my wardriving rig

localhost · 10-07-2004

Here is my setup, let me know what you guys think.

Car: Ford Explorer 1999 (97,000 miles, average about 15mpg)

Laptop: Dell Inspiron 8600, Centrino 1.4GHz, 512 RAM, 60GB HDD, CD-RW/DVD-ROM, Intel 2100 3A onboard wifi, Windows XP Pro.

Wifi card: SMC EliteConnect (prism2).

GPS: Garmin GPS 45 with no-name brand magnet mount GPS antenna and DC/Serial accessory splitter (allows me to power it via DC and output to laptop via the same cable).

Antenna: Pacific Wireless 12dB omni-directional. 4 Feet long and a solid grey color. Antenna has an N-Female connector which is irritating so i have a gender changer for it.

Inverter: XPower 400 Watt continuous 700 Watt surge.

I also have a teletronics 1 Watt amplifier with a preamp.

The antenna is fed with LMR400 (yes, the thick hard to bend stuff) and uses a modified Comet pole mount. The mount is nice because it has a moderately weak piece of metal at the top that if i either go way too fast or hit something will bend so the antenna is not damaged.

The other antenna that you will see in the pictures are for the amateur radio that is in my car. It is a triband radio that operates on 144 mhz, 440 mhz, and 1.2 ghz. I don't really use it very often but it was free so hey, why not.

The radio and the inverter are both wired directly to the positive return from the distrbution box in my engine. The connection to the distribution box is fused on both sides for protection, and the radio has a plug so i can easily disconnect it.

One problem we ran into while wardriving was that the pigtail attached to the cable attached to the amplifier is easily bent at an unhealthy angle. To remedy this i used a cable tie and the black center console in my car to loosely anchor it.

Almost always when we wardrive there is someone in the front seat, and usually someone in the back. The person in the front handles the laptop since i always drive and it is illegal in California to have a laptop in the front seat. We realize that there is still a laptop in the front seat, but we take our chances since i never look at it unless we are stopped.

I tried to upload the images but i had to take the resolution WAY down before the forum would accept it, and i could only upload 5. the rest are available with full resolution at http://gasmass.com/carpics

wrzwaldo · 10-07-2004

12db antenna a little overkill? Whats the numbers on that thing?

localhost · 10-07-2004

well it's designed to be used as a base station antenna, but i got it pretty cheap off ebay (as i did most of my hardware which is why i was able to afford this).

usually the case is i either don't pick up the signal or i pick it up at a good enough strength to connect to it.

the product documentation can be found here: http://www.pacwireless.com/products/Pawod24.pdf

also, the antennas are ONLY up when i'm wardriving. i take them down when i'm not.

wrzwaldo · 10-07-2004

Hell leave it up... It's good for 125MPH!

candy-man · 10-07-2004

Trust me.. its not stable at 60 MPH

localhost · 10-07-2004

candy-man is referring to the old configuratoin of the mount, the newer one is more stirdy. we've gone up to about 100mph (freeway at night of course) and it remains fine. sometimes it does get tweeked a few degrees but no damage done.

candy-man · 10-10-2004

yah, the new setup is much better.

dantok · 10-11-2004

damn those antenna looks kicks ass dude. Esp the rig. LOVE IT! Anyway. What is the name of the antenna and where did you get the mount? =) I would wanna try that sucker on my car!

candy-man · 10-11-2004

As stated earlier in this thread, the antenna documentation can be found at http://www.pacwireless.com/products/Pawod24.pdf (documentation includes name/specs of the antenna)

And I believe he got the mount when cleaning out a friends garage, but I'm sure you can buy that mount at some store or on eBay.

localhost · 10-13-2004

yeah the antenna i got from ebay, the specs are in the link that candy said. the mount itself is a modification of a comet polemount (not designed to go on a luggage rack :-p)

PaPPy · 10-17-2004

Rig:
Alienware 2.8ghz P4 800mhz FSB
1 Gig of ram
15.2 inch screen
GeForce FX5600
60 Gig HD 8mb cache
Internal a+b+g card
External Linksys B PCMCIA and Linsys G PCMCIA & Orinoco Classic Gold
Antenna: 5.5db omni directional bought from fab-corp.com
Windows XP SP2
NS ver 4

Car:
1990 Black Nissan Pulsar, Standard, 5 Speed, and installed a 350 Watt power inverter connected directly to the car's battery.

