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Old 07-08-2016, 05:22 PM   #101
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Originally Posted by stephen99 View Post
I need to ship my BoatAnt antenna to Escape for installation on the trailer. I'm looking at two cables to choose from. Each is about $20. The first is a Wilson 20 ft RG58 Low Loss Foam. The second is a Times Microwave LMR-400. The LMR-400 is 7 ft and about twice the diameter of the RG58. Length isn't important. Seven ft would be plenty. I know little about the differences in cables and hope one of the wise souls on the board can guide me in my choice.
LMR-400 cable has less than half the loss of RG58 cable (4.1 dB per 100 feet of cable at 1000MHz vs. 10.5 dB), so I would go with the LMR-400. Radio hams use the less lossy cable whenever they can afford it. For this short run, it probably won't make a lot of difference, but it can't hurt and it might help you get a better signal when you really need it.
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Old 07-08-2016, 05:25 PM   #102
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LMR-400 cable has less than half the loss of RG58 cable (4.1 dB per 100 feet of cable at 1000MHz vs. 10.5 dB), so I would go with the LMR-400. Radio hams use the less lossy cable whenever they can afford it. For this short run, it probably won't make a lot of difference, but it can't hurt and it might help you get a better signal when you really need it.
Great. Thanks, Bill.
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Old 07-08-2016, 09:11 PM   #103
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Originally Posted by stephen99 View Post
I need to ship my BoatAnt antenna to Escape for installation on the trailer. I'm looking at two cables to choose from. Each is about $20. The first is a Wilson 20 ft RG58 Low Loss Foam. The second is a Times Microwave LMR-400. The LMR-400 is 7 ft and about twice the diameter of the RG58. Length isn't important. Seven ft would be plenty. I know little about the differences in cables and hope one of the wise souls on the board can guide me in my choice.
As a general rule the lower loss cables like LMR-400 can be much stiffer and harder to bend around sharp corners. Something to consider when planning the installation. Also, the loss is directly proportional to the total length. For example, going from a 20' to a 10' cable will cut the loss in half, so a 7' section of RG58 might be low enough that you can easily live with it, and switching to LMR-400 might be a trivial improvment.

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Old 08-13-2016, 10:14 AM   #104
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I appreciate this discussion very much. I know much of it goes over my head, but perhaps I could get some advice.

I have a 2017 21' on order and want to have the best possible phone and data service at campsites, and would also like to receive any available wifi signals as best as possible, so I am considering having ETI install a cell/wifi signal booster and antenna. At present I am considering the Wilson 4G-X and the BoatAnt antenna. I am confused about whether it is best to permanently mount the antenna, and if so, where would be the best location to have ETI mount it to be protected from tree limbs and to function well considering interference issues with solar controllers, the inside antenna, etc. I am thinking I would use my cell phone with Sprint unlimited data plan as a hotspot and use a laptop generally when seated in the rear of the trailer at the dinette. So where would be best to have the inside antenna and the outside BoatAnt, and how best to have it all put together considering cables, etc? Or perhaps a different antenna, or not permanently mounted? I have not ordered anything yet.
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Old 08-13-2016, 12:01 PM   #105
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2 different things as far as I know, cell/wifi. The Wilson is a cell booster. You'd a wifi (campground provided signal) booster too.
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Old 08-13-2016, 12:32 PM   #106
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Thanks. My primary interest is in boosting the cell signal, so yes the Wilson Drive 4G-X will do that. I know there will be different opinions, but my real question is along the lines of "in this circumstance, what would you do if you were me?"
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Old 08-13-2016, 12:50 PM   #107
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Thanks. My primary interest is in boosting the cell signal, so yes the Wilson Drive 4G-X will do that. I know there will be different opinions, but my real question is along the lines of "in this circumstance, what would you do if you were me?"
I will be doing the BoatAnt antenna permanently mounted high up on the side of the trailer downstream of the refrigerator vent with the cable ending up in the overhead storage above the dinette. Booster is SolidRF. I will then use a Verizon Jetpack to complete the system.

For Wifi I will be using a portable Ubiquiti NanoStation locoM2 and airGateway. The M2 can be mounted to a window via suction cup device. Being portable I can move it from tow vehicle to trailer depending on circumstance.

