Mobile phone antenna

[tolly Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close tolly]

If I connect a external antenna for the mobile will it have any effect on the standard blue tooth fitted to my 2007 GXL, the phone reception in my area (Far South Coast near Merimbula) is very poor.

Tolly

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

If I connect a external antenna for the mobile will it have any effect on the standard blue tooth fitted to my 2007 GXL, the phone reception in my area (Far South Coast near Merimbula) is very poor.

Tolly

It needs to be attached to the phone somehow, ie my aerial runs to the a cradle which has a passive connection to the phone, which means the cradle and the phone are back to back and the reception is much better than just the standard aerial. To get a massive improvement you need a phone were the antenna directly connects to the phone and they are far and few between these days. I have a 9db aerial on the front of the car which is about the same as a 6db as you lose some power through the passive connection.
Of course the other big ticket item is the phone carrier, for me the only carrier to use is telstra next g in my opinion, beats anything else on the market. the service i had on Fraser island for example with my Blackberry 9700 vs my wife's optus 3g iphone was about double hers.

[JoshF Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshF]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

Also look for the Telstra Next G "recommended for rural area" blue tick as they are supposed to be a step up in coverage capability than a standard Next G phone. Like Hutch I also have a like cradle setup but a 7db antenna magnetic based on the roof

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

Firstly, the blue tooth has nothing to do with the mobile phones range. The blue tooth is the medium by
which the stereo in your car communicates with the mobile for hands free operation, and the range is
generally less than 50 metres.

For best coverage there is only one choice, Telstra 3G or next generation as it is sometimes called, it
covers far more of Australias land mass than any other teleco, why because Telstra has installed more
3g base stations than any other carrier and they are installing more continually to target poor reception areas.
They will also in the future be down grading their 2G network to force users onto the 3G network so 3G is
the only way to go.

The best handset to purchase as previously mentioned is a blue tick, but make sure a cradle is available and
that an external antenna can be plugged directly into the handset by either putting it into the cradle,
ie the cradle has a plug that plugs into the phone when you put the phone into the cradle or by a patch
lead, a physical connecting is far superior. Also a cradle that feeds power to the phone is also good if you
can get one as you don't need the messy cigar plug in units then. Powering from the cradle
is better as you will also find that the phone will use far more power in remote locations to communicate
with the base stations as they are a lot father away. My phone runs quite happily for a week on a charge
in metro areas but whilst travelling only last for about 3 days on a charge.

Lastly get a good external antenna something that has good gain and if mounting on the bull bar, solid
ie a fibre glass hockey stick with a decent spring on the base and preferable one than screws onto
the base as you'll probably break it at sometime, it's a lot easier to simple screw a new one one
than to re-run the coax. Avoid the small bottom loaded units as they tend to fall apart when mounted on a bull bar.

Hope this helps

Cheers
LeighW

[tolly Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close tolly]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

Thanks all, much more enlightened now, fast response much appreciated.

Tolly

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

I had a Samsun cradle with bull bar mounted antenna. That phone died and the replacement Samsung doesn't fit in the cradle. As usual, they modify the phone slightly so that none of the accesories are useable anymore. I simply ditched the cradle and run the antenna cable directly into the back of the new phone when out of town. Works perfectly.

I've also upgraded the CB UHF antenna (my fibreglass antenna broke) with an new generation RFA bar monted flexible whip with 6.5db gain and the improvement is amazing.

[jarrah7rally Member Find all posts View Profile Close jarrah7rally]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

Leigh, has answered all the info you need.

But I just want to clarify a couple of points:

All Electrical/electronics items brought into Australia must have a c -tick approval there is also a-tick approval but what it covers alludes me

Blue tick is Telstra phone designed for country areas - means designed to fit into a cradle and have external antenna connection.

Bluetooth is designed to integrate the phone into the car stereo system - the number of time I had to repeat myself to my folks about the difference is unbelievable.

Its also worth mentioning that newer phone maybe more sensitive when out in the bush, recently (in May) I was up north near Nanutarra roadhouse , couple of truckies mentioned they had received sms and were stopping to check & reply to them. Whereas I had no reception at all - only thing I can think of it the antenna height

RFI have brought out a new antenna to suit most mobile phones used in Australia Multiband so it will cover most of the networks

part number us CDQ-2195

Its a bigger unit just designed so you can remove the antenna if its damaged or so it doesn't get damaged when the vehicle is put through one of those nasty auto wash machines. Haven't seen one in the flesh but looks the goods

[tolly Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close tolly]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

Hi all,
I did as Leigh suggested and have a good antenna and cradle connected, the resultant has been an excellent reception where none was available before, many thanks, happy lad now.

Tolly

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

Tolly, what aerial did u end up getting.

[ozwapet2 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close ozwapet2]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

I am currently looking at getting a Blue Tick Next G phone and wonder which of the current Telstra bue tick selection is the easiest for connecting and disconnecting the external antenna.
I have had phones before where antenna connector has been very flimsy and broken off.

Also where is good place in Melbourne to buy a 3G band antenna for the bullbar ( preferebly not mail order )
Telstra don't seem to sell them.

( sorry if this is a hijack but if I started a new thread I would be told off )

[tolly Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close tolly]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

Hutch,
The antenna is made by RFI, it's model No is CD1795 with a 6.5 dBi gain and I have a good spring base attached to the LHS of the standard bull bar, I had the aerial from a previous vehicle but was unsure if it would work in concert with the Prado's phone set up, it does nicely . RFI have a web site rfi.com.au, the model that now replaces mine is a CD2195, if you go to their web site and do a search for the CD2195, up it comes.

Tolly

[jarrah7rally Member Find all posts View Profile Close jarrah7rally]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

I've seen two varietys of Phone connection first has a small bung (grommet) behind the phone which is removed and when you insert the phone its connected when you lock down the phone - think Nokia older phones is that setup

My older LG tu500 uses a small jackplug ont he side of the phone flip up the little cover insert the plug and its done. - convenient aprt from when doing in the dark

Bear in mind the LG TU500 is now a obseolete item, whatever phone you deciode upon make sure its not a passive join. By this I refer to a small plastic shroud that covers the phone external antenna - if there is one in the first place.

Think your restricted to samsung & Telstra home brand and maybe Nokia these days

Shop around thats all I can say

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: Mobile phone antenna

Hutch,
The antenna is made by RFI, it's model No is CD1795 with a 6.5 dBi gain and I have a good spring base attached to the LHS of the standard bull bar, I had the aerial from a previous vehicle but was unsure if it would work in concert with the Prado's phone set up, it does nicely . RFI have a web site rfi.com.au, the model that now replaces mine is a CD2195, if you go to their web site and do a search for the CD2195, up it comes.

Tolly

Good choice i have a 1795 on mine and a 2195 sitting in the cupboard which was off my old company car.