There are a number of
options available to you as a cellular phone user. Your
choices will vary and will be directed by your specific
situation. The most important factors will be price and
frequency of being located in a rural area and needing
cellular phone service.
If you live or work in a
rural area, the first thing you should consider is
investing in a 3 Watt bag phone. These phones are
literally in a zipped bag and allow you to open it,
flip up the antenna and pick up your phone. It will
look similar to a land line phone with the cord still
attached to the base of the phone.
If you are among the
majority of people who do not live in a rural area but
find yourself traveling, you can get a passive repeater
antenna. IT will not boost the power on your cellular
phone reception. It simply makes it possible to pick up
the signal a little easier. The more common antennas
allow for a suction cup attachment to the outside of
your window, the window clip that can be rolled up into
the window, and the magnetic mount.
All of these antennas
are portable from one vehicle to another since they do
not require an install of the antenna. To get a better
idea as to what they look like, visit the EarthVision
Cellular website. It should help you in deciding which
one of them will work best for you. The other option
you have is to purchase a booster kit. These will run
about $200 to have it installed. Where you live may
require that you get a booster kit if you expect to
have cellular service. The drawback to the booster kit
is that it must be permanently installed into your
vehicle.
The key factor in
choosing an external antenna is the terrain in your
area. A unity gain or 0 decibel (db) gain antenna is
generally best in cities or mountainous areas because
they radiate the same vertically as horizontally. If
you use your phone most in areas with flat terrain,
consider an antenna with more gain (e.g. 3 or 5 db),
because it radiates in a flatter, more elongated
pattern. Before you go and invest a great deal of
money, try the passive repeater antenna first. You may
find that it will give you the needed reception to pick
up the signal.
