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Originally Posted by Sleeping Dog
... (Measured distance from planned mount point on house to planned mount point on barn is 1,123 feet +or- 1 foot.)
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However, if even a small power boost becomes necessary, isn't it better "...to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it"?
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Sleeping Dog
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No. It is not better, and you don't need the extra power.
Doing the math on this shows that at 14.5dBm (28mW) and using the 14dB Rootennna at 1/4 mile (1,320 ft), you will still have over 30dB or 100 times the needed power level required to attain a good link. You don't need the extra power.
The ideal with any RF transmission is to do the job with what is needed. No more, no less. Using more than you need introduces Noise into the system, as well as adding extra energy costs, and increases the RF pollution. That raises the Noise Floor for everyone.
That Sveasoft quote about boosting the power is a disservice at best. At the worst it is nothing short of fearmongering to sell their product.
This type of question is exactly the reason, I'm always harping about "doing the math." Without knowing what is needed, people think "more is better" and are willing to boost power levels to enough to fry a hotdog at 10 paces, when a fraction of that is all that's required to do the job.
By the way, don't take my word for it. Feel free to check my figures. There are plenty of RF calculators on the Web. Search for "System Operating Margin" or "SOM" calculators.