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Prior details in the eMails below ...<br>
<br>
Shortly after the -75dBm report below, I started to see the value
drop to a usual range of -77-80dBm, with occasional excursions down
to -83dBm. I spent three long sessions (one getting wet) out on the
roof, to no avail (I carry an Android tablet logged into the
MikroTik radio, to observe the effects of small adjustments). The
variations did not seem related to rain, although a wet antenna
seems to drop the signal about 2dB. Interestingly, during the night
there was little change, but the commute hours seemed to generate
the most fluctuations. I think that's because the line-of-sight
path runs about 20ft above 132nd St SE, a busy street connecting I-5
and Highway 9 at the north end of Mill Creek. Perhaps the signal is
bouncing off of vehicles?<br>
<br>
I originally thought that perhaps the decrease from the initial
-75dBm to -78dBm was perhaps due to foliage growth (this is Spring,
after all). However, in the last week I've seen a very slight
increase (1-2dB) in the average signal level, so I don't know what
to make of that. Perhaps someone has been picking flowers, or Bart
has been climbing the SnoCo DEM antenna tower and making adjustments
(just joking)?<br>
<br>
Anyway, the reason for this idle posting is just to record my
observations for others to consider. I have thought of raising my
antenna a couple feet using a similar gutter mount. I then
considered that would probably place the center-of-mass above the
gutter, which would make the whole thing unstable in a strong wind
without a 3rd attachment point. What appears to be the lower
"attachment point" in the images, is in fact just contact bracing,
with gravity providing a constant contact. That's nice when the
whole thing is stable with regard to pivoting around the gutter axis
(as it is now), not so nice otherwise. Yes, I could weight the
lower end down to lower the center of mass, but right now the weight
is enough to make hanging the thing on the gutter difficult, when
standing on a slanted roof ...<br>
<br>
-- Dean<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2014-03-29 08:09, Dean Gibson AE7Q
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:5336E243.2080008@ae7q.net" type="cite">
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Antenna inside (-89dBm), to test the site: <br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-1.jpg">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-1.jpg</a><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-2.jpg">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-2.jpg</a><br>
<br>
Antenna just outside the window (-84dBm), from inside:<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-3.jpg">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-3.jpg</a><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-4.jpg">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-4.jpg</a>
-- God left a gap in the (many) trees, right in the path to Paine
field ... <br>
<br>
... and from outside ...<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-5.jpg">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-5.jpg</a>
-- frontal view<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-6.jpg">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-6.jpg</a>
-- in the line of fire ...<br>
<br>
Move the antenna 8 feet east for a 9dB signal strength increase
(-75dBm = three green lights (power/Ethernet + two signal "bars")
...<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-7.jpg">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-7.jpg</a>
-- frontal view<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-8.jpg">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-8.jpg</a>
-- in the line of fire ...<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-9.jpg">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz-9.jpg</a>
-- side view<br>
<br>
The nice thing about the mounting, is that there is NO attachment
to the house, which makes adjustment trivial (sliding the mounting
hooks in the rain gutter). Even the Ethernet cable goes through
pre-existing screening in attic vents. The whole thing can be
removed from the house without a trace in 20 minutes (10 minutes,
if one is young and agile, which I am neither). It's (reasonably)
light-weight (another plus, for the same personal reasons).<br>
</blockquote>
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