For TV I will be mounting a stainless fishing pole holder to the back bumper of the trailer and using a 3 section fiberglass pole inserted into the pole holder with an antenna on top of the pole and run a coax to the TV/Cable ready port on the side of the trailer. We are not big TV watchers and didn't want a permanently mounted antenna on top of the trailer.
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Old 08-13-2016, 02:20 PM   #108
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I have the Boat Ant and the Wilson Weboost Cradle. Works pretty well, adds about 2 bars as long as there is some signal available.

I mounted mine right in front of and to the side of the air conditioner, which in reality is not ideal. I talked to the tech at Wilson, he said to mount it where the signal is not blocked, as high as you can get it. They are pretty squat antennas, you might put it away from the AC and the fan. I think ETI normally puts them just to the front of the doorway on the door side.

I probably should have mounted it to the top of the air conditioner housing.
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Old 08-13-2016, 02:52 PM   #109
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I have the Boat Ant and the Wilson Weboost Cradle. Works pretty well, adds about 2 bars as long as there is some signal available.

I mounted mine right in front of and to the side of the air conditioner, which in reality is not ideal. I talked to the tech at Wilson, he said to mount it where the signal is not blocked, as high as you can get it. They are pretty squat antennas, you might put it away from the AC and the fan. I think ETI normally puts them just to the front of the doorway on the door side.

I probably should have mounted it to the top of the air conditioner housing.
One thing that I rarely see in these discussions is placement of antennas as regards to shading of roof top mounted solar panels. Even a pencil thin shadow across a solar panel can significantly reduce the panels output. Life is so full of trade offs!

I'm as bad as a teenager in my passion for my data gathering devices but am also discovering on my third "maiden voyage" how good it feels to turn my devices off and leave them off. Its like driving out of a city's smog and discovering fresh air ... again.

To each his own of course, but for me out camping, I seek areas where the silence is deafening.

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Old 08-13-2016, 03:11 PM   #110
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Where will you place the SolidRF unit, and where will you place the inside antenna? Will they both be in the upper cabinet over the dinette?
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Old 08-13-2016, 03:22 PM   #111
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Just wondering if there is a minimum distance from outside to inside antenna to prevent interference? Also, what is the effective range of distance from the inside antenna to a cellular device or to the jetpack?
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Old 08-13-2016, 03:37 PM   #112
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Just wondering if there is a minimum distance from outside to inside antenna to prevent interference? Also, what is the effective range of distance from the inside antenna to a cellular device or to the jetpack?
There's no antenna on the inside in such a setup. There could be interference or attenuation however depending on where the inside amplifier or cradle is placed in relation to the outside antenna. The antenna type, cable route and length are part of that. In our case, the cradle is relatively close to where the outside antenna is mounted, with only about 2 feet of cable. We haven't noticed any signal issues or attenuation.
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Old 08-13-2016, 03:39 PM   #113
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Where will you place the SolidRF unit, and where will you place the inside antenna? Will they both be in the upper cabinet over the dinette?
I assume you are asking me. Yes, I will probably just start out by leaving the booster and inside antenna in the upper cabinet (I am having ETI add a 12V DC outlet next to the 120V AC outlet for the TV) and see how it works. I may want to move the booster to the tow vehicle sometimes so I don't want to permanently mount it in the trailer.
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Old 08-13-2016, 03:39 PM   #114
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One thing that I rarely see in these discussions is placement of antennas as regards to shading of roof top mounted solar panels. Even a pencil thin shadow across a solar panel can significantly reduce the panels output. Life is so full of trade offs!
I sincerely doubt that shadowing from the antenna would have any measurable effect on the solar output, let alone a noticeable one.
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Old 08-13-2016, 03:44 PM   #115
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Just wondering if there is a minimum distance from outside to inside antenna to prevent interference? Also, what is the effective range of distance from the inside antenna to a cellular device or to the jetpack?
Both good questions that I can't answer yet. Don't have the Jetpack yet and haven't played around much with the antennas to see how it all works together.
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Old 08-13-2016, 05:56 PM   #116
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Just wondering if there is a minimum distance from outside to inside antenna to prevent interference?
Yes. The manuals give the distance, and it should depend on the position as well - if they are at the same height it would be much worse than if they are the same distance apart but the outside antenna is directly above the inside antenna.

I have a Wilson Sleek (model 2B5225) for which the manual says
Quote:
Warning: The Sleek and the Outside Antenna must have a minimum separation of 3 feet to prevent oscillation.
Mine are twice that far apart, with no issues. This is a cradle-type unit, so a close spacing is not surprising.

