Internal Vs. External Antennas on Cell Phones

Here are some thoughts about internal and external antennas on cell phones. Is it true that external antennas picks up and holds a signal better than internal antennas? I was just wondering about the signal strength and quality in the phone, that’s about it.

Well, the thing is that technology has come thus far that we no longer require the age-old antennas that the old Nokia’s used before. An internal antenna would work just as fine as an external antenna, which however means that you are purchasing a good model phone and not some really cheap model.

A Motorola V3x has an internal antenna, which works wonderfully great. I don’t even have any problems with reception, which is amazing!

I feel that an internal antenna is superior to the external antenna in wireless devices. An external antenna can easily get broken or cracked and then your phone is basically useless or should I say ruined. Many of the manufactures’ have now gone to internal antennas and the devices are much better than the old external antenna devices. In looking at today’s devices, the Samsung and LG phones still seem to have external antennas and the Motorola devices are now all internal.

The Nokia and Sony devices also have internal antennas. All of the PDAs now have internal antennas, including the newer Treos. Sound quality is based on the phone model, itself, but as far as getting and retaining signal strength, I think you will find that the phones with internal antennas, such as the Razr, several of the Sony models and the PDAs are better than those devices with external antennas.

I have looked a several external antennas for my cell phone. (I have a Motorola V120) I noticed that the antenna had a smaller coaxial cable with it. My question is would it be possible to attach my cell phone to the TV antenna or would this make a problem? I can not pick up anything where I live. There are main power lines not to far from my house. I think that prevents me from receiving a signal. If this would not work will the other external cell phone antennas do anything?

Televisions operate in a different frequency range than cellular phones so hooking up to a television antenna will not improve your signal. If you have absolutely no signal at your house and have to travel a distance before you pick up a signal the prospects are grim. If you have some kind of signal outside of your house then an external antenna should help you. In addition to an external antenna an inline amplifier would strengthen your signal ever more.

I have an LG phone using Verizon service. In or outside of my house my signal varies from 1 to 4 in strength even when I’m perfectly still. I don’t think the little flat antenna boosters that go behind the battery are working. I mean, my calls are dropping like flies. It’s ridiculous!

My advice is for you to try doing a *228 (send) option 2 to your phone. You should consider doing that once a month to update the most recent tower list. However, if that doesn’t work, then you should think about purchasing an antenna that does work with your phone. The only thing is that the antenna would need to be plugged in.

Victor Epand is an expert agent for http://www.BuyCellularPhones.info, a huge cellphone superstore featuring great prices and rebates on cellphones including Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, Audiovox, LG, RIM Blackberry, Sanyo, Sony Ericsson, and others.

March 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cell Phones | Leave a Comment

Ring Tones And How To Get Them On Your Phone

Don’t be fooled by these network protocols. There are several ways to get ring tones unto those phones.

Firstly; you can purchase the data cable and the software (Mobile Phone Tools) for the phone. You can get this at any phone outlet or even online. With this you can then create and transfer images, wallpapers, movies and mp3 ring tones to and from the phone.

Secondly; you can purchase the Bluetooth Dongle (USB Adapter), and then use this to transfer your images and ring tones from your PC to your phone and vice-versa. This will all be done using the Bluetooth wireless technology.

Thirdly; you can go online and find some free ring tones that you like and then have them transferred to your phone directly off the internet using WAP technology. You can also even get the ring tones text using MMS to your phone or you can even have them emailed to you.

These are the best options for you to choose from. There are more but work with these for now. Oh and don’t get led on by these Network people that want to make extra money. Ok the first thing that you have to do to add a Caller ID ring tone is that you have to save the contact on the phone and not on the SIM. This option can be found in the new contact option. It is on the same list as the contact’s name and number, etc. you have to change the store to option to store to phone and not store to SIM.

You can download ring tones to your mobile phone using a data cable which you need to buy and nokia pc suite which you can download over the net in the website. I am not sure if your carrier provides ring tones for download for your phone. You are going to need to check with your provider to see if they ring tones.

You must use the companies data network to access the ring tone section of your phones system. The good news is this; you do not have to purchase a package of KB’s to do this. You can use what is called “pay per use”. You can go to the web site that has the ring tones you like and download the ring tones to your phone from there, this way you do not have to have a lot KB’s that you don’t need. Once you get the ring tones, they are saved to your until you remove them. You will have to pay for the tones, but at least it will be a one time thing.

