[Elefex]

Could a CB antenna be used as a wifi range extender for laptops with a USB network adapter?

 

[WildSteve]

No, AM 11 meter CB antennas and WIFI that operates at 2.4 Ghz for 802.11b/g/n or 5Ghz for 802.11a/n operate a vastly different wavelengths and their antenna designs are completely different. The FCC regulates these frequency bands by EIRP, which is a maximum signal strength put out by the antenna. CB antennas are not rated for 802.11 gain, so you would have no way of calculating your EIRP. FCC regulations on antenna gain for wifi in the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands are very restrictive and well enforced. These frequency bands are highly crowded and creating a lot of rf noise by using an antenna with too much gain is a good way to get unwanted attention from the FCC.

The only real way to gain a significant amount of range with wifi is to use a directional antenna, but as they are directional these are not very useful in most mobile applications.

 

[Wikid]

I knew the answer was no, but your explanation made it make sense :bigthumb:
thanks
Don

 

[Capt Sensible]

Well, I feel dumb now.

 

[brianh]

I don't think you'd have to worry about the FCC. If you fed the 2.4 GHz signal into the typical 10-15 ft of coax in most rigs, there wouldn't be much left by the time it got to the antenna anyway.

If you're interested in a directional wifi antenna, here's a good link to start with. Biquad Antenna Construction

 

[Elefex]

No, AM 11 meter CB antennas and WIFI that operates at 2.4 Ghz for 802.11b/g/n or 5Ghz for 802.11a/n operate a vastly different wavelengths and their antenna designs are completely different. The FCC regulates these frequency bands by EIRP, which is a maximum signal strength put out by the antenna. CB antennas are not rated for 802.11 gain, so you would have no way of calculating your EIRP. FCC regulations on antenna gain for wifi in the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands are very restrictive and well enforced. These frequency bands are highly crowded and creating a lot of rf noise by using an antenna with too much gain is a good way to get unwanted attention from the FCC.

The only real way to gain a significant amount of range with wifi is to use a directional antenna, but as they are directional these are not very useful in most mobile applications.

Thanks, it sounds like you do or could work in the field for a living.

 

[WildSteve]

I don't think you'd have to worry about the FCC. If you fed the 2.4 GHz signal into the typical 10-15 ft of coax in most rigs, there wouldn't be much left by the time it got to the antenna anyway.

If you're interested in a directional wifi antenna, here's a good link to start with. Biquad Antenna Construction

A good point, I hadn't thought even of the coax.

Sorry for the nerdy answer, I'm a wireless network admin, so I tend to get technical about these things.

 

[hasslesaf]

fact is you can use them and you dont lose gain with coax if you use USB drive with 2 inchs of coax this means making custom coax but thats easy....

its works really well and if like you me you are a truck drive who cares about FCC