Mine came with a magnetic-mount outside antenna, and the manual also says
Quote:
Separation of the Sleek and the Outside Antenna is very important. In a vehicle, the metal roof acts as a barrier and helps shield the two antennas from each other, preventing oscillation (feedback). Oscillation can occur when the roof mounted antenna is too close to the Sleek inside the vehicle. An oscillation (or feedback) in the Sleek is similar to when a microphone is too close to a speaker in a sound system, resulting in a loud whistle. An oscillation in the Sleek, if allowed to occur, can affect nearby cell towers' ability to handle calls.
This is written to be specific to the Sleek, but applies equally well to any of these mobile network boosters. The Sleek (presumably like other models) can detect oscillation and protectively shut down, showing a warning light.

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Also, what is the effective range of distance from the inside antenna to a cellular device or to the jetpack?
It should be far enough to be a non-issue inside a trailer, unless the path has walls in the way. It would be interesting to know if the units which broadcast with an inside antenna (not the cradle types) have enough range to be mounted in the tug and used for a phone in the trailer.

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There's no antenna on the inside in such a setup.
There's always an inside antenna with a booster system, but with the cradle designs it's in the cradle and has little range beyond a device held directly in the cradle.
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Old 08-13-2016, 07:19 PM   #117
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There's always an inside antenna with a booster system, but with the cradle designs it's in the cradle and has little range beyond a device held directly in the cradle.
Perhaps, but it's not receiving anything except what's touching it. Works more like NFC. I suppose it's "technically" an antenna, since it's wireless.
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Old 08-13-2016, 11:07 PM   #118
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Perhaps, but it's not receiving anything except what's touching it. Works more like NFC. I suppose it's "technically" an antenna, since it's wireless.
"NFC" means Near Field Communications, and just means such low power and tiny antennas that anything in range is assumed to be very close. Sure, there are NFC-specific frequencies and protocols, but none of that tells the devices how close they are. Use a much bigger antenna and more power, and you can do things that the NFC device makers never intended (and their near-field antennas are not designed to work with)... such as read contactless payment devices (cards and smartphones) when the holder isn't intending you to.

RFID tags are the original NFC, and while they usually require near-contact to read them, the tag stuck on my van's windshield is read by the equipment at the Port Mann Bridge as we drive under it at highway speed (which is the purpose - it's a toll bridge tag) - they use big directional antennas and high power. It is actually not a near-field system at all, in radio terms, because the distance is far too great compared to the wavelength. For a more common example, I've had an RFID parking pass card that needed to nearly touch the small reader at the door I walked through, but only needed to be held within a metre or so of the big antenna panel at the drive-in door.

Even contactless payment cards (and phones doing NFC to emulate a card) don't actually need to touch the reader - despite marketing names such as Tap & Go - they just need to be really close, because there isn't enough antenna size or transmitter power for a longer distance.

The antenna design in the booster cradle is probably deliberately optimized for short distance (a legitimate near-field design in radio terms), to maximize signal to and from the cradled device, and to minimize the interference we're talking about. But it's still really an antenna, and still risks interference because the signal from the cradle is significant well outside of the cradle.

Before I got my Sleek I wondered if the arms that enclose the device in the cradle would be the antenna, but no, they're just plastic clips. The antenna is in the plate that the device rests against.
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Old 08-14-2016, 06:52 AM   #119
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While were on the subject, does your Sleek/WeBoost get hot? My wife's phone goes into some sort of protect mode when it gets too hot, not so mine, but the unit sure gets hot.

I had talked to Wilson about it and they told me that's how it's supposed to work??
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Old 08-14-2016, 09:32 AM   #120
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Just wondering if there is a minimum distance from outside to inside antenna to prevent interference? Also, what is the effective range of distance from the inside antenna to a cellular device or to the jetpack?
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While were on the subject, does your Sleek/WeBoost get hot? My wife's phone goes into some sort of protect mode when it gets too hot, not so mine, but the unit sure gets hot.

I had talked to Wilson about it and they told me that's how it's supposed to work??
Mine gets pretty warm. If too warm, I disconnect the cord charging the phone while in the cradle - seems to help a bit.

My cradle is in an upper cabinet directly underneath the roof mounted antenna (which has a built-in ground plane) and has no oscillation issues.
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