Anyone have experience with Leaky feeder antenna on wireless communications?

Hi,

I have recently installed wireless modems to replaced hardwired control to mobile equipment.
The wireless radio use 2.4Ghz and ethernet protocols.
Both ends connect Modbus Plus networks.
We have found some intermittent com failures using a variety of antenna setups.
I was wondering if anyone had experience using leaky feeder cable antennas like they use in mines to connect to a 2.4Ghz radio modem.
I asked the vendor technical support (Prosoft) and they indicated that they had looked into it but didn't do enough R&D to recommend it or support it.
I am deep into this project and have actually removed the hardwired system because of maintenance issues and need 100% reliability on this communication and thought a leaky feeder cable run beside the machine might give me that reliability.
Maximum distance between antennas is about 1000' and the current setup using unidirectional 19dB panel antennas is intermittently failing at about 800' in a precice and repeatable location.
Anyone use Leaky Feeder???

thanks,
Brian.

Haven't used leaky feeder but we had similar probs with our wireless system until we upgraded to 804.11 we also had a duo antennea setup with Intermec access points utilizing two antennea set at 12" apart which creates a detection field between the two the readings I had done in the past on wireless shoed that the 802.11 has slightly larger detection field and recommended creating overlapped coverage (extra access points)

I guess directional antennas are not required?

After contacting our supplier the tech support got back to me. We are already using uni-directional antennas on both radios, we may require less powerful dual uni-directional antennas on the mobile equipment. This should reduce reflected signal cancellation.

I must have missed the radio theory course at trade school.

This is the radio modem I'm using.
Can anyone tell me if it is 802.11 or 804.11?

Thanks guys,

Brian.

edit: just found out it is IEEE 802.11b/g

I must have missed the radio theory course at trade school.


If you took it the same time I did I don't belive it was part of the curriculum. Glad to hear its 802.11 b/g its the better protocal on reliability thanb 2.4 at least in my experience

Ooops, I read "uni", was thinking "omni".

What a day.

The double antenna setup on the mobile equipment seems to be doing the job. I didn't have a spare uni-directional but used a omni-directional instead. If it works it works!


Thanks,
Brian.

great glad to be of limited help