Using the van a bit more now I'm retired. Just wondering what might be available out there to improve/boost mobile signal. I believe there are some reasonably priced aerial systems that might be available but I can't find anything. Plus most modern phones don't have a plug for an aerial. Id like something simple and portable to erect when the need arises. So what's the go from The Experts?
Lesley is on aldi, I'm on a telstra plan.
TIA
Neil
yobarr said
05:41 PM Apr 12, 2021
oldbloke wrote:
Using the van a bit more now I'm retired. Just wondering what might be available out there to improve/boost mobile signal. I believe there are some reasonably priced aerial systems that might be available but I can't find anything. Plus most modern phones don't have a plug for an aerial. Id like something simple and portable to erect when the need arises. So what's the go from The Experts?
Lesley is on aldi, I'm on a telstra plan.
TIA
Neil
Cel-fi Go...nothing compares.Cheers
Dicko1 said
06:04 PM Apr 12, 2021
As Yobarr said...the Cel-fi. The only one approved for use and definitely works.
-- Edited by Dicko1 on Monday 12th of April 2021 06:07:05 PM
-- Edited by Dicko1 on Monday 12th of April 2021 06:07:37 PM
-- Edited by Dicko1 on Monday 12th of April 2021 06:12:06 PM
oldbloke said
06:32 PM Apr 12, 2021
$900
yobarr said
06:50 PM Apr 12, 2021
oldbloke wrote:
$900
So? With a booster from the car to the van,mine cost over $2000.Like everything in our world,with phone service,you get what you pay for. Recently,after floods etc, the local area lost all phone services,but I still was able to make calls,and play around on the iPad.Many locals came down to use my service,at no cost to them,I might add.No point in being tie tars.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 12th of April 2021 06:57:22 PM
Peter_n_Margaret said
07:03 PM Apr 12, 2021
or a budget solution, get a "kelly pole" long telescopic fishing pole without any fittings, put the wireless modem in a zip top bag and attach to the top of the pole. A few extra meters of height can sometimes turn a nearly nothing signal into something quite useful.
Cheers,
Peter
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Monday 12th of April 2021 07:06:41 PM
My first suggestion is to move your wife's phone to Optus, they now have good coverage in some bush locations where Telstra does not. Moose Mobile are worth a look.
Do you wish to use the mobile network primarily for voice or data?
If voice:
I'm not aware of any mobile handset in Oz which has an antenna socket. It is possible to make a passive antenna but it's complicated and won't work well at cellular frequencies. The best thing I find for voice calls in poor areas is to rest the handset upright against something on a table and use it on hands-free, this allows the phone to operate without the electrical reactance of your body constantly changing its antenna.
You can go the Cel-fi route but it's expensive and generally not worthwhile and certainly not a magic solution.
If data:
I believe there are a number of cellular modems which have antenna sockets into which you could connect a yagi antenna which you'll need to mount at least 4m above the ground and in such a way that you can rotate it.
As Peter mentioned you can also put the phone (on Hot Spot) or modem into a bag and hoist it on a squid pole - however this will generally either do nothing or turn a very poor signal into a poor signal.
---
Essentially, in Australia, mobile phones are an urban thing and if one is regularly going serious bush then satellite phone or HF radio are the ways to go with a PLB as a last ditch call for help.
KFT said
08:45 PM Apr 12, 2021
Great discussion in this topic.
I notice a company by the name of Redline Fleet have Cel Fi Go equipment on sale. the cheaper package is $693
They are currently advertising it on Fakebook but may also be on their website.
cheers
Frank
oldbloke said
09:21 PM Apr 12, 2021
Hard to justify $700. I anticipate it will only be used occassionally. Most of our camping so far has been near towns, not way out yonder. And no where near full time, few months a year.
To answer the earlier question, I'm looking to improve both data and voice.
Mike Harding said
09:28 PM Apr 12, 2021
oldbloke wrote:
To answer the earlier question, I'm looking to improve both data and voice.
So you want your cake and to eat it :)
The optimum solution may well be to purchase a cellular modem with external antenna socket on a low cost plan, fit an external antenna and use VOIP/Skype or the like for voice calling.
There is no easy, cheap and simple solution to this issue.
Personally; I have an Amateur Radio advanced licence which allows me to chat and use e-mail from places iPhones can only dream about :)
landy said
09:30 PM Apr 12, 2021
Have a look at the Nighthawk M2 mobile router oldbloke it has dual antenna sockets. I picked up a second hand unit on Ebay for a couple of hundred dollars and so far it is looking fairly strong. Landy
dabbler said
01:53 AM Apr 13, 2021
I've just bitten the bullet and ordered a Cel Fi Go Telstra Kit from RedFleet for $800 express delivery. My camping is often on the fringes of reception where my wifi router with antenna works but can be improved. I'm sure this will do the trick.
https://www.redfleetsafety.com.au/shop/product/76529/cel-fi-go-telstra--90cm-6dbi-4g-performance-antenna-in-vehicle-mobile-signal-repeater-value-kit/
Dicko1 said
09:15 AM Apr 13, 2021
Telstra has the greatest mobile coverage of any carrier. Optus may have a few areas of coverage that Telstra does not..BUT Telstra has a lot more areas where Optus does not.
yobarr said
09:31 AM Apr 13, 2021
Dicko1 wrote:
Telstra has the greatest mobile coverage of any carrier. Optus may have a few areas of coverage that Telstra does not..BUT Telstra has a lot more areas where Optus does not.
