There are instructions at <http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/has.html> for an antenna made from a steel can. Trouble with those is that without waterproofing, they will rust rapidly.
BTW, <http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/has.html> says a lot of suspect things about the Pringles can antenna. Possibly there are different Pringles cans in the West than in the Midwest and maybe we built our antennas to different standards, but the aluminization in all my cans has most certainly been conductive, and they have better gain than that Web site reports, too. The Pringles can antenna can be enclosed in 4" PVC pipe for the outdoors. They way we build them here, the parts you need are: Pringles can and all the parts from the Pringles can antenna plan N-female connector w/ 4-hole flange, extended conductor, O-ring 4"-diameter PVC pipe Two 4"-diameter caps for PVC 4 small screws, each long enough to extend through the sides of the PVC and the Pringles can 4 round flanges, threaded on the inside to match the screws, with two to four "teeth" bent out of the flange (sorry, I don't know a common name for these; a friend found them at a hobby shop, and they were perfect) The tools: the tools in the Pringles can directions screwdriver to match the screws PVC saw drill and two bits (see below for details) ruler Assemble the "collector assembly" for the Pringles can antenna. That's the part made of washers, copper tube, etc. Do not assemble the "RF probe" made from the N-female connector, yet. Cut the PVC pipe long enough to fit the Pringles can and the PVC caps. Measure from the end of your PVC at least the distance from the back of the Pringles can to the place where the probe should stick through, plus the length taken by the PVC cap. Drill a hole in the PVC pipe large enough to accept the conductor and dielectric from the "RF probe". Poke a small hole in the Pringles can where the probe should poke through. Put the Pringles can into the PVC and align the can's hole with the PVC's hole. Now, push the probe through. Using the four holes in the flange as a guide, drill four holes through the PVC and Pringles can as you hold the can firmly inside the PVC. The holes you drill should be just big enough that the toothed, threaded flanges will fit snugly inside. I always drilled the holes with someone's help. Measure as best you can the distance the probe pokes into the Pringles can after it goes through the PVC. Remove the probe and prepare it according to the Pringles antenna instructions. Stick it back into the PVC and can. If your helper has small hands that will fit inside the Pringles can, that is good, because this next part is a real trick with big hands. Push the toothed, threaded flanges through the Pringles can from the *inside*. Try to push them *into* the PVC at least a little bit. Then put a screw through the flanged N connector and PVC from the outside, and screw it into the round flanges. I recommend that you do these one at a time, screwing each one just one or two turns until you have engaged the threads in *each* flange. Finally, screw everything down tight. The "teeth" on the flanges will bite into the aluminized layer of the Pringles can through the plastic coating on the inside. This connects the N connector's ground to the aluminized layer. Place the caps on the ends of the pipe. We have not sealed ours, yet, but it is a good idea. You can find a suitable sealant (silicone, maybe?) at the hardware store. Dave On Fri, Jun 14, 2002 at 07:20:01AM -0700, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Message: 5 > Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2002 17:02:31 -0700 > From: "Daniel Curry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Bawug (E-mail)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [BAWUG] TinCan antenna > > Hey all! > > I'm wanting to make a couple of antennas for my Wap11V2.2. I would like > to make a directional for a neighbor (TinCan, not Pringles) and a better > omni for in my home. Can anyone recommend any specific plans I should > try? Or more likely ones I should stay away from? I am wanting to put > the directional outside, so I don't think a Pringles can will last for > very long. > > Thanks > > Daniel Curry > IT Manager > Cariocas > 625 Second Street > Suite 201 > San Francisco, CA 94107 > ph: 415-348-6516 > fx: 415-348-6505 > cell: 510-579-6680 -- David Young OJC Technologies [EMAIL PROTECTED] Engineering from the Right Brain Urbana, IL * (217) 278-3933 -- general wireless list, a bawug thing <http://www.bawug.org/> [un]subscribe: http://lists.bawug.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless
