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Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
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Any way to improve cell phone reception?
My wife & I are in the process of moving & are living on opposite sides
of the continent for awhile. To lower phone bills, we got a cell plan that gives us unlimited minutes to one another (Cingular). My phone (a Motorola V180) gets great reception around town, but naturally, I have found it gets lousy reception from my home, where I generally am when we talk. 0 to 2 bars, usually 1. So I'm wondering if there's any way to inprove reception, like an external antenna, even a clip lead attached to the antenna connection inside (which I have not tried yet). Phone has a stub antenna about 1 inch long. Suggestions appreciated. Dan |
#2
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"Dan" wrote in message ... My wife & I are in the process of moving & are living on opposite sides of the continent for awhile. To lower phone bills, we got a cell plan that gives us unlimited minutes to one another (Cingular). My phone (a Motorola V180) gets great reception around town, but naturally, I have found it gets lousy reception from my home, where I generally am when we talk. 0 to 2 bars, usually 1. So I'm wondering if there's any way to inprove reception, like an external antenna, even a clip lead attached to the antenna connection inside (which I have not tried yet). Phone has a stub antenna about 1 inch long. Suggestions appreciated. FWIW. Figure out where the closest tower is and build a yagi antenna (http://www.clarc.org/Articles/uhf.htm) to point to that. Couple that to a small vertical whip and see how well that works. You can often make a test yagi out of the old TV antenna ribbon and see how it works. YMMV. N |
#3
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NSM wrote:
"Dan" wrote in message ... My wife & I are in the process of moving & are living on opposite sides of the continent for awhile. To lower phone bills, we got a cell plan that gives us unlimited minutes to one another (Cingular). My phone (a Motorola V180) gets great reception around town, but naturally, I have found it gets lousy reception from my home, where I generally am when we talk. 0 to 2 bars, usually 1. So I'm wondering if there's any way to inprove reception, like an external antenna, even a clip lead attached to the antenna connection inside (which I have not tried yet). Phone has a stub antenna about 1 inch long. Suggestions appreciated. FWIW. Figure out where the closest tower is and build a yagi antenna (http://www.clarc.org/Articles/uhf.htm) to point to that. Couple that to a small vertical whip and see how well that works. You can often make a test yagi out of the old TV antenna ribbon and see how it works. YMMV. N Thanks for the reply. At least one company offers a solution along these lines, but a repeater incorporating an amplifier rather than a "passive" arrangement, which they claim is not feasible due to the low signal levels (but then, they WOULD say that, wouldn't they?). Around 700 bucks. Yeeesh. They do offer a $100 800 mhz yagi (my freq), but unfortunately no adapter for my particular phone. I'd have to do some surgery. A final option appears to be a magnet mount vertical whip with a ground plane (square of sheet metal), about $50 w/o cable, still faced with attaching it to the phone. Might be worth a go. I'll check out the article you suggest, futzing around with a cheap yagi might be fun, once I solve the no-jack problem Dan Dan |
#4
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"Dan" wrote in message ... Thanks for the reply. At least one company offers a solution along these lines, but a repeater incorporating an amplifier rather than a "passive" arrangement, which they claim is not feasible due to the low signal levels (but then, they WOULD say that, wouldn't they?). Around 700 bucks. Yeeesh. They do offer a $100 800 mhz yagi (my freq), but unfortunately no adapter for my particular phone. I'd have to do some surgery. A final option appears to be a magnet mount vertical whip with a ground plane (square of sheet metal), about $50 w/o cable, still faced with attaching it to the phone. Might be worth a go. I'll check out the article you suggest, futzing around with a cheap yagi might be fun, once I solve the no-jack problem. The secret of all these things is to try something and then see if you can improve it. For a vertical, all you need in a piece of heavy copper wire or small tube. You could also try a Radio Shack telescoping antenna. I also remember people selling those passive boosters (for as low as 1 cent) that you stick in the battery compartment but they seem to have died out - guess they didn't work. As for an 800 MHz amp, try the library for a copy of the Radio Amateur handbook which may have a design. But always do the easy things first. N |
