How to connect Quickertek antenna to Powerbook?

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Has anyone purchased one of these yet?



WiFi Antenna for 15 and 17 inch PB



It sounds really interesting. This would be a huge benefit if it is real.



I am mostly interested in how it connects to the WiFi card. The way the card is tucked in behind the battery it would seem to be difficult to route the cable out of there. They don't explain this on the website.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    escherescher Posts: 1,811member
    Absolutely no clue, neutrino23. Do they have a phone number? If so, it might be worth a try to call them with the question. I've asked myself exactly the same thing, even though I am perfectly happy with my plastic iBook's AirPort reception.



    Escher
  • Reply 2 of 7
    formerlurkerformerlurker Posts: 2,686member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Escher

    Absolutely no clue, neutrino23. Do they have a phone number? If so, it might be worth a try to call them with the question. I've asked myself exactly the same thing, even though I am perfectly happy with my plastic iBook's AirPort reception.



    Escher [/B]



    Yeah, well, if you have an iBook, you don't NEED an antenna.



    On a side note... I thought my TiBook had the worst AirPort reception in the Mac universe... till I put an AirPort Extreme card in my iMac!
  • Reply 3 of 7
    escherescher Posts: 1,811member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by FormerLurker

    Yeah, well, if you have an iBook, you don't NEED an antenna.



    But I'm planning on upgrading to a Rev.C 12-inch PowerBook because I want reliable clamshell mode with high resolutions out of the box. There are still a series of nagging concerns I have about moving from an iBook back to a PowerBook, e.g. durability, battery life, value (price/performance ratio), and obviously AirPort reception.



    Escher
  • Reply 4 of 7
    neutrino23neutrino23 Posts: 1,562member
    I emailed them and asked. Their response is that the external antenna wire is routed out through the PC card slot.
  • Reply 5 of 7
    escherescher Posts: 1,811member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by neutrino23

    Their response is that the external antenna wire is routed out through the PC card slot.



    That's a really clean solution.



    But if you need the range, it will do the job.



    Escher
  • Reply 6 of 7
    neutrino23neutrino23 Posts: 1,562member
    Is there any feeling out there for how PB sensitivity compares to any laptop using a PC card slot plug in antenna? I was at a highway rest stop restaurant which featured wireless access. Unfortunately, I had to stand in the middle of the convenience store to get any signal at all. Some other guy with a Dell was getting good signal in a section where I couldn't get anything at all. He was part of the company supplying the service so he had a special plug in card with a stubby antenna.



    Apart from that I am thinking to move my office outdoors. With nice WiFi reception I can setup a table under the orange tree in the back yard.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    escherescher Posts: 1,811member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by neutrino23

    Some other guy with a Dell was getting good signal in a section where I couldn't get anything at all.



    neutrino23: I've heard of people who used Wi-Fi PC Cards in their Titanium PowerBooks (instead of an AirPort card) to get better reception than with the terrible antennas in the side of the base. So I'm not surprised that a guy with a Dell and a PC Card with stubby antenna got better reception than you, even though you have an Aluminum PowerBook. It's still disconcerting though, because it means that Wi-Fi reception, even on the latest PowerBooks, is not all that it could be. I wonder how a plastic iBook would have stacked up against that guy's Dell with PC Card.



    Quote:

    Apart from that I am thinking to move my office outdoors. With nice WiFi reception I can setup a table under the orange tree in the back yard.



    I love taking my iBook out under our big market umbrella in the yard, whether it's for fun or serious work. Only problem is the dim LCD when the sun shines too brightly (and the high humidity in this swamp in July and August).



    Wi-Fi reception is an obscure science. It would really be nice if there was some sort of industry standard performance rating. Complaints about Wi-Fi reception in the PowerBooks is one of the reasons why I am considering sticking with an iBook when I upgrade. My old iBook/500 simply has terrific Wi-Fi range. On the other hand, the PowerBooks offer many advantages, like more power, clamshell mode out of the box, more RAM, and smaller size and lighter weight (in the case of the 12-inch).



    Escher
Sign In or Register to comment.