Antenna/signal enhancer

[Lost in Norway]

Where I live, the gsm signal is quite weak...
Have anyone seen an antenna/signal enhancer I can use at home?
If not, is there any way to make one? Hopefully while still using the XDA-cradle?

[Peter Poelman]

There's no external antenna connector, but you could use a gadget that picks up the signal inductively. Like this one for instance:

http://www.expansys.us/product.asp?code=AXF-15S

Just make sure the box is really close to the antenna (i.e. almost touching it), and hook up an outside antenna to the FME connector. Depending on how desperate your situation is, you could put one of these on the roof:

http://www.yagi.ws/gsm.html

[Lost in Norway]

This is something similar to what’s discussed on
http://www.xda-developers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=421

Would this be hard to make? I had to send in my XDA to replace the screen, so I can’t test it now.
:idea: Sounds like I could wrap some wire around the antenna(or some foil), and connect this to an antenna placed where the signal is stronger... :idea:

I am really sick of standing in a corner in my apartment to get a signal... My old Nokia had a weak signal, but the XDA has none and loose connection to provider.

[climber]

well.....in theory you are right. A 'piece of wire' should do the trick but it's best to finetune it. To my shame I have to admit my HF (High Frequency) skill were never all that and certainly have become less the last years :oops: so I can't give you. I know it must start with a coil so running some wire around the antenna might work but you probably need a lot of experimenting to see what works best. Then there is the detail of what to do with the external antenna. Most of these 'antenna enhancers' are more frequently used to 'get out of the box' e.g. car/house/etc. where the metal frame behaves as Farradays cage. I'll stop now since lecturing physics has never been my strongest point and I probably have made some mistakes already :lol:

To come back to your case: realise that an antenna enhancer/extender will keep you pinpointed to a spot anyway or you will have to run around the house with a long piece of wire or you will be pinpointed at a fixed location inside your house. If a fixed point is not problem than you might consider a carkit because they have the external connection already available.... just hook up an antenna cable and an antenna and you are all set..... ehm... you also have to hook the power up. So you run into other problems as well.

:wink: Last suggestion: buy a carkit and start living in a mobile home it's nice for touring around norway anyway :wink:

Robert

[Peter Poelman]

"wrapping a piece of wire around the antenna, or a piece of foil" will almost certainly not work.

As climber pointed out, tuning is key here. The electromagnetic waves of the radio signal would only be transferred back into electric signals if the pickup was tuned to the signal. And because you'd be very close to the antenna, you would be in the so-called 'near-field', where the signal behaves even more strangely sometimes.

Given that these signals are at 900 or 1800 MHz, the theory behind signal propagation can be rather complex, and if someone else has already solved your problem, I would take their solution and use it. Unless ofcourse you aspire to be an RF-engineer (part applied-science, part voodoo). Anything you cook up yourself is likely to have a lot of signal loss.

[Lost in Norway]

OK guys, I give up!
I'll get the "Antenna Coupler" from Nokia, I really don’t know anything about antennas, just thought there could be a simple solution :cry:

Thanks alot for swift comments! This site is amacing!

[Anonymous]

What about

http://www.firstphoneshop.co.uk

the first product on the main page claims to boost your signal, and its 1/10th the cost of the expansys product !

[Peter Poelman]

What about

http://www.firstphoneshop.co.uk

You could give this a shot, but it's really not the same thing as coupling to a real outside antenna.

[Lost in Norway]

Is this to good to be true? When you think it might be, it usually is...

I did a search and there are many variations on this product, here is one:
http://www.thesignalbooster.com

(They also have this product: http://www.theradiationblocker.com/ this MUST be a joke!)

Has anyone had any experience with the “signalbooster”?

[Anonymous]

I have opened the XDA carkit cradle an found a piece of PCB connected to the coaxcial wire that leads to the connecor for an external GPS antenna. The PCB is positioned close to the XDA antenna,

Francois

[Lost in Norway]

And you (Francois) think the “signalbooster” will work?
It's quite cheap, I'll probably get one, but I'm still waiting for my XDA to get back from repairs. It could take some time.

[climber]

I checked the nokia site in sweden and searched for the partnumber earlier mentioned. It seems they incorporate it in their handsfree kit. Having used 3 different handsfreekits so far for several phones with all good quality I assume it works fine.....

but.....

in cars the what-you-call-booster is more used as a way of getting the signal from outside the car straight to the phone, in a way it doesn't really have to boost the signal although most claim they do. So I am not 100% convinced it will solve your problem unless you are suffering from a situation where signals are received normally outside and are bad inside.

Confused :?: :wink:

Robert

[FVH]

I have no idea, where I live in Holland signal strength is ok, I do not need an external antenna and so I have never used it. On the other hand I think that it would work beacuse I can not imagine O2 implementing a external antenna connector to their carkit if it doesn't work...


Francois

[Lost in Norway]

:D You misunderstand :D
I don't think there are anything odd abbout the Nokia PCB-solution...
It's this thing I was thinking is to good to be true: http://www.thesignalbooster.com/

[climber]

I probably have not made myself clear Francois.

There are at least two reasons I see for using an external antenna:
- boosting the signal
- making sure the signal is received/send outside of a Farraday cage.

They both make sense in both a car and a concrete walls house like many here in Holland.
I was just saying that the first one does not necessarily be the case for a carkit. But if the thing is called 'thesignalbooster' well.....it is either marketing or the next best thing to sliced bread

Robert

[derekcfoley]

Hopefully someone will buy one (a signal booster) and try it out with the xda, and let us know the findings...

of course the next question is "will it fit inside!" :D

[derekcfoley]

Aplologies for my "cross thread posting"....
(but I thought it was important)

- - - - - - - - - -

After a lot of research it seems the "as seen on TV" signal booster widgets (small PCBs) as suspected dont work.
http://www.bettercalls.com/
http://cellphones-accessories.com/cell-accessories/celphonpow24.html

This is a brilliant site where I found all the info:
http://www.criterioncellular.com/html/reception.html

Whats needed is either:
1) someone making a replacement antenna - as from the internal images shown on this website, it seems fairly easy to remove when dismantling the xda. Why not have a replacement one with an external FME antenna connector. This could then be attached to a small car type antenna.
http://www.tdc.co.uk/antennas/antenna_gsm.htm
apologies if my theories are a little optimistic on this... its just an idea.

2) Purchase of an external signal booster, which can be attached to a small antenna. Then directly plugged into a modified antenna (as 1 above)

3) A seperate re-radiator to boost the outdoor GSM signal inside the home, although this seems expensive! ($279)http://www.criterioncellular.com/html/cellular-amplifier-bda.html

4) as carlos suggested an inductive repeater, you can buy these for GPS systems, why not for GSM signals?http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=GPSW-RRAD-45

FVH - Have you noticed any difference with signal using the inductive coupler?
:wink: [/b]

[derekcfoley]

just seen the new "car kit" on o2's website...
And it mentions details for a suitable antenna supplier are "in the kit"
http://www.o2.co.uk/productsservices/xda/accessories4/0,,170,00.html

xda Car Kit
£176.50 AHTXDAKN
A carkit for the xda (Aerial and fitting not included, aerial supplier information in the kit

http://flash.o2.co.uk/personal/productsservices/xda/images/xda-access-tmp.gif

can anyone whose got one post the info for the antenna here please! :)