Using wifi antenna to rebroadcast?

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boatguy

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Sep 18, 2014
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I'm not even sure if my title makes sense for what I'm trying to do. Help!

I have an antenna on the mast of a boat. I want to use it to pick up wifi signal, send that signal down to the boat, and rebroadcast it as its own wifi network on the boat. Right now all I have is the antenna on the mast and a coax cable leading...nowhere. What should I put on the empty end?!

Thanks a lot, guys.
 
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There are other devices that you can use if you put it inside. They key problem is you generally get a lot of signal loss unless you ran expensive microwave cable designed to carry 2.4g signals.

You can likely use any wireless bridge unit with removable antenna.
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RealBeast

RealBeast

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Sep 13, 2010
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It makes sense but your current equipment is insufficient. The antenna that you have is most probably not capable of picking up a wireless 2.4GHz or 5GHz signal; it is most likely a simple radio antenna.

What is the source of the wifi signal that you will use? (distance and your access to the controlling router) Can you get a wifi signal on the dock next to the boat with your laptop or the wifi function of a tablet/phone?
 
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boatguy

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Sep 18, 2014
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The signal is iffy right now, mostly because the tide brings the docks down to an angle that makes reception less-than-ideal. But the boat moves around, so this particular application isn't as important as the general application of being able to pick up wifi signals. I'm using this antenna http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008TVPNRW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl, so I think I should be able to receive the appropriate signals, but you can correct me if I'm wrong. I just don't know how to do the rest of the installation I described. Guide me!

Thanks again.
 
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bill001g

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Aug 9, 2012
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You could use something like a ubiquiti bullet m2. This is a outdoor radio unit that you would connect directly to the antenna. You really want to avoid any coax cable because it will reduce you signal for ever foot of cable. This one in particular has a N connector that will mount directly to the antenna>

You could in the simplest install run a ethernet cable to the outdoor device and then connect it directly to a PC. If you needed to really have wireless inside you could connect a router to the cable that is coming in from the outdoor radio.
 
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boatguy

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Sep 18, 2014
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I went through the trouble of running low-loss coax internally up the mast when I had the mast down for other repairs. I could have avoided that altogether?! :p

My problem with the Ubiquiti bullet idea is only the power source. I couldn't run power (easily) up to it. If I put it at the end of the coax I ran, down inside the boat, (about 40 feet) and powered it from inside the boat, how successful an install do you think I'd have?
 
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boatguy

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Sep 18, 2014
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Right--so I can't put the bullet at the masthead or I'd have to run ethernet up there. The antenna on the mast is connected to coax, which runs down to the boat. So I could connect the bullet there and power it with ethernet, yes? And it'd repeat the signal it's getting from the antenna? Am I understanding this properly?

 
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bill001g

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Aug 9, 2012
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There are other devices that you can use if you put it inside. They key problem is you generally get a lot of signal loss unless you ran expensive microwave cable designed to carry 2.4g signals.

You can likely use any wireless bridge unit with removable antenna.
 
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