Munky

Point well taken Dutch and Thorn. I don't know much about the 2.4 Gig spectrum, but I am petty good at modifying things. I just find it hard to belive that there are 400 dolars of electronics jammed into a little box marked 802.11b/g compliant amplifier. In refrence to the other posts I was just brainstorming different, common things around me that amplify different signals. In reality I am looking to mount an amplifier (home-made or oherwise) into my existing card.

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Dutch

As you are stateside, remember that you need to keep within the FCC regulations, with regards to transmitted power.
Search on the forums for previous discussions regarding transmitted power, amps, and the FCC regulations.

Also remember that tinkering with stuff, without the proper knowledge, very seldom leads to a Nobel prize, but often have lead to a Darwin Award nomination...


Dutch

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streaker69

Especially when tinkering with MW's.

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Munky

True enough. I'm just looking for something to work on, i dont plan on hooking anything up until I have taken the proper saftey precautions, FCC reg's do apply but I am out in the deserts of southern California so a couple of tests with a hacked dongle wouldnt harm anthing but snakes and the ocasional dirt biker. I still think that someone should be able to do this. Just to know that it can be done.

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streaker69

Things like this can be done. But you better make sure you have done all your research, all the math, and dotted every 'i' and every 't'. MW circuits are not like normal circuits. They take precise design and skill to manufacture. It isn't something that you throw together on a breadboard and hook up.

One thing you might want to look up is 'skin effect'.

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Thorn

What streaker69 says here bears repeating. The precision* involved in the design and manufacture, not to mention having to certify each individual model (whether by the FCC or some other country's regulatory body) makes these things expensive to make and sell.

Can you design and build your own RF amplifier? Yes, but that isn't really the question. The real question is this: Do you have the time, knowledge, and necessary tools and equipment to actually do it.

From your earlier questions alone, we can tell that you don't possess the needed knowledge. However, that's the easiest part. Between Ham courses, the WWW and Inter-Library Loans, you can learn everything you need in relatively short order. Next comes the equipment. You will spend far more on test equipment alone to build an amplifier than buying one amp. Conservatively, figure about 5 times more, and that's buying used. (Yes, thats $2k, for used test equiment.) You can't do this with just a $19.99 multimeter. Of course, once you start on electronics you can use the equipment over and over on other projects, but the costs are still there. Finally there's the time. If you figure your time at an hourly rate, does it make sense to build or buy? It's one thing if it's a hobby and you're having fun doing it, but if not, then it's silly.

Finally, it hasn't been discussed here, but it's worth repeating again from other threads: RF can be dangerous to you, your family, your pets and your neighbors if you don't know what you're doing. The low levels involved in a single card won't be enough to hurt you. Adding gain (amplification) via an antenna, can raise the RF into the danger level. Adding an active amplifer will raise the RF into danger level. Simply: Microwaves cook meat. People are meat. Therefore microwaves can and will cook people.

The most susceptible areas to damage from RF are the eyes and the male testes. Cooking either of these on yourself is considered bad form. Doing that to someone else is usually grounds for a lawsuit.


*A difference of several thousands of an inch in the width of a micro-strip can throw a MW circuit off a significant amount.

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Dutch

What Thorn said in his usual elonquent and gentlemanlike manner, can be sussed up in, what I said in two lines:

Now 'tards, and intelligent people both, should have a chance of understanding it.. Just choose my post or Thorns post, depending on if you're a 'tard or intelligent

Dutch

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sysadmn

I'm thinking of the old Boy Scout Fieldbook quote on survival skills:


The names on many tombstones glisten
of those who heard but did not listen.

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renderman

I looked into doing my own AMP a couple years ago, and quite litereally, the tolerances were 1/1000th of an inch in some cases. Far more than I was comfortable dealing with in a home brew situation, even though I have access to alot of the nessecary test equipment at work.

Instead I just kept my eye's open and picked up a lightly used 100mw one for cheap (>$100). Hell, Fab-Corp has a 1 watt on thier front page right now for >$300.

I think you'll find that $300 is worth paying to avoid the wasted time/energy/equipment/sperm in home brewing your own

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Dutch

... not to mention that it's a cheap price to pay, in order to avoid an increased possibility of having funny looking kids...

Dutch

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Munky

I know when talking about the normal power output of 802.11b/g equipment it is in the x00 mW range, is 1 Watt safe to operate at?
I never realized that the tolerance is so tight. Althought it would be fun, I must heed all of your advice.
<b>Thank you</b> for the explanation,
Munky & Munky's balls

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Monitr7

...who then go on to form "duh broken", or produce great shows like "ScreenSavers"!

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Thorn

1W should be safe enough, IF you're not within about 4 feet of the antenna while operating. That's assuming a 6dBi omni or less. Directionals are another matter. Depending on the design (e.g. dish) I'd stay 10 or more feet away.

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Thorn
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Airstreamer

News blurb I thought some of you might be interested in:

ParkerVision Launches RF Power Amplifiers With All-Digital Circuit Architecture

http://www.rfglobalnet.com/content/n...f-8e13b537a782

Steve

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