![]() It was surprisingly rigid - I'd cut the interlocking spine notches just right so that the fit was just tight enough. Once assembled the whole thing looks rather awesome. ![]() The rigidity and right-angled nature of cardboard make it perfect for this application. The problem with taping chopsticks to the cardboard is that there isn't a good way to achieve a strong perpindicular connection between the two. This has the benefit of simplicity and makes for a clean, strong connection. I realized I could just cut notches into the cardboard and build a notched spine that would interlock and hold the structure together. My original plan was to then connect them together using disposable chopsticks as a spine. You have to be careful to make sure that the focal point sits at the center of the hole you cut for the antenna. I measured such that one cardboard piece would sit at the bottom of the fat end of the antenna while the middle piece would sit at the base of the slender portion of the antenna). I measured the width of my wireless router's antenna and made appropriate mounting holes in two of the cardboard guides (the antenna has two parts - a fat bottom and a slender top. I duplicated this process and ended up with three pieces of cardboard that were all the exact same size and shape. I then used an X-acto knife to cut out the curve and the cardboard piece's exterior border. It's also important to remember to draw in the focal point. I traced out two copies of Erskine's parabolic curve separated by about 1/8" onto a section of cardboard. Therefore I created my own Do-It-Yourself parabolic antenna design, using the EZ-12 template as my starting point. The top and bottom edges of the reflector also might deviate from the proper curve as there is no guide to shape them. The card stock spine just isn't strong enough or precise enough - it tends to sit crooked on the antenna and the parabola its contour traces out is a bit compromised by the six insertion slot tabs. The shape of the parabolic curve and the position of the focus point (i.e. The downside is that it's a bit fragile and imprecise. It does work and can be confirmed by an increased signal measured by NetStumbler (see the earlier post about wi-fi networks). Cut out the focal point Xs and feed your antenna through the holes. You wrap the rectangular section with aluminum foil and then curve it around the funny-shaped parabola guide/spine. You basically print out his template onto a piece of cardstock paper and cut out the two sections. I began with Erskine's EZ-12 template linked above (the EZ-12 is an enhancement on his earlier design, but it helps to read about the old design first since he doesn't duplicate the info on the newer EZ-12 page). The end result is that you get a stronger signal where you want it, you enhance security by containing your transmissions, and you enhance the antenna's ability to collect and receive your incoming requests. All that energy is bounced away from the undesired direction and towards the intended direction. But because it's a reflector (as opposed to an absorber), it also strengthens the signal in the direction of the reflector. This has the effect of minimizing the strength of the signal behind the reflector (useful for wi-fi security - why send a signal into your neighbors' house or out onto the sidewalk?). A signal emanating from the antenna will strike the parabolic reflector and be bounced back out in the direction the reflector is pointing. This is an inherent property of parabolas, if you remember your Algebra 1 or Algebra 2 days in high school. This has the effect of collecting a broad signal and concentrating it at the antenna, making it easier for the antenna to receive. Any signal that hits the reflector (assuming it's not an extreme angle) will be redirected towards the focal point. The idea behind a parabolic reflector is that it reflects signals back to a specific focal point - the antenna. Then see: Ez-12 Parabolic Reflector Template While researching how to make my wireless network more reliable I came across a link with information on making cheap, effective antenna boosters.įirst see: Deep Dish Cylindrical Parabolic Template Secondly, parabolic reflectors LOOK damn cool. "So what'd you do today?" "Eh, just made some homemade parabolic reflectors to boost my wi-fi network signal." First of all, the phrase "parabolic reflector" is just damn cool.
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