[ILUG] [OT] Long range wireless keyboard & mouse

[Declan Moriarty]

On Fri, 2006-06-30 at 14:45 +0100, bobb wrote:
> Hey folks, this is somewhat OT, although the devices must work with linux :)
> I'm looking for a wireless keyboard & mouse combo (or seperate, don't mind)
> which will work well over a fairly long range, 10 meters or more.
> 
> I've done a fair bit of digging, and have found some potentials,
> although they all tend to be US keymaps - a UK one would be preferable.
> They are also a little pricy, but thats not a huge issue.

You can hack keymaps and roll your own without too much sweat.
> 
> Also, some of the models I found use 2.4G RF, is this likely to interfer with
> local wireless networks ? - I seem to be pretty ignorant of wireless tech :)

That's well into microwave. The Main 'wireless' bands are 27 and 49(?)
Mhz, with shortwave up there somewhere. There's a fair few notches
grabbed in 350Mhz+ But up at 2.4Gig you _theoretically_ need line of
sight or a good bounce. Remember all the bellyaching about MMDS when it
came in? You're up there. My 'wireless' phone contradicts this and
broadcasts  at 2.splash Ghz and is very, very solid. I can take it out
of the house and into the shed, or down the road. The dept of
Communications also have/had a very savvy technical section you can try
for help.
> 

The thing to watch out for harmonics wise is the 27Mhz band. Standard CB
has Single SideBand, meaning that it is amplitude modulated on one side
only, unlike broadcast radio, which is modulated on both sides. CB
licenses here are/were for FM (Frequency mod - amplitude is constant),
but everybody already had AM radios, so that went nowhere. That's nasty
harmonics wise. Unlimited rf broadcasting is OK on 13.56 Mhz and it's
second & third harmonics for industrial equipment. You are usually just
fine with those things at 2.4 Ghz.
-- 
        With Best Regards,

        Declan Moriarty.