Cell Phone boosters or antennas

[Jeff Thies]

The rental house is on the downside of a hill and the cellphone coverage is poor. Up the driveway it is fine.

Any experience with any of the cell phone boosters?

I see some are tethered to the phone, in which case an antenna would be just as well. Some rebroadcast both ways. I'd like to spend less than $200, but you know how that goes!

I'm halfway thinking of a Pringles can (or some such waveguide antenna) facing the tower, but elevated, connected to a half (or quarter if there is a ground plane) wave dipole. Seems like the can would have a ton of gain. Crazy?

Jeff

[Rod Speed]

poor. Up the driveway it is fine.

They arent legal in my country.

Yes, those are used a lot in RVs.

You do need a cellphone that can have an antenna attached, most modern ones cant anymore.

that goes!

Nope, it can work, but its not as easy to do as you might think.

[Tony Miklos]

Get yourself an old "bag phone". They have about 20 times more signal strength. Keep the antenna away from your body.

[aemeijers]

And talk to what with it? All the old bag phones I have seen are analog, which is basically gone at this point.

OP needs a cell repeater or femtocell device. He'll cry at the price, though, even online. Google 'residential cell phone booster', figure out correct model. and then try to find a cheaper one on ebay.

Or just get rid of the cell phone and get a real phone. After a month you won't even miss it.

[Doug Miller]

Talk to your cellular service provider. When I complained to Sprint about poor signal strength in my home, they shipped me -- free of charge -- a microcell that sends the signal via internet. Signal in my living room went from one bar to five bars. It's been installed about two years now, and we haven't had any trouble with it at all.

[Michael B]

Or change providers. They share towers, but there are other towers, other locations.

[Malcolm Hoar]

You were lucky. Still, I'm glad I forked out the $150 for an AT&T Microcell that fixed my problem with almost 0 bars at home. I didn't have much of a choice since Verizon and Sprint coverage are no better at this location.

I bought the thing the day it was released for public sale and the initial performance was a bit ragged. However, it improved dramatically over the next few months. I assume that was due to firmware updates.

Repeaters and the like are a lot more expensive ($200-500+ with antennas and all) and the results are very hit and miss according to the reports I studied.

[aemeijers]

yeah, but if it is hung off your internet connection, and that goes down, and you don't have a landline, how ya gonna call it in?

[philkryder]

I have no knowledge of chip can antennas.

I have use antennaes and two of the WILSON boosters and one of the wy- ex zboost sytems.

All of them worked. for both ATT and VERIZON 800/1900. Remember that 4 g is coming - if that matters to you.

The antennae i used required a phone that accept an antenae. As noted there are few of them any more. However, I've seen ads for inductive coupled antenaes. I have NOT tried those.

check with Wilson for solutions. they are very helpful.

also check with Howard Forums on the net.

Remember you can only boost signal if you HAVE signal. zero times any boost is still zero. You may be able to run the cable up the hill to where there is signal for the external antenae. The LMR 400 cable is expensive, but much better than "regular" coax.

one final note, be sure that you Follow the instructions to make sure that the booster cannot "see" the external antenae. We ended up using a refridgerator to separate them. it made a huge difference.

[Rod Speed]

Tony Miklos wrote

poor. Up the driveway it is fine.

as well. Some rebroadcast both ways. I'd

The industry is pulling the plug on those AMPS phones now.

[George]

How does that work out portability wise?

[Malcolm Hoar]

Drive half a mile down the road where I can make a regular cellphone without difficulty. Or 1.5 miles where I can park literally right under an AT&T cell tower ;-)

Yes, the Microcell is useless without IP but I'm still better off with it than I am without it. It doesn't make matters worse in *any* respect -- there's zero downside (apart from the $150 purchase price).

[Jeff Thies]

poor. Up the driveway it is fine.

cant anymore.

how that goes!

What's the problem?

It's mostly that I need to go up about 5 feet.

That looks like: a 4 1/4" (for 1900 mHz) can at least that long. Perhaps a 1/4" hole 1.63" from the bottom, with 1.63" of wire sticking both into and out of the can mounted in a bit of plex. Orient the can vertically and point it at the nearest cellphone tower, which is visible.

Am I missing something that you know of?

Jeff

[Rod Speed]

Jeff Thies wrote

poor. Up the driveway it is fine.

cant anymore.

how that goes!

You clearly dont know much about antennas. Not that that is a major problem if you can find a decent set of plans for one.

Whats that based on, where the driveway is ?

I still think that if your cellphone can accept and external antenna, and most cant, that it makes a lot more sense to just buy the sort of antenna thats designed for a car or RV instead and use that.

Yes, thats a wifi cantenna, not a cellphone cantenna. The frequencys are completely different.

Your original shows that you dont understand the basics with the bit about the dipole. That cantenna doesnt use anything like that.

Corse you do need to check that your cellphone can take an external antenna first, most cant.

[Jeff Thies]

poor. Up the driveway it is fine.

cant anymore.

how that goes!

Yes, I know, which is why I tuned it for 1900 mHz rather than (I believe) 2300mHz.

I think I have some grasp on dipoles (held an Amateur Advanced [seems like misnomer]) at 16 and have built my share of antennas.

That a cantenna doesnt use anything like that.

The feed element is tuned to a 1/4 wave. Think of a 1/4 vertical with the can being the ground plane, it is large enough wavelength wise.

first, most cant.

I thought you were following the passive repeater bit. What I'm thinking is something of an improved version of this:

Hey, if you know something about this, put in something constructive, otherwise it's back in the virtual kill file.

Jeff

[willshak]

Rod Speed wrote the following:

poor. Up the driveway it is fine.

as well. Some rebroadcast both ways. I'd

That phone reminds me of "A Night at the Roxbury"

[aemeijers]

My point being, that other than the fact they are used to it and/or addicted to it, how many people really NEED a cell phone to survive, personally or career-wise? Mine lives in my briefcase, and I turn it on once a week to clear the wrong-number messages. I actually carry it in my pocket and switched on, maybe 4-5 days a year, when I am traveling, or need to meet up with some contractor or something. That is worth the

8 bucks a month to me. But 50 bucks a month or more for a smartphone? What for? I have a computer at work, and a computer at home. I can tough it out for the 15 minute commute. I refuse to be a cell phone zombie wandering around the grocery store or mall or city street, hunched over looking at a tiny screen.

[Rod Speed]

Jeff Thies wrote

is poor. Up the driveway it is fine.

just as well.

cant anymore.

Why didnt you answer that ?

You sure your cellphone is using 1900 ?

misnomer]) at 16 and have built my share of

That cantenna you posted the url for doesnt have one.

Its isnt a DIPOLE, its a monopole.

enough wavelength wise.

Its nothing like a ground plane electrically.

first, most cant.

something of an improved version of this:

Cant see that working very well.

And how do you plan to do it with that cantenna ?

I dont give a flying red f*ck what you do or do not choose to read.

[Rod Speed]

aemeijers wrote

is poor. Up the driveway it is fine.

have a ton of gain. Crazy?

strength. Keep the antenna away from your

which is basically gone at this point.

won't even miss it.

to it, how many people really NEED a cell

It aint about survival, its about convenience.

If you do need a cellphone anyway, it may not be worth it for HIM to pay for a fixed line phone as well if he can make the cellphone work cheaply at home.

wrong-number messages. I actually carry

[krw]

We don't have a land line. Except when I was looking for a job and during the later move, I rarely use my cell phone but I do carry it with me when I'm out of the house anyway.