I think the telescoping mast that I use is one of the greatest "finds" of this entire project. I first tried to find masts or towers designed to go on motor homes. I searched for a long time but couldn't find anything I wanted. On my first attempt, I purchased a military surplus fiberglass mast kit. It consisted of ten four-foot long fiberglass poles, each designed to connect end-to-end with another such pole, a lot of nylon rope to be used as guy ropes, ground screw-in devices used as anchors for the guy ropes, and a canvas bag for holding everything. (A picture of my first attempt is shown to the right.) It is big, bulky, and heavy. It is painted olive drab green, the same as most other military surplus gear. Even worse, I'd consider those guy ropes to be a safety hazard to pedestrians in any campground. It is easy to trip over the ropes and ground anchors, especially in the dark. That is probably acceptable in Afghanistan but not in the typical campground in the U.S. I used it once.
In short, it ws a kludge, completely unacceptable.
I purchased a commercially-built router that includes the router and antenna, all built into a weatherproof box. It even sends power to the router through the same ethernet cable that sends computer signals. The router picks up wi-fi signals and sends them through the ethernet cable. This router is a 2.4 GHz High Power Wireless Outdoor CPE Model TH-WA5210G manufactured by TP-Link. ("CPE" stands for "customer premises equipment." This unit is designed for installation in a customer's home for use on city-wide wi-fi networks.)
Similar units are made by a number of other manufacturers. I would suggest using a high-powered device of 500 milliwatts or more. Some hobbyists have obtained great results by placing Linksys or other routers designed for indoor use inside Tupperware or similar containers to protect them from weather. The box will need holes for antennas and signal wires. Once the connections are made, the holes can be sealed with any weatherproof sealant made for the job. Linksys WRT54G-series routers are especially popular amongst hobbyists who wish to install long-range wi-fi systems. This $60 router is easily modified in many ways, especially if DD-WRT software is used. Perform a Google search on "Linksys WRT54G" or "DD-WRT" for details.
This project grew out of necessity. I now live in a Winnebago motor home, and I move it to new campgrounds frequently. I also feel that I need frequent Internet connectivity. At a minimum, I want to be online at least once a day. I'd really prefer to be connected 24 hours a day, if possible. I now can accomplish that goal most of the time although I had to experiment a bit to find the best combination of devices and techniques.
I will describe usage in a recreational vehicle, or "RV." However, the same techniques should work anyplace you want to establish a wi-fi connection over longer than normal distances.
After a two-week stay in Jacksonville, including an overnight stay at Baptist Hospital, I am leaving in the morning. I am headed to Florida's Gulf Coast with the exact destination not yet decided.
I did purchase a tow dolly, a two wheel trailer to haul the automobile behind the motor home. You can click on the image to the right to see a larger picture.
While the tow dolly itself is small and the Mini Cooper I am hauling is compact as well, the combination of motor home, tow dolly, and automobile makes me feel as if I am driving a train down the highway! Actually, I often see bigger combinations on the highway but this will be a first for me.
This is a quick note to let you know I have been discharged from the hospital and am now back in my motor home, enjoying life once again.
My thanks to all the people who took the time to write notes of best wishes and to offer suggestions. It is heartwarming to read all the messages. I can't possibly answer each one individually but I have read each one and I certainly appreciate the kind thoughts.
I just arrived in Florida a few days ago and have enjoyed the first few days of living in the motor home when a new problem arose. I experienced some significant chest pains and decided I had better get checked out. Two or three hours after arriving at the emergency room of a local hospital, I was in an operating room having a coronary catheterization procedure performed.
The doctors and nurses have assured me it is minor procedure, performed dozens of times every day across the country or even across the world. However, it is never minor when it is YOUR body! I must admit, however, that it was a rather easy procedure from my sedated vantage point.
As mentioned in my earlier article at http://goo.gl/aJjdk, I plan to live in a motor home for the rest of the winter and much of the spring. This week, I drove to Florida and retrieved my motor home from the storage facility where I left it earlier and have now moved on board. I am presently in Jacksonville but plan to move every week or two. I'll be in Florida for about two months, then will move to Texas for a few weeks.
Yes, I am traveling again. I've been home for four weeks, which is a long time for me. However, I'm now leaving on an extended trip of four or five months. I don't expect to be back home until April or May. There may be some impact on this newsletter although I hope to minimize any possible changes.
In short, I am moving into my Winnebago motor home and plan to live there all winter and much of the spring. The motor home is presently parked in Jacksonville, Florida, although I don't plan to leave it there very long. I'll leave home tomorrow morning and will drive to Jacksonville. That cross-country drive will require several days, depending on the weather. I'll then spend two or three additional days preparing the motor home, and I also need to purchase a tow bar (trailer) to haul my car behind the motor home. About a week or so from now, I'll leave Jacksonville and commence my adventures. In late winter I'll be driving to Texas and then later to Ohio before returning home in the spring.
A reader asked me a question about my recent article describing computerized phone systems for home use at http://eogn.com/wp/?p=19020 (user name and password required). I mentioned that a cell phone has always worked well for me and for my neighbors during power outages. Indeed, a cell phone is the only phone service that has proven to be reliable during power outages in our area.
My correspondent asked, "How did you keep your cell phone charged during the hurricane and snowstorm outages?" I thought I would share my answer here with everyone.
Charging a cell phone is easy. Plug it into the cigarette lighter socket in the automobile. An auto battery will power and charge a cell phone for weeks.
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