The Mosquito Ring tone or as it is more commonly known as the “TEEN BUZZ” ring tone was hijacked from a technology that was originally used to repel loitering teenagers from shops in the United Kingdom. Inventor Howard Stapleton developed the “Mosquito device” for Compound Security Systems. This device emits a modulated 17 kHz sound that proves to be a great annoyance to teenagers or anyone younger, but leaves most over twenty years of age unaffected.

It was marketed as an ultrasonic teenager repellent, an ear-splitting 17-kilohertz buzzer designed to help shopkeepers disperse young people loitering in front of their stores while leaving adults unaffected. The Teen Buzz Ring tone (also known as Mosquito Ring tone, Mosquito tone or Zumbitone) is a cell phone ring tone that is too high-pitched for most adults to hear. It is a constant high-frequency (14.4 kHz) tone.

March 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cell Phones | Leave a Comment

Cell Phone Antennas

The thing is that technology has come thus far that we no longer require the age-old antennas that the old Nokias used. An internal antenna would work just as fine as an external antenna that is however provided that you are purchasing a good model phone and not some cheap model.

I feel that an internal antenna is superior to the external antenna in wireless devices. An external antenna can easily get broken or cracked and then your phone is basically kaput. Many of the manufactures have now gone to internal antennas and the devices are much better than the old external antenna devices. In looking at today’s devices, the Samsung and LG phones still seem to have external antennas and the Motorola devices are now all internal.

External antennae of good quality definitely do improve performance. IMHO, Wilson Electronics is one of the best sources for cellular signal enhancement equipment, including antennae and amplifiers.

Be careful to get one that works with a Digital phone though. The old style that worked on analog will not work with the digital phones. If you would like we do carry these and can order one for you. We just need to know the exact Samsung model you have.

From what I read, you want to hook your radio antenna up to try to boost your cell phone signal?

I have limited experience with engineering, but I do know that your radio antenna and cell phone should be on a different frequency; this is why you don’t pick up radio stations while talking on your cell and your call doesn’t interfere with radio broadcasts.

I would definitely recommend you talk to someone at say Radio Shack. I know there are boosters made specifically for cell phones; they might be able to help you find one for your phone. The sticks on antennas are of little help. Yes we do sell regular antennas for cellular phones.

Try doing a *228 (send) option 2 to your phone…. you should do that once a month to update the most recent tower list…if that doesn’t work we sell antennas that do work… but you have to be plugged in.

March 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cell Phones | Leave a Comment

Comparing The Nokia 3310 Phone To The Nokia 6630 Phone

In comparing the Nokia 3310 to the Nokia 6630, it appears that the 6630 Smartphone gives you several options as it relates to SMS messages, where the Nokia 3310 did not. With the Nokia 6630, it is my understanding that you need to define the Message Centers first, much like you set up addresses in your address book and then when a person you have in your address book calls you, their name is associated.

In order to view the Message Centre of an SMS message, you first have to make sure that the Log is turned on. On Page 26 of the User Manual for the 6630, it shows how to set this up:

Monitoring all communication events, monitor all voice and video calls, text messages, or data connections registered by the phone, press the ring looking button and select Log, and press to open the general log. For each communication event, you can see the sender or recipient name, phone number, name.

Service provider or access point. You can filter the general log to view just one type event and create new contact cards based on the log information. Sub events, such as a text message sent in more than one part and packet data connections, are logged as one communication event. Connections to your mailbox, multimedia messaging centre, or Web pages are shown as packet data connections. First you need to check the service settings.

Here is some additional information from the User Guide for this device that should be of help to you. It sounds like you have to first define the Message Centers in order to see information in your messages.

Settings for text messages Options when editing text message centre settings: Edit, New msg. centre, Delete, Help, and Exit.

Select Messaging, Options, Settings, Text message.
Message centers - Lists all the text message service centers that have been defined. Msg. centre in use - Select which message centre is used for delivering text messages. Receive report (network service) - To request the network to send delivery reports on your messages. When set to No, only the Sent status is shown in Log. See Log, p.25.

Message validity - If the recipient of a message cannot be reached within the validity period, the message is removed from the text message service centre. The network must support this feature. Maximum time is the maximum amount of time allowed by the network.

