
How to Make a Wi-Fi Antenna Out of a Pringles Can - rolph
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-make-a-wifi-antenna-out-of-a-pringles-can-nb/
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bediger4000
I haven't done a cantenna, but I did a sardine can antenna:
[http://www.iw5edi.com/ham-radio/1687/sardine-can-
antenna](http://www.iw5edi.com/ham-radio/1687/sardine-can-antenna)

My observation is that these instructions always use one or more parts that
are difficult to obtain. Either the "pigtail" is impossible to obtain, or the
USB wifi dongle is no longer made or something. I also think that the antenna
length seems to be much more important, and harder to measure, than these DIY
instructions ever make out.

A broader observation: clearly people want increased range Wifi, but there's
not any consumer-grade antennas. Why? Is this a consequence of FCC regs that
deliberately make consumer mods harder?

An example of FCC regs making consumer mods much harder:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNC_connector](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNC_connector)

See the "Reverse-polarity TNC" section for hints that the FCC deliberately
makes monkeying with antennas hard.

~~~
rolph
there is a tool for rectangular waveguides as well.

[http://www.wikarekare.org/Antenna/Waveguide.html](http://www.wikarekare.org/Antenna/Waveguide.html)

one of the things you get with these antenna styles would be lobing. there is
usually four side lobes, at quarter wave peaks a diminished rear lobe and the
front lobe business end. wifi dongles with removable antennas are not so
common nowadays but you can install an SMA connector if you have steady hands
and a fine solder iron, just remove one from an old router.

there is also the usage of the whole router with custom firmware configured as
a repeater or an extender with custom antennae

yes things are made hard ...for most people but thats when the hat goes on
head and hard == fun, challenging

and yes you want to mind the power you put into these things and what you
point it at. my first cantenna also had a rifle scope, webcam, and a laser
pointer in a tidy little gang. i never got around to stacking it on a PTZ
camera but theres still time for fun in my schedule

[edit adm] The connectors are not so problematic if you have stuff sitting
around you and are not shy of modifying the feed connection, i run sma coax
soldered to the routers board on one end and 50 0hm connection on the other
end. the connector is only convenience any way you can solder the coax end in
place at the waveguide and you will actually get rid of signal loss due to the
connector impedance. it also helps to keep the coax length short but avoid
multiples of the signal wavelength or you will get reflection in the wire.

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rolph
there are better builds described in the article but the aluminized pringles
cantenna is a classic.

dont forget this tool for engineering a cantenna:

[http://www.wikarekare.org/Antenna/WaveguideCan.html](http://www.wikarekare.org/Antenna/WaveguideCan.html)

now go checkout the recyle bins

