Using a Cellphone in a Basement? 62
Nimsoft asks: "I recently moved into a basement flat and as a result I get no cellphone coverage in there. This is incredibly frustrating as my cell provider is so much cheaper than landline offerings I rely on my cell as my primary means of telecommunications. I can pick up a signal the second I step out of my front door and friends on other networks can sometimes pick up a weak signal within my flat. What would the geek solution (must be cheap!) to this issue be? Would attaching a larger antenna to my phone work, or can I hack together some sort of repeater and put an antenna outside somewhere?" While thousands of offers of repeaters and signal boosters are only as far away as the nearest Google search, what recommendations or experiences would you care to share on the subject?
VoIP (Score:5, Informative)
I have my cellphone set to conditionally forward to the vonage line. By that if I don't answer, instead of going to voicemail, it goes to the Vonage line. I use the Vonage voice mail. IMHO it is better because you can check the VM online via a web browser and other nifty features that are better than the cellphone.
-MS2k
Re:VoIP (Score:1)
Re:VoIP (Score:2)
Re:VoIP (Score:1)
Here's a solution: external aerial (Score:2)
(you'll have to scroll down that page quite a bit - just search the page for "mobile phones").
Slow News Day :( (Score:2)
Why are you complaining? You posted the story.
Voice over IP isn't a bad solution, but it still makes for two phone bills, not one.
Re:Slow News Day :( (Score:2)
I used to have a big minutes cell plan and used the cell almost exclusively. But no with the flat rate of Vonage, I was able to switch to a much cheaper rate plan. Because of my usage habits, it has been cheaper for me to have two bills than it was with one big minute cell plan.
-MS2k
Bluetooth headset (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Bluetooth headset (Score:1)
Re:Bluetooth headset (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Bluetooth headset (Score:1)
Re:Bluetooth headset (Score:1)
Re:Bluetooth headset (Score:2)
I've used a number of bluetooth devices in a VERY electrically-noisy manufacturing environment. It goes through a wall or two, and with line-of-sight, I've gotten better than 60ft range.
The key? Don't use cheap consumer-grade bluetooth devices, you get what you pay for here. For example, we have a few barcode scanners that cost almost $500 each, compared with
Dear Slashdotters... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Dear Slashdotters... (Score:2, Funny)
I just bought a new house from Faraday Realty...
Re:Dear Slashdotters... (Score:2)
Your reception should then be out of this world.
Re:Dear Slashdotters... (Score:2)
Ask your friends (Score:2, Insightful)
Passive Repeaters (Score:5, Informative)
Seems simple, but there are a couple of things to consider. First, you will have to know which band your cell phone is using at your house. The two likely choices are around 890MHz and around 1800Mhz (I am doing this from memory, so look it up). Then, the simplest antenna to make is a vertical dipole. Each antenna is two pieces of coat hanger, each piece cut to a quarter wavelength of the frequency you are using.
The next thing to consider is that all coax has loss. At 1.8 Ghz, you could easily be looking at -10db per 100 feet for average coax. So, make sure that you use the best coax you can find (it will be more expensive, but worth it) and keep it as short as possible.
If you are not getting enough signal with this arrangement, you can get fancy and build a better antenna for the end that gets a good signal from the cell tower. Two more pieces of coat hanger will let you build a three element directional array. Mount the coat hanger pieces through 3/4 inch PVC. You will need something like the ARRL Antenna Handbook to get the correct lengths for the pieces, and the distance between them. Since this kind of antenna is directional, you will need to point it at the cell tower. Also, remember to keep the elements vertically oriented, not horizontal like a TV antenna.
Good luck
combine the old school car kits (Score:2)
the best thing would be to find 2 car kit aeriels and attach them one upstairs one down
use the phone to monitor best position of outside aerial ( unless you have a signal box)
Note the gold on the conectors fudge it and no signal
regards
John Jones
Re:Passive Repeaters (Score:2)
Re:Passive Repeaters (Score:3, Informative)
This guy should be able to build one for less than $20, and it's about as close to an instant, duct tape and bailing wire solution as you're going to get.
As far as easily availible, decent coax RG6 is what you want. It seems to be what the cable companies are switching over to, and it should be very easy to get at your local home despot.
Also, for Vp = 3E8 m/s a quarter wavelength is:
84 cm for 890 MHz
42 cm for 1800 MHz
Also note
Re:Passive Repeaters (Score:1)
Seriously, ladder line actually has lower loss than coax, which is why its used in the first place. Problem is that ladder line will have an impedance of around 300 ohms. This will work poorly with a dipole, which has an impedance of about 50 ohms. You need a balum (impedance transformer) to connect the dipole to the ladder line, and then some kind of antenna tuner at the cell phone. Even if it was worth the hassle, I've never seen a balun, or ladd
Re:Passive Repeaters (Score:2)
RG-58, the stuff they used to use for Ethernet, is 50 Ohm.
