Cell Phone Service Troubles - Vette Racer

[GaryKD]

This may help Vette Racer with his cell phone service. I got his post via email but can not reply or find the thread.

My service is also Cingular. Like you I was with AT&T and was sold to Cingular. The cell phone trouble you are having may not be the service, it may be the phone. Over the years, as towers have been added to the network the phones have gotten smaller and have much less transmission power than phones of a few years ago. You have seen this because you get the bars from the cell tower (broadcasting at 45 watts) but can't have a conversation because your phone is broadcasting at 1/2 watt or less.

To correct this, I added boosters in my cars and the coach. each has a 3 watt signal booster from Digital Antenna. There is a small antenna in the vehicle and an antenna on the roof. The installation is totally behind the scenes. You use the phone as usual. The phone transmitts to the small antenna. The small antenna sends the signal to the booster and then out to the roof antenna. This should get your transmitted signal to the horizon. I have never had a problem (even after the hurricanes).

I have not been to the South West, but I have been to some remote mountain areas of the Eastern USA. Also, my coach is very popular at rallys. Over the length of the rally, people will begin to make calls from around my coach. They don't know why but I do.

There are also passive signal boosters you can buy. Visit Radio Shack or search the web and you'll find many choices.

[GaryKD]

This may help Vette Racer with his cell phone service. I got his post via email but can not reply or find the thread.

My service is also Cingular. Like you I was with AT&T and was sold to Cingular. The cell phone trouble you are having may not be the service, it may be the phone. Over the years, as towers have been added to the network the phones have gotten smaller and have much less transmission power than phones of a few years ago. You have seen this because you get the bars from the cell tower (broadcasting at 45 watts) but can't have a conversation because your phone is broadcasting at 1/2 watt or less.

To correct this, I added boosters in my cars and the coach. each has a 3 watt signal booster from Digital Antenna. There is a small antenna in the vehicle and an antenna on the roof. The installation is totally behind the scenes. You use the phone as usual. The phone transmitts to the small antenna. The small antenna sends the signal to the booster and then out to the roof antenna. This should get your transmitted signal to the horizon. I have never had a problem (even after the hurricanes).

I have not been to the South West, but I have been to some remote mountain areas of the Eastern USA. Also, my coach is very popular at rallys. Over the length of the rally, people will begin to make calls from around my coach. They don't know why but I do.

There are also passive signal boosters you can buy. Visit Radio Shack or search the web and you'll find many choices.