Dr. Bott Extendair

[Ian Sights]

From: Ian Sights <isights at swbell.net>
Date: Mon Oct 13, 2003  12:43:14  PM US/Central
To: "Mac OS X Newbies" <X-Newbies at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
Subject: Re: Dr. Bott Extendair

As an external antenna, the extendair isn't magic. It get it's 3.5db 
gain from squeezing the radio signal down from a spherical pattern to a 
doughnut shape for the omni, or a lobed or gourd shape for the direct. 
If you are below the antenna, as I would be since my base station is in 
the attic and I work in the basement, you might actually have a 
reduction in signal strength.

The dr. bott site sez;
ExtendAIR requires no configuration other than restarting the AirPort 
Extreme Base Station. After restart, the Base Station automatically 
(uses)  the new antenna and switches existing clients to take advantage 
of the ExtendAIR. All the features of the built-in antenna are 
available through ExtendAIR.

Of course the fact that they left out the word uses in their 
advertising copy might tell you that they don't pay attention to detail.
Poor connections, high loss cable or shoddy assembly could spend most 
of that 3.5db (barely more than double the signal strength) before the 
signal exits the antenna. There is no magic bullet for signal strength. 
You can increase the power out with a RF booster amp or make the 
antenna directional to improve the signal in one direction at the 
expense of others. Think of a flashlight bulb and reflector. Now think 
of the antennas that people used to put up on their roof to get better 
TV reception. Same idea. People wouldn't want to install something that 
was really big enough to get a dramatic signal boost, and it would be 
very directional, not very useful since the whole idea is to be able to 
move freely...
The biggest advantage of the external antennas is that you can mount 
them on the wall, away from all the metal cabinets and other wires that 
will tend to block the signal. Of course you can move the base station 
a bit higher for free or buy a whole set of shelves for the $100 and 
tidy up your whole office.

Dr. Bott's extendair sounds like snake oil to me. And you seem to be 
getting the same results. Just like those cell phone antenna "power 
boosters" that were being hawked a while back.

Ian


On Monday, October 13, 2003, at 07:31  AM, Mac OS X Newbies wrote:

> Subject: Re: [X Newbies] Dr. Bott Extendair
>
>> Recently purchased the Dr. Bott extendair for my airport extreme base 
>> station.  There wasn't much to the directions so I just plugged it 
>> in.  I am noticing no change in any location from before.
>
> Same results here.
>
>> I have reset the base station, restarted computers..nothing.  Am I 
>> missing a step to configuring this or is this it?  I purchased the 
>> omni directional.
>