Living in a ravine -- how to get a signal from 500ft away

johnsw71 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 09 May 2008 Posts: 3

Hi,
I'm a newbie to the forum and to EVDO technology. I live in a ravine. There is a spot at the top of the ridge where I can get a good signal that is about 500ft. up a steep hill from my house. I've been looking at all the different antenna/repeater products available, but am a bit overwhelemed. Is there one that would allow me to capture the signal up there and somehow point it down towards the house so I can pick it up down here? I suppose a more complicated option would be to install an EVDO modem at the top of the ridge (I would need to run power up there, though) and then connect that to a wireless router with a booster aimed down at the house. (I do have line of site from the top of the ridge to the house.) If it is possible to use just a single antenna/repeater, that would be great since I could perhaps rig a solar power unit to it to avoid having to run electricity up to the ridge. Are there any antenna products that just redirect a signal like this, or are they all receivers that then relay the signal to a router via a cable?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

John in Santa Rosa

n6gn · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 7:17 am Post subject:

John
There is probably more than one way to solve this but any way is likely to require weatherproofing to some degree.

For example, you might:

o put a (powered) EVDO/WiFi router on the ridge, directive antennas on each port and use WiFi at the house.

o put an active on-channel repeater (also powered and with quite a lot of gain) on the ridge with isolated antennas pointing toward the cell site and your house.

o put a directional antenna on the ridge with an amplifier (modest amount of gain) and drive really good quality cable. Even 500' of LMR-600 would be managable in this situation.

o put an EVDO router + antenna (again powered) on the ridge and run CAT5 with POE down the cable, also powering a hub/extender in the middle of the downhill run.

o probably some more that I haven't mentioned.

Sounds like a fun project. How good a shot do you have to the cell site fromt the top of the ridge?

n6gn
(also in Santa Rosa, but perhaps not the same state)

johnsw71 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 09 May 2008 Posts: 3

Thanks for the reply.
No, we're in the same state. I live out on Saint Helena Road, which might as well be the far side of the moon as far as high-speed internet access goes.
The signal from the ridge bit was actually second-hand information from the owner of the property. I'm sorry to say that I picked up a Verizon AC595U card today and climbed up to try it out. Nada. Looks like I'm still stuck in the dark ages since this was my last stone to turn over.
Thanks anyway for the advice.

Dialuply yours,
John

n6gn · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 9:19 pm Post subject:

johnsw71 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 09 May 2008 Posts: 3

Thanks for the note. Can you email me your email address? (I can't PM as a new member here). Thanks!
johnsw71@hotmail.com