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Horizontal or vertical Time Capsule orientation

A

adjuvantjfoster

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I am curious about the antenna radiation pattern for a 2.5 and 5 GHz Time Capsule.

Based on antenna characteristics, should I get stronger signal on a MacBook Pro 3.06 GHz and an iPad, located a few tens of feet horizontally on about the same level of the building, with a horizontal or vertical Time Capsule orientation?
 
Horizontal or vertical Time Capsule orientation

Frosties said:
It wouldn't make any difference.
Click to expand...

OK being new around here, I looked at the thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/879595/

I came to the conclusion you were blowing me off, and that was not what I expected. An alternative source of help is another antenna focused list I frequent:

Send Antenna-discussion mailing list submissions to
antenna-discussion@antennex.com

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://lists.antennex.com/mailman/listinfo/antenna-discussion
Click to expand...

Sadly, I passed my last course in antenna theory in 1958 at Ryerson in Toronto, so these frequenters of Cebit guys are waaay beyond my league. That is why I joined this forum and posted here.

Not being current in antenna theory does not mean I am a Mac newbie. I was a Lisa consultant when the pesky little Mac appeared, and I have been doing "dial a prayer" Mac support ever since.

I could spend a day or so messing around with an experimental hardware setup with MacStumber or KisMac (info here) or I could post a question among folks who spend more time looking at "tear down" hardware results than I do.

So back to the original question: Horizontal or vertical Time Capsule orientation? ( and on what do you base your answer?

Respectfully

John
 
Horizontal or vertical Time Capsule orientation

Frosties said:
Don't be a tosser. If a poster does not give you your desired answer it can actually be right anyway. What at all does your link has to do with my answer?
Click to expand...

I regret offending you. (sheepish grin)

It would be an act of kindness if you explained why "it did not matter" in terms of antenna patterns on the TimeCapsule, the MacBook Pro and the iPad.

Or maybe explain that you have installed TimeCapsule in various orientations with no noticeable results

Or maybe explain what ever basis you have for your answer.

Rspectfully

John (hopefully not perceived as a tosser )
 
Frosties said:
http://images.appleinsider.com/timecapsuletestreport090302.pdf
Click to expand...

Many thanks for that report. I admire your tenacity in finding it. The report was a long read, but way down close to the end I found their test setup.

The EUT (Equipment Under Test) is placed on a non-conducting table 80 cm above the ground plane. The antenna to EUT distance is 3 meters.
SNIP
The frequency range of interest is monitored at a fixed antenna height and EUT azimuth. The EUT is rotated through 360 degrees to maximize emissions received. The antenna is scanned from 1 to 4 meters above the ground plane to further maximize the emission. Measurements are made with the antenna polarized in both the vertical and horizontal positions
Click to expand...

The test setup was to ensure that maximum allowable emissions were not exceeded. There was no documentation of relative emissions strength as the EUT was rotated through 360 degrees. There was no documentation of relative emissions strength as the EUT was inclined from minus 90 through plus 90 degrees.

So the question remains unanswered, for now. (drat)

If you have a URL of any tear down results for the Time Capsule or the similar age of Airport Extreme, the pictures of the antenna might shed some light on this.

My own antenna and instrumentation design experience (for a PhD in the 1960's) was for the other extreme end of the electromagnetic spectrum (reversals of the earth's magnetic field (tens of millions of years per cycle) and magnetotellurics (milliherz to tens of herz frequencies) ) so I have no idea what those little GHz patch antennas have for directional characteristics.

Hopefully you or some of your friends have more relevant experience than I do to sort out this seemingly trivial problem.

Respectfully
John
 
Horizontal or vertical Time Capsule orientation

adjuvantjfoster said:
SNIP

If you have a URL of any tear down results for the Time Capsule or the similar age of Airport Extreme, the pictures of the antenna might shed some light on this.

SNIP
Click to expand...

Ah, but there is a clue to be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimo

It seems that the antennae (there seem to be several) are pretty intelligently configured. Compared to SSB HF and marine VHF antenna design. the antenna design in the GHz region is really complex, and not at all intutive as to how they work just by looking at how they are arranged.

Bottom line:I still have no clue if there is anything to be gained(or lost) in a vertical orientation of the TimeCapsule.

Respectfully,

John
 
Antenna radiation Plot?

My concern is similar.

I get good reception out the back of my Time Capsule, lousy in the forward direction.

Has anyone found a plot of the field strength?
 
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