Posted by Jeff Thies on April 10, 2011, 11:26 am
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
Posted by Rod Speed on April 10, 2011, 3:32 pm
Jeff Thies wrote:
> 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?
They arent legal in my country.
> I see some are tethered to the phone, in which case an antenna would be just
as well.
Yes, those are used a lot in RVs.
You do need a cellphone that can have an antenna attached, most modern ones cant
anymore.
> 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?
Nope, it can work, but its not as easy to do as you might think.
Posted by Jeff Thies on April 11, 2011, 10:52 am
On 4/10/2011 3:32 PM, Rod Speed wrote:
> Jeff Thies wrote:
>> 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?
> They arent legal in my country.
>> I see some are tethered to the phone, in which case an antenna would be just
as well.
> Yes, those are used a lot in RVs.
> You do need a cellphone that can have an antenna attached, most modern ones
cant anymore.
>> 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?
> Nope, it can work, but its not as easy to do as you might think.
What's the problem?
It's mostly that I need to go up about 5 feet.
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html
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
Posted by Rod Speed on April 11, 2011, 3:33 pm
Jeff Thies wrote
> Rod Speed wrote
>> Jeff Thies wrote
>>> 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?
>> They arent legal in my country.
>>> I see some are tethered to the phone, in which case an antenna would be just
as well.
>> Yes, those are used a lot in RVs.
>> You do need a cellphone that can have an antenna attached, most modern ones
cant anymore.
>>> 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?
>> Nope, it can work, but its not as easy to do as you might think.
> What's the problem?
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.
> It's mostly that I need to go up about 5 feet.
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.
> http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html
> 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?
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.
Posted by Jeff Thies on April 11, 2011, 3:54 pm
On 4/11/2011 3:33 PM, Rod Speed wrote:
> Jeff Thies wrote
>> Rod Speed wrote
>>> Jeff Thies wrote
>>>> 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?
>>> They arent legal in my country.
>>>> I see some are tethered to the phone, in which case an antenna would be
just as well.
>>> Yes, those are used a lot in RVs.
>>> You do need a cellphone that can have an antenna attached, most modern ones
cant anymore.
>>>> 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?
>>> Nope, it can work, but its not as easy to do as you might think.
>> What's the problem?
> 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.
>> It's mostly that I need to go up about 5 feet.
> 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.
>> http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html
>> 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?
> Yes, thats a wifi cantenna, not a cellphone cantenna.
> The frequencys are completely different.
Yes, I know, which is why I tuned it for 1900 mHz rather than (I
believe) 2300mHz.
> Your original shows that you dont understand the basics with the
> bit about the dipole.
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.
> Corse you do need to check that your cellphone can take an external antenna
first, most cant.
I thought you were following the passive repeater bit. What I'm
thinking is something of an improved version of this:
(Amazon.com product link shortened)
Hey, if you know something about this, put in something constructive,
otherwise it's back in the virtual kill file.
Jeff
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