Message sent as - Change this option only if you are sure that your service centre is able to convert text messages into these other formats. Contact your network operator. Preferred connection - You can send text messages through the normal GSM network or through packet data, if supported by the network. See Connection settings, p.97.

Reply via same ctr. (network service) - Choose Yes, if you want the reply message to be sent using the same text message service centre number. Adding a new text message centre 1 Select Message centers, Options, New msg. centre.

If you have any problems with what I just told you then you can go on line to a cell phone web site or go down to your local cell phone store and they will be able to tell you more about the phone that you want.

March 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cell Phones | Leave a Comment

Fewest Complaints About Signal Strengh

Of the four “major” providers, T-Mobile ranks a far 4th in terms of coverage. Since you have a phone (RAZR) that has a very good internal antenna, by design, my thoughts are that either the buildings in the city are blocking your signal or the area is saturated with users and T-Mobile either does not have enough towers and/or is not partnering with Cingular in your area to get you more coverage.

Without that specific information, I can tell you that if you are in the city in the eastern part of the US, you will most likely get the best coverage from Verizon.

This is their “home” territory and they have built it up quite nicely. If you are in the West, you might want to try Sprint or Cingular and in the South, Cingular then Sprint and Verizon. It’s really based on the coverage and the number of towers, since if you have always had this problem with your RAZR phone, then it is most likely the carrier.

If you only need to use your phone in the US and their coverage is good in your area, then they are a good choice. If you need to be able to take your phone abroad, then I would suggest Cingular. Currently, Cingular has the largest US footprint (since the merger of AT&T Wireless) and the most roaming partners internationally.

Because Cingular has a 30 day return policy, you could also try them and see if your experience improves. They are GSM, like T-Mobile, so if GSM is the issue in your area, then you may not have a better experience. Verizon and Sprint have 15 day return policies, so you can also try them without worry, just for a shorter time. I think you are going to be able to tell right away.

It looks like the clear winner in terms of coverage is Sprint. They have very solid coverage in your entire zip code according to their coverage maps. Verizon would be second best, third is Cingular and a distant fourth (as you are already well aware…is T-Mobile). It appears that this area is better served by the providers who have CDMA technology, versus the GSM ones and that may be because of the terrain.

Also, I just found out that Sprint has gone to a 30 day no risk trial and also has free incoming minutes while you are on the Sprint network. Since your apartment would be on the Sprint network, that might work very well for replacing your landline phone.

I might suggest getting a Sprint phone (if you like the Razr, I would stick with that phone since as I had said before, it is a very good phone, but you will need one from Sprint because your T-Mobile Razr is a GSM phone) a month or less before your T-Mobile contract is up so that you can test them side by side. If you decide to go with Sprint, then just go back and ask them to port your T-Mobile number to your Sprint account and replace the number that they give you.

March 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cell Phones | Leave a Comment

Getting Ringtones On Your Cell Phone

Firstly, you are able to purchase the data cable and the software (Mobile Phone Tools) for your cell phone phone. The data cable and software can be found at any phone outlet or sometimes, even online. Once you get this, you can then create and transfer images, wallpapers, movies and mp3 ringtones to and from the cell phone.

Secondly, you can purchase the Bluetooth Dongle (USB Adapter), and then use it to transfer your images and ringtones from your PC to your phone and vice-versa. This will all be done using the bluetooth wireless technology.

Thirdly, you can go online and find some free ringtones that you like and then have them transferred to your phone directly off of the internet using WAP technology.

You can even get the ringtones texted to your phone by using MMS, or you can have them email it to your phone as well.

If you use your cell phone to access the internet, you are able to go on the web and search through tons of music and purchase music from any music store. Other than that, the only free ringtones are the one’s that come equipped with the cell phone when you first receive it.

I recommend you using the easy way to get music onto your phone, which is transferring it to your phone from your computer by using the USB cable, considering that it’s free of charge and it won’t charge you for the song nor for text messaging

Ok the first thing that you have to do to add a Caller ID ringtone, is that you have to save the contact on the phone and not on the SIM. This option can be found in the new contact option. It is on the same list as the contacts name and number, etc. you have to change the ’store to’ option to store to phone and not store to SIM.

Once this is done, you will notice that you can now enter a lot more information for that contact in particular. One of the new fields added would be Caller ID ringtone. Just select the option and choose a ringtone, then save and select done to finalize.
When I say SIM, I mean the SIM card that the network operators install in the phone. That card is used to give you your network identification and to activate the phone.

