Wifi Powered Antenna

[maxiSwede]

excellent first hand information. I'll order one during the next few days!

Well, I m not the fastest shopper around, but finally got the Nano Station 2 unit. Will try to configure it tonight.

I plugged it to the power last night for a quick try but much to my surprise  it didn't find any signals....guess I'll have to mount it in the mast then.

Much to my suprise it didn't come with any sort of mannual except the very brief instruction printed on the box. Did a web search and came up with this...

http://wiki.ubnt.com/wiki/index.php/AirOS-Quick_Setup_Guide

is this the correct way to go?

BTW, my unit runs on 15V transformed from the 220V plug.

European market style?!

...wonder if I could plug that to the boat's main power...

I'll be back as sson as it's (hopefully) up and running

[AdriftAtSea]

Yes, that online guide is the right one to be looking at.

You can probably run it off of 12 VDC... since the ones that I've used work fine off of it.

[maxiSwede]

Thanks Dan, i am going to try it out tonight. right now I am busy wetsanding the hull again *sighing deeply* before the final coat of 2-part paint.

That paint sure is glossy, but a PITA to work with in many aspects...

BTW, can I configure without a signal from the NS2, with a mobile internet connection I've still got? 

[AdriftAtSea]

No internet connection is required to configure a NS2... just a laptop with an ethernet cable.

[maxiSwede]

Thanx again & a grog to you! 

[maxiSwede]

The antenna utilizes Power Over Ethernet, running on 12 V, and has weather proof connections.  I have not yet, but I will be wiring directly into the 12 V system on the boat.  We measured the power use utilizing the included 120V : 12 V transformer; draw was 4 watts, and that includes transformer losses.

got mine up and working since some time now (thanks AdriftatSea). I am really content with it too (thanks CapnSmollett)

I would like to hook it up on the ship's 12V system though. It's just that it doesn't say which is + and - of the cables there.

So I wonder how you did it, Captn Smollett? I certainly don't want to fry it...

[AdriftAtSea]

Use a voltmeter to figure out which of the contacts is the power and which is the ground.  Then you can cut the wire off the wall wart and use an ohm meter to figure out which is which.  IIRC, the wire with the stripe on its insulation is the ground, and the other is the power, but YMMV. 

[Captain Smollett]

The antenna utilizes Power Over Ethernet, running on 12 V, and has weather proof connections.  I have not yet, but I will be wiring directly into the 12 V system on the boat.  We measured the power use utilizing the included 120V : 12 V transformer; draw was 4 watts, and that includes transformer losses.

got mine up and working since some time now (thanks AdriftatSea). I am really content with it too (thanks CapnSmollett)

I would like to hook it up on the ship's 12V system though. It's just that it doesn't say which is + and - of the cables there.

So I wonder how you did it, Captn Smollett? I certainly don't want to fry it...

Mine had the diagram on the 12v transformer which  was + and which was -.  From there, I got the wire correspondence with an Ohm meter. 

[s/v necessity]

Ok, I got mine yesterday.  And I am having problems making this guy work.  I am trying to use it to access a WEP encrypted wireless router next door with my laptop.  I think I have all the information entered correctly (regarding the WEP encryption) but still no joy.  It acknowledges the neighbors signal and gives me a corresponding strenght.  But I still have local only access, no internet.
     At this point I am not sure what I am doing.  I have it set as a "Bridge" and i have enabled DHCP, should I set it as a router instead?
    And, oh yeah I am ignorant of this stuff

[AdriftAtSea]

Ok, I got mine yesterday.  And I am having problems making this guy work.  I am trying to use it to access a WEP encrypted wireless router next door with my laptop.  I think I have all the information entered correctly (regarding the WEP encryption) but still no joy.  It acknowledges the neighbors signal and gives me a corresponding strenght.  But I still have local only access, no internet.
     At this point I am not sure what I am doing.  I have it set as a "Bridge" and i have enabled DHCP, should I set it as a router instead?
    And, oh yeah I am ignorant of this stuff

Leave it on bridge mode, and leave the DHCP enabled, and turn on DHCP on your laptop's ethernet port.  Then you should get an IP address on the WiFi network on the Ethernet port...and have full internet access.

