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Pineapple Mark V Antenna Connectors Type. Wrong?


Steevo

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I read about the new Wifi Pineapple Mark V

The shop says

http://hakshop.myshopify.com/collections/wifi-pineapple/products/wifi-pineapple

Ports: (2) SMA Antenna

I guess I find it highly unlikely that the connectors are actually SMA.

Most wifi equipment and most antennas of the type shown in the picture are not SMA, they are actually RP-SMA. An important distinction.

To use external gain antennas with the wifi pineapple Mark V they would pretty much need to be RP-SMA. Or more likely N type with an adapter or pigtail.

Or else you'd need a quite odd and perhaps mostly unavailable adapter.

Is the text on the shop page actually wrong? Likely.

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Nope. They are in fact SMA. Search the forum. It has been discussed.

So those antennas that come with it, and look so common like the antennas that come with all other wifi equipment are in fact proprietary.

That's incredible.

I searched briefly, I didn't find any hits in this forum on SMA.

That seems very weird since it's been mentioned in this very post.

A search of forums just now returns

No results found for 'sma'.

That seems nonsensical to me. The forum search, that is. Do you think the forum search is working?

Edited by Steevo
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Well, OK, I understand that. But where the heck did you get those antennas for SMA?

Isn't there an identical RP-SMA connector that could be soldered to the board just the same? I suspect there is. Then antennas would be all over the place. I have a big box of RP-SMA antennas.

I have to wonder why a non-standard connector would be used. Of course, I disagree with the whole existence of those RP connectors of all types, that was a weird govenrment demand when WIFI was first proposed, to limit the ERP by preventing the enhancement of antennas. Within a few weeks there were pigtails on ebay. We all engineered around the regulations then, now we are enginerring around this.

So I don't disagree than RP-SMA is a PITA, it's just that all this stuff has been made for it by so many people. It's kind of awkward to change back now and have to adapt antennas in a weird way.

In any case maybe that would be an available option if the connectors are available? Order your pineapple with either type connector. Standard SMA or non standard SMA.

Edited by Steevo
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Well, OK, I understand that. But where the heck did you get those antennas for SMA?

Isn't there an identical RP-SMA connector that could be soldered to the board just the same? I suspect there is. Then antennas would be all over the place. I have a big box of RP-SMA antennas.

I have to wonder why a non-standard connector would be used. Of course, I disagree with the whole existenct of those RP connectors of all types, that was a weird govenrment demand when WIFI was first proposed, to limit the ERP by preventing the enhancement of antennas. Within a few weeks there were pigtails on ebay.

So I don't disagree than RP-SMA is a PITA, it's just that all this stuff has been made for it by so many people. It's kind of awkward to change back now and have to adapt antennas in a weird way.

In any case maybe that would be an available option if the connectors are available? Order your pineapple with either type connector. Standard SMA or non standard SMA.

We won't be changing the connector type. You can however grab yourself a small adapter for a couple of bucks from amazon / ebay / whatever. That way, the connection is stable and you can use your old connectors.

Also, how did we get those antennas? Manufacturing. Even the small ones do great for most purposes. Comparably, the MKIV had a bigger antenna but is still blown away by the MKV.

Best Regards,

Sebkinne

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The SMA Antenna Connector was chosen because of the benefits to gain and signal, its better to have the connector soldered onto the board than to have a flimsy pigtail, much like what was the case with the Mark IV :P

I'd like to stop this nonsense now. You can get any wifi connector that is edge solderable.

rp-sma-edge-mount-end-launch-jack-321x26

The whole point of using rp-anything for consumer equipment was to keep Uncle Bob from hooking up a commercial 5 watt amp to his wrt54g. The one nice thing about the sma connector is the pin is built into the antenna, and not the jack. So if you screw up the pin, you can just replace the antenna, and not the radio. Though how many of us have done that? In the almost 15 years I've been working with wireless, I've never bent a pin in an antenna.

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We won't be changing the connector type. You can however grab yourself a small adapter for a couple of bucks from amazon / ebay / whatever. That way, the connection is stable and you can use your old connectors.

Also, how did we get those antennas? Manufacturing. Even the small ones do great for most purposes. Comparably, the MKIV had a bigger antenna but is still blown away by the MKV.

Best Regards,

Sebkinne

Yeah, I saw the adapters, shipped from china.

$1.60.plus $1.50 shipping.

Cheaper than hell. eBay item number: 281103061197

Get some at the Hakshop so we don't have to order that way. The last time I ordered something like that on ebay I was a little surprised when it arrived a month later. I forgot I ordered it! Cheap though.

Just get the optional solder type connectors and we can order either way. Those wifi pineapple units are made in California, right?

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I'd like to stop this nonsense now. You can get any wifi connector that is edge solderable.

rp-sma-edge-mount-end-launch-jack-321x26

The whole point of using rp-anything for consumer equipment was to keep Uncle Bob from hooking up a commercial 5 watt amp to his wrt54g. The one nice thing about the sma connector is the pin is built into the antenna, and not the jack. So if you screw up the pin, you can just replace the antenna, and not the radio. Though how many of us have done that? In the almost 15 years I've been working with wireless, I've never bent a pin in an antenna.

