I’m in an area with “very weak or no signal” from a nearby tower. Actually, I have no service unless I drive about 3 miles down the road; then it’s great. AT&T says they have no plans for another tower in a better location, Verizon has the same tower so that’s no help.
I use the cell phone for my business, and I’m sick of having to tell people that I can’t be reached on it if I’m working at home (75% of the time) and giving my home phone, which doesn’t help clients if I’m not here. I pay for the stupid cell phone, and it sits in my car all that time doing nothing. I’m going to be outside sales for a new showroom, and I’d like to have one phone where I can be reached when I’m working here or out measuring.
Anyone know of anything out there that can help either boost the signal from the tower or actually capture it and get it here? Well, short of my own satellite….No one can offer any explanation of why there’s no signal other than topography or maybe trees in the way..
Anyone in a similar situation who’s found a solution?
Replies
try other services.
I've worked jobs where my Sprint worked and others didn't ...
and worked jobs where my Sprint was dead and I had to borrow a different phone to dial out.
also ... still with Sprint ... for the last 10 or so years ... haven't been able to get good reception here at home. Half a block away it's just fine ... even on the front porch I can carry on a conversation .. but walk into the door and it's 50/50.
That said ... just got a new phone. A Sanyo something 'er other ...
but it's the one that's military specs.
I thot it'd just be more dirt / water resistant ...
but it also gets better reception than any other phone I've owned.
and ... it works just fine inside the house ... less bars than on the porch ... but works
bonus!
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Exactly my dilemma here, I had Nextel, it was usless, now ATT and it is better but not great.
I now call FRWD to my landline right before I get home..when I remember to...
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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Do not click here what ever ya do
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There are repeater / amplifiers for cell service. They cost a few hundred dollars. Search online. Not sure how to tell if they'll work in your location.
Rich
Get a wilson's trucker antenna, and an adaptor for your phone.
Cheap fix.
It will -probably- work. And very well, at that.
But if it doesn't, they accept returns, so you will be out nothing.
Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
Click here for access to the Woodshed Tavern
They sell amplifiers for rver"s! Can't guarentee it will work as I have not tried.
There are high antennas that you can put on your roof and point to the sell site. You must know what frequency band your service is using. Then you can run the cable from the antenna to another antenna in your house that is omni directional and whala, you have a passive repeater. If you are getting marginal signal now this might work very well for you. If necessary you can add a bi-directional amplifier and then it will work gangbusters.
Do a Google on "cell phone repeaters". More info than you want to know.
They do indeed work, I have done a number of them.
"There are high antennas that you can put on your roof and point to the sell site. "If you do that, then you need to put up a 2nd antenna.The first points to the sell site and the 2nd to the buy site..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Bill....hahah yeah I am not accurate with the keyboard , but I am faaast...;-)Nobody gets in to see the wizard...not nobody...not no how!
Sometimes a major difference from one company to another. They don't always choose to pay for signal from a competitor's tower. The solution is to find the company that gives the best coverage where you mostly are. Easier said than done.
A friend down the road asked me to visit to check signal strength. He switched.
In our case, it's US Cellular. No idea where their towers are, but I've not found a dead spot. Interesting to see how it works on a Michigan trip in a couple of weeks. Far as I can tell, they're good about buying signal from competitors' towers.
But if they don't have towers in your area, they won't sell you service. Visiting web sites will usually tell you.
We chose the cell company based on performance, but the 3 we considered were all the same price. Your number is transferrable. I've got what used to be our land line. You're right, no good reason for more than a cell phone if you can get coverage. I can't imagine going back. FAXing was our challenge, solved.
Verizon has had no presence here, didn't choose to buy signal from some competitiors, building towers like crazy. I'm in negotiations for one here.
Happy hunting.
PAHS works. Bury it.
After they agree on rental price, tell them it boils down to whether you get free cell service.
Internet connection was of more interest to me, but they absolutely won't bundle any service with the rental contract. Was one of my early questions, clearly a factor in the rental contract. Seems the company's divisions don't talk with each other.
