"John" <Jwh_fla_nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:LspMg.37426$_q4.9737@dukeread09...
> "Cavity Search" <phamaps@linkline.com> wrote in message
> news:12fnbll4un0pma2@corp.supernews.com...
>> "HotRod" <NoSpam@YourEmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:12f8bohjut5d10c@corp.supernews.com...
>>> I'm wondering when shopping for new phones if there is a wattage etc.
>>> that
>>> will tell me what range I can expect.
>>
>> Not really. Maximum transmitting power for cell phones is fixed by the
>> FCC,
>> and I'm quite sure no cell phone maker is going to go less than the max.
>>
>> You can look for a few things. In the very most general way, cell phones
>> with real antennas may get better coverage than ones with built-in
>> antennas,
>> usually, sometimes. No doubt some folks will pipe up with experiences
>> that
>> blow this theory away, and in fact I have a phone with a built in antenna
>> that gets slightly better signals than others I've used.
>>
>> What I look for is a phone with an external antenna plug. You can find a
>> list of available adapters at www.wilsonelectronics.com . The phones
>> where
>> adapters are listed can be hooked up to an external antenna, which mounts
>> either to your car, house, or even an amplifier/antenna system. It
>> sounds
>> like a hassle, but all you do is pop the magnetic mount antenna on the
>> roof
>> of your car, run the cable through a door jam, stick it under the seat,
>> and
>> plug the end into your phone. You then get a much stronger signal and
>> less
>> dead zones. When you get out of the car, just unplug it and go on your
>> way.
>>
>> I won't buy a phone without this option. That's how good the reception
>> is
>> with these things.
>>
>> Best part is, if you rent a car, or drive a company car, just take it off
>> your roof and transplant it. Or buy another one.
>>
>> These are cheap, roughly $40 or so.
>>
>> CS
>
> Have you also tried the mobile amplifier? Seems like using the external
> ant would work best with a hands free/bluetooth set up?
Haven't tried a mobile amp yet. Frankly, I'd only need such a thing in an
emergency, and if I need to pump out 2 or 3 watts to contact someone,
they're probably too far away to be of much use.
A CB radio would be cheaper and more helpful, however, I may end up getting
an amp in the future, if nothing more than the value as another gadget among
(too) many.
An external antenna works great when you really need it, regardless of how
you use the phone. Right now I'm using it for data, but it's always in the
car just in case.
Now that I have a bluetooth headset, it'll be much handier.
CS
Re: Cell Phone Range? 
Linear Mode