I just bet the connector on the wifi pineapple is a right angle type. Not straight like that.

But I dunno. I didn't notice a posted picture of the board.

FWIW those right angle connectors sometimes have different offsets, so that can be challenging. I have changed a number of connectors in the last well, I won't say how many years. Makes me feel old. Longer than Darrin Kitchen has been alive. Heh.

Edited by Steevo
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I just bet the connector on the wifi pineapple is a right angle type. Not straight like that.

But I dunno. I didn't notice a posted picture of the board.

FWIW those right angle connectors sometimes have different offsets, so that can be challenging. I have changed a number of connectors in the last well, I won't say how many years. Makes me feel old. Longer than Darrin Kitchen has been alive. Heh.

Shit! You're right. They're right angle connectors.

$(KGrHqFHJEwFD4QLJhBWBRBfMie6u!~~60_57.J

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Shit! You're right. They're right angle connectors.

$(KGrHqFHJEwFD4QLJhBWBRBfMie6u!~~60_57.J

Because of the offset those connectors may or may not be appropriate. Those type connectors have two offsets, in this case.

When they make the unit, do they have to insert the boards into the case with the connectors through, solder them and then flip it down?

Often when connectors are on opposite sides of a case like in the MK V you cannot solder the board and then insert it in the case. Which is why so many antennas are designed to be on the same side, so the board can be inserted in the case after manufacturing.

Oh, I just watched the 5 videos on unit.wifipineapple.com.

The last video shows the case top removed. The two connectors lay in the case and the top goes on, so no problems with that.

Edited by Steevo
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We don't know the percentage of units that Darren had to replace because of broken pins. I could only guess that it had to be a lot if he called for a design change.

Another theory is that they had a crate full of 2dbi 6dbi antennas laying around and this was a good way to use them up.

Who knows.

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Well, I never said that all RP-SMA connectors have to have a pigtail, did I?

What I said was that the Mark IV had them. And they broke. Alot.

You said it yourself why SMA Adaptors are on the Pineapple, as i thought i had wrote in my post.

No, you didn't say they all had to have pigtails, and neither did I. I'm a ham, so I am familiar with those kind of pigtails and I have had them break on a Yaesu HT. It happens when the nut that holds the connector in the case gets loose. On those it's quite a proprietary wrench, I had to make a tool!

No problems, clearly the Wifi Pineapple has not had to go through FCC testing and acceptance.

SMA is perfect. Albeit a surprise.

I'll have to get some of those adapters off ebay.

Make a note to myself that I ordered them so when they come from China I won't be surprised.

Har.

Edited by Steevo
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Oh, btw, since we are discussing antennas.

I was using a large 3Com branded panel antenna, about 14" square. Pretty darned big.

I thought it worked well.

I tested a Cisco Aeronet yagi, the one in the white plastic tube about 3" dia by about 14" long.

It was unbelievably more powerful.

I expected a small difference, but the difference was well, I can't call it an order of magnitude.

At least 3X better than the flat panel.

I was surprised. I adapted it from the RP-TNC that Cisco uses to RP-SMA.

Now I am gonna need more adapters.

Edited by Steevo
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No, you didn't say they all had to have pigtails, and neither did I. I'm a ham, so I am familiar with those kind of pigtails and I have had them break on a Yaesu HT. It happens when the nut that holds the connector in the case gets loose. On those it's quite a proprietary wrench, I had to make a tool!

No problems, clearly the Wifi Pineapple has not had to go through FCC testing and acceptance.

SMA is perfect. Albeit a surprise.

I'll have to get some of those adapters off ebay.

Make a note to myself that I ordered them so when they come from China I won't be surprised.

Har.

Of course we have gone through FCC, and obviously we passed it too.

Not having passed FCC, we would be illegally selling in the US. Not a risk we'd ever be willing to take.

See the FCC logo on the bottom of the WiFi Pineapple MKV.

Just wanted to clear that up.

Best regards,

Sebkinne

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I just placed my order for chinese adapters.

These:

Ebay item 320600837478

$3.02 for two, free shipping. Geez.

Even less than the ones posted before.

Those look correct, I think. Pins on both ends.

We'll see how long they take to arrive.

Thanks for all the help.

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No, you didn't say they all had to have pigtails, and neither did I. I'm a ham, so I am familiar with those kind of pigtails and I have had them break on a Yaesu HT. It happens when the nut that holds the connector in the case gets loose. On those it's quite a proprietary wrench, I had to make a tool!

No problems, clearly the Wifi Pineapple has not had to go through FCC testing and acceptance.

SMA is perfect. Albeit a surprise.

I'll have to get some of those adapters off ebay.

Make a note to myself that I ordered them so when they come from China I won't be surprised.

Har.

Yea, you may get them in a week, or maybe a couple months. Shipping from China is alway a surprise.

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