PAHS works. Bury it.
http://wi-ex.com/
z-Boost may be what you need.
PC World- January 2008- Steve Bass
Quote - "zBoost zPersonal makes the problem go away by repeating and boosting the signal...Wi-Ex also sells the zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL, a unit that supports multiple users...I tried this high-end...and it absolutely works."
Anyone in a similar situation who's found a solution?
Set your cell phone to forward to your landline if it's not answered. The caller will not know the difference.
http://grantlogan.net/
But you all knew that. I detailed it extensively in my blog.
Until yer surly teenaged kid answers the phone and forgets to take a message.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it's because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
Until yer surly teenaged kid answers the phone and forgets to take a message
That's why I have a dedicated office/fax line into my office with no extensions elsewhere in the house. Let's me leave the office.
Conversly, I never answer the house number. That way, I don't have to be the surly father/husband that has to take a message from somebody snapping gum while they're saying "like" every other word. And then there's my daughter's friends.
BTW - I only pay about $20/ea per month for my landlines (+LD). Digital cable.http://grantlogan.net/
But you all knew that. I detailed it extensively in my blog.
that's too easy.
no fancy #### to buy that probably won't work.
stop being a communist!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
that's too easy.
Actually, I don't use that feature anymore. Since Sprint has taken over Nextel, they started charging me $80/month for that feature where it was free previously. Just used however much airtime for the call.
Now, my voice mail message tells the caller to hang up and dial the office #. I answer the cell if I know who it is. Or, if I'm working in the shop, it gives me a second chance to get to the phone if I'm in the middle of something. Also, about 50% of the time they don't call the office, because it was an uneccessary call anyway. "I'm thinking about putting a copper roof on my doublewide. Will you come to Eastern KY and give me a free estimate?" http://grantlogan.net/
But you all knew that. I detailed it extensively in my blog.
You DO that ???Hey, I'm thinking about putting a copper roof on my 5th wheel.Can you come out here and give me a free estimate ?;o)
Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
Click here for access to the Woodshed Tavern
Can you come out here and give me a free estimate ?
I'll be right there.http://grantlogan.net/
But you all knew that. I detailed it extensively in my blog.
I'll get busy cleaning.
Politics: the blind insulting the blind.
Click here for access to the Woodshed Tavern
"Actually, I don't use that feature anymore. Since Sprint has taken over Nextel, they started charging me $80/month for that feature where it was free previously."That might be coming to an end:http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/reading-the-signals-at-sprint-nextel/
Vonage has a feature called "simulring" When the vonage number is dialed my office phone will ring as well as my cell phone.
For $15/month (plus the other taxes) you can get 500 minutes, ($25 for unlimited).
You do need high speed internet to your house.
With this you could give folks your vonage number and then the calls will find you at your desk or in your car when you have a signal.
Around here a regional carrier that recently was swallowed up by Alltel had a deal where you could get cell service and DSL from them and have a common number for both cell and VOIP. Never looked into it, though, so don't know the details.
I have been hearing recently about a new phone. Have not been interested and don't remember who makes the handset or what services that it works on.But it uses WiFi when you are in the house and cell outside.Sounds like what you are talking about..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Thanks everyone for your help..I have lots of options to try now. Unfortunately, other carriers aren't a good option right now, as they all seem to use this nearby tower that doesn't reach. But thanks to you all, I have other fixes I can pursue!
Susie... not all cell phones are created equal. The ones they give you for free for signing up never work in poor coverage areas. My samsung dropped calls 30 times in my first half hour of the trip to the city...
Got a motorola...no more dropped calls.
The new Blackberry works great as well. I found a 20 yard hole that it doesn't work in...but that's it.
Good Luck!
L
GardenStructure.com~Build for the Art of it! Decks Blog
Thanks for the tip! Someone else recently mentioned that my phone could be the reason for a lot of problems I've encountered with some text messages, but I didn't associate the phone with reception problems.
I'll definitely check out the Motorola!