Might be the wrong category, seemed like the best fit.
I want to set up an outdoor mobile antenna at our cabin. Not because of Internet addiction, but work sometimes require that I'm available, and I'd like to be able to spend time up there while on call. I only have a very basic understanding of radio signals and equipment, so I need some help to figure things out. There is coverage, but it's spotty and unreliable, a stable outdoor antenna would help.
Repeaters and amplifiers of any kind are illegal here. Approval of such is up to mobile operators, and persons don't get approval, period. I'm limited to passive equipment.
I know I need an antenna for the correct frequency band, which is E-GSM (880-960 MHz). I've found a lot of those on eBay, but they all say that they are for use with a repeater. Is this because all phones have only internal antennas these days? I have some old car phones that still work in the network, which have external antenna connectors. Such a phone would fit my use case just fine. (I'm aware that these might stop working eventually, with transition away from GSM.) Provided that I can physically connect the antenna to the phone, is there any other reason it wouldn't work?
On a related note, if I can't find an antenna with matching connector, can I solder on another connector without issues? Is there any connector power rating or something I need to be aware of, in order to not fry the phone?
Finally, antenna gain, how does it work? I found an explanation which said something along the lines of: higher gain means that the signal beam is narrower and more concentrated, lower gain means that the signal is weaker across a wider beam. High gain = "more" directional, lower gain = "less" directional antenna. Plausible considering my limited understanding, but then I don't see what gain would mean for an omnidirectional antenna.
I want a directional antenna, but what gain should I look for? What do I need to consider when choosing gain rating? Distance to cell tower, frequency band, power of transmitter in my phone, what? Does a higher gain antenna cause the phone transmitter to consume more or less battery?
Hope you can help, and tell me if there is anything else I appear oblivious to.
I want to set up an outdoor mobile antenna at our cabin. Not because of Internet addiction, but work sometimes require that I'm available, and I'd like to be able to spend time up there while on call. I only have a very basic understanding of radio signals and equipment, so I need some help to figure things out. There is coverage, but it's spotty and unreliable, a stable outdoor antenna would help.
Repeaters and amplifiers of any kind are illegal here. Approval of such is up to mobile operators, and persons don't get approval, period. I'm limited to passive equipment.
I know I need an antenna for the correct frequency band, which is E-GSM (880-960 MHz). I've found a lot of those on eBay, but they all say that they are for use with a repeater. Is this because all phones have only internal antennas these days? I have some old car phones that still work in the network, which have external antenna connectors. Such a phone would fit my use case just fine. (I'm aware that these might stop working eventually, with transition away from GSM.) Provided that I can physically connect the antenna to the phone, is there any other reason it wouldn't work?
On a related note, if I can't find an antenna with matching connector, can I solder on another connector without issues? Is there any connector power rating or something I need to be aware of, in order to not fry the phone?
Finally, antenna gain, how does it work? I found an explanation which said something along the lines of: higher gain means that the signal beam is narrower and more concentrated, lower gain means that the signal is weaker across a wider beam. High gain = "more" directional, lower gain = "less" directional antenna. Plausible considering my limited understanding, but then I don't see what gain would mean for an omnidirectional antenna.
I want a directional antenna, but what gain should I look for? What do I need to consider when choosing gain rating? Distance to cell tower, frequency band, power of transmitter in my phone, what? Does a higher gain antenna cause the phone transmitter to consume more or less battery?
Hope you can help, and tell me if there is anything else I appear oblivious to.
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