You are,of course,100% right,Ian.When it comes to the crunch,Optus is not even in the race.
-- Edited by yobarr on Tuesday 13th of April 2021 10:44:55 AM
Mike Harding said
09:56 AM Apr 13, 2021
yobarr wrote:When it comes to the crunch,Optus is not even in the race.
Use to be the case some years back but not so now:
Interestingly, many places in the Federsl Blackspot Program aren't really remote, they just have lousy geography for cell towers. If phone coverage is must-have, just carry a prepaid SIM for whichever Telco (Telstra/Optus) you don't normally use and physically swap them. Then if you need coverage you stand a better chance. In some areas, the two majors seesaw for best coverage as towers come online. Family members in Tasmania run dual SIM mobile for business purposes (building trade) because degree and quality of coverage changes several times a year.
Dicko1 said
10:23 AM Apr 13, 2021
Top is OPTUS. Bottom is Telstra. Telstra still far in front in remote and regional areas.. this is all 3 &4g. Telstra a lot further with 5g rollout.
Some of those "remote" Optus small cells are a bit of a joke.
The one at William Creek on the Oodnadatta Track for instance, has such a small coverage that if you can not see the pub (and the public telephone), you won't get reception.
Might be convenient if you are in town, but it provides zero additional safety for remote travellers, which was its primary justification.
Cheers,
Peter
yobarr said
10:50 AM Apr 13, 2021
Dicko1 wrote:
Top is OPTUS. Bottom is Telstra. Telstra still far in front in remote and regional areas.. this is all 3 &4g. Telstra a lot further with 5g rollout.
Thanks for these coverage maps,Ian. You beat me to it,but we no doubt will still get those in denial still bleating their pitiful message.Telstra covers over 1 million square kilometres MORE than does Optus.Game over.Cheers.
-- Edited by yobarr on Tuesday 13th of April 2021 10:54:30 AM
Mike Harding said
12:10 PM Apr 13, 2021
dabbler wrote:
If phone coverage is must-have, just carry a prepaid SIM for whichever Telco (Telstra/Optus) you don't normally use and physically swap them.
Exactly. I normally use Belong, the wholesale arm of Telstra, but my phone is dual SIM so I recently purchased an Optus Flex SIM which provides a day by day use facility:
Pidgeons?? Lol The little critters dont reply though !
Radar said
03:21 PM Apr 14, 2021
No comment.
-- Edited by Radar on Wednesday 14th of April 2021 04:00:49 PM
oldbloke said
04:26 PM Apr 14, 2021
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Pidgeons?? Lol The little critters dont reply though !
Aha, finally some common sense. Lol
Tony Bev said
04:43 PM Apr 14, 2021
Hi Oldbloke
Not trying to go off topic, but I have a normal (telstra) mobile phone, and a USB pre paid internet dongle for the laptop
I use the Camping Australia Wide book, and Wikicamps, to find overnight camps, where it shows phone reception
I have been around Australia a few times now, (always on the bitumen)
I have always managed to find a camp with phone coverage except parts of the Nullarbor, and across the top
I find (for me), it is better to plan where I am going to stop, instead of carrying expensive phone equipment
oldbloke said
05:02 PM Apr 14, 2021
Tony Bev wrote:
Hi Oldbloke
Not trying to go off topic, but I have a normal (telstra) mobile phone, and a USB pre paid internet dongle for the laptop
I use the Camping Australia Wide book, and Wikicamps, to find overnight camps, where it shows phone reception
I have been around Australia a few times now, (always on the bitumen) I have always managed to find a camp with phone coverage except parts of the Nullarbor, and across the top
I find (for me), it is better to plan where I am going to stop, instead of carrying expensive phone equipment
Tony, Ben. Not off topic at all :)
That is very sensible we've only been caught out a couple of times so far and WikiCamps does indicate mobile coverage. So in future i will make a point to check that. We nearly always know where we're going to camp the day before so you righte good planning will help.
Using the van a bit more now I'm retired. Just wondering what might be available out there to improve/boost mobile signal. I believe there are some reasonably priced aerial systems that might be available but I can't find anything. Plus most modern phones don't have a plug for an aerial. Id like something simple and portable to erect when the need arises. So what's the go from The Experts?
Lesley is on aldi, I'm on a telstra plan.
