Forgive my ignorance, but what is it?

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No, forgive me. I should have explained. I'll get to that. It's for wireless networking. It's a directional antenna using the finest Candian has to offer. You should be proud!

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is how you were able drink that much of that crap.

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Actually, I liked it. Except that it went flat.

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i'm from canada and we have much better beers

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There, I have a better explanation now. Cantenna's are a nerd artform. Most use Pringles cans. They are also, of course, can shaped. Because of the frequency of the signal, shape of the can is very important, so beercans aren't a good choice (usually.)

My method of changing this was using a different kind of antenna. Cantenna's are wave guides, mine is a biquad. Obviously, mine isn't can shaped.

Anyway, it's just goofiness. If, for some reason, you find this interesting, I can send you one. It will require about $60 of computer equipment as well, but if you wanted to apply your artform to the surface of one, it would be damn sexy.

Just think, you, at a cafe, laptop in tow, biquad, painted like a feathered beasty, pointed directly at a free internet source.

It doesn't get any better than that!

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Oh man... I would buy one of these...
Nice job!

If you get the urge to sell one, let me know! Rikostan-at-gmail.com

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I gotta put one on my WRT54G v3.1 with openWRT. To bad my l33t WRTSL54GS can 't take an external antenna or it would be the perfect wardriving tool (at 802.11G mind you), i even loaded aircrack (though i can't get deauth to work). The best option for 802.11G support under linux other than centrino a/b/g cards that are supported under SLAX, SUSE and other distros without NDISWRAPPER is a micro linux based router, plus with a router you can do many things at the same time on the wifi card without needing more than one transmitter. Anyways good work, it looks sweet.

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This is what i have used for years.....

http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

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other cool diy wifi antenna designs
http://wireless.binarywolf.com

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As we in the US westend say, wootisimo.

Will a guiness antennae without dish do 100 meters or so?

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Easily. With dishes, they should do miles.

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To quote from http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/index.cgi

I also managed to get a marginal link to a 180 degree waveguide on an access point 10km away, using only the biquad by itself, connected to a 30mW RoamAbout wireless card.

So 7 miles without a dish. That sounds highly generous but who knows how much power that waveguide had.

It also depends on your equipment. I have a 2511CD Plus EXT2 which is a nice card. It can be cranked up to 249mW! It's only 802.11b but B is more useful and much more linux fiendly.

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Note that the feed between the rear reflector and the biquad element needs to be shielded. Using coax to feed the biquad element directly, and positioning the coax inside the copper tube achieves this.

Use of bare conductors as a feed between the reflector and biquad element results in a radiating feed, which will have a detrimental effect on the biquad's performance.

For more details on building biquads, see this page (http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/).

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Yeah. I read that (your?) sight at length, but I don't have a torch, so the copper pipe was a no go. I have a damn good iron, but even a damn good iron isn't good enough.

I liked the idea of crimping the pipe to the wire as well. Sadly, my efforts with pipe have been halted.

I'll look in to shielding another way. Thanks.

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I do that with a iron (75w) without you much trouble.
Check out :
- http://www.brest-wireless.net/wiki/materiel:biquad
- http://www.brest-wireless.net/wiki/materiel:biquad_exterieur

If you want other kind of antenna:
http://www.brest-wireless.net/wiki/materiel:les_antennes

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quick question., so after its all done and build how would i be able to use it with my comp?

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Check this out!



It's my first cantenna. I made it when I was 10. Which is a freaking long time ago now. My dad saved it... That part I don't get, but at least I have proof that I was a visionary and ahead of my time, even as a child. :) Anyway, it worked pretty good for UHF. I could slide the cans around on the stick and get different channels...

~S

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Hehehe, if your dad is as geeky as I think he is, of course he'd save it.

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As a Canadian I think you have a great taste in cans :)

http://hackedgadgets.com

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Thanks.

I don't know much about beer, but the Labatts wasn't bad. On more reason to run away to canada when the bushit hits the fan.

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Beer is the inspiration of many a great idea. This ranks up there with the wireless wok guys in NZ: http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/

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Congrats, you've made it to the digg.com front page~
Awesome work.

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You love me! You really love me!

*sniff*

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great work man! Getting up on Digg with your own artform is really impressive!

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My artform is a twist on that of others. I stand on the back of giants. Hell, I don't even know WTF I'm doing.

I appreciate your high praise, but this is merely a trend ;-)

I just hope the name "Beerquad" takes off!

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The down side is that the Digg effect killed your image links. May they rest in peace.

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According to this site (http://www.lecad.uni-lj.si/~leon/other/wlan/biquad/), lips on the biquad significantly affect the SWR of the overall antenna. I'm not sure how you're going to get that with a beer can, but a lot of your antenna's efficiency is currently being wasted. HTH.

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Looks like the hardest part was drinking the beer (aweful).

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I beat you to it though, back in October '05 :P I used busch and smashed the can between to layers of a CD case, The cd case just so happened to be with the 110mm size, and I could attach zip ties to hold the work together. (no glue, I was to lazy to go to the store :P ) work quite marvelously. Mine was only a biquad, not a dual. Mine was also not constucted with any mind to proper dimensions, well sorta, I had limited suplies - so its quality shows - I guess I'll have to post pictures too. Hats off the the great work though!! Long live the beer cans!

-Prozacgod

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Woot! I've make'd it!

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Do you really manage 46db? thats amazing, all i get from my yagi is 16db.

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I also have a high gain card, so, that might be pushing it.

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How did you straighten(flaten)the beer can?

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Glue. Lots and lots of glue. I got 1.4" plastic and viced the can to the plastic.

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