3G/4G antennas for Mifi... Do not not buy these (1 Viewer)

[Camping Gaza]

Thought I would share with you some info on these available from auction sites, websites etc.

I only paid 7 quid for my one, just to see if it worked and whats inside. Of course once attached to a netgear aircard, it failed to provide any signal gain whatsoever despite claims of a 35db gain!

So I opened it up to take a peak. Bear in mind I have seen these advertised up to 89 dollars.... I paid 7 quid and free postage so it was worth a punt.

So you get two crossed copper etched boards... thats it!

 

[Flamenca]

I also made the mistake of buying one. Made no difference at all to the signal input to my mifi

 

[Figaro]

Can you weigh the copper in ?

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[tonka]

As most of the radio hams on here will tell you, any aerial is just a piece of copper wire..

The fancier you can make it the more you can charge..

 

[hilldweller]

I paid 7 quid and free postage so it was worth a punt.

How on earth can they do all that engineering, ship it half way around the world and still sell it for the UK price of the connectors ??????????

You certainly got value for money.

PS >> despite claims of a 35db gain!

But do they specify 35db gain over What ? Some wet string ?

 

[Camping Gaza]

As most of the radio hams on here will tell you, any aerial is just a piece of copper wire..

I know I have a licence... (you can obtain gain from just a bit of wire if you add directors and reflectors to it as discovered by Mr Udon Yagi) The ad claimed you get 35dbi and its amplified hence my curiosity im buying it and taking it apart. I am currently in "conversation" with the seller of these pointing out the fact it cannot amplify, as the unit is passive, and cannot produce 35dbi gain on something which is basically a crossed dipole!

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[Camping Gaza]

How on earth can they do all that engineering, ship it half way around the world and still sell it for the UK price of the connectors ??????????

You certainly got value for money.

It does make you wonder... its even got miniature co axial cable and gold plated connectors!

 

[jockaneezer]

and gold plated connectors!

I bet it's Fools Gold

 

[Camping Gaza]

Ill tell you what tho... Bits of it makes for a great stick on little tray for your Motorhome... see photo.

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[SIFTA SAM]

Most aerials obtain some gain by the addition of quarter wave static reflectors, as seen on many external TV aerials. But agree that it should not be technically termed amplification.

 

[chaser]

How on earth can they do all that engineering, ship it half way around the world and still sell it for the UK price of the connectors ??????????

You certainly got value for money.

PS >> despite claims of a 35db gain!

But do they specify 35db gain over What ? Some wet string ?

Apart from that , why, if it's no good why go to the bother of putting anything in.

 

[Camping Gaza]

Most aerials obtain some gain by the addition of quarter wave static reflectors

That's right, a Yagi design as discovered and developed by Udon Yagi in Japan. They provide gain by directing and reflecting a bit more signal to the driven element, normally a dipole. the more director, the bits at the front, the more gain you get just like on your tv roof aerial.

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[Camping Gaza]

part from that , why, if it's no good why go to the bother of putting anything in.

I think its not what they put in..... it's what has been missed out I think!

 

[SIFTA SAM]

I think its not what they put in..... it's what has been missed out I think!

Have you had a really really good look around on the floor where you opened it

 

[SuperMike]

You should have asked me @Camping Gaza, before you bought it. I got one back last year and sent it straight back with a comment that it was bl**dy useless to be told that I did not understand how it works.

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[namwaldog]

Sorry for playing Devils Advocate here but I have one of those antenna. I paid about the same as you paid and had about as much faith in them as you have.

But using my mifi at home (we have neither a landline or broadband) I can sit at my PC in the house and trawl the internet, make skype calls etc by via the mifi with it connected to the antenna.

If I disconnect it I cannot.

I have not got a clue about the technology involved but it works for me.

PS Can I have your suction cup when you've done with it as I lost mine??

 

[Camping Gaza]

PS Can I have your suction cup when you've done with it as I lost mine??

No you can't 'cos nobody likes a smart arse!!!! ha ha

(probably just the cable picking up a signal!) I tried using it in the UK, France, Spain and Portugal... Nada, Nix, Nich, Ziltch, Zero.

 

[Minxy]

Ill tell you what tho... Bits of it makes for a great stick on little tray for your Motorhome... see photo.

