C/Net and ZDNet report that Microserv, a Wireless ISP in Idaho, claims to have set a new record for 2.4GHz and 5.8 Ghz long shots - 137.2 miles.
Microserv Computer Technologies, based in Idaho Falls, and Trango Wireless, a fixed-wireless broadband equipment maker, said they linked two points 137.2 miles apart, last week, using unlicensed wireless spectrum.
Microserv used gear from Trango to connect between two mountaintops in Idaho using 2.4GHz and 5.8 Ghz unlicensed wireless. The link was reportedly able to transmit an FTP file transfer at the rate of 2.3 megabits per second.
The equipment was not based on standard 802.11 wireless technology. Instead, they used proprietary radio technology from Trango. The companies also used external PacWireless 2-foot dishes.
Trango’s LINK-10 outdoor wireless Ethernet bridge is designed for point-to-point WAN extensions or ISP backhaul applications. Trango has a variety of long range antennas including the integrated 10 mile antenna as well as external 20 mile and 40 mile options (5.8 GHz band).
| Antenna | 5.8 GHz Range | 5.3 GHz Range |
| Integrated / Internal Antenna (18 dBi) | 10 Miles (10 dB fade margin) | 3 Miles (10 dB fade margin) |
| 15″ Patch Antenna (24 dBi) part #AD5830-23-D | 20 Miles (15 dB fade margin) | 5 Miles (10 dB fade margin) |
| 36″ Dish Antenna (31 dBi) part# SPD3-5.2T (RadioWaves, Inc.) | 40 Miles (21 dB fade margin) | 10 Miles (10 dB fade margin) |
The demonstration supposedly beats a previous record set at the end of July as part of the Defcon Wifi Shootout Contest, that claimed a new world record of 125 miles on July 30.
The Defcon Shootout used surplus 12-foot satellite dishes and 300 mW WiFi cards. Defcon officials say their record holds.
“I suppose it’s certainly possible for Microserv to have done what they claim to have done,” Dave Moore, founder of the Defcon contest, said. “What sets apart the 125-mile record set at the Defcon Wifi Shootout Contest is that it was subject to a strict verification and certification process administered by four independent judges.
Of course, the Defcon Shootout wasn’t, strictly speaking, FCC legal, either.
A 10 foot dish, with a gain of 33db at 2.4 GHz, would require a radio with no more than 21 dB output (125mW) to remain legal.
Meanwhile, Cranite Systems and Redline shot over 100 miles between Monterey and San Luis Obispo, California, using Redline’s WiMax-like system with Cranite’s FIPS 140-2 security. They weren’t even trying for a record.
Related DailyWireless stories include; New Wifi Record - 125 Miles!, Cheap Long Shots, 72 Mile Longshot, Seattle Wireless Fieldday, WiFi Signal Boosters Portland to Seattle WiFi Proposal, Intergalatic Longshots, Intercontinental WiFi and 100 WiFi Video?.
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