Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

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Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by TassieTiger » 17 Jun 2019, 9:49 pm

So I’m wanting to install some remote security cameras with audio at my property cabin - so I can be emailed by. I’ve tried and then converse with any trespassers, should there be any.

I’m confident I have the power supply sorted out (inverted 12v solar to 240v - 220ah battery) but the 3G coverage is sporadic at best - can get 1 bar of service on beat days, if you hold your mouth right...

So, I’ve been looking to find a 3G router/modem that I can install a Yagi antenna into to improve signal - both receive and transmit - but I can only find desk top / car range extending antenna ports - has anyone seen anything?

Once I have signal, I plan on cabling the modem to a NVR with two POE and PTZ cameras with motion detection and 2 way audio capability.
I’ve tested a single low quality camera from eBay -$79 and apart from reduced clarity, the audio works very well...

But this is all moot if I can’t get signal - are there are rural : remote shooters here that have resolved the same issue?
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Re: Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by Kel » 18 Jun 2019, 9:36 am

I use a hi gain roof mounted yagi antenna which connects to an 8" square (ish) pad which interacts with a phone's internal antenna when the phone is paced on the pad. In the car I use a 6dB (from memory) LTE dipole which connects to a cradle which interacts with the phones internal antenna when the phone is in the cradle.

Both the house and car antennas I have are terminated with SME connectors that would suit 3G modems with external SME antennas.

Something else that I have set up on the farm is a directional RF link from the house where we have satellite internet to a distant barn and at the barn I pick up that link and feed it to an omni directional high power wifi access point to achieve a wide area wifi that routes back through my satellite internet connection. I plan to use that wide area wifi to connect some solar powered POE cameras that access the wifi using micro routers.
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Re: Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by TassieTiger » 18 Jun 2019, 10:13 pm

Thanks for reply.
I’ve found the point to point wifi links (mini dish) continually drop out in bad weather - something I want to avoid.
Those 6db dipoles sound pretty decent - but the signal strength, as I understand it, with a 6db gain, will only give fraction more consistency rather than truthfully improving signal. I was wondering if you could get a 3G repeater - but apparently they are not legal...
QUESTION- Why would you need POE cameras if going solar?
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Re: Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 19 Jun 2019, 7:01 am

You can get telstra and optus approved 3g repeaters its through a company called Cel-Fi.... looking at a couple of grand though... but might help you.

The other option is ubiquity and their point to point antenna or unifi range of products that can help you create a mesh of wifi around your property that actually automatically hand you over to the next access point when signal from your current access point gets weak. It does require management software which youth can run on a mini PC... atleast it was free and the unifi access points were not that expensive.
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Re: Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by TassieTiger » 19 Jun 2019, 9:29 pm

We use those ubiquitous microwave at work - they are brilliant for their cost.

I don’t need long range wifi or scattered 3G - I’ll use PTZ cams to zoom distances. I just need to lift the base signal to somewhere useable.
I was at the block today and for 50% of the time my phone was in SOS only and the other 50%, - 1 bar of Telstra...id like to get that to maybe 2 bars of service availability x 100% of the time....
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Re: Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 20 Jun 2019, 8:33 am

Well celfi it is. I don't think any other is telstra approved.

If you get a good cheap ptz camera with good optical zoom let me know. The hikvision ones are about 800/900. But smart tracking is really good
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Re: Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by TassieTiger » 20 Jun 2019, 12:14 pm

Ziad wrote:Well celfi it is. I don't think any other is telstra approved.

If you get a good cheap ptz camera with good optical zoom let me know. The hikvision ones are about 800/900. But smart tracking is really good


I’ve seen some decent provision cams with awesome analytics- made in israel - they run about $400 from memory for the bottom end Xoom.

I’m starting to wonder how tall I can weld a pole with a dipole on top lol.
Tikka .260 (Z5 5x25/52)
Steyr Pro Varmint .223 - VX 3
CZ455 .22 & Norinco .22 (vtex 4-12, bush 3-9)
ATA 686 U/O 12g & Baikal S/S 12g.
Adler a110 reddot
Sauer 30-06 - VX 3
Howa 300 win mag. SHV 5-20/56
Marlin SBL 45/70
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Re: Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 20 Jun 2019, 5:32 pm

I reckon you could go 100m.... just dig it 30m into the ground...or have enough supports
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Re: Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by Kel » 23 Jun 2019, 5:31 am

TassieTiger wrote:Thanks for reply.
I’ve found the point to point wifi links (mini dish) continually drop out in bad weather - something I want to avoid.
Those 6db dipoles sound pretty decent - but the signal strength, as I understand it, with a 6db gain, will only give fraction more consistency rather than truthfully improving signal. I was wondering if you could get a 3G repeater - but apparently they are not legal...
QUESTION- Why would you need POE cameras if going solar?


The 6db Gain is a 4x power improvement but definitely not as effective as the 13db improvement I see with the yagi. At the farm the yagi gets me from 1 or 2 bars to 3 bars reliably aka -113 dbm to -100dbm (-100dbm is actually a better signal than we receive in our apartment in the city). While its on my mind when you choose a yagi (even if you are adding it to a Cel-fi) make sure it is tuned for the correct band your phone service provider is using in the regional area (which can be different from the metro areas).

Solar to 12V powered POE router is easy and much better choice of POE cameras than wifi cameras. The router can then connect to existing network via a long ethernet run or outdoor wifi access point depending on the site layout.
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Re: Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by on_one_wheel » 23 Jun 2019, 10:31 am

I'd be tempted to try the non Telstra approved 3G signal boosters with a Yagi antenna especially if there's no other houses within a few hundred meters.


As a side note, I just pulled down one of my surveillance cameras to replace the batteries and swap SD cards and failed to put it back up in a timely manner. I left it down for two weeks and in that time I had somebody enter the property and perform an act of propety damage.
I'm absolutely kicking myself, they would have been right under the camera to.

I won't be making the same mistake twice.
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Re: Extending Telstra 3G range - any rural tech heads?

Post by TassieTiger » 23 Jun 2019, 12:45 pm

Oh that sucks so bad wheel - I know the feeling. Nothing happens for two years and then a fault for a week...Murphy can be a prick.

I am meeting with a comms tech next week - I might be tempted to do as you say, closet house is Klms awY.
Tikka .260 (Z5 5x25/52)
Steyr Pro Varmint .223 - VX 3
CZ455 .22 & Norinco .22 (vtex 4-12, bush 3-9)
ATA 686 U/O 12g & Baikal S/S 12g.
Adler a110 reddot
Sauer 30-06 - VX 3
Howa 300 win mag. SHV 5-20/56
Marlin SBL 45/70
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