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[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

> > > I used to be a ham. You could make an antenna to help with
> > > reception/transmission.. I'd guess the frequency range is very
> > > high, so a small dish made from steel or copper mesh would
> > > work great. Otherwise, a yagi would work.
> >
> > We have a pringles can.
>
> I only use coke cans. I am a man of principe! :-)
>
> > What size dish?
>
> Depends on frequency. Size of antenna and frequency have an
> inverse relationship, although there are ways to 'cheat'.
> Be tiny, because the frequency (I assume) is high.

Frequency is the inverse of wavelength.  Dish is proportional to 
wavelength.  For FM radio, a 5' antenna seems to work as 1/4 wavelength, 
and we are using a 7x10' stainless steel cupola roof with the wire 
attached in just the right spot to get all the weak stations.

> The dish could be a lot larger than the antenna. Probably
> would be in this case. The antenna would be suspended at
> its focal point.
>
> You could also insert an amplifying transciever to radically
> extend your range, and connect to wlans (?) all over the place.
>
> Bet they are cheap, now.
>
> > Why mesh?
>
> Custom. Could be aluminum foil, or anything conductive.

We have aluminum pie pans.

> > I have several stainless steel strainers of various mesh sizes.
> > Do you use these to reflect a signal like you can do with
> > low-quality radio signals? Sometimes I pick up a station better
> > by standing on the opposite side of the radio from the source.
>
> The dish focusses and reflects the signal to the actual antenna.
> Or vice-versa if you are transmitting.

I hope it can be unconnected to the built-in antenna.
I will experiment with iwconfig to see how signal strength changes.

> > There is nothing to hook an antenna to.
>
> I was wondering about that. You'd have to dig in there. We'd
> need to know the impedance, too, which we should be able to
> determine by examining the internal antenna for type and
> size.

You can look up the info for my cards if interested.  Aironet 340 and 
linksys wpc11 ver 3.  I am not taking the cards apart, they work.

> > I will research using
> > the router as antenna (it has two pointable ones)
>
> There you go.
But I don't know how to do this yet.


> > if it is part of the network, or must it all go through
> > 192.168.0.1? One router has a pcmcia wireless card in it and I
> > could plug a cable into the back.
>
> Need a length of coax from computer to antenna.

Nothing to connect the coax to in the card.

> [delete]
>
> Lee
>
>
> -----------------------