#5
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I think those stick-on passive "boosters" work great. No help on reception, but if you stick 3
or 4 layers of them on, it keeps the battery from rattling arround. -- Stephen Sank, Owner & Ribbon Mic Restorer Talking Dog Transducer Company http://stephensank.com 5517 Carmelita Drive N.E. Albuquerque, New Mexico [87111] 505-332-0336 Auth. Nakamichi & McIntosh servicer Payments preferred through Paypal.com "NSM" wrote in message newsojse.64563$9A2.58628@edtnps89... "Dan" wrote in message ... Thanks for the reply. At least one company offers a solution along these lines, but a repeater incorporating an amplifier rather than a "passive" arrangement, which they claim is not feasible due to the low signal levels (but then, they WOULD say that, wouldn't they?). Around 700 bucks. Yeeesh. They do offer a $100 800 mhz yagi (my freq), but unfortunately no adapter for my particular phone. I'd have to do some surgery. A final option appears to be a magnet mount vertical whip with a ground plane (square of sheet metal), about $50 w/o cable, still faced with attaching it to the phone. Might be worth a go. I'll check out the article you suggest, futzing around with a cheap yagi might be fun, once I solve the no-jack problem. The secret of all these things is to try something and then see if you can improve it. For a vertical, all you need in a piece of heavy copper wire or small tube. You could also try a Radio Shack telescoping antenna. I also remember people selling those passive boosters (for as low as 1 cent) that you stick in the battery compartment but they seem to have died out - guess they didn't work. As for an 800 MHz amp, try the library for a copy of the Radio Amateur handbook which may have a design. But always do the easy things first. N |
#6
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Dan,
I have an LG VX4500 phone that gets poor or no signal in my basement. I bought a replacement telescoping antenna for my phone on e-bay. It has improved my signal in the basement some what. It will not go from 1 bar to two, but I have found that I can complete my calls more often with the antenna up than with the OEM stub. Here is the link to the one I bought, I think they sell them for other phones. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...2391 525&rd=1 -- Tony Marsillo Nutmeg Repair ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Dan" wrote in message ... My wife & I are in the process of moving & are living on opposite sides of the continent for awhile. To lower phone bills, we got a cell plan that gives us unlimited minutes to one another (Cingular). My phone (a Motorola V180) gets great reception around town, but naturally, I have found it gets lousy reception from my home, where I generally am when we talk. 0 to 2 bars, usually 1. So I'm wondering if there's any way to inprove reception, like an external antenna, even a clip lead attached to the antenna connection inside (which I have not tried yet). Phone has a stub antenna about 1 inch long. Suggestions appreciated. Dan |
#7
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Tony Marsillo wrote:
Dan, I have an LG VX4500 phone that gets poor or no signal in my basement. I bought a replacement telescoping antenna for my phone on e-bay. It has improved my signal in the basement some what. It will not go from 1 bar to two, but I have found that I can complete my calls more often with the antenna up than with the OEM stub. Here is the link to the one I bought, I think they sell them for other phones. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...2391 525&rd=1 3 bucks?!? What, you think I'm MADE of MONEY??? ;-) Looks like it could be worth a shot, I'll see if they have one for my phone... |
#8
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hack the mothers phones should be free
http://www.cellphonehacks.com/ -- http://www.geocities.com/vintagejapmotorcycleshop/ Dan wrote in message ... Tony Marsillo wrote: Dan, I have an LG VX4500 phone that gets poor or no signal in my basement. I bought a replacement telescoping antenna for my phone on e-bay. It has improved my signal in the basement some what. It will not go from 1 bar to two, but I have found that I can complete my calls more often with the antenna up than with the OEM stub. Here is the link to the one I bought, I think they sell them for other phones. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=5782391 525 &rd=1 3 bucks?!? What, you think I'm MADE of MONEY??? ;-) Looks like it could be worth a shot, I'll see if they have one for my phone... |
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