Is there any way to boost the rooftop antenna reception ? Can we attach magnet or anything like that ?
610558
Add an Amplifier to the antenna lead wire running to the television.   You want to locate the amplifier closer to the antenna than to the television becasue the signal will get weaker as it travels down the lead wire.  So you want to amplify the signal when its at its strongest point.  If you put it near the TV end of the lead wire then its probably too weak to boost back up again.   You can buy amplifiers at places like Best Buy, Circuit City, Frys, or good ol Radio Shack.
941165
Maybe you should try one of those little beanie hats with the propellor on top...If you get it spinning pretty fast, I'd bet you could get a few more inches  on your vertical and a hell of lot more hang time
1060195
You seem to looking for very precice and specific information where the slightest misunderstanding in communication could be an expensive and time consuming mistake. As this is your first antenna built, much of the experience has been played by ear i'm sure, asking advice in places like this.\n\nAbout an hour ago, my sister asked what I'm doing and I said I'm answering questions. As a scientist, she caught on to the fact that anyone could say anything, regardless of the accuracy of the advice, and be trusted. \n\nGiven that your after accurate specifics, I'd suggest you contact a group or discussion panel that specialises in antennas for radio astronomy, and ask the people that acutally know what they are talking about.
531203
prooly need ifrared thingy\ntry a industrial magnet
24875
get a kenwood deck that has sirus, then all you hav eto do is get an antenna for the services
552633
This page is all about 6 meter antennas. http://members.fortunecity.com/xe1bef/6meters-antenna.htm It should help.
470149
Yes it is possible with the right antennas.  5 miles is outside of the yagi antenna range so you will have to go to a parabolic antenna.  There are a few regulatory hurdles to get over since you will likely exceed 1 watt radiated.  Check out the link for details.
761790
Your transmitter will work, your receiver won't.\nbut you could bounce the signal onto a simple solar cell\nconnected to a set of headphones and you should be\nable to receive a weak signal...\nYour receiver won't work because light won't move the paper and the grains of sand.....
226234
I'm assuming here that you're building a protective casing around something.\n\nYou still may be able to use metal: If you want the magnetic transparency to be for the purposes of transmitting a signal, you could try making the casing itself your antenna. But, this may only work over short distances, as the shape of any casing is likely to be a poor antenna. You might try attaching an aerial (an antenna that sticks out) to a part of the casing that won't be subject to impact, if there is such a part. If the magnetic field is to provide a locomotive force to something inside the casing, but not the casing itself, then yeah, you probably can't use metal.\n\nIf you can't get ahold of kevlar, you might try wood (try a sturdy laminate, and don't be afraid to reenforce the structure with crossbeams or just thicker material) or other plastics (solid nylon comes to mind -- check around for a plastic shop that will be able to provide you with the material and machine it for you). Stone and concrete are very hard, but probably too hard: they lack resilency, and thus tend to chip and crack.
182787
I would look for sources of interference such as cordless phones and microwaves.  Make sure there are no metal objects between the laptop and the access point.  Use NetStumbler to find out if you have neighbors with wireless.  It will tell you which channels are free.  Try to use 1, 6, or 11 if you can.  They are the only ones that don't overlap each other.\n\nI wouldn't mess with your antenna.  Higher gain does not mean better reception.  When you manipulate power and gain, you change the shape of the coverage.  In some special cases it could help but your AP is probably tuned correctly out of the box.
992646
I'm in western Australia and we get good reception with an indoor antenna with an amplifier they're about 50 bucks from Dick Smiths. Good luck. Jules.
891753
if it is big enough... try a speaker magnet from a subwoofer.
964197
An antenna has no power in it.  It is a "passive" device.  The effectiveness of the antena depends upon it's phsyical characteristics and the first electronic amplifier it is connected to.\n\nAn antenna has a specific frequency that it is most effective in capturing.  That length is usually a multiple of the wavelenth of the target frequency.  Typically an antenna that is equal to 1 wavelength is the most effective.  But this is not practical at lower frequencies where the wavelength is very long.\n\nSo the coupling between the antenna and the first electronic amplifier is critical.  The technology is well established and therefore, you can purchase good antennas.  What is more important however is the physical location. Radio signals are interrupted or interferred with by buildings and landscape.  So having an antenna that is unobstructed is the best way to improve reception.  However you have to weigh the location against the distance to the radio or tv or other device, as this will cause signal loss over longer distances.
366217
Unless you are exposing this magnet to CRT (display tubes like TV's or computers) I doubt that much will happen. DO NOT take it aboard anything that relies on a compass for navigation!  IF you need a box to store it in that will allow very little magnetic waves to escape, I suggest a soft iron box, or...couple the NORTH pole of the magnet to the SOUTH pole of the magnet with soft iron...that will get rid of most stray field. Sounds like a lot of work unless you really need this magnet.
409414
G will give you a little more distance, but not much.\n\nYour first fix would be to vary the channels.  Some 802.11 channels end up with reflective interference with cordless phones and other RF devices.  Play around with the channels to see if you can get the range you need.  if you can, then this was free!\n\n2nd measure is to improve your antenna (if that is an option).  If you are using a Linksys or D-Link router, odds are that there are replacement antennas for your unit that will boost your signal strength anywhere from 7 to 12dB.  This is less expensive than a new router.\n\nI wouldn't waste my time with a wireless extender unless the space you are trying to paint is HUGE (3000 sq ft or more), or if you have gobs of metal in your walls.  if you can vary the location of the router any, try not to put a wet wall between the router and where you want the signal.\n\nIf all else fails, there is always a spread-spectrum solution like Linksys' SRX routers and cards.  I've gotten pretty decent range with mine -- though for maximum effect, you have to change out both the router and the card.  I only had to change out 2 of my cards (both desktop units the farthest away from the router) with the "pickle fork" design external antenna.
880368
For the best compromise of cost vs performance I would go with a 1/2 wavelength inverted V.  Support the center feed point at 150-200 ft above ground.  This antenna will be broadly non-directional.  The feed point will be close to 50 Ohms Z. For additional gain and small broadside directivity.  You can lengthen the V to One wavelength.  This creates two half wavelengths in phase.  The feed point will be high-Z at a voltage loop requiring a matching network.  Hope this helps you out.
380655
See if there is an external antenna compatible with your wifi hardware.\nYou have 2 choices on antennas. Omnidirectional or yagee. An omnidirectional picks up signals from 360 around the end of the antenna. A yagee is directional in the direction of the end of the antenna. If you are wanting to pick up a "specfic" signal from a particular direction and don't care about other signals, go for the yagee. If you want improved signal from all directions, go for the omnidirectional. Pay attenion to the "gain" the antenna offers. Higher is better for weak signal reception.\n\nMake sure the antenna matches the frequency your wifi equipment works in. 801.11a is a diffent frequency band than 802.11b. or 801.11g.( 5ghz versus 2.4ghz).