WildBlue Satellite

mkessler · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 20 Sep 2008 Posts: 21

About a year ago we switched from WildBlue over to a different Sprint Reseller for Internet access. The problem is that we are just outside of the service range. So getting EVDO Rev A is impossible without an antenna. I added a Wilson trucker model antenna that boosted my signal and allows me to get the Rev A most of the time. If I get in my car and drive about a mile from my house I actually get a signal of 55 db. I can actually see the antenna light from my house, its about 3 miles away but I am in a low lying area so I always have a low signal. I was thinking if I should use my old WildBlue dish for something other than a roof ornament. I have seen a couple of people who have built Cantinas from old Prime star dishes and wonder if it would work with the WildBlue dish. The top of my roof is about 30 ft getting me out the hole I am in. I am thinking I could make a directional antenna with the old dish. Has anyone heard of anybody else doing this. BTW I am still on the Franklin cdu680 so I am pretty sure I am on the Sprint network and need to be about 1900 MHz. I would really be a kick in the butt to use the dish for something else. Very Happy

waynefoutz · EVDO Junkie Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 269

alhanson · Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:16 am Post subject:

mkessler

Yes someone posted he did that with an Marine Omni directional antenna and a dish like the Wildblue one. Sawed off the trivia and mounted it right there up right on that supported. The dish was on his roof pointed in the direction of the tower parallel with the horizon. His situation was like your revision A would come and go. After he put the antenna in front of the dish his connection was strong and never dropped out. He was using a cell repeater amp with inside antenna. He also had a picture of his setup. Didn’t post the picture but sent me a copy when I asked him about it. Also there was someone before that who posted. He used a flat panel antenna and a dish to pull in a signal 11 miles across a lake to his summer cottage. He also had pictures. The posts are in here somewhere. There is life after Wildblue and uses for your dish!

al
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alhanson

trife · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 12

Are you saying there is some way to attach the coaxial cable that my wild blue used before into the antenna port on the usb modem?

That would rock if so? I know where the tower is located i could just point the dish in that direction? or its not this simple. id have to rewire the dish with some other type of wiring?

alhanson

“Are you saying there is some way to attach the coaxial cable that my wild blue used before into the antenna port on the usb modem?”

No!

The dish is only being used as a passive collector for a cellular antenna/amplifier system like the 3Gstore sells. Most cellular system use low loss 50 Ohm Coaxial Cable. Wildblue Satellite uses 75 Ohm 3000 Mhz Coaxial Cable. The Wildblue installers supply their own Coaxial Cable for their installs. The expense for the Coaxial Cable comes out of their pocket, so one can bet it is the cheapest possible they can find. The installers get paid for locking the modem to the satellite which seals your fate and the contract. After that you are on your own.

Al
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alhanson

Jim_in_VA · Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:32 pm Post subject:

Here's what I did with my old WildBlue dish ..I used the base for a grid antenna Wink

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