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Looking for info on what gain of an antenna I should use to cover the bleachers of a football field.

The field house where the AP will be installed is above and behind the HOME bleachers and across the filed from the VISITORS bleachers. The field houses ground floor is at a height of the highest bleacher.

I will only need about 10-12' of cable as first estimate.

Plan on using a BG, with a 8dBi patch antenna on a mast slighting about the roof of the field house, with a slight tilt down pointing towards mid field. Don't want to use an Omni since they don't want parking lot guests to have access.

This will only be used as a convenience to guests.

~K

This is where RF math and link budgets help.

* Assume 100 mW of power (20 dBm)
* -2 dB of cable loss (est)
* Antenna gain of 8 dBi

So, total EIRP is 26 dBm.

Free space path loss for 300' is about 80 dB.

26 dBm - 80 dB = -66 dBm

So, the math says it works IF there are no other obstructions like say... people. :)

I'd install it as is and test it in a crowd. Worst case you have to replace the antenna.

GT

GT,

That is about the numbers I came to. The good part is that there will be no people in the RF path. The way the filed house and stands are, the antenna will be above all the people and pointing down.

After the install I'll update and let you know how it worked.

~K