[maxiSwede]

HELP!  Problem...

the little black box (converter 230VAC- 15VDC) fried yesterday.

I had no insight as to how internet-addicted I am until now....sitting outside the public library to do some quick e-mails etc.

How do I connect it to ship's 12 V directly??

The converter has one ethernet cable from the computer, and then another one goes to the antenna unit.

I wonder if I could just run the ethernet cable directly from the cable to the antenna.... but no, no power that way, right?



Just e-mailed the swedish distributor from whom I bought it last year. They were very helpful but unfortunately it seems like they've gon out of business 

[CapnK]

Magnus -

Most of those converters (at least here in the US) have a small diagram on the body of the black box part which shows tip polarity. If you can see that, then you can probably get another converter with the same tip measurements and polarity, & it should work fine.

Good luck!

[maxiSwede]

Kurt-

I know, but this 'black box' came with the unit and has an ethernet (LAN) cable in from the antenna and another one out from the computer. That's it.

And there's a lot of tiny wires in an ethernet plug 

[CapnK]

Oh, I see... It's a POE converter...

Doh! {palm_to_forehead}

 

Sorry 'bout that...

[Captain Smollett]

http://sailfar.net/forum/index.php/topic,2179.msg25938.html#msg25938   

What I did:

(1) Cut off the transformer that plugs into the wall (120V -> 12V in my case, 230V -> 12 V in yours) at the transformer end.

(2) Strip back the wires, and wire into 12 V system of the boat.

To get the polarity, mine had a diagram on the splitter box.  I just checked; according to my diagram, the + is the center and the - is the outer on the circular plug that plugs into the splitter box.  I used an ohm meter to match up the wires to the plug (which wire goes to center and which goes to outer).

+    battery   -
|                     |
|                     |   <--   black wires that were originally from 'wall wart' to splitter
______   _______
         |   |            <--  Original plug on 'wall wart' 
_______|________
|                       |           Splitter box
|                       |
|                       |
________________
   |              |
ethernet     ethernet
to                to
computer    powered antenna

Does that help at all?


(note: not wired directly to battery, just shown that way for simplicity)

[maxiSwede]

Oh, I see... It's a POE converter...

Doh! {palm_to_forehead}

 

Sorry 'bout that...

My Bad!  I wasn't clear enough    Sometimes my english isn't completely 'up to it'. sorry mate!

[maxiSwede]

Ah, so simple.... and yet, I didn't think of it

OK, I'll try that. Let's hope nothing vital burnt in the POE converter.

I'll let you know as soon as I tried it out.

BIG Thanks, this is the best sailing forum on the planet! 

http://sailfar.net/forum/index.php/topic,2179.msg25938.html#msg25938   

What I did:

(1) Cut off the transformer that plugs into the wall (120V -> 12V in my case, 230V -> 12 V in yours) at the transformer end.

(2) Strip back the wires, and wire into 12 V system of the boat.

To get the polarity, mine had a diagram on the splitter box.  I just checked; according to my diagram, the + is the center and the - is the outer on the circular plug that plugs into the splitter box.  I used an ohm meter to match up the wires to the plug (which wire goes to center and which goes to outer).

+    battery   -
|                     |
|                     |   <--   black wires that were originally from 'wall wart' to splitter
______   _______
         |   |            <--  Original plug on 'wall wart' 
_______|________
|                       |           Splitter box
|                       |
|                       |
________________
   |              |
ethernet     ethernet
to                to
computer    powered antenna

Does that help at all?


(note: not wired directly to battery, just shown that way for simplicity)

[maxiSwede]

OK, report from the elctronics workshop...

took the *#?!?  little black box apart... (POE) and the 230 part with the converters were fried and almost melted...


so after some lenthy measuring and slowly remembering the electricity, and electronics from school (phew!) I gathered courage enough to solder new 12 V feed to it, reassembled and can proudly announce that I am now on free wifi with the NS2 again!   

Thanks Lord, teh antenna was fine....


and yes, I should'a done this anyway..... ages ago.....but you know what it's like? no..? 

So thanks Brethren for thee help and encouragement!