This is a really simple way to measure WiFi strength. Actually, it will measure anything in the 2.4Ghz range, like your microwave. The device consists of a two element quad antenna, a Ghz sensitive diode and a variable capacitor for tuning. The sensor is plugged into a voltmeter for measurement. The page has links for locating the specialized diodes.
That idea’s not bad. It’s how they pimpoint earthquakes. Only difference is funding.
And I wonder how an old microwave would register on that thing.
Posted at 12:20 pm on Dec 11th, 2005 by winphreak
ARRRGH! He doesnt specify EXACTLY which diode he used… I have a box full of thrift-store radar detectors and other door-opener gunnplexers, (all have SIMILAR microwave diodes in them) but theres no way to tell which will work best…
Posted at 12:59 pm on Dec 11th, 2005 by burndup
This is a beautiful hack. Thanks, Eliot.
Posted at 1:37 pm on Dec 11th, 2005 by tns
Forwarded this to my brother, he probably will be happy with it :-D
Posted at 1:50 pm on Dec 11th, 2005 by John Bokma
Teamhackaday.com is down, right when I was about to submit a long post too.
:(
Posted at 3:19 pm on Dec 11th, 2005 by ez
Nevermind, it’s up,
Posted at 3:22 pm on Dec 11th, 2005 by ez
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Posted at 6:35 pm on Dec 11th, 2005 by PEte
1N5711 schottky diodes will work, and are much easier to find. To drive an analog meter, you’d need to buffer the diode’s output with an op-amp. For a accurate reading in dBm, look into the Analog Devices AD8313/AD8314 series of log detectors.
Posted at 6:50 pm on Dec 11th, 2005 by rc:line
10 bucks says petes a virgin
Posted at 10:15 pm on Dec 11th, 2005 by monster
Another good source for these microwave diodes is old radar detectors. Nearly any radar detector that uses a cast metal waveguide horn and mixer housing will have one or more detector diodes installed in their mixer stage.
Some manufactures of radar detectors used “strip-line” waveguides and mixers, so these will have a double-sided p.c. board with
tiny little “pellet”, surface-mounted diodes instead of a 3-dimesional “horn” assembly. These would, admittedly be much harder to de-solder/solder to without overheating and destroying them, but might make for a far more compact antenna assembly.
Standard ESD precautions should also be observed to protect these types of diode/s from static discharge while handling and soldering.
DC
Posted at 10:39 pm on Dec 11th, 2005 by D. Cooper
Ugly, but beautiful! I’m wondering if the guage of the copper wire makes a difference? It looks as though this person used a 12 guage wire for the elements. This would maybe make a good detector for tooling around the neighborhood in your car, seeing which neighbors of yours are using an 802.11g transmitter ;). Oh – and put me in for 10 on pete also.
Posted at 8:28 am on Dec 12th, 2005 by Bob
Ugly, but beautiful! I’m wondering if the guage of the copper wire makes a difference? It looks as though this person used a 12 guage wire for the elements. This would maybe make a good detector for tooling around the neighborhood in your car, seeing which neighbors of yours are using an 802.11g transmitter ;). Oh – and put me in for 10 on pete also.
Posted at 8:55 am on Dec 12th, 2005 by Bob
Mixer diode outta the radar detector, eh?
Ima slap one of these puppies together tonight!
Posted at 10:35 am on Dec 12th, 2005 by burndup
Look at http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/27736.pdf for a more professional detector. The diode is quite cheap by the way – only ca $3. Its name is HSMS-286K. Get it at Farnell: http://no.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSearch/partDetail.jsp?SKU=3883103&N=401
jkvatne
Posted at 5:20 am on Dec 22nd, 2005 by Jan kåre vatne
i just recently took apart my old Gameboy Color and noticed that at the top of it there are a couple of LED’s. i was just wondering if the Gameboy Color was originally meant to be able to control things remotely with its LED’s.
Posted at 11:37 pm on Dec 22nd, 2005 by Jeffrey
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this thing is cool. i wonder if he could build three of them and pinpoint the source of the emr. like if they were spaced out enough and he had some software that interprets the differences in strength…. bah maybe too complicated…
Posted at 11:25 am on Dec 11th, 2005 by joelanders