AP Test Power Supply Unit

March 23, 2015

Wow, the title makes this not sound like some rigged pile of parts hehe…Don’t get me wrong, this is totally pro.

I needed a way to power an access point so that I could test coverage patterns in different places. It is one thing to talk to a potential customer and say “I think if we place one here, and one here, we should get good coverage.” It is quite another to be able to just whip out an AP and fire it up, walk around completely at your leisure and test signal strengths.

Our victim

I used my 18v Ryobi drill set as a power supply. The set I have comes with a flashlight…which I have never actually used. You could gut the light and permanently make it a PSU, but I wanted to convert mine in such a way that it could switch back to being a flashlight if I wanted.

Luckily the Ryobi flashlight actually supplies all 18vs to the bulb, so we can just remove the bulb and tie in there:

Simply unscrewing the cover shows the bulb.

Positive is an inner spring and negative is the outer spring…pretty simple.

Simple alligator clips.

It is as easy as hooking the red to the center post, then clipping the black to the outer spring.

I went ahead and screwed the outer ring back on.

taping the leads down so they won’t run away.

I cut the leads off of the wall wart. The thick white striped wire is the center positive. If you are unsure you can always use your continuity tester.

Clip to the plug and tape them over.

Plug the POE adapter in and hook up the radio.

IT WORKKKKKKS

A little more tape.

Obviously if I planned to take this around a client I would clean it up. I’m really going to just use it to walk around outside of properties and test with it in that fashion.

I’ll take this and ziptie an 8 foot piece of PVC pipe to it. I’ll then attach the AP to the end and go to town.

Let me know what you have MacGyvered in the past to test with.

Comments

7 responses to “AP Test Power Supply Unit”

March 23, 2015

Jason

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Power-Source-Tool-Only-49-24-2371/203461325?AID=10368321&PID=1796839&SID=76580150&cm_mmc=CJ-_-1796839-_-10368321&cj=true

I carry one of these just incase. Also works wonders while camping or hiking to change the phone.
March 23, 2015

Tim Payne

Greg,
You must be very bored, in need of a project.. 🙂

-tp
March 23, 2015

Greg

@Jason, nice one. I figure one of those battery jumper sets that has the inverter built in would work a treat too.
March 23, 2015

Greg

@Tim
Not bored…too much to do for that. I love a good chance to rig something, though.
March 24, 2015

lali

very cool. will be stealing this idea. Thanks.

btw, here are some connectors that I find useful for some of my wiring projects.

http://www.amazon.com/Wago-222-415-LEVER-NUTS-Conductor-Connectors/dp/B003K12QN0/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1427261933&sr=1-1
March 25, 2015

Greg

@Lali
I’ve not seen those before…I may have to grab a few!
March 26, 2015

Mike Hammett

You should mount a NanoBridge or an SXT to the spot wher the light would go. 😉

AP Test Power Supply Unit

Comments

7 responses to “AP Test Power Supply Unit”

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