RV Field Test Of C. Crane Super Wifi Antenna

I've been interested in long range WiFi reception for a quite while now, and have experimented with a number of types of antennas designed to pick up wireless internet at long distances. As RV owners, my wife and I have used high power, USB type wireless Internet adapters in RV parks across the country. They work much better than your laptop's internal WiFi card, especially in larger RV parks which cover several acres. We've been able to find an open connection in almost every city we have visited using these antennas.

My Oilfield Gate Guard Friend's Problem

I have a friend in who works down in South Texas as an oilfield gate guard in the Eagle Ford shale area. He sent me a Facebook message not long ago asking me if there was a better way to pick up wireless internet in his RV. I told him about the two long range USB WiFi antenna type adapters I use most of the time in my RV, the GSKY High Power and a new model I found, the C. Crane US3. The C Crane Company is well known for making very sensitive AM - FM radios, which are well suited for those who live or travel in remote areas. Along with all those years of long range radio expertise comes a degree of understanding of signal boosting technology which can be adapted to wireless internet or WiFi reception.

Both Picking Up Rig's Wireless N At Well Over One Mile

Oilfield "gate guarding" is a type of security guard job that can pay RV owners pretty good wages in the off season. Their main job is to check - in oil rig drilling - site visitors and workers at the main entrance to a large ranch, taking their name, company and license plate information as well as advising them of what the policies of the ranch and oil company are regarding visitors. One feature that my friend has found useful in the past is being able to IM or "instant message" the oilfield "company man" or drilling consultant up at the job site about issues such as important visitors who are arriving at the gate, etc. They've been using a cellular air card to stay connected, but this is costing them over $80 a month. Since the oil rig already has high speed internet via satellite, and an outside WiFi antenna, I told him that he should be able to pick up a signal with a high power, USB type adapter placed outside his RV and ditch his expensive air card.

When they came to visit us, I loaned my friends the two antennas that I use most when traveling, the GSKY High Power Wireless G-N adapter (with 7dB directional antenna), along with my new C Crane US3 all weather long range WiFi antenna. A few days later I got a call from my friend, who was happy to tell me that he was picking up a strong WiFi signal from the company man's office quite some distance away

With his RV located more or less "line of sight" from the oil rig site, at a distance about 1.8 miles, he was able to pick up a WiFi signal with four out of five bars, and connect to it using high speed Wireless N. Both adapters worked about equally as well for him. When the GSKY high power model's directional antenna was aimed at the source of the signal, he had about the same level of reception as using the omnidirectional C. Crane US 3 Wifi antenna.

The C. Crane US3 Vs. GSKY High Power WiFi Adapter

One of the biggest advantages of the C. Crane WiFi antenna is that it is IP65 rated, which is an electronics industry - recognized certification level for waterproofing and dust resistance. This rating consists of two numbers. The "6" in this case, means the unit is "totally protected against dust". The "5" means that it is totally resistant to jets of water sprayed from all directions, such as rain or a glancing blow by a car wash wand. Another good feature is that the housing is UV resistant, so it can stand up to years of heavy sun. Unlike the GSKY High Power WiFi antenna with directional antenna, it can be permanently mounted outside your RV and left there all season. Another huge advantage is that since the C. Crane WiFi boosting antenna is omnidirectional, it does not have to be aimed each time you move to a new campground or in this case, a new job site. It is compatible with PC's running XP and later operating systems and Mac's. A nice feature is that it includes 15' of cable. Another 15' or more can be added by using a USB extension kit to the C. Crane US3, costing about twelve bucks.

More Power Using 2 USB Ports

A unique feature of the C. Crane U3 WiFi antenna is that it features a split USB plug. Since your USB port powers the antenna, the second plug can be used to double the amount of power to the antenna's internal amplifier, In most cases just plugging in one is enough, but in fringe signal areas you can plug the other one in and boost reception even more. It's a pretty neat feature, if you ask me.

My friends liked the C. Crane WiFi antenna so much that I told them to just keep it, and send me what it cost, and that I would buy another one for my RV. I love it when I find a product that actually does what it says it will do, which in this case is pick up WiFi at up to a mile or more. In this case it actually works farther than advertised, at about 1.8 miles, partly due to the fact that there is an outside WiFi antenna on the modem end of the connection.

More Aggressive Options For Longer WiFi Connections

I really like the simplicity of the C. Crane US3 antenna, but occasionally there are situations where you want to pick up an even more distant WiFi connection. Using an USB type Wireless G or N adapter such as the GSKY High Power model, along with a high gain directional panel antenna is a good option for some situations. Note that the FCC or Federal Communications Commission has strict rules regarding how much dB gain your antenna can have vs. the WiFi adapter you attach it to, so use at your own risk. An example of a high gain WiFi directional panel antenna, which can be attached to the GSKY High Power WiFi adapter using a length of RF cable, can be seen below. Again, such an arrangement may not be legal where you live.

Notes

Just a couple of notes about installing the C. Crane WiFi antenna on your RV. The antenna features suction cups, but I prefer to use the "Velcro" type mounting arrangement, plus a tie wrap on top of that so it won't blow off when going down the road. For long trips I take it off completely. Also, mount the antenna as high up as possible, yet not so high that it will get snagged when you go under low hanging limbs, etc. Always use caution when connecting to unsecured networks that you are unfamiliar with. For an article about how to become an oilfield gate guard, see the link below.

How To Get A Job As An Oilfield Gate Guard In The Eagle Ford Shale