But usually the ringtones that you sent to the phone via the USB cable is automatically sent to the bottom of the ringtones list.

March 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cell Phones | Leave a Comment

SIM Card Cellular Phones

What is a “SIM” card? Basically speaking, a SIM card is a small chip which almost always sits under the battery on the back of a SIM based mobile phone. It can store data such as network provider, telephone contacts, and tariffs. Every SIM based mobile needs one in order for the phone to work correctly.

Could you tell me of any mobiles which allow dual SIM? For a straight forward answer: I dont think there is one on the market at the moment. I was wondering if Motorola L6 mobile accepts International Sim Cards? To answer your question would depend on if your phone is unlocked or locked. If your phone is locked to a network like say Verizon, then trying another operators SIM card in the phone would prove to be unsuccessful. If however the phone not locked then any SIM card from any operator would work just fine. The fact that the phones model is a L6, matters not. The only thing that you have to pay attention to is if the phone is locked or unlocked.

Is there any way I could buy a SIM card phone in the USA, then when I come back to America I can put my English SIM card in the phone and it will work? Or/and are there any way I can buy an American phone SIM card or non SIM card and then use it in England? First thing is that American and European phone systems work differently, they are the same concept, but different in many ways. The main problem you are going to run into is the network and programming problems. See if you buy an American phone, they are internally programmed by the manufacturer to work with that carriers network. And since your network over in England is different then here in America, there is no way they could ever be compatible. SIM cards fall under the same problem.

An option you do have is that if you only come to America every so often, you can get a international plan through a carrier and use it when your here, and use it to call back to England but when you want to go back home, you put the account into vacation mode, which is like a few bucks a month. Not sure if that option is even suitable for you.

What is the cheapest international plan I can get with a phone service provider in America so I could use my phone in America and out of America. You can make a few calls or jump online to a few websites. You should get all the information you need.

What happens if I bought an American phone and put it into ‘vacation mode’? Could I still use that phone in America? Vacation mode is an option carriers offer that will allow you to keep your account with them while you are away. The phone is active, and the account is active, but you are just not paying for the service in full cause your not using it. A lot of military and long vacation takers use this option while they are away. When you get back to America, you make a call and everything is back to normal-the phone works and you use it while you are here. When it is time to go back home, you call and it goes back into vacation mode till your next trip!

March 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cell Phones | Leave a Comment

Fewer Complaints About The Signal Strength

Which cell phone provider has the fewest complaints concerning signal strength? I have T-Mobile now and I am terribly dissatisfied with signal strength. Most of the time when I do have a signal, my conversations are spotty and break up. There are 4 “major” providers, T-Mobile ranks a far 4th in terms of coverage. My thoughts are that either the buildings in the city are blocking your signal or the area is saturated with users and T-Mobile either does not have enough towers and/or is not partnering with Cingular in your area to get you more coverage.

I can tell you that if you are in the city in the eastern part of the US, you will most likely get the best coverage from Verizon. This is their “home” territory and they have built it up quite nicely. If you are in the West, you might want to try Sprint or Cingular and in the South, Cingular then Sprint and Verizon. It’s really based on the coverage and the number of towers.

Are particular phone models better at getting a signal? RAZR phone has a very good internal antenna, by design.

All four providers will tell you that they have the fewest complaints and several have done “independent” surveys that they pass off as unbiased, but since they pay for the surveys, they are rarely unbiased. In general, I would have to say that Verizon has the least amount of customer complaints, and if you only need to use your phone in the US and their coverage is good in your area, then they are a good choice. If you need to be able to take your phone abroad, then I would suggest Cingular. Currently, Cingular has the largest US footprint (since the merger of AT&T Wireless) and the most roaming partners internationally.

I live in the country and use a Palm Treo from Cingular. I cannot get a signal unless I go to a top of a hill on my property. I have a cellular antenna on my car that works when I am on the road but is pretty useless on my property. Is there a way I can put an antenna on my house. Your best chance for gaining a signal in your house will be realized with a Yagi antenna on your roof with a cellular amplifier in the antenna line to boost the signal. The Yagi antenna is a directional antenna that you aim at the tower. There are two Yagi antennae for cellular. One is for the 800 MHz band and the other is for the 1900 MHz band. You would need to contact your cellular company to determine in which band they are serving your location.

