Cell Phone Antenna Enhancement?
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I know this is way off target - but I figure there
may be cell phone RF antenna experts lurking in this forum. We live summers on the U.S./Canadian border on the St. Lawrence River. Cingular's ROGERS Canadian Tower is somewhere due north of us here. And our cell phone - has trouble getting a strong enough US signal from lessor towers on our US side. So we often get roaming connections with ROGERS tower on Canadian side. Often happens on incoming cell calls too! I'm wondering if one couldn't make up some sort of antenna-enhancer on our cell phone, to beef up the cell signal that the phone hears? There is no external antenna jack on our Sony Erikson cell phone - but it does have a 1 inch handle type shape on top of the phone, where I suspect the cell phone's antenna is. I thot of experimenting with a toroid several turn winding L, on that phone bracket - and maybe leaving a 12" "antenna" dangling out in the breeze. Does this sound promising? What is the 1/4 wavelength, of US cell phones? I'm thinking of experimenting with an "egg beater" type of toroidal antenna. 73, de Fred, N3CSY, US/CA border ____________________________________________________________________________________ Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us. http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
Re: Cell Phone Antenna Enhancement?
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On Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Fred (FL) wrote:
> I know this is way off target - but I figure there > may be cell phone RF antenna experts lurking in this > forum. No expert...but if one considers the number of articles on the internet about extending the range of wireless using reflectors, ya might want to do the math and see if you can make one for Cell Phone frequencies.... I remember having an HT on 2 meters...and when I was at the edge of the repeater coverage doing things like placing it in the center of the car hood for a better ground plane. I recall one guy that experimented with placing his ht with the rubber ducky antenna inside a garbage can in the horizontal plane pointing at the repeater. Maybe instead of the wireless "Pringles Can" antenna, you can develop a potatoe can antenna. If ya get it to work, pictures would be a real plus. Thom,EIEIO Email, Internet, Electronic Information Officer www.baltimorehon.com/ Home of the Baltimore Lexicon www.tlchost.net/hosting/ Web Hosting as low as 3.49/month _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
RE: Cell Phone Antenna Enhancement?
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In reply to this post by Fred (FL)
This may not help, if the signal isn't strong enough, but you can set most
phones not to roam. That will restrict it to associating with the correct tower, if that's what you want. I learned this trick in the hospital. I had my cell phone being a CDMA modem for my laptop to get my business back running during a convalescence. The phone would often associate with a Sprint tower, I'd be G3 and good-to-go. Unfortunately, there were some roaming towers with better signals. I was complaining to the nurse about my phone associating with the "wrong" (stronger) tower, and she suggested I turn off roaming. For a 30 year networking professional to need to take networking advice from medical personnel doesn't happen very often, but this time it sure did the trick! hth Dan <snip> I know this is way off target - but I figure there may be cell phone RF antenna experts lurking in this forum. </snip> _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
RE: Cell Phone Antenna Enhancement?
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In reply to this post by Fred (FL)
Yep, cellular (and GSM) phone repeaters are readily-available that have an
outside antenna and one that goes in the house. Where I'm moving in a couple of weeks over on the Oregon Coast the cellular/GSM service is spotty and I'm ordering such a unit today. I'll send you some links privately. Some offer highly-directional antennas to avoid connecting to a tower you don't want to use. It is possible to rig a "passive repeater" - two antennas; one up in the clear and one near where you are with the phone. Indeed, if you aren't wandering all over the place with the phone in your hand you can simply rig an outdoor antenna with coax to your phone. Most phones have a connector for that purpose. I've not done that with a phone, but we did it in some land mobile installations using 900 MHz some years back when a customer's facility was behind a ridge line or other obstruction. Ron AC7AC -----Original Message----- I know this is way off target - but I figure there may be cell phone RF antenna experts lurking in this forum..... I'm wondering if one couldn't make up some sort of antenna-enhancer on our cell phone, to beef up the cell signal that the phone hears? There is no external antenna jack on our Sony Erikson cell phone - but it does have a 1 inch handle type shape on top of the phone, where I suspect the cell phone's antenna is. 73, de Fred, N3CSY, US/CA border ____________________________________________________________________________ ________ Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us. http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
Re: Cell Phone Antenna Enhancement?
