Mobile phone antenna setups for rural coverage

h0ughy (David) · #1 03-08-2017, 11:33 AM

Thought I would ask if there is a way to connect the mobile to an antenna in order to get better coverage at somewhere like camp duckadang for astrofest? Any cheap and quality ideas that actually work?

glend (Glen) · #2 03-08-2017, 11:55 AM

I had an external antenna mounted to my roof rack on my 4WD and it worked pretty well in extending range on the old network with my old phone. It gave me the ability to hold onto a signal for probably 50km further than folks i was travelling with in other vehicles. It did not boost my transmission much but i could get messages out ok. Unfortunately the new networks 3 and 4G do not seem to have phones where this is feasible. I can't find a new network phone with an external antenna jack. Maybe there are in-car booster boxes but i have not checked on them, and if they exist would be beyond my budget.
My alternative was to buy an InReach satellite messaging unit, which allows sat messages to be sent to any mobile phones aka sms, and it provides an emergency SOS feature that alerts the Canberra co-ordination centre (like an EPIRB), providing GPS co-ordinates and alerting authorities. I carry that with me when i go away to places like Bretti ( which is out of range of the Gloucester phone tower). I have sent sat messsages from there and it works ok. You need to suscribe to a plan, from $19.95 per month. My kids insist i have something like that as my health is not the best these days. I would love to have a sat phone but can not justify it.

For Astrofest, maybe consider hiring a Sat phone. They can be rented for short periods and seem cost effective in that way.

h0ughy (David) · #3 03-08-2017, 03:43 PM

OK well I made a quick decision and got this

CK589-AMGC Smoothtalker Universal Cradle with Suction Mount, Charger and Antenna Connection

9DBI-MAG-850 9dBi Magnetic Base Mobile Antenna
Choose FME

xelasnave · #4 03-08-2017, 04:32 PM

Smart move
I must get one.

Alex

Tandum (Robin) · #5 03-08-2017, 04:57 PM

Dave, there's a timing issue with GSM. Most cells can only cover a distance of 35Km. The packets from the phone to the tower are delayed inside the phone when it's close to a tower and gradually drops to zero delay the further away it gets. This allows the packet to arrive at the cell site at the right point in time to be received in the correct time slot for the call. Some sites can have double width time slots and the arriving packet can slip into the extended time slot once the phone is at zero delay, giving a max dist of 70Km but capacity in that cell would be halved so it isn't done often. This delay figure in the phone is how they can triangulate where a phone is in TV shows. It's not just signal strength on GSM. I dunno where the cell tower is at Duck.

h0ughy (David) · #6 03-08-2017, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tandum

Dave, there's a timing issue with GSM. Most cells can only cover a distance of 35Km. The packets from the phone to the tower are delayed inside the phone when it's close to a tower and gradually drops to zero delay the further away it gets. This allows the packet to arrive at the cell site at the right point in time to be received in the correct time slot for the call. Some sites can have double width time slots and the arriving packet can slip into the extended time slot once the phone is at zero delay, giving a max dist of 70Km but capacity in that cell would be halved so it isn't done often. This delay figure in the phone is how they can triangulate where a phone is in TV shows. It's not just signal strength on GSM. I dunno where the cell tower is at Duck.

thanks for that information - i just want text or voice to work - save using that phone there and traveling to linville. means i could call home whenever and send a text

Boozlefoot · #7 03-08-2017, 06:44 PM

Bring back analogue! Burn your ears off, but should never have been changed!

acropolite (Phil) · #8 03-08-2017, 06:47 PM

Not sure how you'll go, most of the cradles are passive connection, so not that efficient. I recall Renato bringing a booster to Astrofest some years ago, worked a treat so hopefully your antenna may do the same. Fwiw I use the same antenna at the shack that I feed directly to a Samsung Galaxy S3'. Without the antenna little or no reception, with the antenna 3 out of four bars. I also have one of the directional yagis which despite claiming more gain works no better than the 9dbi I have.

h0ughy (David) · #9 03-08-2017, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acropolite

Not sure how you'll go, most of the cradles are passive connection, so not that efficient. I recall Renato bringing a booster to Astrofest some years ago, worked a treat so hopefully your antenna may do the same. Fwiw I use the same antenna at the shack that I feed directly to a Samsung Galaxy S3'. Without the antenna little or no reception, with the antenna 3 out of four bars. I also have one of the directional yagis which despite claiming more gain works no better than the 9dbi I have.

Yes Renato spoilt us rotten with that setup. I hope it will work for me out on the field as well

mynameiscd (Andy) · #10 03-08-2017, 08:04 PM

Hi all
I live in a really bad reception area for telstra and a friend gave me his booster.
Its originally a mobile setup with an outside magnetic aerial with another inside flat aerial.
It came from the the US and are supposed to be illegal in Australia.
We use it as a home base so I think its ok.
The problem as telstra see it is when you drive around with one of these in the car you supposedly kick people off the cell towers.
Its perfect for us and it has about a 30m or so radius.
I tried the pasive aerial and it sort of worked but nowhere near the power from the booster.
You need one for each carrier eg telstra and optus.
Because we live in a low signal area we can buy a home base system which can boost the signal for a radius of 500m. We have been quoted $1300 and we need written permission from telstra or buy one from the US for $600 and hope it gets in.
The mobile one we've got boosts a zero signal to 3-4 bars if you're about 10m away.
Sounds like this is the sort of system you need and because you're not driving around and its a bad reception area i think it should be ok.
Cheers
Andy

w0mbat (Ian) · #11 04-08-2017, 09:31 AM

There is another solution but it is pretty restricted. Telstra sells a smart phone that has an external antenna socket. As far as I know it is the only smart phone available with this feature. This means you just need a patch lead and a suitable antenna. Where we live my wife gets good reception with the antenna whereas the phone won't work without it. You will probably find more help with this in country Telstra stores.
Ian

h0ughy (David) · #12 04-08-2017, 09:58 AM

I am with aldi mobile which is on the telstra network. Just got a email that my parcel is being delivered today. I ordered that yesterday from Brisbane and it's being delivered today - wow. So should have it this afternoon.

I didnt want the base station model for 1200 and I can see that being an advantage for those who can get the benefit from it long term. I just hope the setup choice works for me

h0ughy (David) · #13 04-08-2017, 11:15 AM

Also for Android what is a good app to monitor the signal strength meter

multiweb (Marc) · #14 04-08-2017, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

Thought I would ask if there is a way to connect the mobile to an antenna in order to get better coverage at somewhere like camp duckadang for astrofest? Any cheap and quality ideas that actually work?

I have this picture in my mind of a trailer with a massive 5m parabolic dish on it.

Is it going to fit through the entrance arch?