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Secret Wireless Antenna Takers
Not to be confused with the Samba configuration utility of the same
name.
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SOME NOTES ON SCOUTING POTENTIAL SWAT TARGETS
Foxtel uses gold-colored helical MMDS antennas when a customer has
LOS to the CBD and no cable access is available. The parabolic grids
on these suckers are around about 500mm x 700mm (read "bloody big"),
but seeing as many of these people are paying good money for the
Foxtel service, they may be reluctant to let you have it. Geek index:
9 out of 10. Odds of getting one: very remote. Give your right nad for
one.
Optus uses galvanised helical MMDS antennas when a customer has LOS
to the CBD and no cable access is available. These are smaller than
the Foxtel helicals, probably 400mm x 600mm, and larger than the
Austar dipoles (having never seen an Austar helical in real life, I
can't comment on how they compare). As with the Foxtel customers,
Optus customers may have some problems accessing their pay-TV service
if you remove this antenna from their rooftop. Geek index: 7 out of
10. Odds of getting one: very remote. Consider parting with cash.
Austar used dipole antennas with a white powder-coated grid of about
300mm x 500mm in inner-city areas with LOS to the CBD. They've been
sitting on people's rooftops for about 15 years or so now, and many
people have forgotten they still have one until you point it out to
them. Many appear to be on rental properties, so you'll need to seek
the landlord's permission to remove them. Geek index: 3 out of 10.
Odds of getting one: 5 to 1. Ask to remove for free.
- Barry Park
_The geek index is a theoretical assessment of how many wireless
geeks attending a melbwireless meeting would look at the piece of
equipment brought along by another member. It is based on a random
pool of 10 geeks, but not including TonyLangdon [1], who cannot be
impressed by the size or power output of anyone's equipment._
Links:
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[1] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?TonyLangdon
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