With my acquired 24V power supply I was set to install the Bullet2HP up the mast in place of my old set up. In doing this I wanted to make sure that the location was indeed a good one. The first thing I did was to go up the mast and put the Bullet2HP in place of the old box. All I had to do was switch the IP cable and use the old antenna. The antenna wasn’t left vertical but that would be enough for a test. The first test was not successful. I couldn’t see the device on my network. I tried a few things and then went up the mast again to check the unit. It showed it was receiving power. I went back down. It was working.
Having saved a few instances of the signal strength of the nearby stations I compared readings. They were not so good. However, I was not comparing like with like. I went up a third time to switch antennas (using the spare one I had for earlier use) and to position it vertically. Back down again I ran some more tests. Some of the stations were coming through more strongly but most were coming through weaker.
My guess is that proximity to the mast and spreaders is having more of a negative effect than the elevation is helping. This suggests that the mast placement, at least where I had it, is not so good after all. I went up a fourth time to retrieve the Bullet2HP and newer antenna and put it back where it had been, hanging from the job sheet away from the mast, to retest. The earlier, better, signal strengths were again being reported.
A fifth trip up the mast was then in order to remove the old network card, antenna and network cable.
In the afternoon, using the long network cable now retrieved from the mast, I had Helen walk about the top of the boat with the antenna/Bullet2HP while I compared signal strengths. Dangling from the jib sheets turns out to be one of the better places. The best was far aft above the bimini. This would suggest a permanent mount back there somewhere. This will require some thought. For now we can just stick the antenna out through the forward hatch and hang it on the jib sheet. We can even close the hatch over the cable if it rains so it’s ok for now.
Later in the afternoon we went for a walk around the local area popping into a couple of the beach front hotels to look around. They were nice, if you’re into that sort of thing, I guess but not our cup of tea.
The Leu Cats showed up in the afternoon in their dinghy having just arrived in the anchorage. They’re shaping up for a departure for Vanuatu this coming week which will mean more goodbyes/au revoirs. We’ve agreed to meet up for dinner ashore Monday evening.
Now it is Monday we plan to go to Lautako to properly clear into the western district. We’ll have a look around town before heading back to Nadi and doing our main provisioning for the next month. Tomorrow we may well be out of here. We like the idea of going round to Treasure Island and waiting there for the weather to settle before heading out to the western islands.
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