Cantenna Project - Update

Work continued today on the Cantenna directional wireless antenna.  For the antenna cable I am using a standard external antenna that would normally sit on top of a computer and plug into the card via a pigtail connection.  By disassembling the antenna casing I'm left with two wires which will be integrated into the cantenna body.

In order to ensure that the signal will be amplified for both 802.11b and 802.11g signals, the antenna lead is placed about an inch and a half from the can base, ensuring that it fits between both wavelengths perfectly.  The outer connection of the cable is attached to the can itself, and the center pole of the antenna cable is extended into the body of the can itself, keeping clear of any surface.  The signal will collect between these two wires and result in a signal amplification that is considerably larger than the average wireless range extender.

Initial tests allowed me to pick up a wireless signal approximately 750 feet away that was previously not even seen by the standard attached antenna.  Line of sight is currently an issue as the test PC I am using was surrounded by various electronics, but next week I will be testing the antenna with a direct line of sight (and hopefully some accurate measuring tools so that I can calculate the actual difference in signal).

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