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Has anyone here used the Bluespot Grid?

Slammy

Pro Member
Hi,

Im struggling to find any reviews for the ultra long range version. It boasts 30dB gain, which seems very high? Tad expensive, but thinking it might be better than the poynting directional antenna i currently use.


If anyone has used it, let me know. All the reviews are for the smaller box version of the antenna, not the big grid one.
 
I have decided to order it and will write a review for you guys when it comes :)
Blinkenlight trades as Paradar:


it may be worth emailing their info email address for more information on the Grid.
 
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It'll be pants and disappointing - not worth the money.

Why?

Because the dish and feed don't match - the dish is designed for single feed hence why it's wider than it is taller to capture more RF in a single plane.

The feed provided is 2x2 MIMO which basically means one antenna will see the full width of the dish and the other will only see the height.

You'll plug the antenna in, see results, swap cables over, see results, and then wonder why one antenna performs better than the other.

It's because it is really a SISO dish.

If the dish was actually full 360 round with the same parabola, it'd worth it but for that price it just isn't.
 
It'll be pants and disappointing - not worth the money.

Why?

Because the dish and feed don't match - the dish is designed for single feed hence why it's wider than it is taller to capture more RF in a single plane.

The feed provided is 2x2 MIMO which basically means one antenna will see the full width of the dish and the other will only see the height.

You'll plug the antenna in, see results, swap cables over, see results, and then wonder why one antenna performs better than the other.

It's because it is really a SISO dish.

If the dish was actually full 360 round with the same parabola, it'd worth it but for that price it just isn't.
If you link me a better parabolic dish to buy I'll order it instead. Cancelled the order based on your advice.

If you saw my message about 1 on getic disregard they're charging £90 delivery which is stupid
 
If you link me a better parabolic dish to buy I'll order it instead. Cancelled the order based on your advice.

If you saw my message about 1 on getic disregard they're charging £90 delivery which is stupid
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news - I learned from experience as I at first bought a similar dish and antenna feed and found that because the dish is essentially smaller in one direction, you lose much of the gain making it rather pointless for MIMO.

I believe these dishes are actually of a TP-Link origin for a WiFi antenna design. They stopped production of them and retail sale but obviously the design has been reproduced.

I've been considering something like the below - yet to get a price though but considering the performance of my existing antennas I've not seen the need yet.

 
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news - I learned from experience as I at first bought a similar dish and antenna feed and found that because the dish is essentially smaller in one direction, you lose much of the gain making it rather pointless for MIMO.

I believe these dishes are actually of a TP-Link origin for a WiFi antenna design. They stopped production of them and retail sale but obviously the design has been reproduced.

I've been considering something like the below - yet to get a price though but considering the performance of my existing antennas I've not seen the need yet.


What do you use for your existing antennas? Im open with experimenting with things
 
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What do you use for your existing antennas? Im open with experimenting with things

I'm sure that @dazmatic will explain properly in due course, but I'll take the liberty of chiming in because I'm starting on a similar path. You might find it interesting to look at the latter stages of this thread, which I started a little while ago, starting at post #6:


Post #19 is the essential information (you may find some of what's on the second page interesting, too). I have bought precisely what is described here (the dish has arrived and the feeds are en route from Qifan, currently taking a break in Dubai). Be warned, it's a slippery slope ... :) (but quite fun, too!).

Andrew

PS. I did, briefly, consider this Bluespot Grid, too, by the way. I e-mailed to enquire what gain might be expected at 1800MHz (LTE band 3), not imagining that it could really be 30dB across the whole spectrum, but didn't get a reply.
 
That's a shame about the Grid not performing well. I've had a play with the Bluespot mini which worked excellently with 5G.
 
Here's some information regarding the antenna I linked earlier

There's a datasheet and some gain charts the seller sent me - I still might get one depending on cost. If the shipping is ridiculous I might not - its 90cm diameter so it's pretty large.


