Long Range Cellular Phone Systems.....

Discussion in 'Survival Communications' started by BTPost, Oct 28, 2011.


  1. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Well Momma got a new iPhone last summer, and they do NOT come with External Antenna connections. That makes them a really expensive iPod, when you live as far out in the Alaskan Bush as we do. We do have Cellular Service out here, but it takes an External Outside Antenna, to make the 20 mile hop to the Cellsite, especially if there are ANY trees in the path. I had explored the possibilities of using the new Cellular Bidirectional Amplifier technology, and figured that when funds were available we would invest in a system, to bring the Cellular World into the cabin, for Mommas iPhone4. Now that my Social Security checks are coming, we finally have the extra funds, to get things ordered, and they showed up in Wednesday's Mail.

    1 ea. Wilson Dual Band (824-894 Mhz 1850-1990 Mhz) Bidirectional Amplifier
    #811210 12 Vdc@2Amps 25db Passband Gain on both Bands and in
    both directions.
    1 ea. Wilson WideBand Weatherproof Directional Antenna
    8.0 dBi gain @ 824-894 Mhz 10.5 dBi @ 1850-1990 Mhz

    The Amp came with a little Indoor Patch Antenna to lay next to the two Cellphones, up next to the Amplifier. It was raining very hard, Wed. so I didn't swap out the old 900Mhz Panel antenna that was connected to the External Antenna port on my Old Motorola FlipPhone, so I just left it in place. I installed the Amp (took a while to assemble all the right adapters, to connect the Outside Antenna to the AMP) and indoor Patch Antenna so the two cellphones were close, and sitting on a shelf in the Radio room. We have an XLink Box that connects to both Cellphones, via Bluetooth, and then feeds one of the three POTs (Plain Old Telephone) Lines in the cabin. This allows the cellphones to sit on the shelf and when they ring, they connect to the XLink which then rings the telephones in the cabin, on the Cellphone Line. for outgoing Cellular Calls, the XLink provides a DialTone, and you dial, 1-Area Code-Prefix-Number just like on a regular POTs Phone. As soon as got the 12Vdc power wired up to the amp from the Radio Rooms 12 Vdc Power Buss, the little Red LED started Flashing, which means it is talking to the Cellsite. I looked at my FlipPhone and I had 4 Bars, with the phone 36 inches away from the Patch Antenna. Mommas iPhone4 was then brought in and connected to a Charging USB Powersupply and Cable, and it locked up and registered 5 Bars and Edge Data Service, when placed next to the Patch Antenna. We tested both phones by calling them from the regular GCI Telco POTs Line. Both rang and talked as normal, thru the XLink Box, just fine. We are very pleased with the results, just using the old Single Band (824-894 Mhz) Antenna. Today, the rain had stopped for a while, so I went down an grabbed a 25 ft Ladder, and my project was to replace the old Single Band Antenna, with the new Wide Band Directional Antenna, using the same Coax cable that had been there from before. Finished up the outside work, and checked the signals on both Cellphones, when I was done. both showed 5 Bars, and Mommas had the Edge Data Service indicator, on as well. All in all, a successful upgrade for the CellPhone Systems here. Pictures below.
    Cellular1. Callular2. Cellular3.
     
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