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Verizon Jetpack (MiFi) External Antenna
Posted by jhframe on September 3, 2016 at 5:11 amI’m awaiting delivery of a Verizon Jetpack so I can run my RTK base over cellular instead of UHF. I plan to enclose the Jetpack in a Pelican case, and was wondering if an external antenna would be a good idea. I don’t know if the polyethylene Pelican case material will inhibit the signal, but I’m thinking that an external antenna might be of benefit in marginal areas anyway. Anyone have experience with these? a 5dB antenna is only about 30 bucks.
norm-larson replied 7 years, 8 months ago 11 Members · 17 Replies- 17 Replies
Jim,
I use both the Verizon jetpack and an AT&T hot spot to connect to our NC VRS network as I travel all over the state. I purchased the external antenna hoping for a little better reception in marginal areas in the mountains, so far I have only seen marginal results, but I have not yet been in an area where the hot spot did not get any signal so I could see if the external antenna would make a difference. The connection to the jetpack will be the weak link.
Ed
I am not real sure what the jetpack is, but I am thinking it is a mobile hotspot thingy?? If so, and why I am throwing this in, is we have a Wilson brand cellular amp in the truck, set to work with the newest phone signal (4g sound right?) and it makes a huge difference. You have to have your antenna for the mobile amp within a few feet of the phone or hotspot thing, and be able to find one bar of service without it, but when you power it up, it usually goes to 3 or 4 bars worth of signal. Now, if I am really that far behind on technology, let me know, but I personally dont use the VRS setup anyways, cause it don’t like me, and I spend more time fussing with it than it takes to set up a radio unit.
I wasn’t aware the jet packs have an option for an external antenna. I have both the new and last model of Verizon jetpacks. I’m interested to see if you have a difference if you proceed with an antenna.
N.W. Staker, post: 389612, member: 11801 wrote: I wasn’t aware the jet packs have an option for an external antenna.
This works great for me. Seco makes it.
Rob S, post: 389638, member: 11901 wrote: This works great for me.
Using that at an unattended base station seems likely to result in someone else owning your phone. My plan is to lock the Jetpack in a Pelican case that’s bolted to the base receiver tripod, thus discouraging at least the casual thief.
I have used the external antenna with the mi-fi running on Trimble VRS service, and it worked well. The difference is worth the $30 or so, but not worth more. If you have a Trimble system, and you get this running, would you share with the set up is? I am trying to get this worked out, and have not had success.
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Polyethylene is a pretty good material to construct a radome out of – I’d expect a PE pelican case to perform pretty well. If you want to compare the suitability of various materials, the concept you’re looking for is called relative permittivity. IIRC, the dense Pelican foam is also polyethylene, and would be excellent for mounting the device itself.
You’ll probably see far more signal loss from detuning the antenna due to proximity to other metal objects than the case itself. May also make sense to experiment with device orientation.
(Not a surveyor, just someone who enjoys reading the forum from time to time – and couldn’t resist the question.)
Whilel waiting for the replacement Jetpack to arrive, I repurposed a Pelican case that I used to use with a Geodimeter robot to house the radio. A couple of stainless steel U-bolts, some heat shrink tubing, a couple of 3D-printed clamp brackets, some nuts and washers, and the Pelican case rount out the new installation. The U-bolts and brackets stay on the tripod, and the coupling nuts are finger-tightened to secure the Pelican case during use. There’s enough room in the case to hold the Jetpack and an external battery pack, if I ever need one.
Nice job Jim, as always.
This looks great. Down here in Greater Miami area, this would be stolen with in 15 mins of you leaving it set up. The locked box may get it stolen in half that time, with the thief thinking the box must be extra special.
Interesting timing with this thread. We recently acquired a couple R10s were pairing with our older R8s as bases for radio RTK, but we’re also subscribing to a recently established VRS network that will eliminate the need for a base in the central area we work. Apparently we can’t just install a SIM card in the receivers because Verizon is all 4G so we have to go to a Jetpack to pull in the cellular network. Be interesting to see how this works out with the Jetpack in some kind of enviro case strapped to the range pole. I’m new to the VRS scene, though I hear some folks in the lower 48 have forgotten how to set up a base.
WillyWilliwaw, post: 391938, member: 7066 wrote: Interesting timing with this thread. We recently acquired a couple R10s were pairing with our older R8s as bases for radio RTK, but we’re also subscribing to a recently established VRS network that will eliminate the need for a base in the central area we work. Apparently we can’t just install a SIM card in the receivers because Verizon is all 4G so we have to go to a Jetpack to pull in the cellular network. Be interesting to see how this works out with the Jetpack in some kind of enviro case strapped to the range pole. I’m new to the VRS scene, though I hear some folks in the lower 48 have forgotten how to set up a base.
I do it every now and again just to remember how to process a static pair.
Ed
Williwaw, post: 391938, member: 7066 wrote: though I hear some folks in the lower 48 have forgotten how to set up a base.
Without giving to much detail, I will say I was amongst a group of surveyors, in a learning environment, and when we started to set up a GPS base, we were questioned as why we were doing such an “unnecessary” thing. It seemed many of the members of this group were not used to being in an area without cell service, and it hadn’t occurred to them that the base was still a needed piece of equipment in the more remote parts of Texas.
Jweiss, post: 391913, member: 11740 wrote: Down here in Greater Miami area, this would be stolen with in 15 mins of you leaving it set up.
From what I’ve heard in recent years, Miami is in a class by itself when it comes to surveying equipment theft. The measures I take are designed to discourage the opportunistic casual thief, not the hard-core criminal. If someone wants to steal something badly enough, they will.
Jim Frame, post: 389500, member: 10 wrote: …. I plan to enclose the Jetpack in a Pelican case, …..
We used to use a Verizon MiFi for VRS corrections. What I remember is the MiFi got quite warm and would shut down until it cooled down. We kept it in either our vest pocket (mesh) or a fabric pouch attached to the pole. Just something to keep in mind if the Jetpacks operate similarly.
ropestretcher, post: 392080, member: 2059 wrote: We used to use a Verizon MiFi for VRS corrections. What I remember is the MiFi got quite warm and would shut down until it cooled down. We kept it in either our vest pocket (mesh) or a fabric pouch attached to the pole. Just something to keep in mind if the Jetpacks operate similarly.
Yes, it does. I found that spacing 5mm all around the unit worked for cooling in an enclosed environment. We have been using the ones I made in this thread (https://surveyorconnect.com/community/threads/mobile-hotspot-antennas.323379/) and haven’t ever needed yet the bigger antennas and run with the 4 dbi black X looking one all the time. I had though we would be using the 9Dbi by now, just never had too.
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