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Old 01-19-2020, 11:48 AM   #1
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Wifi Booster Antenna

So I'm thinking I might want to buy one of them $12 wifi booster antennas to hang permanently outside the trailer but I do not, will not drill a hole in the hull to run the cable inside to a modem. Where to place that antenna? I could run it in through the fridge vent, or the toilet ceiling vent. What about drilling onto the street side porch light I otherwise never use? It already has a hole in the hull for its wiring. It's housing could be reinforced to keep that lightweight antenna secure. Problem there is how to thread cable inside hull behind the vinyl wall fabric and down to someplace where it connects to the modem.

Just looking here for some brainstorming thoughts.
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Old 01-19-2020, 02:50 PM   #2
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How big is this antenna? Can you mount it inside the trailer? Fiberglass has very little effect on blocking out radio waves as long as you get it high in the trailer so obstacles like the fridge does not block the path.
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Old 01-19-2020, 05:19 PM   #3
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A wifi antenna installation example

Hi Myron,

This may be way more than you were looking for, but here's how we implemented our wifi booster antenna.

I bought a "flag pole holder" that fits in the hitch on the back of the trailer (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1). I then bought some PVC pipe at Home Depot to act as my mast. I cut them into pieces so they fit in the front storage bin. I then used some coupler pins to connect the PVC pieces (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1). A smaller diameter PVC pipe slides between the two outer ones to provide a strong connection for the mast segments.

As for the cable to the antenna, I have the old style electrical cord, so I use the same exit for my wifi antenna cable.

For the antenna, I used a directional one ( https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Nano...J4FZEHW40ZW78X ). Thus I can aim the antenna at the access point and have a stronger wifi connection. The mast I used allows me to easily point the antenna.

As for the wifi booster system I used, I went with the one described in this video: https://outsideourbubble.com/build-a...for-under-100/

Some pictures are provided below.

- The Bea Team
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Cord Exit -s.jpg   Mast Mount -s.jpg   Mast Segments -s.jpg   Mast view -s.jpg  
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Old 01-20-2020, 01:05 PM   #4
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One more note on the above wifi antenna installation - the combination of the mast plus the amplified directional antenna can allow one to connect to a wifi access point that is hundreds of feet away (the amazon reviews give lots of examples of 500ft or more - https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Nano...J4FZEHW40ZW78X).
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Old 01-20-2020, 02:13 PM   #5
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Absolutely. My JEFA Tech has the exterior antenna on a 15' pole. I've sat in a parking lot with a clear view down "main" street. I could see a lot of store signs from stores that had public wi-fi. It was interesting to look at the display of available wi-fi and then way down the street to the store whose wi-fi showed up.

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Old 01-20-2020, 02:29 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bea View Post
One more note on the above wifi antenna installation - the combination of the mast plus the amplified directional antenna can allow one to connect to a wifi access point that is hundreds of feet away (the amazon reviews give lots of examples of 500ft or more - https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Nano...J4FZEHW40ZW78X).
With a Nano station here at Quartzsite I made a usable connection to the Loves truck stop 1 mile from my location. A great system, although it does require a bit of set up knowledge to use.
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Old 01-20-2020, 02:30 PM   #7
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Myron,
Here's a no-additional-hole solution:
I recently installed a rear-view camera in the back window of our 17. I ran the video cable forward and down under the front bed, then out through the same hole as the trailer umbilical, then on to the tow vehicle. I found that ETI had made a large hole for the umbilical, with caulk/sealant completely filling the annular space, so I poked a screwdriver (that was the same diameter as my cable) through it to the interior, then nursed the cable through, pulled out the screwdriver, and the caulk/sealant collapsed around the cable for a perfect seal.
If you fasten an antenna to the trailer frame next to your front storage, this may work for you.
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Old 01-20-2020, 07:00 PM   #8
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These are great ideas. I do have your PVC mast idea already in place, Bea, -- it works great for the TV antenna. I may wait until Quartzsite before doing the Wifi booster thing, though. Must remember to bring along a drill. Surely key parts can be bought in town. Configuring an omni-directional with the frig vent cover is sounding much less involved.
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