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How to get 300K+ points in 9 months (rig pics)

PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:02 pm
by whitedice
Alright, here are the pictures (optimized for web).

Pic 1 - No need to draw attention to the vehicle. All gear covered up.
Pic 2 - Under the covers. 14dBi patch antenna at a forward angle out the side window, 8 dBi patch antenna facing out the back window slightly angled toward the opposite side. Other side of vehicle has identical antennas. Custom PVC stand.
Pic 3 - Need more power. 800W Custom Installed (by a professional, not me) Inverter. The inverter plugs are in the wall of a rear storage compartment.
Pic 4 - This is where I may have gotten a little carried away.

Not pictured - Exterior Mobile Mark Antenna and USGlobalSat GPS, Antenna placement for preamped vertical detection(varies); Second inverter for nav. laptop; 2nd GPS and navigation laptop / mp3 player (600M); Kitchen Sink (j/k)

Ok, so here is the explanation of the insanity you just saw. Basically, I started with my main laptop (600M), NetStumbler, and a Delorme LT-20 GPS. Then upgraded, upgraded, upgraded, and upgraded some more. I ended up using just about every single "upgrade" that was suppose to replace equipment. 8dBi to 14dbi, you get the idea.

So I have Kismet & 2 Kismet Drones (not WRT54Gs, all 3 dual PCMCIAs 200mW+), 4 Preamps (the 14 dBis, MM on roof, and the vertical antenna (currently upgrading)), and 6 antennas. I decided to run a completely passive rig. No more NS on the navigation laptop. Nothing runs on batteries, though my 2 8100s can go 6+ hours each. Don't get me started on the monitor-less, keyboard-less, mouse-less PC.

The BEFW11S4 Linksys router's wifi is turned off, and is merely used to network 4 computers (left over after home upgrade). All antennas, amplifiers, and pigtails came from either HyperlinkTech or Fleeman, Anderson & Bird, Corp. (FAB-Corp.)

And there you have it. 100% OCWDD. If only I had learned of this hobby sooner (in my life's travels)...
http://www.whitedice.com/wardriving/travelssmall.jpg

PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:12 pm
by Barry
Good thing all that stuff is passive. You'd cook your skull.

PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:22 pm
by itsnotme
Barry wrote:Good thing all that stuff is passive. You'd cook your skull.


That's if he has everything hooked up right, otherwise I don't think he's ever going to have any kids again.

PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:26 pm
by streaker69
I have something that you need, if I can still find it.

Your pre-amps could probably use a good heatsink to sit on. I think I have a 6" long 4" wide heatsink still sitting around here somewhere.

If I can find it, you can have it.

PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:27 pm
by whitedice
I thought that warm fuzzy feeling I got while out driving was from the thrill of the find!:p

PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:41 pm
by ccie4526
Not too bad a setup. More boxen than I run. What pre-amps are they?

Be careful that you don't blow any transmit RF into the back end of the preamp, that's a good way to turn it into a nice attenuator. Haven't done this to any of my 2.4GHz stuff, but I had a 144MHz preamp that didn't take too kindly to getting 25W into the back end of it.

Guess I'm gonna have to get the camera out and get some pics of my rig. I see you've been to a few of my treasure troves here in TX. :)

PostPosted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:24 pm
by Thorn
whitedice, what is it that you do that you're on the road that much?

Also, from that map it looks like you drove right past my house when you were passing through Vermont.

PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:33 am
by beakmyn
Missed my house but I see you toured the finger lakes and Niagara Falls.

More pics.

PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:10 am
by Scruge
@whitedice
Nice setup!

That looks like Mark57's rig.
You driving a Toyota too?

What I'd like to know is how you all are able to keep such low ratios of New to pre-existing discoveries.

Do you have a copy of the wigle DB you filter your discoveries against before uploading?

PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:22 am
by whitedice
ccie4526 wrote:Not too bad a setup. More boxen than I run. What pre-amps are they?

FAB Corp. 1 Watt Amps.
Thorn wrote:whitedice, what is it that you do that you're on the road that much?

I have been extremely fortunate in that my parents love to travel (tent camping). So I have been able to see a lot of the country for free in my late teens/early twenties. Last year, a cousin of mine came from Silkeborg, Denmark, and wanted to see the West Coast. So the 2 of us went on a 3 week trip across country. We rented 3 cars, 1 offroading jeep, rode 2 trains, flew twice, and rode a bus. During that trip, I did WarWalk in San Francisco, and ran a laptop w/ Netstumbler in all the cars and the train ride home (Colorado to Cincinnati). So the short answer is... All the travel was for fun! hehe. Now I work 3 12-hour shifts, and have four days off to be able to do little trips.
Image

PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:43 am
by Dutch
whitedice wrote:Last year, a cousin of mine came from Silkeborg, Denmark, and wanted to see the West Coast.


Holler if you are going to visit your Danish family. If you fly in, you'll land here in Copenhagen. I'll show you the sights here, but don't count on upping your Wigle stats with AP's from Copenhagen, I think I'm about having the city fully covered - 94.15% of the detections seen are mine.. ;)

Dutch

PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:47 am
by whitedice
Scruge wrote:@whitedice
Nice setup!

That looks like Mark57's rig.
You driving a Toyota too?

What I'd like to know is how you all are able to keep such low ratios of New to pre-existing discoveries.

Do you have a copy of the wigle DB you filter your discoveries against before uploading?


'02 Trailblazer w/ 156,000 miles. As far as low ratio, I look at the web map of discovered a lot, and try and find places not heavily covered. I was lucky that Cincinnati was not done heavily, and then I went to Cleveland which was hardly done, and Lexington, KY was hardly done. Then I use Google Earth and find areas that have high potential. Walmarts, Home Depots, Universities and Hospitals are good places to look for.

PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:23 am
by streaker69
whitedice wrote:'02 Trailblazer w/ 156,000 miles. As far as low ratio, I look at the web map of discovered a lot, and try and find places not heavily covered. I was lucky that Cincinnati was not done heavily, and then I went to Cleveland which was hardly done, and Lexington, KY was hardly done. Then I use Google Earth and find areas that have high potential. Walmarts, Home Depots, Universities and Hospitals are good places to look for.


Universities are excellent places to hit each year as you'll always come up with several hundred new ones as students come and go.

We got over 2000 at UoD a couple years ago in the span of about 15 minutes. Hit it again, I bet we'd get even more.

PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:33 am
by renderman
Very nice. It's amazing how much the side scanning rigs can pick up. Glad to see someone built the dream machine I've never had the budget for and shares the same penchant for PVC pipe as I :)

PostPosted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:38 am
by streaker69
renderman wrote:Very nice. It's amazing how much the side scanning rigs can pick up. Glad to see someone built the dream machine I've never had the budget for and shares the same penchant for PVC pipe and full body latex suits as I :)


fixed.