TIA
Neil
Cel-fi Go...nothing compares.Cheers
As Yobarr said...the Cel-fi. The only one approved for use and definitely works.
https://www.cel-fi.com/go-plus/
-- Edited by Dicko1 on Monday 12th of April 2021 06:07:05 PM
-- Edited by Dicko1 on Monday 12th of April 2021 06:07:37 PM
-- Edited by Dicko1 on Monday 12th of April 2021 06:12:06 PM
So? With a booster from the car to the van,mine cost over $2000.Like everything in our world,with phone service,you get what you pay for. Recently,after floods etc, the local area lost all phone services,but I still was able to make calls,and play around on the iPad.Many locals came down to use my service,at no cost to them,I might add.No point in being tie tars.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 12th of April 2021 06:57:22 PM
or a budget solution, get a "kelly pole" long telescopic fishing pole without any fittings, put the wireless modem in a zip top bag and attach to the top of the pole.
A few extra meters of height can sometimes turn a nearly nothing signal into something quite useful.
Cheers,
Peter
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Monday 12th of April 2021 07:06:41 PM
My first suggestion is to move your wife's phone to Optus, they now have good coverage in some bush locations where Telstra does not. Moose Mobile are worth a look.
Do you wish to use the mobile network primarily for voice or data?
If voice:
I'm not aware of any mobile handset in Oz which has an antenna socket. It is possible to make a passive antenna but it's complicated and won't work well at cellular frequencies. The best thing I find for voice calls in poor areas is to rest the handset upright against something on a table and use it on hands-free, this allows the phone to operate without the electrical reactance of your body constantly changing its antenna.
You can go the Cel-fi route but it's expensive and generally not worthwhile and certainly not a magic solution.
If data:
I believe there are a number of cellular modems which have antenna sockets into which you could connect a yagi antenna which you'll need to mount at least 4m above the ground and in such a way that you can rotate it.
As Peter mentioned you can also put the phone (on Hot Spot) or modem into a bag and hoist it on a squid pole - however this will generally either do nothing or turn a very poor signal into a poor signal.
---
Essentially, in Australia, mobile phones are an urban thing and if one is regularly going serious bush then satellite phone or HF radio are the ways to go with a PLB as a last ditch call for help.
I notice a company by the name of Redline Fleet have Cel Fi Go equipment on sale. the cheaper package is $693
They are currently advertising it on Fakebook but may also be on their website.
cheers
Frank
To answer the earlier question, I'm looking to improve both data and voice.
So you want your cake and to eat it :)
The optimum solution may well be to purchase a cellular modem with external antenna socket on a low cost plan, fit an external antenna and use VOIP/Skype or the like for voice calling.
There is no easy, cheap and simple solution to this issue.
Personally; I have an Amateur Radio advanced licence which allows me to chat and use e-mail from places iPhones can only dream about :)
Landy
Telstra has the greatest mobile coverage of any carrier. Optus may have a few areas of coverage that Telstra does not..BUT Telstra has a lot more areas where Optus does not.
You are,of course,100% right,Ian.When it comes to the crunch,Optus is not even in the race.
-- Edited by yobarr on Tuesday 13th of April 2021 10:44:55 AM
Use to be the case some years back but not so now:
https://www.optus.com.au/about/network/mobile-black-spot-program
The one at William Creek on the Oodnadatta Track for instance, has such a small coverage that if you can not see the pub (and the public telephone), you won't get reception.
Might be convenient if you are in town, but it provides zero additional safety for remote travellers, which was its primary justification.
Cheers,
Peter
Thanks for these coverage maps,Ian. You beat me to it,but we no doubt will still get those in denial still bleating their pitiful message.Telstra covers over 1 million square kilometres MORE than does Optus.Game over.Cheers.
-- Edited by yobarr on Tuesday 13th of April 2021 10:54:30 AM
Exactly. I normally use Belong, the wholesale arm of Telstra, but my phone is dual SIM so I recently purchased an Optus Flex SIM which provides a day by day use facility:
Optus Flex
Now I can easily switch between the two and the Optus plan costs zero unless I turn it on for a day (or more) which costs $1 a day.
---
[Yobarr said]
>Telstra covers over 1 million square kilometres MORE than does Optus
As so often Yobarr you miss the point - it's called a *black-spot* programme for good reason.
---
[Peter said]
>but it provides zero additional safety for remote travellers
Never, *ever* rely upon a mobile phone for remote area safety.
How on earth this become an argument about who provides the best coverage is beyond me.
Thx everyone for the input.
It seems that there is no simple cheap solution. Never mind, carry on regardless.
No comment.
-- Edited by Radar on Wednesday 14th of April 2021 04:00:49 PM
Aha, finally some common sense. Lol
Not trying to go off topic, but I have a normal (telstra) mobile phone, and a USB pre paid internet dongle for the laptop
I use the Camping Australia Wide book, and Wikicamps, to find overnight camps, where it shows phone reception
I have been around Australia a few times now, (always on the bitumen)
I have always managed to find a camp with phone coverage except parts of the Nullarbor, and across the top
I find (for me), it is better to plan where I am going to stop, instead of carrying expensive phone equipment
Tony, Ben. Not off topic at all :)
That is very sensible we've only been caught out a couple of times so far and WikiCamps does indicate mobile coverage. So in future i will make a point to check that. We nearly always know where we're going to camp the day before so you righte good planning will help.
Thnx