K1DEU
160 ft Rohn 45g Tower
Premium
join:2007-10-30
Stamford, VT
4 edits | Log Periodic Antenna and AT&T 881 Air Card GSM/3G ready
My favorite Air Card is the Sierra 881 usb or PC Card slot.
here »www.sierrawireless.com/product/A···81U.aspx
Quite the frequency range and protocol options.
# Tri Band UMTS (850/1900/2100 MHz)
# Quad Band GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
AT&T is very helpful telling me the local tower 11 miles away, across the border in Massachusetts is currently using GSM on 850 MHz and in the future will go to 3G on 1900 or 2100 MHz. I prefer re-furbished and entered a 1 year contract for $50 with one month to try. They mentioned a soft cap as I dl over 5 Gig a month and they didn't think I would object to the soft cap (slow down). I already surveyed the antenna location using my Cingular/AT&T Cell phone on 800 MHz GSM. The signal peaks 20 feet above my house roof.
I selected a antenna (CAYLP825) that works on all the 881 frequencies to follow all provider changes automatically.
from »cellantenna.com/Antennas/yagi.htm its a covered Log Periodic of very high quality w/teflon female type "N" pigtail. I will be using LMR-400 hard line with a jumper for the Sierra 860 (same as the 881 connector).
With a short coax length if the cell phone is getting 1 to 2 bars after switching to the log antenna I get all RSS bars.
I will eventually leave it docked in a router to provide the internet for VOIP teleyphonium etc.
Also works in 8.04 Linux/Ubuntu Kernel
»allaboutubuntu.wordpress.com/200···-ubuntu/
Best 73 John (Ham Radio K1DEU, since 1957)
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HN7000s Large Off |.98 | 2watt | house wall mount| G16 H-TX| 970 |RSS 92 |Ubuntu 8.04 OS|www.spiritualpeaceproject.com |
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K1DEU
160 ft Rohn 45g Tower
Premium
join:2007-10-30
Stamford, VT
4 edits | Time to move along to the Next Provider; Who+Why
Re: Moving along to the next provider
Rich Owen just posted this sadly about Millenicom
»Sprint to End with Millenicom Agreement?
Its time to back off on Hughes and I was guided to go this Way. See Above !
»Log Periodic Antenna and AT&T 881 Air Card GSM/3G ready
We have all three internet providers in North Adams Mass. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint 11 miles southwest of here in Vermont.
AT&T actually has 3 bandwidth options Of $20, $40 and $60 per month.
This coming week or so I will attempt to hit my AT&T soft cap and report. The Sierra modem will really run some power on transmit and can really tax the computer USB +5 VDC fuse with a weak signal path. I did some DLing with a weak RSS of -90 tru -95 using a small quarter wave whip on a paint can/ground plane on a step ladder and was Dling binary groups a little faster about 2,000 kbytes than my Hughes large office plan at around 1,500 kbytes measured with UseNext's news server app.
AT&T/Cingular coverage
»www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/
I am not on their coverage map. For the providers use only software (from VE2DBE)that works with elevation issues, not a knife edge refraction or a reflection path! Concluding; Just because we are not on a coverage map doesn't mean we can have a great signal at some magical spot on our property! Try to find what frequency band the internet wireless uses and borrow someones cell phone to do a signal survey. Built in cell phone antennas are poor and if only several bars are showing at this high foliage/leaf time of the year and things are still soaking wet you should be ready to try a high gain antenna and low loss transmission line situation! The type of transmission line you use subtracts from the Antenna gain therefore study low loss transmission lines. The bookmark for the Log Periodic antenna sold by »www.cellantenna.com/Antennas/yag···CAYLP285 under "Cabling" shows good transmission line suggestions. Its possible for us to purchase a crimping tool, a little simple soldering and put our own
type "N" connectors on Times Wire LMR400 1/2 inch diameter hard line as I do or pay someone else too. Googling "log periodic antenna" shows a pretty decent picture. This antenna is in a white radome with condensation weep holes to be mounted down. Hi Super dog; my little play tower is Rohn 45G at 130 feet high to be finished at 160 foot high. We raised the tower 10 feet at a time by backing up my 1994 Saturn car.
The 850 GSM internet signal only arrives between 45 to 55 feet high (all RSS bars)on my tower. Climbing above 55 feet there is no signal at all which simply tells me that the signal is arriving via knife edge refraction from Ethan Allan's Peak 4 miles south west towards the Massachusetts cell tower clump 11 miles away on a 2,000 foot hill!
Best John
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HN7000s Large Off |.98 | 2watt | house wall mount| G16 H-TX| 970 |RSS 92 |Ubuntu 8.04 OS|www.spiritualpeaceproject.com |
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superdog
I Need A Drink
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA
| John, Thanks for all of this info.!. While I do not use any cellular gear, it is still interesting to see how the services work, especially coming from a HAM operator like yourself.
You may want to change the language a little so that others can get a better grip and better understand what you mean by "log antenna", LMR400 etc. While I understand it perfectly, others may not?. 
Great job though!. 
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»www.wavecrazy.net Join WISPA today! »www.wispa.org/ |
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K1DEU
160 ft Rohn 45g Tower
Premium
join:2007-10-30
Stamford, VT
1 edit | reply to K1DEU
Initially it's easier to manually install AT&T Communications Manager (31 Mb.) on your computer before patiently looking for the magic best antenna location.