Re:Passive Repeaters (Score:3, Informative)
There's nothing that says ALL "ladder lines" have to be 300 ohms or 450 ohm or any other specfic impedance. It's just a function of your wire diameter and the spacing.
Check out this page for a calculator. [astrosurf.com]
Of course there are very good reasons that engineers choose the impedances they do. But it's still at least theoretically possible to make the whole passiv
Re:Passive Repeaters (Score:2)
Center-fed resonant dipoles in free space are 72 ohms [comportco.com], folded dipoles are 288 ohms, ground planes are closer to 50 ohms depending on the angle between the driven element and the ground plane elements (is that what you meant by "monopole"?)
If your cheap FM wire antenna is not folded back on itself, you'd better connect it to the 75ohm terminals instead. Otherwise
externall antenna time (Score:4, Informative)
Car kit (Score:3, Informative)
If so, the obvious thing to do seems to be to get one, and put the arial somewhere where it gets a signal.
Just my $0.02,
Michael
Cheap? (Score:2)
If the providers that do reach your basement aren't too much more expensive, you might consider switching. If you choose your handset carefully, it might overcome the poor signal.
Re:Cheap? (Score:3, Insightful)
That isn't everyone however. My daughter can easily eat through $50 a month on pre-paid, so for here it would be cheaper to get either a land line, vonage account, or if she needs mobility, a $39.99 a month plan, once she figures out how to manage her minutes so she isn't going over whatever limits th
Re:Cheap? (Score:2)
External antenna (Score:2)
You could try buying an antenna for your cell, like cellphone users used to use on cars. Try finding a spot near the ceiling where the antenna gets reception, then run the cable to where you want to keep your phone.
For keeping the cable tidy, find removable wallclips. In the US, 3M tends to make them, I'm not sure what brands are available in your country.
WLAN (Score:2, Interesting)
Vague/sketchy details (Score:5, Insightful)
Try posting some more information
ie.
Location - What County/City/State?
Cellphone Service Provider - Would be handy.
Current Cellphone - Make/Model - as above.
Somebody may have had exactly the same issue in the same region with the same phone/provider and could answer your question in one sentence.
Please when posting "Ask Slashdot" questions be a little more concise!
My thoughts
A basement is an enclosed space (I will assume you have no windows/sky lights) however there must be a means of circulating air around the "basement" - im thinking
Have a look at the car antenna kits that are compatible with you current phone - remember these antennas are normally installed in the rear car window and after trailing the cable around the window/sills/footwells you could easily use 6-9 metres of cable.
Next
Then stick a car antenna on the wall
If you own the place then get out a 2 foot long drill - bang a hole through the wall - problem solved
Even if you have to follow the path of an existing cable/pipe that runs "upstairs" - measure the distance - then talk to somebody who knows about signal loss
Then spend about (rough guess £40) on a bluetooth headset
Re:Vague/sketchy details (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Vague/sketchy details (Score:1)
I had the same problem... (Score:3, Funny)
Then a hurricane came through town and took care of some of the trees for me. I get fine reception now! I highly recommend it!
Wireless repeater (Score:2, Informative)
^ These guys sell a repeater that would suit your needs.
Commercial Repeaters (Score:2)
I completely agree with the poster Kehl above, we need more info! We don't even know what kind of cell phone you have.
Since the question is so vague, all I can provide is a vague answer: To get started, Google "Cell Phone Repeater" [google.com] and Froogle it [google.com] to see what kind of items and prices you're looking at.
Ask, and the shack shall provide (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Ask, and the shack shall provide (Score:3, Funny)
tie down a handset (Score:4, Informative)
Like I tell everyone. (Score:1, Flamebait)
Re:Like I tell everyone. (Score:2)
My cellphone is a walky-talkie and I pay for the feature. It's called Nextel Direct Connect.
Re:Like I tell everyone. (Score:2)
Re:Like I tell everyone. (Score:3)
Okay, so why exactly does that make it stupid?
Re:Like I tell everyone. (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Ask a stupid question, get several stupid answers. (Score:3, Interesting)
Second, you could leave the phone upstairs where it gets decent signal already, and bring the voice downstairs. Do this with a Cellsocket [cellsocket.com] or a Dock'n'talk [phonelabs.com] cellular POTS adapter [sandman.com]. Run a regular phone line down to where you spend most of your time, or hook up a cordless phone to the analog port.
Next option: Leave the phone upstairs. Get a really long headset cord, if your phone supports voice dialing and an answer/hangup button on the headset.
Yet another dumb idea: Leave the phone upstairs, and use a Bluetooth headset to bring the audio down. You should be able to dial by sending commands from a Bluetooth-equipped PDA.
Re:Ask a stupid question, get several stupid answe (Score:1)
Have you used bluetooth through walls before? In my real world experience it does not work at all, infact bluetooth hardly even works in the same room when there are many obstacles.
External Antenna (Score:1)
Cheap and easy (Score:1)