SALVAGED

The day that we drove sixty miles down the beach to the Mansfield cut we saw lots and lots of stuff that had washed up on the beach or had been abandoned by beach visitors that were overcame by mother nature. The wind can destroy a push up awning in a very few seconds. We noted one such site about five miles down the beach. The twisted and broken frame was all that remained.

As it turns out we found a way to use some of the parts from the frameworks skeletal remains.

Our cellular amplifer also amplifies our 3G device ( air card ), but this time we are parked behind the dune line and the signal from the tower is not only weak, but it varies widely in speed.

Which means that we needed to get the 3db gain omni directional antenna up higher than the top of our max air vent cover where it usually is.

An antenna pole of some type was in order. But there were so many restrictions on such a project. For example: no drilling of holes, not a permanent installation, easy up, easy down, light weight, small, easy to store, maybe even collapsible.

A couple of suction cup hooks, three small bungie cords,

( one bungie keeps a light tension on the coaxial cable to keep the wind from whipping it around )

two legs from the salvaged awning, a hacksaw, pliers, screwdriver, tape, ect., were on hand items that we used. A look at the photos will let you recognise the parts that were salvaged. When the project was finished I used the screwdriver to anchor the botttom of the antenna pole to the ground.
The end result. was a greatly improved and more useable signal that was much stronger and consistent.