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Originally Posted by Sleeping Dog
Yahoo! The meeting let out early. I'm back (at least until I have to get ready to go out this evening).
I just checked out the link to the Rootenna that Streaker suggested. I like the ability to put the WRT54g inside it (reducing cable length). The only downside that I noticed would be not being able to see the lights on the front that verify my hardwired connections. (OK...call me old fashioned.) Maybe I could cut a window in the ABS "pouch" on the housing and bond in a small Lexan window?
Please educate me further... The specs say "Vertical or horizontal polarization.
I can mount an antenna almost anywhere and in any position on the barn, but there is only one place on the house where I can put it.... on the underside of a high porch roof. That is the ONLY place on the house where I have clear LOS to the barn and no trees, shrubs, electric fences, steel horse feeders, etc. in the way. Does "vertical or horizontal polarization" mean that I can mount it flat on the underside of the porch roof and still achieve directionality? My sister did specify that she would prefer not having something TOO obvious attached to the house, so putting it on a pole is not really an option for me. Also, the house is not oriented "square" with the barn, so the unit will need to point (or be rotated) about 18.5 degrees off line from the "plane" of the back of the house.
I like the weatherproof characteristics of the Rootenna. The price at $42.20 is also very attractive.
Thank you for the suggestion and the link. I probably would not have found the Rootenna on my own.
SD
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Just mount both antennas in the same 'plane' ie: If the elements are horizontal to the ground on one, mount the other one in same orientation. If you have one vertical, and the other one horizontal, you lose 15 db of signal right off the bat. (Hint: This works for interference suppression, if you are running Ch 6 and somebody else is also on ch 6 that has just enough signal to slow your link down, try using the opposite polarity on YOUR link.) Keep them away from metal flashings on the roof edge, by 5-6" at least. (There is a calculation based on the wavelength of the signal as to how far to keep a yagi type antenna away from metal, but I forget where it is, and I'm too lazy to go look right now!)
I would also suggest you go do a bit of searching out in internetland. There are lots of sites that have basic antenna theory that won't make your head explode, but still give you the information you need. (ARRL site for example.)