Increase Range to Your Bluetooth USB Dongle

by hendrosutono

22K2112

Intro: Increase Range to Your Bluetooth USB Dongle

Some bluetooth USB dongle only have a short range, that because the antenna is very short. In this instructables I've try to extent the antenna with inner cord from telephone cable. And it works....

STEP 1: What We Need

what we need is:

- Bluetooth USB dongle(of course)
- Telephone cable about 50cm long
- Soldering iron
- Soldering tin
- iron saw (I use the one from my victorinox)

STEP 2: Make a Small Hole in the Plastic Body

First crack open the USB dongle. Then the iron saw to make cut on each side of the plastic body, so when we assemble it will make a hole.

STEP 3: Attach the Inner Cord or Wire

Use your soldering iron to attach wire to the antenna on the PCB

STEP 4: Assemble the Dongle

Assemble the dongle then coil the wire over the body.

STEP 5: Use It

Now your your bluetooth USB dongle is ready to use. Can you see the range is increasing?

I'm doing this because I'm using my 3G phone as a modem. I've to placed the phone on the certain place to get better receiving. And with this innovation I can put the phone further from the computer, to get the best receiving.

11 Comments

stickynote916 1 year ago

For double the signal for your PC using a wireless adapter.. WOW Here's a real easy way! I just doubled my available networks and increased signal strength by 50% on all networks by... installing (2) usb adapters using both at the same time! That's it! I just bought a back up adapter and decided to try out both at the same time. One is a 1200m the other a 1300m. Try it.

Kevin the Science Nerd 13 years ago

Ok this is a great mod and I bow humbly to your skills, but "attach inner wire to antenna on pcb" is like saying "install nitrous on Volkswagen". I think you skipped a few steps here. I am handy with a soldering iron and not unfamiliar with a pcb, but I don't think I can follow you. The instructions seem a bit vague to me. Kudos on your instructable, but more info please.

elias.alberto 14 years ago

 That's what I was wondering. With 2.4ghz, the wavelenght in the air is about 12.5cm. Need to know the speed of the electromagnetic wave on the wire to say the right lenght the wire shoud have, though.

stephenniall 14 years ago

Just remember with this your still limited to your phones bluetooth range !

3yE 14 years ago

I don't see a reason why. A more efficient antenna is more efficient both for sending and receiving, so just one antenna should improve the effective range of any device couple by a fixed ratio which is its gain compared to stock antenna.

Note that a WLAN antenna should work perfectly for Bluetooth, you could even use one of those already built into your laptop.

Benzyl 14 years ago

That looks like four foot of antenna for something with a wavelength of just over twelve centimeters. Surely quarter wave or  .625 wavelength for better direction would be more appropriate (and tidier)? 

thepaul93 14 years ago

How much gain do you get from this?

hendrosutono 14 years ago

It used only working around 2 meters and now I can connect to my phone in range of 15 meters. I haven't try for the maximum cause my apartment is not to big...

thepaul93 14 years ago

That's a big increase, next time you might want to add the range difference into the instructable. Or people might think that it is not worth wile.

hendrosutono 14 years ago

but its still depend on what type of phone an USB dongle you've got... lucky I can get that far...