- Dec 30, 2011
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I'm new to this forum and want to ask a simple(?) technical question.
My question is: How to determine how big of a hole to cut in a metal building to allow cell phone signals to get to the folks inside? Obviously, the real practical solution to the problem is to install a repeater rather than cut a hole in the building but some folks were sitting around with a beverage or two and the question came up. You might know how these conversations develop.
So there are really two questions: How big a hole? but more importantly, how would one determine the answer to the first question?
My thoughts are: Cell phone frequencies are roughly 300MHz to 3GHz, therefore wavelengths are about 1meter to 10cm and expect the hole needs to bigger greater than the wavelength to prevent diffraction/interference. Therefore an approx. 1m hole (square??round??) might do it. (How important is it to be pointed at the cell tower?, no clue!)
Your thoughts, comments, delusions?
Hope you can help,
George, neither a physicist nor engineer
My question is: How to determine how big of a hole to cut in a metal building to allow cell phone signals to get to the folks inside? Obviously, the real practical solution to the problem is to install a repeater rather than cut a hole in the building but some folks were sitting around with a beverage or two and the question came up. You might know how these conversations develop.
So there are really two questions: How big a hole? but more importantly, how would one determine the answer to the first question?
My thoughts are: Cell phone frequencies are roughly 300MHz to 3GHz, therefore wavelengths are about 1meter to 10cm and expect the hole needs to bigger greater than the wavelength to prevent diffraction/interference. Therefore an approx. 1m hole (square??round??) might do it. (How important is it to be pointed at the cell tower?, no clue!)
Your thoughts, comments, delusions?
Hope you can help,
George, neither a physicist nor engineer