""Introduction""
""Background""
""Results""
""Photos""
""Links""
""""
===Introduction===
This all began so [[ProximSymphonyExperience simply]]. Wireless networking seemed so innocent. Now here I am; only several months have passed, and I'm into the hardcore 802.11b.
Slowly, I began finding awesome programs like [ÿ3156ÿNetStumblerÿ3157ÿ] which allowed me to scan for other networks. Then I got my very own Garmin eTrex Venture GPS that allowed me to triangulate access points. Then it happened.. I found out about [wardriving - and there was no turning back.ÿ3199ÿIt was there that I found the instructions on how to build my very own 18"2.4GHz Yagi Antenna (see ÿ3158ÿhttp://www.netscum.com/~clapp/wireless.html hereÿ3159ÿ).ÿ3231ÿÿ3232ÿ""ÿ3160ÿÿ3161ÿ""ÿ3200ÿ===Background===ÿ3201ÿCurrently I have a laptop w/ a Lucent Orinoco wireless card and a GPS. Now this is good and all, but it gets difficult to get a good signal from any distance. Thus, I needed an antenna.ÿ3202ÿPreviously, I had found them at [[http://hyperlinktech.com ÿ3162ÿHyperLinkÿ3163ÿ Technologies], but they were still rather expensive for me (http://hyperlinktech.com/web/antennas_2400.html 0). When I found [ÿ3166ÿWarDrivingÿ3167ÿ.com], they also had links to cheap pigtails for my Lucent Orinoco (found http://ecommwireless.com here). With cheap a Yagi and cheap pigtails, there was no holding me back.

""""
===Photos===
Unfortunatly, I have no data for you yet, since I haven't received my pigtails. However, I do have pictures of the design process. I'll spare you the details on how to make one since they can be found at http://www.netscum.com/~clapp/wireless.html Clapp's website.
image class="center" alt="couple washers" url="/images/yagi/couple_washers.jpg"
I'm just begining here, give me a break!

image class="center" alt="loads of solder" url="/images/yagi/solder1.jpg"
image class="center" alt="more solder" url="/images/yagi/solder2.jpg"
I'm not sure if this is going to work or not. I understand that I probably need a reflector, as Clapp shows w/ the Pringles cans, but I like this design a lot more. Maybe that's why the real yagis are so much bigger in diameter..

image class="center" alt="more spacers please" url="/images/yagi/more_spacers.jpg"
Almost done here. Just gotta cut some more spacers out. I'm not using the best material for these - 1/4" soft copper tubing; but I couldn't find anything that was 3/16" like Clapp recommended. If you find someplace to purchase tubing in this diameter, please email me
image class="center" alt="no sheath" url="/images/yagi/no_sheath.jpg"
Completed Yagi, w/o sheath. Notice how the spacers seem 'wavy' (for lack of better word). This would be corrected w/ 3/16" diameter tubing.
image class="center" alt="with sheath" url="/images/yagi/with_sheath.jpg"
Yeah! All done! Now, to test it out...

""""
===Results===
image class="center" alt="antenna comparison" url="/images/yagi/antenna-compare.png"
netstumbler's graph of differing antennas
These tests were done w/in a house; and I was only about 20 ft away from the "base station" (a linux box w/ orinoco card in it). However, the signal did have to go through a cinder block wall, and helped to attenuate it. For a brief overview of what was going on here:
#1: only the built-in antenna
#2: a 8db omni from Breezecom (Alverion)
  I used this as my comparison for how well my yagi would perform.
#3&4: my Yagi
  In #3, I wasn't aiming the yagi very good. I noticed that my yagi is -very- directional, as you can see in #4. I was happy to get the same gain in signal (the green part) as the omni. It does seem that the yagi was more consistant, but the noise (red) was even higher than the omni, which implies my design is pretty poor.
#5: a goof; I unpluged my antennas to get another baseline reading, but then walked away from my laptop. Aparrently, I was a very good attenuator as well. This just shows that I need to repeat my tests in a more controlled fashion. I still got to see what I wanted.

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===Links===
http://www.netscum.com/~clapp/wireless.html Build yer own Yagi
[ÿ3180ÿNetStumblerÿ3181ÿ]
[ÿ3182ÿWarDrivingÿ3183ÿ]
http://ecommwireless.com Electro-comm Broadband
[ÿ3186ÿHyperLinkÿ3187ÿ Technologies]

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