Passive repeaters rarely do any good.
The attenuation in the line almost always negates any gains...

The only case is when there is a very strong signal outside and
very heavy shielding blocking signals inside - essentially, the passive
device is a conduit for the signal.

If the signal is on the weak side outside, active is the only way.


"Peter Pan" <PeterPanNOSPAM@MarcAlanNOSPAM.info> wrote in message news:676p0aF2mv2t5U1@mid.individual.net...
> Pegleg wrote:
>> On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:25:15 -0400, "Peter Pan"
>> <PeterPanNOSPAM@MarcAlanNOSPAM.info> wrote:
>>
>>> Doesn't really matter, think about it, a metal roof is above you,
>>> and unless you have a cell tower floating in the air over your
>>> house, it will usually be horizontally (away), not vertically
>>> (above)... as a quick free test, sit on the floor and try making a
>>> call instead of standing up (then the roof/overhang usually blocks
>>> you).... laptops (ie laps and tabletops) are lower and get a direct
>>> LOS under the metal roof above, unlike a person standing with the
>>> antenna up high....
>>>
>> Not sure where you dug that theory up from...sitting on the floor I
>> get no bars in 1X, EVDO indicator doesn't even show-up. Standing
>> with the phone next to a window I get one bar in EVDO and two bars in
>> 1X.
>
> At my place in Rathdrum Idaho with a metal snow roof... Phone worked when I
> was sitting, but no signal when I was standing (cell tower was about 10
> miles away, but a friend, that lived right next to/under the cell tower -
> but blocked by his metal snow roof, couldn't get a signal at home, but could
> at my place if he layed on the couch.....
>
> Can you get a signal outside? Aside from metal snow roofs, have seen foil
> backed insulation in the walls that also block signals (both cell and
> wifi)... Seems if you can get a signal by the window, may be the foil backed
> insulation in the walls problem......
>
> At any rate, you may want to check into passive repeaters (ie non powered,
> antenna outside repeats the signal on the inside antenna, they do have
> active repeaters (expensive) for really stubborn cases
> http://www.cellantenna.com/)
>
>