suggestions for an OMNI w/o significant downtilt?

[rebelwireless]

I've been targetting little areas in 'valleys', or more like ravines, often with 15-30 homes. This isn't enough clients to justify a huge setup, so I've been putting a 5G10 or 5G13 OMNI in.

The topology basically never allows my to pick one side of the valley, I'd have to have more pops in these curvy valleys. I've found spots almost right in the middle can services all the houses, but no other locations can see as much.

my issue is the electronic downtilt in the ubiquiti OMNIs. at 2 degrees up, they drop off really hard. The 5G10 would be perfect if it didnt have the 4 degree downtilt.

Regular sectors aren't a solution, same elevation issue and the physical dimensions are a big turn off. The smaller sectors do a lot better, but it still takes a rack of 3 of them for good coverage, they still have a downtilt, and when leaning them back to compensate I lose good signal to clients that are lower.

I've considered just mounting 1 5G10 upside down, and 1 right side up to solve this, but I know they aren't built to handle weather like that and I don't know if I'm asking to have it rusted out in a year.

anyone have advice for an omni with at least 8 degrees veritcle and not downtilt, or at the very least a sector with ~10dBi gain at 4degrees up?

[sirhc]

Do not do it unless you put a bucket over it.

[rebelwireless]

Do not do it unless you put a bucket over it.

I was thinking that i'd do a PVC pipe with a cap and a notch for the mount, and over the rocket and mount like a sleve. still don't think that's the optimal method.

[sirhc]

Well that is a decent idea anyway, something like a 6" pipe would fit down over it.

Wonder if you can still get thin schedule 10 or 20 pipe these days? 40 would be thick and lose some signal.

[rebelwireless]

Well that is a decent idea anyway, something like a 6" pipe would fit down over it.

Wonder if you can still get thin schedule 10 or 20 pipe these days? 40 would be thick and lose some signal.

I wasn't really thinking of covering the whole thing, just the 'bottom'/ now top that has the rocket and the bottom of the actual antenna. Leave the primary antenna part exposed. maybe run a bead of silicon around the top cap.

[sirhc]

should work