I have the series H USB devise from Clear. I'm within Clears coverage area, but apparently because of trees and being sort of low, I get marginal outdoor coverage and zero ability to connect indoors without antennas where we are. ( didn't used to be this way, originally I could connect indoors with the USB devise only, Clear's service changed! )
Anyway, I decided to try antennas since when I got on the roof using Clear's external antenna, I could connect .
I purchased the omni antenna #RFWAT2P5OMNNF
I also purchased the grid antenna # RFWAT2P5GDNF
I have fifty foot cables.
I attached a steel pole to the side of the house with about 6 feet sticking up above the apex of the roof.I then grounded the pole to the ground with copper cable and a pipe in the ground.
I attached the omni antenna to the top of the pole. I then attached the grid antenna below the omni antenna on the pole with about 14 inches separating them. I subsequently experimented with pointing the grid antenna in different directions to find the best direction.
OK, so the first time I tried using the system, it worked brilliantly. It connected right up to Clear and had descent speed. Download was about what we average at our other place in a better location and upload is typically slow for these USB devises it seems.
But then it rained the next day. After that I still had all the indicator lights in the connection manager lit up but it would not connect.
After fiddling with disconnecting a few things, I found that with the grid antenna disconnected but with the pigtail still connected to the #1 antenna port , and then the omni antenna fully connected to antenna port #2 it would connect. In this configuration it is a lot slower but oddly it readily connects and does so automatically. It also appears that the pigtail is acting like an external antenna on it's own because when it is disconnected, the system doesn't work-will not connect etc.
What has seemed to help to solve this problem has been that if I take apart the cable connection connecting the grid antenna to the cable and dry it out and then put it back together, the system will work. It will connect OK and has reasonable speeds.
I have tried both silicone and electrical tape to keep the cable joint dry. The tape seems to have been keeping it dry yesterday, but today again after a lot of rain, the system again does not connect with my grid antenna connected. Connected it will show all green indicator lights in the Connection Manager, but it simply won't connect. Then once again, I disconnect the grid antenna at the pigtail and just like that, the USB will connect to Clear.
So, what do I do to solve this? Do I have to build some sort of little dry box or something to make sure water doesn't get into that Grid antenna to cable joint? Looking at the joint, it appears that simply tightening it well should seal out moisture and I have tightened it. But that doesn't seem to be enough.
Alternately, could there be some sort of flaw with the grid antenna or the cable joint that is causing this problem in the rain?
Anything you guys have for suggestions will be appreciated.
Neil
Anyway, I decided to try antennas since when I got on the roof using Clear's external antenna, I could connect .
I purchased the omni antenna #RFWAT2P5OMNNF
I also purchased the grid antenna # RFWAT2P5GDNF
I have fifty foot cables.
I attached a steel pole to the side of the house with about 6 feet sticking up above the apex of the roof.I then grounded the pole to the ground with copper cable and a pipe in the ground.
I attached the omni antenna to the top of the pole. I then attached the grid antenna below the omni antenna on the pole with about 14 inches separating them. I subsequently experimented with pointing the grid antenna in different directions to find the best direction.
OK, so the first time I tried using the system, it worked brilliantly. It connected right up to Clear and had descent speed. Download was about what we average at our other place in a better location and upload is typically slow for these USB devises it seems.
But then it rained the next day. After that I still had all the indicator lights in the connection manager lit up but it would not connect.
After fiddling with disconnecting a few things, I found that with the grid antenna disconnected but with the pigtail still connected to the #1 antenna port , and then the omni antenna fully connected to antenna port #2 it would connect. In this configuration it is a lot slower but oddly it readily connects and does so automatically. It also appears that the pigtail is acting like an external antenna on it's own because when it is disconnected, the system doesn't work-will not connect etc.
What has seemed to help to solve this problem has been that if I take apart the cable connection connecting the grid antenna to the cable and dry it out and then put it back together, the system will work. It will connect OK and has reasonable speeds.
I have tried both silicone and electrical tape to keep the cable joint dry. The tape seems to have been keeping it dry yesterday, but today again after a lot of rain, the system again does not connect with my grid antenna connected. Connected it will show all green indicator lights in the Connection Manager, but it simply won't connect. Then once again, I disconnect the grid antenna at the pigtail and just like that, the USB will connect to Clear.
So, what do I do to solve this? Do I have to build some sort of little dry box or something to make sure water doesn't get into that Grid antenna to cable joint? Looking at the joint, it appears that simply tightening it well should seal out moisture and I have tightened it. But that doesn't seem to be enough.
Alternately, could there be some sort of flaw with the grid antenna or the cable joint that is causing this problem in the rain?
Anything you guys have for suggestions will be appreciated.
Neil
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