7/31/2015

HowToMakeAWiFiAntennaOutofAPringlesCan

HowToMakeAWiFiAntennaOutofAPringlesCan
WrittenbyPrasanthChandra
August13,2009

(http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/author/pchandra/)

WiFihascompletelychangedthewaywebrowsethenetandusetheinternetinourdaytodaylife.
ThecompletecomfortofaccessinginternetatbetterspeedsisachievedthroughWiFinetworks.

ThisarticleexplainshowtomakeaWiFiantennaoutofaPringlescan,whichyoucanusetoboost
yourWiFinetworkspeeds.

Hereistheprocedure:

What is Cantenna?

InordertoboostyourWiFiinternetnetworkspeed,youneedtomakeanarrangementandfixitontheroofofyourhome.This
equipmentisbuiltwiththehelpoftincansanditactslikeanantenna.Thus,itiscalledaCantenna.

Hereareafewadvantagesthatyoucangetbyinstallingacantennaonyourrooftop.

Asitactslikeanextraantenna,therangeofyourWiFinetworkalsoincreases,thusenablingmoredatatransfer
speedsandmoremobility.
Itisproventhatcantennashavemoregainthanthenormalcommercialantennas.
AutomaticallydetectsWiFihotspots.
Buildingonesuchantennaisreallycheapandaffordable.
Acantennaisverymuchessentialifyoulovemobility.ArrangingacantennahelpsyoutoconnecttotheinternetonyourPC,laptopor
WiFienabledmobilehandsetswithouttheneedforanywires.Thespeedatwhichyoucanaccesstheinternetisalsoreliable.Youcan
playonlineroleplayinggameswhichwouldotherwisenotbepossibleonanyothermodesofwirelessconnectivityoptionslikeGPRS.

Toaddupspice,buildingyourownantennawiththehelpsofwiresandgettingconnectedtotheinternetwillincreaseyourreputation
amongyourgroupoffriendsandyoucanenjoytheprivilegeofgettingcalledageek.

How to Make a WiFi Antenna: Components needed!

Dontgettooexcitedandbesurethatyougetallthecomponentsmentionedbelowbeforestartingtobuildone.ConstructingaCantenna
isveryeasyprovidedyouhavealltherequiredmaterialwithyouready.Getthefollowingcomponentsbeforeyoustart.

EmptyPringlespotatochipscan.
TheNtypefemaleconnector
TheNtypeconnectorfromtheback
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HowToMakeAWiFiAntennaOutofAPringlesCan

RPSMAmaleconnectorcomponents
Theabovecomponentscanbeobtainedfromanyelectronicssparepartsshoporaradiorepairshop.Youalsorequirethefollowing
components:

Awirecutter
Asmalldrilltomakeaholeortwo.
Asolderandsimpleskillstoefficientlymakethesoldering.
Construction:

Followthestepsthatareillustratedbelow,whichdonottakeyoumorethan30minutes.

Afterconsumingallthechips,rinsetheemptytinwithwateranddryitclean.

Fromthebottomsideoftheemptytin,measurethelengthof33/8inchesandcarefullydrillasmallholesuchthattheNtypefemale
connectorcangetin.

SolderoneendoftheRGcabletotheNtypefemaleconnector.Herewewilllearntomakethespecialcablecalleda
pigtail.

RGcableisacoaxialcableandtheinnermaterialisaconductor.Thishastobeinsertedtotheprotrudingmetalwhereastheprotective
shield(insulatingmaterial)hastobesolderedtothebody.

TheotherendoftheRGcablehastobesolderedtotheSMAmaleconnector.Thesmallmalepinhastobesolderedtotheinner
conductorofthecableandthenitiscarefullyinsertedthroughtheholeoftheconnector.
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Thatistheendoftheconstructionofthepigtail.

Soldergauge12copperwireofsufficientlengthtotheNtypeconnector.

Placetheentireassemblyonthetincan.TheSMAconnectorhastobearrangedinsuchawaythatitpassesthrough
thetopholeofthetin.Theresultingstructurecanbeseenintheimagebelow.

Thisarrangementshouldbedroppeddowninsideuntilthecenteralongthelengthofthecan.Carefullypulltheextra
cableandcutitoff.
Youcanfixthearrangementtightwiththehelpofafewscrewsifneeded.Putbackthecable.Now,thereflectoris
ready.
Fixanuttotheoneendofthemetalrodandholdtherodinsuchawaythatthenutpointsthegrounddown.
Asshowninthepicture,arrangealidandslideitdownalongtheroduntilittouchesthenut.Also,dropin3washersto
themiddleoftherod.Incasethediameterofthewashersislargerthantheinnerrod,thentake4otherpiecesof
hollowrodandarrangethemoneaftertheanotherwiththewashersinbetween.Thisway,thewashersgetarranged
wellasshownbelow.

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HowToMakeAWiFiAntennaOutofAPringlesCan

Now,alongwithtwootherwashers,insertahollowinsulatingmaterial.Evenathinplasticmaterialissufficientforthis.

Now,itcanbeeasilymounted.Closethelidofthechipscanbackwiththerodhanginginside.Precautionhastobe
takentoseethattheinnerroddoesnottouchthewallsofthecopperfilamentthatwaspreviouslysolderedtotheN
typeconnector.
Congratulations!YournewWiFiantennaisreadytogettested.
DesktopuserswithanexternalWLANcardcanstartfindingthenewmethodworkingforthemwithnootherhassle.Butonalaptopthat
hasaninbuiltWiFisystem?

YouneedtodoalittlemorehackstoenjoythenewpoweroftheexistingWiFinetworkonyourlaptop.Onthelowersideofthelaptop,
youcanfindasmallcover.Openitandreplacetheexistingcableswithyourown.Butbesureandthinktwiceaboutwhatyouaredoing
becauseyoumayvoidthewarranty.

Process of testing:

TheantennathatyouhavemadeiscalledaYagiantenna.Thesearehighlydirectionalandhaveveryhighgain.Duetotheirhigh
directionalproperties,theyalsohavehighrange.Now,tosetuptheconnectionandstartusingtheinternet,aimslightlytotheleftorright
ofthereceiverofyourneighborandcarefullyadjustyourantennabyrotatingitslightlytoreceivethebestgain.

Iftheantennaisleftoutintheopensky,thenyouneedtotakecareofitsprotectionfromtheweather.PlacethearrangementinaPVC
pipesothatitdoesntgetrusted.

Haveyoumanagedtobuildanantennalikethis?DoyouhaveothertechniquesonhowtomakeaWiFiantenna?Havingtrouble

makingyourown?Leaveacommentandwelltryandhelpyouout.

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