Mobile phone reception

[lampuki]

Hi all.

I havent been using Ausfish activley latley, my last two fishing trips werent fanatsic......only been able to land kingies.


Anyway, I want to increase mobile phone reception. Sometimes when I am offshore I get mobile phone reception other times i dont. I was wondering if any ausfisher have tried using external antennas/amplifiers to improve mobile phone recpetion.

My motivation for this is that I want a reliable link so I can ring family etc and use the bom web site so that i can utilise the radar system - without resorting to satelitte phone.

[the gecko]

there was a thread on this a year or 2 back. someones done it succesfully, but it depends on how far out you go. I think its was dfox. he would know anyway.

my new $550 lg phone browser gets the radar, but the process is slow, bookmarks dont work, so you have to search yahoo each time for it. radar loops dont work, so you only get one static radar. So on top of the antenna, your gonna need more memory in your phone for radar loops, and even that might not solve it.

I reckon youd be better off buying a cheap laptop for the boat, and paying for a mobile broadband account by sattelite. You can get mobile broadband dongles for $20-30/mth now. Im paying $10/mth for broadband on my phone which doesnt work too well, and I dont even go offshore.

cheers
Andrew

[lampuki]

Hi Gecko.

Download and install OPERA from the web.....its awsome!!!!!

The browsers that come with the phones are really really crap, too slow and unusable. OPera is different, trust me its worth the effort. I think LG use the symbian operating system....so you need to download that flavour of Opera. If you ned any help PM me. I often use my mobile phone to read the ausfish website....sad I know.

But when it comes to be able to use this technology as a cheap radar system...it might save a few ausfisher a wet/bumpy ride home.

The only problem is that I fish too far offshore to get mobile reception. I will do a search for that thread you mention. Thanks!

[garman1]

I haven't used a mobile broadband service at all, so this is only a question, does the broadband service cover a larger area than phone coverage? I live at Narangba and with vodafone I have to go outside to chat on my mobile or the signal drops out. If I went mobile broadband on my computer, would I have the same problem?? Its a real pain, especially on a cold or rainy night.

[lampuki]

Hi Garry.

if you look on the telstra web site, there should be a map which details the Next G coverage........sounds like an external antenna would be perfect for your situation.. I want to source one for my phone....all the best, Steve.

[Chimo]

Hi lampuki

Perhaps if you contact either Shane Wright, Commercial Business Manager 07 5583 3076 or Vicki Smith, Business Support 07 5583 3233 at Telstra Corporate Business these two really friendly people re Next G etc may be able to help you too. They were very helpful when I went from CDMA to Next G, even to the extent of offering the use of a Next G phone to use offshore . (As an aside, I went with the ZTE on their recomendation and its been good to date)

Cheers
Chimo

[hallcomp01]

Have a chat to the Telstra Country Wide guys in your local area. They could get you on to aerials that boost signal a bit.. (phones and datacards)..

Basiclly it depends on the area your in for coverage then componded by the Phone and datacard etc you use but NextG is the best signal strength out of all of them.. While you can pickup signal fishing the banks from the sunny coast Telstra makes no promises "off land" with signals.. This goes for Air and Sea..

The next best option are irdium sattilite phones if using a radio isn't an option..


Cheers


Chris