Sev
06-06-2010, 06:48 AM
http://www.instructables.com/id/Cell-Phone-WiFi-Signal-Booster-Antenna/
introRepurpose An Old Dish Antenna to Boost Cell Phone / WiFi Signals
When I recently moved from San Antonio to rural North Carolina, I found myself completely unable to get a cell signal where I live. The only way for me to get a signal at all was to drive over a mile in either direction from where I live. I first thought my problem was my cell carrier. I decided to change carriers so I had several friends check out their signal strength while they were visiting me so I could better decide which carrier to go with. Of the three other major carriers we checked, not one can provide a reliable signal at my house. It was apparent that my problem is my location. I am at the bottom of a shallow valley. It is uphill in nearly any direction you go from here.
I had to find a solution. I checked into an external antenna for my cell phone but found they cost nearly $50.00 and have to be ordered from China (eBay). I knew there had to be a better way.
While working in my yard one afternoon I noticed an old satellite TV dish on top of a pole in my backyard. It had been left there by the previous residents. Suddenly a light bulb came on. I grabbed some wrenches, took down the dish and held my cell phone next to the antenna's horn. I was amazed to find that I instantly got full signal. I could not believe my eyes. I went from no signal to full signal and had not spent a dime or changed anything on my cell phone. Just to make sure I made a call using speaker phone and found that this thing truly did work.
The next test came when I took the assembly inside the house to try it. With aluminum siding on the house I have problems even getting a television signal using a rabbit ear antenna. To my surprise, I got two bars inside so long as I pointed the dish at a double window in my living room. I no longer miss calls and I don't have to leave home to talk on my cell phone. It isn't an ideal setup but it works and did not cost me anything. It is also a great way to recycle that old dish antenna that would have ended up in the trash otherwise.
.
Repurpose An Old Dish Antenna to Boost Cell Phone / WiFi Signals
image not found
loading...
step 1Setting Up The Antenna Booster
After my initial eureka moment, I started tweeking the antenna / cell phone assembly a little. First I held the cell phone in front of the dish's horn and turned around in the yard to see which direction I got the strongest signal from. When I found that sweet spot I held the cell phone against the horn while moving it up and down, left and right in front of the horn t…
step 2Finishing Up
With that information I went in the house and made a small foam core holder for the cell phone and used duct tape to attach it to the dish's horn. I kept the front of the holder pretty short so I could still access the buttons to dial a number. I sat the whole assembly on top of an old radio cabinet and pointed the dish at the double windows in my living room. Now I nev…
step 3Taking it Further
If for some reason (like you live in the mountains) and you need to mount the antenna booster outside to get a signal, it would be a simple matter to weather proof the cell phone with a plastic sandwich container. You could still use a bluetooth headset to receive your calls. Also, this setup would work well with WiFi as well. Just use one of those little USB WiFi ante…
introRepurpose An Old Dish Antenna to Boost Cell Phone / WiFi Signals
When I recently moved from San Antonio to rural North Carolina, I found myself completely unable to get a cell signal where I live. The only way for me to get a signal at all was to drive over a mile in either direction from where I live. I first thought my problem was my cell carrier. I decided to change carriers so I had several friends check out their signal strength while they were visiting me so I could better decide which carrier to go with. Of the three other major carriers we checked, not one can provide a reliable signal at my house. It was apparent that my problem is my location. I am at the bottom of a shallow valley. It is uphill in nearly any direction you go from here.
I had to find a solution. I checked into an external antenna for my cell phone but found they cost nearly $50.00 and have to be ordered from China (eBay). I knew there had to be a better way.
While working in my yard one afternoon I noticed an old satellite TV dish on top of a pole in my backyard. It had been left there by the previous residents. Suddenly a light bulb came on. I grabbed some wrenches, took down the dish and held my cell phone next to the antenna's horn. I was amazed to find that I instantly got full signal. I could not believe my eyes. I went from no signal to full signal and had not spent a dime or changed anything on my cell phone. Just to make sure I made a call using speaker phone and found that this thing truly did work.
The next test came when I took the assembly inside the house to try it. With aluminum siding on the house I have problems even getting a television signal using a rabbit ear antenna. To my surprise, I got two bars inside so long as I pointed the dish at a double window in my living room. I no longer miss calls and I don't have to leave home to talk on my cell phone. It isn't an ideal setup but it works and did not cost me anything. It is also a great way to recycle that old dish antenna that would have ended up in the trash otherwise.
.
Repurpose An Old Dish Antenna to Boost Cell Phone / WiFi Signals
image not found
loading...
step 1Setting Up The Antenna Booster
After my initial eureka moment, I started tweeking the antenna / cell phone assembly a little. First I held the cell phone in front of the dish's horn and turned around in the yard to see which direction I got the strongest signal from. When I found that sweet spot I held the cell phone against the horn while moving it up and down, left and right in front of the horn t…
step 2Finishing Up
With that information I went in the house and made a small foam core holder for the cell phone and used duct tape to attach it to the dish's horn. I kept the front of the holder pretty short so I could still access the buttons to dial a number. I sat the whole assembly on top of an old radio cabinet and pointed the dish at the double windows in my living room. Now I nev…
step 3Taking it Further
If for some reason (like you live in the mountains) and you need to mount the antenna booster outside to get a signal, it would be a simple matter to weather proof the cell phone with a plastic sandwich container. You could still use a bluetooth headset to receive your calls. Also, this setup would work well with WiFi as well. Just use one of those little USB WiFi ante…