External aerials for mobiles?

[terryc]

Does anyone have one on their Nav?
Which one and is it any good?

On one of our trips away, we busted the CT hub and had no mobile coverage, Thankfully it was on main road and someone from the shire was soon along the road and gave The Boss a lift into town to take advantage of our NRMA extra package.

However, that has me thinking if I should consider an external aerial on the Nav for the mobile telephone or the number of time it will be useful makes it not worth the money.

 

[Tappet]

Have one called a Lazer it quotes 7dBi Gain. Its the type with a spring on the bottom and a light whip about a meter long. Made up a bracket and mounted it off the the top bracket that holds the snorkel. Good thing is, it does work well, in some situations from one or two bars of signal strength to full.

The broomstick (ugly) style are probably better, especially on the move as they don't bend like whips which tends to detune them.

Try to have the antenna above the roofline of your truck as it does help performance.

 

[tweak'e]

catch is you need a phone that an external aerial can attach to. getting rare these days.
not sure if you guys can get booster kits, they are pretty much gone from over here.

 

[nakedape]

I have a broomstick type mounted to my bullbar. I would not be without it. Sorry, cant remember brand but it cost about $200.
just remember, they have limitations and are no sat phone.

 

[Tappet]

Good point tweak'e!
There is car kits for just about every phone but a phone that has the direct connection for the antenna is the go.

 

[tweak'e]

your lucky, last time i looked our networks here did not make car kits anymore.

 

[craig fitzpatrick]

I have a telstra tough 2 it has an external plug for an antenna and i run it through a hard wired car kit with a broomstick antenna on the bull bar ,i also have a yagi 13 ellement antenna i use when camping it also runs my internet on my laptop

 

[ianf]

Only one antenna to buy, RFI CD2195 but I am biest as I work for them. Check out http://rfiwireless.com.au/consumer/index.html
- Australian made
- Patented Meander design
- High gain version also available (CD2197)
- Also available in Q-Fit version (i.e. removable whip / CDQ2195)
- Also do matching UHF CB antennas
PS: Check out my Navara in the Your4x4 ad on the front page.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Ian

 

[Old.Tony]

I bought a Lazer 6.5dB antenna and a $49 shitty "blue tick" phone. The idea being that in an emergency, I could just pop my sim card in the crappy phone and make the call.

Range is extended, even in hilly country. It's not bad, but it's no satphone.

And because of THAT, we bought a satphone. Now I don't need the antenna or the shitty phone, so I'm thinking of replacing that antenna with a sand flag.

 

[Moses19]

Nowadays the go is buy the aerial, hard wire it to a base plate which then you buy a interchangable cradle for your phone. So when you get a new phone, buy a new cradle and off you go.