If you are lucky enough to start in a good location this file will be downloaded automatically. But its still easier to have the 31 Mb. file on a CD and install the soft ware before plugging in the 881 Air Card. They do not include the file with air card!
»www.wireless.att.com/businesscen···port.jsp
Yes AT&T soft caps over 5 Gig but does NOT Charge us additional like the other providers! And they know why we prefer this download advantage into the future! Best John
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HN7000s Large Off |.98 | 2watt | house wall mount| G16 H-TX| 970 |RSS 92 |Ubuntu 8.04 OS|www.spiritualpeaceproject.com |
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K1DEU
160 ft Rohn 45g Tower
Premium
join:2007-10-30
Stamford, VT
3 edits | reply to K1DEU
Re: AT&T Soft Cap 27 Kilobytes for Edge 850 MHz GSM
My GSM Edge Soft Cap is average 27 Kilobytes, 32 peak on Port 119 News Group Server Farms. Allowing some low resolution Videos but not all. For example U-Tube and CNN Video need a little more throughput. While Real Video on CSPAN has occasional interruptions. My Log Periodic Antenna and 100 feet of LMR400 1/2 inch Coaxial feed line allows a constant steady -74 DBM receive signal level into the Air Card on 850 MHz. I will eventually upload something and report the transmit Cap. Using NetPerSec for throughput. Best John
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OS Ubuntu & WinXP SP3|www.spiritualpeaceproject.com |
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K1DEU
160 ft Rohn 45g Tower
Premium
join:2007-10-30
Stamford, VT
1 edit | reply to K1DEU
Re: Log Periodic Antenna and AT&T 881 Air Card GSM/3G ready
July 07 they are off the air with 30 DBm less signal. Yes my antenna is still on my Tower. Cingular Cell site also off the air, probably overheated many things in this Weather heatwave. Opened a work order at 9 PM and by 9 AM 08 July they were back up with both services and around 4 Db more Receive signal here now at -70.
I will most likely be getting my first month free for my 2 G Download should be around 80-120 Average Kilobytes per Second. Not the current 1/4 amount!!! This will allow me to enjoy Video's, Download Newsgroups, etc. They have not repaired this yet! As of 2:30 PM.
John
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Win XP SP3 and Ubuntu 8.04 with AT&T 2G|www.spiritualpeaceproject.com |
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K1DEU
160 ft Rohn 45g Tower
Premium
join:2007-10-30
Stamford, VT
4 edits | reply to K1DEU
AT&T is not doing well here for their 850 MHz edge 2G signal at -79 DBm. only affords 220 Kilo bits download and 113 Kilo bits both measured upload. They remind me of Hughes saying Well we only said "up to" and this is within their limits ??? Wow $60 a month for 3 to 4X a telephone modem... Its more than obvious their cell site has major problems! I am satisfied that AT&T is not soft capping or complaining or charging over the 5 Gig limit. But in my case with improper down or up speed , nothing really matters. At least they will allow me out of my one year contract and I will compare AT&T to Millenicom and decide!
And now we have good competition again as Millenicom.com has a new "no contract" " no limit" deal with Sprint 3G revision A EVDO. Links
»millenicom.com/mobilebroadband/BYOD.htm
»Millenicom
Sadly, BTW this is not enough throughput to enjoy CNN Videos or U Tube Videos. They are jerky with the audio starting and stopping every 5 to 10 seconds.
Note; Just purchased a new Sierra Compass Air Card 597 USB on E-Bay from a seller who promised/mentioned that the ESN # was clean... So its ready to go on Millenicom...
Best Regards John
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|Ubuntu 8.04.1 alternate install OS|www.spiritualpeaceproject.com |
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iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
 ·Comcast
 ·Qwest.net
 ·magicjack.com
 ·BeeCreek Communica..
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Hate to say it, but your speeds are actually on the good side for EDGE...in lots of places I get well under 200 kbps down and well under 100 up. Kilobits, mind you. Plus the latency is just lame; 400ms or so.
3G of course has better speeds, especially with the rollout of full HSPA across AT&T's network. However if you're not in that area you're screwed.
As to Millenicom, I'd wholeheartedly say "get it" if you possibly can and have coverage. 1x access is about the same as EDGE but is available practically everywhere. EvDO Rev. A (most of Sprint's high speed network, all of Verizon's, soon to be all of Alltel's) is comparable to, if not better than, AT&T 3G. CNN, YouTUbe, etc. should do quite well on there. Plus, no worries about capping, and no contracts. Would highly recommend, may switch over to 'em from the lame WiSP my fam has now, BYOD program permitting.
And no, I'm not giving up my vision of a game-changing third-pipe WiMax ISP...yet...;) |
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K1DEU
160 ft Rohn 45g Tower
Premium
join:2007-10-30
Stamford, VT
3 edits | reply to K1DEU
Thanks Iansltx. I also forgot to mention Latency of over 600.
At least they have "stated" I can leave without contract penalty! Very sad exaggerations when signing up...
A post I just made on locating pigtail Antenna jumpers for these New Air Cards.
»Pur a Sierra 597 air card__Antenna connector Question+Answer
Linux Page for the Compass Air Card 597 USB
»www.sierrawireless.com/faq/ShowF···?ID=1230
Thanks John
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|Ubuntu 8.04.1 Alternate install OS|www.spiritualpeaceproject.com |
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