Attached is a photo of my current antenna set up using two reverse firing LPDA paddles pointing into 2x 90x60cm grid dishes.
Box on the wall contains router and PoE adapter.

IMG_20230113_092238.webp
 
Inside one of the LPDA paddles.


IMG_20221208_152351.webp
 
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Inside one of the LPDA paddles.


View attachment 5192
Those Log PCB Panels look from a distance to be decent quality and well made, can I make a suggestion, when you get bored or have some spare time, move one of them to the other side of your property, ie, get as much horizontal and If possible different depth in relation to the Mast your firing at, I reckon that could potentially improve your MiMo difference and in turn increase DL speed. 😏
 
Those Log PCB Panels look from a distance to be decent quality and well made, can I make a suggestion, when you get bored or have some spare time, move one of them to the other side of your property, ie, get as much horizontal and If possible different depth in relation to the Mast your firing at, I reckon that could potentially improve your MiMo difference and in turn increase DL speed. 😏
They're OK. Admittedly, the store picture showed a metallic boom but actually received plastic instead so I was a little disappointed there.

Nonetheless they're not terribly built. If memory serves the VSWR wasn't that great across the band's, probably due to the compactness, but the forward gain due to the dish more than makes up for it.

Still I've seen some impressive results.

I'd love to get a couple more and try for 4x4 MIMO given the SINR I can get now but the spot they're in currently is the only I can reliably get reception, anywhere else and there's too much in the way or I can't get the height for LOS. Signal here is really weak on Three B3, if I stand outside with my phone in the same spot I might get 135-140dBm~ish, certainly nothing useable.
 
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news - I learned from experience as I at first bought a similar dish and antenna feed and found that because the dish is essentially smaller in one direction, you lose much of the gain making it rather pointless for MIMO.

I found exactly the same thing with my repurposed TP-Link wifi parabolic dish. It sort of worked but not particularly well. RSRP was what my SXT termed “Unreliable”. Up and download speeds were all over the place.

isp04low-jpg.4477


Using a repurposed centre feed satellite dish worked wonders. The RSRP is poor but stable. Signal quality is “Excellent”.


isp02low-jpg.4478


Incidentally my LHGG can’t see anything at all, which surprised me. It outperformed the SXT at home but is useless in Wales.
 
I now but the spot they're in currently is the only I can reliably get reception, anywhere else and there's too much in the way or I can't get the height for LOS. Signal here is really weak on Three B3, if I stand outside with my phone in the same spot I might get 135-140dBm~ish, certainly nothing useable.
Fair do's on the Location and Signal Quality.

My only other gripe, just me always aiming for perfection, is again looking at the Pics, the LNB Holder in front of the Panel looks like its made from metal, if it is, I would say its too close to the Panel, look at the Higher Freq End of the Log PCB it looks like its part covered in front by the LNB Holder, I think I would try and modify that somehow so that at least 2 or 3 cm prior to the Log Panel is free from any metal obstruction, possibly a Perspex or Plastic / Resin Tube, is the Focal Point of the Holder adjustable.
 
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Fair do's on the Location and Signal Quality.

My only other gripe, just me always aiming for perfection, is again looking at the Pics, the LNB Holder in front of the Panel looks like its made from metal, if it is, I would say its too close to the Panel, look at the Higher Freq End of the Log PCB it looks like its part covered in front by the LNB Holder, I think I would try and modify that somehow so that at least 2 or 3 cm prior to the Log Panel is free from any metal obstruction, possibly a Perspex or Plastic / Resin Tube, is the Focal Point of the Holder adjustable.
It's all plastic.

Likewise, there are a few additional holes in the boom to adjust the LPDA paddle in/out depending on where you want the focal point to be i.e. what frequency (in for lower, out for higher.

You can gain/lose 2-3dB of gain adjusting this, spent a little time testing it, moving it back and forth. Focal point is a little further out than you expect but it does work so well.
 
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