Onboard wick (in the works)

[sleeper00]

Onboard wifi (in the works)

Myself and others have been throwing around the idea of turning our rigs into wifi hot spots. I wish to run my laptop in the cabin and use it for real time gps navigation via google earth. I would also like to be able to access the internet and have somecell phone reception even in some of the most remote areas.

Did some research, and it looks like i can run a cellular booster antenna allong with a garmen dome antenna to get the navigation and cellular reception part of what im after. I will be building a full replacement roof rack soon and i will include a metal bridge for the antennas. As for the wifi, im still researching this part. If anyone has info to assist me please feel free to comment.

 

[civicjoe]

// Maybe I dont get it but here goes//
I hate to be a buzz kill here but whats wrong with a real GPS not a nav system, maybe a SPOT receiver in the even things go FUBAR. And if you really really must have a phone you could get a sat phone.
Im just tossing this out there but I have a national geographic app on my phone I can download maps to if i know where im going, thats gives me realtime gps as well, i like it cost a few bones but if i have the map downloaded i dont need a cell signal to read them.
//End Maybe I dont get it but here goes//

 

[sleeper00]

Your not being a buzz kill. I understand where you are going with this. What's nice about this setup is that it will all be integrated into one unit. The purpose for using google earth is that in uncharted territory, im still able to navigate without issues being that it displays all the variables. Ofcourse I could get a sat phone, but if the Cel booster ant is cheaper, than why not (and say goodbye to dropped calls if im driving around town). This is mainly to assist me with future trips and short expeditions I hope to take in the future. Plus, having the option to surf the web in a remote location to research the area where I am at the time would be sweet.

Sent from my DROIDX

 

[Peck]

Cradlepoint makes excellent 3G and 4G routers that can use 12v adapters -- there's even a battery powered one. All you have to do is get a USB dongle-style 3G/4G modem, plug it into the Cradlepoint router, set it up, and you're good to go. Sure you could use one of those Mi-Fi units but the Cradlepoint routers have better Wi-Fi range.

Caveat, you have to be in a range of a tower for this to work.

 

[sleeper00]

Sweet. I gotta check into that. Thanks peck!

Sent from my DROIDX

 

[J Everett]

Some links that might lead to ideas.
http://http://www.autonetmobile.com/
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_087ANMRTR4/Autonet-Mobile-KT-ANMRTR-04-Router.html?tp=34595
http://www.mp3car.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Spot-Connect-Messenger-Tracking-System/dp/B004R1GXBS/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1327597652&sr=8-8

 

[Diadaga]

The biggest issue your going to run into is trying to make signal where there is none. Where my parents live is the perfect example there is no cell reception for any service except verizon within 20 minutes of their house and even verizon is hit or miss depending on which half the house you are standing in. Wifi is going to be the same issue if there isn't a signal tower within range of you the fancy setup does nothing for you but sit there and blink while draining power. If you really want to be able to use this for trips out of cell range then satellite is the way to go. You can get satellite internet antennas and phones setup on your rig, and as long as you got a view of the sky then you have signal.

 

[granitex]

Consider dropping the WIFI part of the project. There are plenty of mapping options that you can run on a laptop, or netbook for any routing options that you want to run. Cell phone boosters are not cheap by any means and you dont need cell coverage fwor GPS.

I have a mount that I made for running a laptop.

I switched over to a netbook, so I just cut down the platform for the smaller size, most of the time I run a garman program for route logging offroad(if i am going to at all) The dongle for the GPS just comes out at the bottom of the center consol under the CB.

Most new phones have all of the same featurs that you are looking at, just smalled.

My inclinomiter app on my phone does GPS data logging. I am going to just suggest using a smart phone and pick up a SPOT for emergencies. There are a lot of places that as soon as you drop into a canyon you loose cell signal, and radio contact, and you may only be a couple of miles away from the tower. It all has to do with the terrain.

 

[RATTFINK]

With my rooted Adroid, I have a free hotspot anywhere I go

 

[dhyde79]

uhh.....which carrier do you have?

wilsonelectronics.com has antenna'd 3watt boosters for calls taht work on att/tmo/sprint/vzw/uscell/cellsouth/etc.
most every carrier has a "mifi" option, a cellular datacard that has a wireless router built in, no need to reinvent the wheel here, you're going to pay monthly for the service, just get one of these, they are SMALL and already do what you want. If you have verizon, and you want an external antenna for it as well, get the MIFI4510L, it accepts a magnet mount or suction mount LTE/CDMA antenna.

 

[KUMA]

I am with you guys, really want to get wifi my X because of the fact I have my camera with the eye-fi card I can take a picture automatically upload it to my computer but to get somewhere safe like my online account or to my home computer I need to have wifi. Thinking about turning on my tethering on my phone but not sure yet if i want too. Also thinking about doing APRS w/ Ham Radio to relay pictures back and forth and use my Laptop to get beacons from my brother/dad.

 

[sleeper00]

uhh.....which carrier do you have?

wilsonelectronics.com has antenna'd 3watt boosters for calls taht work on att/tmo/sprint/vzw/uscell/cellsouth/etc.
most every carrier has a "mifi" option, a cellular datacard that has a wireless router built in, no need to reinvent the wheel here, you're going to pay monthly for the service, just get one of these, they are SMALL and already do what you want. If you have verizon, and you want an external antenna for it as well, get the MIFI4510L, it accepts a magnet mount or suction mount LTE/CDMA antenna.

Noted... ill plan for this.

Sent from my DROIDX

 

[dhyde79]

the internet connection will run ya $50/month for 5gb/month or $80/month for 10gb/month, but, it's a 3G/4G device, and in a 4g area should run ballpark around 15mbps, max should be somewhere around 35+mbps

 

[Peck]

MiFi's suck as far as range in concerned. I have a Verizon Samsung SCH-LC11 and it's max range appears to be about 10'. My old Sprint USB on a Cradlepoint router would get about 100' or so. Not that it really matters in some instances but others it might.

It's a very nice feature to have but, again, you're dependent on signal. It was handy the last time I drove to Moab as I only dropped service for about an hour on the way up.

 

[dhyde79]

MiFi's suck as far as range in concerned. I have a Verizon Samsung SCH-LC11 and it's max range appears to be about 10'. My old Sprint USB on a Cradlepoint router would get about 100' or so. Not that it really matters in some instances but others it might.

It's a very nice feature to have but, again, you're dependent on signal. It was handy the last time I drove to Moab as I only dropped service for about an hour on the way up.

check your devices as far as receiving wifi if you can only get about 10' from those, we have one of each on the sales floor and it's a pretty good sized sales floor, we can easily run well over 100' from either the mifi or the sch hotspot. the samsung does have a bit better all around performance, however, he mifi's screen to show signal strength, battery charge, and number of connected devices beats the samsung in that aspect, and the external antenna capability on the mifi comes out as the winner as well, that a d the screwy security setup the samsung uses has gotten it returned more times than I care to count (at my store at least).

Though, it is good to hear someone that's not a vz employee talking nicely about the hotspots and their performance