Antennas are passive devices that radiate radio frequency energy (RF). They do not create RF energy, but they do focus the energy in a specific area or direction, which increases the signal strength in that direction or area. This is specified as Gain in units of dBi. An antenna with 0dBi gain is one which radiates in all directions equally. An antenna with 12dBi gain, has a direction in which the signal is 12db stronger than in another direction.

Antenna links and infotainment for Wireless

Antenna Types

• OmniDirectionalAntenna

• SectorAntenna

• YagiAntenna

• ParabolicAntenna

• PatchAntenna

Antenna Info

• AntennaLaws

• AntennaMounts

• EquipmentVendors

• PortableAntennas

• SmallPortableAntenna

• AntennasAndBalloons

• WLAN Antenna Frequently Asked Questions http://www.telexwireless.com/wlanfaq.htm A very Commercial point of view.

• Extending the range of your Airport base station: http://seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/AppleAirportMod

• Intro to WiFi antenna types with design guide for outdoor wireless networks: http://www.wifi-antenna.com/

Build Your Own

• The SEATTLE WIRELESS PROJECT has an interesting bit here http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/BuildingYagiAntennas Different materials for directional YAGI.

• The Seattle Antenna How To http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/AntennaHowTo Again more EXCELLENT pics.

• From Canberra, Australia Howto make a helical antenna. http://www.wireless.org.au/~jhecker/ (was http://users.bigpond.net.au/jhecker/)

• Use a Surplus Primestar Dish as an IEEE 802.11 Wireless Networking Antenna http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Airport/Primestar/Primestar.html I just LOVE the soup can. Where's Andy Warhol when you need him?

• Build your own antenna 4 different cheap ways! http://www.qsl.net/n9zia/wireless/ Really EXCELLENT!

• NycWireless has torn apart a little flat 4dBi Omni antenna that looks like it would be fairly easy to duplicate: [http://www.nycwireless.net/Images/maxrad/]

• [http://www.saunalahti.fi/~elepal/antenna2.html Waveguide] by Martti Palomaki

• [http://www.gardnerwireless.net/dtube.htm Dryer tube antenna] an adjustable can antenna

• [http://flakey.info/antenna/omni/quarter/ Spider Omni] very simple homebrew omni

Test Equipment

• [http://home.wanadoo.nl/erwin.gijzen/wifiswr/index.html Homebrew 2.4GHz (V)SWR meter]

Calculators and Software

• Homebrew Test Equipment And Software for the wireless Geek. http://www.qsl.net/n9zia/wireless/appendixF.html

• The Wireless calculator. http://www.air.net.au This is a calculator for building Yagi antennas in the 2.4 Ghz range. Change length, wire wrap spacing or center freq. Very cool Look like the easiest to build.

[CategoryHardware]