Airport card works when air deflector not in!!!

[Risewithin]

Alright so I recently purchased a used Powermac dual 1.8 GHz powermac. The model is 7,2 actually. So this is the mac that has an external antenna which is installed correctly and everything. When I first plugged the mac in I want to get online with it. I noticed the signal was nothing or maybe even one dot on the meter and it wouldn't connect to my router which is only maybe 15ft away. My Imac works great and my laptop works great with this router. So I started to mess around with it a little. First I made sure the antenna was plugged in tight and still nothing. So I shut down my computer and took off the side to see if I could see anything. Nothing. So I left the side off including the air deflector and started the mac back up. I noticed the fans were much louder and there was a red light on in the front. I also noticed that my signal strength was awesome. So I went to put the air deflector on and the signal was lost. I took the air deflector back out and the strength went back up. I've tried to search for anyone else with the same problem and I got nothing even close to what I'm experiencing. Does anyone out there know what's going on? Please help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for everyone who reads this and I hope someone knows a fix. Thanks

Dustin

 

[Risewithin]

Update!!

So I downloaded istumbler so I could view my wireless signal strength and noise and stuff. When the air deflector is not in I get a signal strength of around 39-41%. When I put the deflector on it seems it stays about the same. When put the aluminum casing on it drops to about 27% from the stumbler program but the signal strength in my actual toolbar(right beside the volume control) it drops to nothing and I can't connect to my router. So I have two programs saying two different things. I'm all sort of confused right now cause everything works as long as i take out the air deflector and put it back in but I have to take the air deflector out first and put it back in before I get wireless signal but i still can't put the aluminum side back on. PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[Risewithin]

No help?

I guess nobody can help?

 

[California]

I figured out you meant a Powermac G5, which you did not state in your post.

There is a dual 1.8ghz upgrade for a Powermac G4, so you confused people.

I owned a 1.8 single G5 powermac and had the airport card put in. It would NOT work well without the Dr. Bott antenna extender.

This is because the early powermac G5 did not have internal wiring for airport built into the casing itself, as the later G5 PMs do.

I'm on my late 2005 PM G5 2.3ghz right now at full airport/bluetooth strength without need for external antennas.

P.S. You can run your powermac without the aluminum siding on. I have, many times.

google around for a good external and don't feel alone. Most people in 2003/2004 just plugged their internet directly into their Powermacs.

 

[Risewithin]

Thanks

Thanks I"ll try that out and see if it works. Sorry about the confusion it is a g5 with that dumb little antenna in the back that doesn't do much of anything. If they make bigger antennas for it i definitely want one. Thanks again.

 

[Risewithin]

Wondering

Hey I was wondering if maybe the little antenna i have now is bad or something? I've read people having just the little antenna on there and everything working great.