T&T: Radio Labs Wi-Fi

[John Owen]

Sorry, yes mvw not watts. (100 watts would be pretty strong !!)
JohnO

-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Rogers [mailto:rcrogers6@kennett.net]
Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 12:14 PM
To: John Owen
Subject: Re: T&T: Radio Labs Wi-Fi

100mw
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Owen" <owenjc@bellsouth.net>
To: <trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com>
Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 11:47 AM
Subject: Re: T&T: Radio Labs Wi-Fi


|A note for info re: wi-fi on-board. I have an HP laptop with built-in wi-fi
| which works fine but has very low signal strength. While in the Abacos
| (Bahamas) we found we could pick up a local network while in a marina, or
| close to their antenna(a few hundred feet), but not in any anchorages.
This
| past winter I up graded to an SMC-2532 W-B pci card (100 watts), which
most
| importantly has a port for an external antenna.  We get a very strong
signal
| with just the card and when I attach the external antenna (8db Omni) have
a
| range that allows us to get a good signal in most anchorages throughout
the
| Abaco "hub".
|
| The SMC card bought on-line, but had a time finding the antenna that would
| connect. I did find a good outfit in S. Florida that has, or can make
almost
| any combination of cables/connectors. They have a packaged "marine wi-fi
| antenna" that includes a standard marine antenna mount.
|
| Sharper Concepts, Inc.
| www.sharperconcepts.net
| info@sharperconcepts.net
|
|
| Happy with the rig so far.  No connection, blah, blah.
|
| JohnO
| CHB 41 INTERLUDE
| Jacksonville, Fl
|
|
| -----Original Message-----
| From: trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces@lists.samurai.com
| [mailto:trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces@lists.samurai.com]On Behalf Of
| Steven Dubnoff
| Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 10:32 PM
| To: Gil Johnson
| Cc: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
| Subject: Re: T&T: Radio Labs Wi-Fi
|
| >All, I purchased the marine Wi-Fi antenna system from Radio Labs and
| thought
| >I'd post my initial findings.
|
| I also have one of these (as well as another, similar system) sitting
| on my shelf and your post inspired me to do a head to head test.
|
| As a comparison, I tried this:
|
| http://www.netgate.com/product_info.php?products_id=328
|
| which consists of a small Senao EUB-362 200mw USB adapter, and an 8.5
| db Hyperlink antenna, plus a mount and assorted other goodies.  I am
| not using, nor would I use, the 20' of coax that is included, because
| a much better idea is to buy a male/male "RP-SMA gender changer" on
| ebay and hook the three foot pigtail on the antenna directly to the
| usb adapter (There is, at least on my boat, enough room to lead the
| pigtail through the roof to the adapter).
|
| For a cogent explanation of why you don't want a long coax lead going
| to your wifi antenna and why the antenna height above the water does
| not really matter, see this:
|
| http://tinyurl.com/nnycz
|
|
| In the fit and finish department, I have to say the Radio Labs system
| has fewer connections and is thus less likely to give problems, and
| its software is _much_ superior.  The Senao adapter supports the
| faster G protocol, but I don't think that is much importance since B
| adapters can talk to a G access points.
|
| The important thing is, with both of these systems, set up side by
| side, connected to two laptops, on my desk, the clear winner is the
| Seneo/Hyperlink system.  With the Radio Labs system, I can see my own
| access point and that of on immediate neighbor.  With the
| Seneeo/Hyperlink system, I can see these, plus my other immediate
| neighbor (two access points) and three other access points.  Since
| that is, after all, what matters, I would recommend the netgate.com
bundle.
|
| Best,
|
| Steve
|
|
|
| Steve Dubnoff
| 1966 Willard Pilothouse
| www.mvnereid.com
| sdubnoff@circlesys.com
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