10-15-2004, 11:53 AM

Hi I have a 12" powerbook from the apple website. I've been searching around for an antenna for my internal export extreme card (the one next to the battery).

Has anyone fitted an external antenna to the airport extreme card? The built in antenna isnt quite strong enough. There's an antenna plug on the card and it would involve some dodgy wiring through the battery, but any ideas are welcomed.

I've searched online, but the antennas only seem to be for the airport extreme base station.

Regards,
Scott.

10-15-2004, 05:10 PM

I just got a 12" Powerbook.... and am considering the option of adding an external antenna to the Airport Extreme Card. Any info on such a modification would be most appreciated.

10-15-2004, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by smackenz

Has anyone fitted an external antenna to the airport extreme card? The built in antenna isnt quite strong enough. There's an antenna plug on the card and it would involve some dodgy wiring through the battery, but any ideas are welcomed.

I'm not certain about adding an external antenna (not sure how you'd even go about that, and they'll definitely be some modification/fabrication involved), but you do know that the antenna plug on the card is intended to plug into the laptop's built-in antenna, right? It's a dumb question, I know, but the way you worded your post it sounds as if you might not have plugged the laptop's antenna into the card.

10-15-2004, 06:13 PM

If your built-in PowerBook antenna isn't working even from a few meters from the wirless router, it may be because both 'nibs' on the AirPort Extreme card aren't hooked up to both the 'nibs' on your PowerBook. Therefore you only get about 1/2-1/3 of the normal signal strength. Take it in to your local Apple store, they'll reconnect the 'nibs' properly.

This is just a suggestion, I know my mom's iBook had the same problem, at a few meters away the iBook wouldn't pick up the wireless signal.


I don't know about any external antennas, sorry...

Good luck though!

10-15-2004, 07:10 PM

instead of fishing it threw the battery, send it out threw the uncommly used PCMCIA slot...all you have to do is get any antenna that will match the connection on the card and boom your good to go

look at take apart guides for this...or what you can do is build an antenna for you airport giving it the stronger signal that way you dont haev to void the warrent on the laptop...

http://flakey.info/airport/ <--- this will get you started

10-15-2004, 08:33 PM

Idon't think there is a PCMCIA slot on the 12" Powerbook, am I wrong?

10-16-2004, 05:30 PM

Yeah no PCMCIA card on the 12". I do have the internal antenna installed and the card works great, its just that I want mooooore range for public places etc..

Thanks for the replys

Regards,
Scott

10-16-2004, 11:56 PM

http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/

Hope this helps.