or omnidirectional antenna -- and whether you want an antenna designed for
indoor or outdoor use. Consider the following:
Indoor antennas: Indoor antennas are the most commonly available that
are suitable for use in a truck or RV. One nice thing about an indoor
antenna is that you don't need to run a whole bunch of cable through a
window, vent, or other such opening in your vehicle. There are also a few
other advantages and disadvantages associated with indoor antennas:
· The single biggest advantage of an indoor antenna (relating strictly
to directional antennas) is that you can aim it without much trou-
ble. You can sit right next to your laptop and watch the signal
strength indicator as you move the antenna. Outdoor mounted
antennas, by contrast, can be extremely difficult, even dangerous
(read: nearly impossible) for a single person to aim.
· All other things being equal, a directional antenna usually outper-
forms an omnidirectional antenna. If I were choosing an indoor
antenna, my leading candidates would be directional (especially
since I already own an SMC2532W-B adapter card that comes stan-
dard with a 5.5 dBi omnidirectional antenna).
· You can, in most cases, permanently (or semipermanently) mount
an indoor antenna in your vehicle, but that isn't necessary. You can
store the antenna in an out-of-the-way nook or cranny when it's not
in use, and then place it in a suitable position when it's needed.
· If you're having difficulties getting connected, one problem might
be too many obstructions. Unfortunately, you may not be able to
raise an indoor antenna -- which is restricted by your roof, walls
and doors -- above the obstructions.
Outdoor antennas: Large numbers of outdoor high-gain antennas are
available, but only a fraction of them are designed for mobile use. With a
little ingenuity, you can get some of the antennas designed mainly for
static use to work quite nicely -- especially for RVs. Here are some
major pros and cons regarding outdoor antennas:
· Possibly the greatest advantage to using an outdoor is that you can
mount it high enough to clear most, if not all, obstructions.
Another advantage to this type of mounting is that the roof of the
vehicle might well act as a ground plane (in effect, a kind of electri-
cal shield against interference), further optimizing the perfor-
mance of the antenna.
· An outdoor antenna requires a more permanent mount, which
sometimes requires the drilling of tiny little holes. Antenna cable
will also need to be run from the outside to the inside and secured.
Chapter 3: Gearing Up
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