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At this point, you should have collected all the pieces. Hopefully, you have been able to configure everything, and confirmed that it’s all working. No doubt, you are about to head out on your first WarDrive. Before you do, however, look over these setups and make sure you are ready. You can see a typical NetStumbler setup in Figure 3.18. Most setups will include the following, or very similar, items:
A laptop with PC Card or PCMCIA slot(s)
An ORiNOCO Classic Gold wireless network interface card
An antenna pigtail
A portable omni-directional antenna in the 3dBi to 8dBi range, with magnetic mount base
GPS
Serial communications cable for GPS
GPS cradle mount
Figure 3.18: A Complete NetStumbler WarDriving Rig: Laptop, GPS Receiver, Omni Antenna, and Pigtail
A laptop carrying case (shoulder bag or backpack) is not shown in the photo, but is certainly an item that you don’t want to overlook. It helps make carrying all the equipment around a lot easier.
A typical MiniStumbler setup is shown in Figure 3.19. It includes:
An iPAQ PocketPC
A PC card expansion pack
ORiNOCO Classic Gold wireless network interface card
An antenna pigtail
An omni-directional antenna
GPS
A serial communications cable for GPS
A Belkin USB/Serial “Y-Sync” synchronization cable for iPAQ
A Radio Shack Male DB9-Male DB9 Gender Adapter
A Radio Shack Null Modem Adapter
Figure 3.19: A Complete MiniStumbler WarDriving Rig: PocketPC, GPS Receiver, Omni Antenna, and Pigtail
If you have a MiniStumbler kit, you might want to consider having a minimal setup to use while walking or bicycle riding. A possible “WarWalking” kit could consist of items similar to this list:
An iPAQ PocketPC
A PC card expansion pack
ORiNOCO Classic Gold wireless network interface card
“Puck”- or “Mouse”-style GPS
A serial communications cable for GPS
With a minimal setup such as this, you can usually carry a whole “Stumbler Setup” in a large camera case or fanny pack. You can see how compact the whole assembly is in Figure 3.20.
Figure 3.20: A Minimal MiniStumbler “WarWalking” Rig: PocketPC and GPS Receiver Only
Three other accessories that may you may find useful are: a mobile power supply for the laptop or PocketPC, multiple socket cigarette lighter adapter, and a DC-AC power inverter. The multiple cigarette lighter socket adapter allows you to have extra 12-Volt power sockets in your vehicle without rewiring, and a DC-AC converter allows you to power devices that you might not own an automotive power supply for, such as a laptop. Independently or together, these two accessories allow you to have a flexible electrical power arrangement in your vehicle.
Belkin makes a USB/Automotive Power Adapter that powers an iPAQ in a vehicle while connected to a GPS. This allows the iPAQ to be powered in a vehicle via a Synchronization cable. The adapter actually comes with a Belkin mobile synchronization cable, but it seems to work well with most USB cables, including the Serial/USB Y-cable.
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