Glad my Orinoco Classic Gold card and antenna got here, going for a test drive tonight!

PaPPy · 10-19-2004

oops forgot to post link

http://pappy.simusoft.net/index.php?body=driving.html

beakmyn · 10-20-2004

Dude, you somehow posted the picture backwards. It looks like the steering wheel is on the wrong side.

. Nice setup.

PaPPy · 10-20-2004

I am in japan we drive on the left side of the road with the steering whell on the right

Girard747 · 10-20-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by beakmyn

Dude, you somehow posted the picture backwards. It looks like the steering wheel is on the wrong side.

. Nice setup.

or he lives somewhere other then the US, where they drive on the left...

10-07-2004	#3 (permalink)
localhost I'm always at 127.0.0.1 Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 26	well it's designed to be used as a base station antenna, but i got it pretty cheap off ebay (as i did most of my hardware which is why i was able to afford this). usually the case is i either don't pick up the signal or i pick it up at a good enough strength to connect to it. the product documentation can be found here: http://www.pacwireless.com/products/Pawod24.pdf also, the antennas are ONLY up when i'm wardriving. i take them down when i'm not. Last edited by localhost : 10-07-2004 at 08:59 PM. Reason: additional info

10-17-2004	#11 (permalink)
PaPPy The PaPster Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Japan Posts: 77	PaPPy's Rig Rig: Alienware 2.8ghz P4 800mhz FSB 1 Gig of ram 15.2 inch screen GeForce FX5600 60 Gig HD 8mb cache Internal a+b+g card External Linksys B PCMCIA and Linsys G PCMCIA & Orinoco Classic Gold Antenna: 5.5db omni directional bought from fab-corp.com Windows XP SP2 NS ver 4 Car: 1990 Black Nissan Pulsar, Standard, 5 Speed, and installed a 350 Watt power inverter connected directly to the car's battery. Glad my Orinoco Classic Gold card and antenna got here, going for a test drive tonight!

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10-07-2004	#2 (permalink)
wrzwaldo I amuse you? Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 9,127	12db antenna a little overkill? Whats the numbers on that thing?

10-07-2004	#4 (permalink)
wrzwaldo I amuse you? Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 9,127	Hell leave it up... It's good for 125MPH!

10-07-2004	#5 (permalink)
candy-man Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 6	Trust me.. its not stable at 60 MPH

10-07-2004	#6 (permalink)
localhost I'm always at 127.0.0.1 Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 26	candy-man is referring to the old configuratoin of the mount, the newer one is more stirdy. we've gone up to about 100mph (freeway at night of course) and it remains fine. sometimes it does get tweeked a few degrees but no damage done.

10-10-2004	#7 (permalink)
candy-man Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 6	yah, the new setup is much better.

10-11-2004	#8 (permalink)
dantok Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 10	damn those antenna looks kicks ass dude. Esp the rig. LOVE IT! Anyway. What is the name of the antenna and where did you get the mount? =) I would wanna try that sucker on my car!

10-11-2004	#9 (permalink)
candy-man Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 6	As stated earlier in this thread, the antenna documentation can be found at http://www.pacwireless.com/products/Pawod24.pdf (documentation includes name/specs of the antenna) And I believe he got the mount when cleaning out a friends garage, but I'm sure you can buy that mount at some store or on eBay.

10-13-2004	#10 (permalink)
localhost I'm always at 127.0.0.1 Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 26	yeah the antenna i got from ebay, the specs are in the link that candy said. the mount itself is a modification of a comet polemount (not designed to go on a luggage rack :-p)

10-19-2004	#12 (permalink)
PaPPy The PaPster Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Japan Posts: 77	oops forgot to post link http://pappy.simusoft.net/index.php?body=driving.html

10-20-2004	#13 (permalink)
beakmyn root\.workspace\.garbage. Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 4,796	Dude, you somehow posted the picture backwards. It looks like the steering wheel is on the wrong side. . Nice setup.

10-20-2004	#14 (permalink)
PaPPy The PaPster Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Japan Posts: 77	I am in japan we drive on the left side of the road with the steering whell on the right