GSM antennas?

[jik22]

Has anyone used one of the high gain versions that look like a UHF aerial and go on the bullbar? Just wondering if they are worth the money (and in my case, hassle to fit) over the normal external aerial I have now which sticks on the windscreen? I guess I'm hoping someone has used both, or upgraded to one from the other and noticed a big difference in certain areas...

Was going to look for a s/h CDMA phone, but it seems I can't get a new contract or SIM now anyway, never mind a proper car phone.

[matbor]

No real point with the old GSM as there tower range is around 30km's, CDMA use to work well, but you can't get contracts anymore.

Not sure about the new 3g phones though, as i don't know if any of them have car kits with external antenna yet, someone else might know.

---

Just answer my own question, check these sites out, very good antennas.
http://www.rfindustries.com.au/eWaves/rfi_CD2195_KingOfCoverage.htm
http://www.mobileone.com.au/nextg.html

[jik22]

Not sure about the new 3g phones though, as i don't know if any of them have car kits with external antenna yet, someone else might know.

3G (Whether UMTS or HSDPA - the latter being "NextG" in Telstra marketing speak) usually still use GSM for voice on the normal 900/1800/1900 frequencies, and it was this bit I was wondering if anyone had noticed better reception, or reception further form a cell when using one compared to a normal glass mount aerial. Spoke to a couple of shops who said yes, but then they were hardly going to tell me not to buy one... :D

[rrturboD]

My mobile experience is with CDMA. I GREATLY increased the range by fitting an external antenna on the front bar. Had difficulty finding a phone that had a full car kit and external antenna, and as yet have not changed to NextG, Whenever a telemarketer offers me a deal, I just mention car kit and external antenna ... so far no-one has called me back with a solution!

[jik22]

My mobile experience is with CDMA. I GREATLY increased the range by fitting an external antenna on the front bar. Had difficulty finding a phone that had a full car kit and external antenna, and as yet have not changed to NextG, Whenever a telemarketer offers me a deal, I just mention car kit and external antenna ... so far no-one has called me back with a solution!

Yeah, lack of proper car kits is a big problem these days. I ended up buying an old Nokia car phone from eBay rather than trying to get a car kit for my handset. The trouble with car kits is they rarely increase the power to the levels a proper car phone uses, and usually these days don't have an antenna connection either - at best, you get an inductive pickup.

Just bought a new UHF aerial, and while I was there grabbed a hi-gain GSM aerial too, so we will see what difference it makes.

[matbor]

You can get patch leads for most mobile phones, until u get a car kit or if u are using a bluetooth kit.

Here is a example....
http://search.ebay.com.au/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=antenna+patch+lead&category0=


I have a CDMA car kit for my CDMA phone and the external antenna works really well on it, if i want to use the antenna with my GSM I just plug the patch lead into the phone and away I go.


(Terrain and service dependant - some towers can have greater range)
GSM is limited to approximately 35 km from the nearest GSM transmission tower with high gain antenna.

Possible range of over 100km from nearest CDMA transmission tower with high gain antenna.


3G... Well Telstra version... This is direct quote from the Telstra site.....

In order to broaden the reach of the Next G™ network into some remote areas, Telstra has introduced Ericsson's extended range software, a first for 3GSM networks in the world. This software can extend the maximum base station coverage range beyond 80 kilometres where geographical conditions permit (e.g. an unobstructed path between the device antennae and the base station) and you use a directional external antennae connected to your Next G™ device. In these conditions, downlink speeds of 2.3Mbps at a 200km range have been achieved during testing.
Distances up to 200 kilometres have been enabled at approximately 40 sites throughout Australia. Additional sites have also been upgraded where coverage over 80 kilometres is possible given the height of the base station tower and surrounding terrain is free from obstructions.
Areas where our Next G™ customers will experience coverage enhancements due to the extended range include:
• Communities along the west coast of York Peninsula in South Australia
• Communities on the east and west coast of Spencer's Gulf in South Australia
• Tuna Fleets that operate off the Great Australian Bight
• Oil rigs off the Western Australian coast near Karratha
• Fringe areas of the Darling Downs in Queensland
• Coverage to sea off the Queensland coast near the Great Barrier reef
• Areas in the rural areas in northern and western New South Wales such as Mt Dowe, Mungindi, Marra and Tarwoona
The extended range software will be deployed into other sites as we introduce more base stations to the network.

[jik22]

GSM is limited to approximately 35 km from the nearest GSM transmission tower with high gain antenna.

Possible range of over 100km from nearest CDMA transmission tower with high gain antenna.


3G... Well Telstra version... This is direct quote from the Telstra site.....


3/3.5G is data only though, which I don't need when out in the Landy. I woudl have loved a pre-pay CDMA account and phone, just for the car, but as has been said, you just can't get them any more easily.

Thanks for the adapter link though - worth trying, I think.

[matbor]

Yeah, just been reading up on all this and found some interesting facts that might be of interest...

GSM will not work over 80km distance due to timing issues on normal domestic GSM phones. In fact most gsm phones will not make/accept calls over 35km, CDMA will work though.

[matbor]

3/3.5G is data only though, which I don't need when out in the Landy. I woudl have loved a pre-pay CDMA account and phone, just for the car, but as has been said, you just can't get them any more easily.

Thanks for the adapter link though - worth trying, I think.

Data is handy though for checking the weather or even AULRO.com :wasntme: while on the road :)

[jik22]

Data is handy though for checking the weather or even AULRO.com :wasntme: while on the road :)

True...and as my employer pays for my data, I've just invested in a lead (From that link you gave) for my JasJam which is on order...will see how good it is.

Also got a lead for the wife's Nokia so she can pacth into what will be the "old" external aerial once I fit the new RFI one!

[matbor]

True...and as my employer pays for my data, I've just invested in a lead (From that link you gave) for my JasJam which is on order...will see how good it is.

Also got a lead for the wife's Nokia so she can pacth into what will be the "old" external aerial once I fit the new RFI one!

Let me know how it goes, I will need to replace my RFI antenna soon when i get my new phone.

[jik22]

Let me know how it goes, I will need to replace my RFI antenna soon when i get my new phone.

It won't be scientific, but I think I'll drive somewhere until I'm just out of handset coverage, and then try both external aerials and see what reception they give with the patch lead. Then go a bit further until the handset with even the good aerial is out of range and then plug it into the car phone and see if I get reception back.

Hopefully, I won't have wasted $hundreds and it will make a difference! :)

[jik22]

Well, just thought I'd update this, as I've now finally fitted the aerial, and got a new toy to test it with.

Recently moved from Voda to Telstra with my work phone, and as it happens, the Telstra reception where I am isn't great (2 bars on display). Also bought a neat little adapter that plugs into the aerial socket on my (also new) JasJam and has a female socket on the other end to plug into a std GSM aerial connector.

Just went outside, stood by the aerial on the bullbar, and plugged this little contraption in, and signal went straight from 2 to 4 bars. Unplugged, and back to 2. If it can do this in-range of a cell, it should be quite good at extending the range of a cell. Will report back next time I am somewhere with no reception, and will then re-test.

Aerial also does 800-960MHz (As it's dual CDMA and GSM) so with any luck, that will cover the NextG frequencies for data too...which I think are 850MHz here.