At 04:38 AM 9/8/2006, Andrew Glasbrenner wrote:
Rick,
I am in _TOTAL_ agreement. I live in the suburbs of Tampa/St. Pete and never had an interference problem on my 3 foot dish. I have used the same dish to log well over a dozen WiFi access points in that immediate neighborhood. With properly designed equipment, all that trash on 2.4 ghz goes away with some elevation. What won't work is helixes with multiple sidelobes, and surplus dishes that let one whole polarity of noise right thru the back.
Reading yours and Rick's message, I'd have to agree. Since you've both proven that there is an easy, inexpensive and effective way to deal with the QRM from terrestrial devices on 2.4 GHz, it makes sense to keep using the band and to Elmer others in the art of constructing an effective antenna with minimum sidelobes. 2.4 GHz is also a relatively easy band to get on, due to the availability of surplus downconverters, so there's another reason to keep using it.
If I ever get the time (yeah, right!), I'll try 2.4 GHz from my backyard. My environment is not friendly, I have at least one 2.4 GHz WiFi network, and behind is a school with multiple APs spread across the band. I think I'll be taking your advice re the antenna. I have most of the parts already. If I succeed, then anyone can, unless you've stuck the WiFi AP at the focal point of the dish! ;)
73 de VK3JED http://vkradio.com