View attachment 148430

Sucker .....

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[hilldweller]

Apart from that , why, if it's no good why go to the bother of putting anything in.

Well it works after a fashion so some numpties might not notice.

 

[mikebeaches]

Bought a netgear one the other week to use with my new mi-fi when travelling abroad in the van:



Week later we stayed in a remote cottage in the North York Moors, where we'd been advised there was absolutely no mobile signal on any network. Sure enough, nothing on EE or Three (phone or mi-fi) - BUT when I plugged the aerial into the mi-fi it popped up '4g signal'. However, the connection still wasn't good enough, unfortunately, to surf the net.

There was wi-fi so that was OK, I just wanted to see if the aerial would make a difference on the cellular network? Answer, yes, but not enough - on that occasion. So result somewhat inconclusive at this stage.

 

[Camping Gaza]

Like I said before probably just picking it up from the coax shielding on the cable and not the actual 35dbi gain its supposed to give you.

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[Minxy]

Like I said before probably just picking it up from the coax shielding on the cable and not the actual 35dbi gain its supposed to give you.

You do know that you can report misleading Ebay listings don't you ...

 

[Camping Gaza]

You do know that you can report misleading Ebay listings don't you ...

I am in communication with the seller, but you can imagine the response "I have sold over 90 of these and you are the first to complain, etc" He has now suggested sending me video of how to plug it in, which I said I will accept and report back. I'll give him a chance then report him.

is there a link on the accounts page, or somewhere, as I have failed to spot it. Any assistance will be gratefully accepted.

 

[Camping Gaza]

Bought a netgear one the other week to use with my new mi-fi when travelling abroad in the van

Yeah thats cool but its not the same as the one I bought that does not work...

yours states upto 2.5 db gain which is realistic not 35db gain.

Also you paid £41.99 for it. If it did not work at all I would be taking them to the small claims court!

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[Camping Gaza]

Bit of an update... Got this instructional video from the seller.... a youtube link



Is this an admission or is he just f****d up???? I mean...Seriously??????????

Or is he just saying to me..."Yeah, You have been ripped off like the other 90 who bought from me, so what you gonna do about it fool?"

 

[SuperMike]

The one I bought, that apparently I did not know how to use, was different inside. Mine had what looked like a bit of bent wire coat hanger. So the outer is made and different people put the guts into it. I pointed out to him that I had scoped it and It had shown a gain of 0.3db, as you say, probably the coax. It was at that point he said I did not know what I was doing. Did get my money back though quickly.

 

[SuperMike]

As an aside, about not knowing what I am talking about. Now obviously I do not know it all, no.2 son can run rings around me, but, I love going into the likes of PC World or Currys and playing with the sales assistants. (Bloody hell, I could be arrested for that )

Anyway we are looking at buying a TV for the lounge and Management has told me what we can spend and it will be a very nice unit. So into Currys I went and listened to the young lad talking his talk, then I hit him with the question and loved the confused look on his face as he struggled to think of any words that could form a sentence. Management says that they are only young lads trying to earn a living and I should not do it to them.

SuperMisserableSuperMike.

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[mikebeaches]

As an aside, about not knowing what I am talking about. Now obviously I do not know it all, no.2 son can run rings around me, but, I love going into the likes of PC World or Currys and playing with the sales assistants. (Bloody hell, I could be arrested for that )

Anyway we are looking at buying a TV for the lounge and Management has told me what we can spend and it will be a very nice unit. So into Currys I went and listened to the young lad talking his talk, then I hit him with the question and loved the confused look on his face as he struggled to think of any words that could form a sentence. Management says that they are only young lads trying to earn a living and I should not do it to them.

SuperMisserableSuperMike.

At risk of going off topic - have you considered looking at TVs at John Lewis - 'never knowingly undersold' + 'five year warranty on TVs at no extra cost', and of course their customer service is pretty good too. Any problems, they'll sort it...

http://www.johnlewis.com/electricals/televisions/c6000084?rdr=1

 

[SuperMike]

Thank you, we will be looking at many TV's at many places, but for the moment we are sitting here in the sun at Twin Lakes, with a glass of lightly chilled. So it will have to wait till we get home and till then, make do with the 43" in the motor home.