March 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cell Phones | Leave a Comment

Contract vs. Pay as You Go

There are many pros and cons associated with buying a cell phone, whether it is Contract or Pay as You Go. In UK, Pay as You Go has been very popular now that the mobile operators have realized that it is a realistic solution to draw in a younger market. Most of the Pay as You Go options that I am aware of in the US are quite frankly ludicrous due to the fact that the operator who supply them are still trying to take too much of a cut. Take for example this section from Verizon Wireless’ Pay as You Go small print:

Ninety-nine cents daily access will be charged and deducted from your account even on days you do not make or receive calls. Verizon Wireless will suspend service if you do not have the ninety-nine cents required for your daily access, when your account balance reaches zero dollars or your account balance reaches the expiration date. Unlimited IN and Night minutes not available when your account balance has been suspended and subject to termination, at which time Verizon Wireless may charge up to thirty-five dollars activation fee to re-establish service. Any balance remaining at expiration will be removed from the account. The INpulse card is not valid unless initialized by the date on the back of the setup card. Service availability depends on the phone model.

Unfortunately, INpulse pricing is not available with analog-only phones. Voice mail setup and retrievals are billed at regular INpulse rates and will deplete minute allowance when calling from your wireless phone. Charge per call for 411 Connect may vary when not on the Verizon Wireless INpulse Coverage Area. Restrictions and limitations may apply. Automatic connection and enhanced services are not guaranteed at all times or in all areas and rates may vary when roaming on another carrier. For connected calls, the part of the call that occurs prior to connection may have different rates from the part of the call that occurs after connection. Additional toll/long distance charges may apply. You can make three requests per call and get automatic call completion for one requested telephone number at no extra charge.

Using Get It Now, download charges may apply to application download. Airtime charges apply to application downloads and use of some applications. Use of Get It Now is subject to the Get It Now License and User Agreements. See Verizon’s website for more information on Get It Now. You may be charged for downloading Get It Now applications. Charges vary by application and applications vary by phone. Get It Now-enabled phone is required and may require a connection in the INpulse All-Digital Rate and Coverage Area. Coverage limitations in maps at Verizon’s website. Where applicable, airtime, roaming and other charges may apply when browsing, downloading, using and removing certain applications. Subject to Get It Now Agreements. Existing Verizon Wireless prepay customers will forfeit any unused bonus minutes in their account when changing to the INpulse Calling Plan.

There are far to many extra cost associated with this, that in the end you would probably end up paying out more than you would on a low monthly contract. I would sugest that you take a look at the contract phones available to you from different operators, I know that Verizon has very good coverage right accros the US, there are some very resonably priced deals available that would be a lot less hassle and, in the long run cheaper than the Pay as You Go option.

March 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cell Phones | Leave a Comment

Every Piece Of Information on Cell Phone Rental

What is a cell phone rental? Well, basically a cell phone rental means that when you travel to another country and you are out of range for your current service, you are transferred over to another service provided and you in essence ‘rent’ their service. Of course this means that you might have to pay a higher call rate depending on who you are with. This article will endeavor to discuss everything there is to know about cell phone rental as well as giving you some great information on all the cell phone plans going around at the moment.

First of all if you are planning on going overseas sometime soon and you are going to need the use of your cell phone then that means you are going to have to be transferred to a cell phone rental service. You need to check what service you are going to be transferred to and you can do this by ringing up your service provider and asking.

Basically the first thing you need to know about service providers is that they are all aligned with other providers in different countries so when you go overseas you will be transferred straight to the provider that your current company has ties to. This means that you will still be paying what we call roaming costs and they can add up to a fair amount, depending on how many calls you make.

What about if my service provider exists in the country I am traveling too? This is great news if it’s the case! This means that you can make calls to home and only get charged the normal call rates as though you were back in your own country. So what about calls to the country I’m in? Unfortunately it doesn’t mean that the calls you make while you are in the country are on the same cheap rates. In fact they are exactly the same normal roaming call costs.

What can I do? Probably the best thing to do would be to buy a new sim card from the country you are traveling to. This will mean that the calls you make in the country are going to be the same cost as a local call on a cell phone. Take your other sim card with you as well so that when you need to make a call to home, you can just insert your sim card from home and make a call.

Inevitably if you do this you are going to save a lot of money, especially if you think you are going to make a lot of calls while you are abroad.

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March 4, 2008 | Filed Under Cell Phones | Leave a Comment

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