work!
Hi folks,
First, let me thank everyone who has replied to any of my various topics over the last few days. But, mostly, let me thank Jim in VA for his directionson making a "homebrewed antenna" which can be found at his blogspot site.
I admit to being just a tad bit skeptical, especially since I had to substitute a large tomato juice can for eithr a coffee or paint can. but it really works, folks. With just a very few exceptions I've noticed today, my signal has stayed at a constant 5 4 bars, RSSI of -79 -or 80, and an Ec/Io of 0 to -1.
I still plan to buy a professional antenna, but until I can get one, this was a great stand in, and I'm only using the thing indoors. If I wanted to try and mount it out of dorrs, it might get an even better signal, though I think my speeds are pretty much maxed out, and I'm happy with that.
Thanks again Jim for the step by step. I feel a little silly. There is now a shiny tomato juice can hung up with colored yarn in one of my windows. LOL! but, oit works great, and what an ice breaker for conversations. |
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RedNecker
join:2009-07-25
Charleston, WV | I thought you said you were not high tech and
Here you are making modifications to Jims antenna 
Red |
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tate886
join:2009-09-10
Elkview, WV
| said by RedNecker  :I thought you said you were not high tech and Here you are making modifications to Jims antenna Red LOL! I'm not high tech by most people's standards. I guess I'm about as high tech as I can be, but on a practically zero budget. I can't even al it a shoe string budget, there is so little of it.
It's called just plain old desperation. I just couldn't take those upper -80's and lower -90's RSSI numbers and bad connections anymore. And, the tomato juice can was all I had to work with, since everyone buys their coffee in plastic around here, and our paint cans had, well, paint stil in them.
Anyhow, it's still working just so fantastically! Definitely out performs my cheap verizon bought suction cupped antenna hands down. I think the highest my signal has fluxuated today has been -81 for about two minutes. It's now usually a good solid -78 or -79., with speeds of 1.3 down and 600 up, give or take a KB here and there.
~ann |
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Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA
 ·Verizon Wireless B..
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·Millenicom
| reply to tate886
I owe it all to watching "McGyvver" on tv ... like them home-made gadgets. Glad to see it worked for you. 
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... need help? »evdo-tips.com/ |
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tate886
join:2009-09-10
Elkview, WV
| said by Jim_in_VA :I owe it all to watching "McGyvver" on tv ... like them home-made gadgets. Glad to see it worked for you. It's working very well indeed. As of a few speed tests just done recently from different sites, I'm getting around 2 Mb down, and 600 up. I think, if I didn't live in a trailer, which probably messes with the signal, I might not need any sort of antenna at all.
Thanks again for the instructions, Jim.
~Ann |
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