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We use a Pulsar thermal imager that sends a 2.4 gHz signal to my iPad mini. The signal is very weak with a 15m line of sight range. We have two shooters strapped on the roof of a Jeep Wrangler with the thermal scanning for hogs and the iPad is mounted by the rear view mirror transmitting that signal to me and other customers inside. It drops signal like crazy and has annoyed me to the end. It is imperative that we receive signal and the unit doesn’t support a hardwired connection. Since there is no way to install an external antenna directly to the iPad, my question is this: Can you get a jumper with a SMA connection and jump into the iPad wifi cable then mounting the connection to the iPad casing. (Doesn’t have to be pretty it stays mounted in the jeep), then connecting a 2.4 gHz external antenna to that which has a long lead and can run to the roof? It seems feasible and quite simple. But has never been done that I’ve researched. The thermal is expensive as !&&* and they have no support for my issue as my issue is a simple line of sight problem, so the issue will have to be addressed at the monitor end. PLEASE HELP!
15 meters (49 feet) is well within the range of the iPads WiFi transceiver from an open line of sight distance. The 2.4 GHz signal is able to transmit and receive through most wood and plaster walls and untreated glass (at a diminished distance). Metal, rock & brick for any device is much harder to pass a signal through (might not even get 1 meter (5 feet). You talk about a much shorter distance here between the far end of the Jeeps hood and the rearview mirror. The placement of the antennas on the iPad are on the top edge you may want to mount the iPad on the dashboard deck so the antenna is more-less in the middle point of the windshield. I’m not sure if your issue is a weak signal type of problem (either the imager or the iPad) or if its more a noise issue of the Jeeps engine which can be very noisy RF wise. Given the placement of the thermal imager on top of the engine. Lets see if we can come up with a better answer here than altering the iPad which may not solve the issue. Is it possible to place a WiFi extender between the devices? The shorter distance might give the transceiver’s (either the imagers or the iPad) a better signal. That would be my first recommendation. You might want to get a Mac or PC with some WiFi scanning software which can tell what the SNR is. Using it you should be able to measure the noise level with the engine on and then off as well as under stress in the field. If you note a large difference the engine noise filtering needs repairs. Your local Jeep dealer should be able to locate and replace the noise capacitors within the electrical system. Update (08/05/2017) Here a very simple outdoor range extender: N300 Wi-Fi Outdoor Range Extender. It uses PoE for power so you’ll need to wire up a battery pack with an Ethernet cable to power it. You’ll want to move one the antennas to the roof of the vehicle using an antenna extender kit. That way the base is inside the Jeep with the second antenna inside the passenger compartment.
You’ll need this to power it from your Jeeps power system: 12 volt DC to 24 Volt Passive PoE power injector which will allow you to hard wire it, or use the supplied power injector and cigarette lighter connection supplied in the N300 kit. Here’s one possible antenna cable extension: WiFi Magnetic Antenna Base and Extension Cable - RP-SMA