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Ron,
Any links as to where to start looking? I'm in a REAL fringy area here! 73, Sandy W5TVW ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron D'Eau Claire" <[hidden email]> To: <[hidden email]> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 10:49 AM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Cell Phone Antenna Enhancement? > Yep, cellular (and GSM) phone repeaters are readily-available that have an > outside antenna and one that goes in the house. Where I'm moving in a > couple > of weeks over on the Oregon Coast the cellular/GSM service is spotty and > I'm > ordering such a unit today. > > I'll send you some links privately. Some offer highly-directional antennas > to avoid connecting to a tower you don't want to use. > > It is possible to rig a "passive repeater" - two antennas; one up in the > clear and one near where you are with the phone. Indeed, if you aren't > wandering all over the place with the phone in your hand you can simply > rig > an outdoor antenna with coax to your phone. Most phones have a connector > for > that purpose. I've not done that with a phone, but we did it in some land > mobile installations using 900 MHz some years back when a customer's > facility was behind a ridge line or other obstruction. > > Ron AC7AC > > -----Original Message----- > I know this is way off target - but I figure there > may be cell phone RF antenna experts lurking in this > forum..... > > I'm wondering if one couldn't make up some sort > of antenna-enhancer on our cell phone, to beef > up the cell signal that the phone hears? There is > no external antenna jack on our Sony Erikson cell > phone - but it does have a 1 inch handle type > shape on top of the phone, where I suspect the > cell phone's antenna is. > > 73, de Fred, N3CSY, US/CA border > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________ > ________ > Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user > panel > and lay it on us. > http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 > > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: [hidden email] > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: [hidden email] > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.9/834 - Release Date: 6/5/2007 > 2:38 PM > > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
[OT] Re: Cell Phone Antenna Enhancement?
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Here's the best place to start, IMO:
http://www.digitalantenna.com They make several models of cell phone boosters, both wired and wireless. They also make a large line of gain antennas for cell phones in remote areas. Generally speaking (and you will read this on their website), the cell phone "booster" needs to have as good a signal coming into it as you want to have available inside the house. So if the signal you want is very weak even outdoors, you will need to boost it using a gain antenna. Also bear in mind that these systems are basically in-band transponders, and need to have a certain isolation (minimum separation) between the "outside" and "inside" antennas. The systems depend in part for this isolation upon the loss incurred going through walls. Anyway, it's a great site, and hopefully you will be able to tell after reading through it whether this kind of system might provide a solution for you. Bill / W5WVO Sandy wrote: > Ron, > Any links as to where to start looking? I'm in a REAL fringy area > here! > > 73, > Sandy W5TVW > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ron D'Eau Claire" <[hidden email]> > To: <[hidden email]> > Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 10:49 AM > Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Cell Phone Antenna Enhancement? > > >> Yep, cellular (and GSM) phone repeaters are readily-available that >> have an outside antenna and one that goes in the house. Where I'm >> moving in a couple >> of weeks over on the Oregon Coast the cellular/GSM service is spotty >> and I'm >> ordering such a unit today. >> >> I'll send you some links privately. Some offer highly-directional >> antennas to avoid connecting to a tower you don't want to use. >> >> It is possible to rig a "passive repeater" - two antennas; one up in >> the clear and one near where you are with the phone. Indeed, if you >> aren't wandering all over the place with the phone in your hand you >> can simply rig >> an outdoor antenna with coax to your phone. Most phones have a >> connector for >> that purpose. I've not done that with a phone, but we did it in some >> land mobile installations using 900 MHz some years back when a >> customer's facility was behind a ridge line or other obstruction. >> >> Ron AC7AC >> >> -----Original Message----- >> I know this is way off target - but I figure there >> may be cell phone RF antenna experts lurking in this >> forum..... >> >> I'm wondering if one couldn't make up some sort >> of antenna-enhancer on our cell phone, to beef >> up the cell signal that the phone hears? There is >> no external antenna jack on our Sony Erikson cell >> phone - but it does have a 1 inch handle type >> shape on top of the phone, where I suspect the >> cell phone's antenna is. >> >> 73, de Fred, N3CSY, US/CA border >> >> >> >> ____________________________________________________________________________ >> ________ >> Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s >> user panel >> and lay it on us. >> http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Post to: [hidden email] >> You must be a subscriber to post to the list. >> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): >> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm >> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Post to: [hidden email] >> You must be a subscriber to post to the list. >> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): >> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm >> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com >> >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.9/834 - Release Date: >> 6/5/2007 2:38 PM >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: [hidden email] > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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