Hi guys,

just wondering who has some advice on external mount antenna's for mobiles.

I saw one here http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mobile-Phone-Antenna-Booster-Cradle-Suction-Mount-Bull-bar-bracket-iPhone-/301197847868?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

and this 12db one http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12db-Spring-Base-Mobile-Phone-Antenna-W-Universal-Patch-Cradle-iPhone-Android/291508656700?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140117125611%26meid%3D7885a637d925463299d6bfc959235243%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D10%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D301197847868

For those who do use them, how much advantage are they?

Koooooo Weeeeeee

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I previously looked into this, but not much information out there on these things... for sure though, this will only work in "spotty" areas, if you are very remote, I don't think this will provide much benefits.. especially if your not with Telstra.

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Thanks for the reply mate, I'm with telstra, just wondered if they actually gave much better coverage, for instance at Talbotville, if you stand at the bottom of Mcmillans rd you can usually get a call through, but if you stand in the middle of the clearing, nothing at all.

And at Jamieson, you'll get coverage at doctors creek, but not skipworth or 12 mile.

Walhalla is erratic too.

I'd love to know just how many more km people are getting with them.

Edit, I should have just PM'd Jim Mac, he knows everything about radio wave stuff. I just remembered that.

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OK I had a chat with Jim, he'll do a write up over the weekend, time permitting, regarding them, but yes they work, but lots of factors involved.

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Jim sent me a reply, I'll cut and paste it here.

"Antennas. Choosing the right UHF CB antenna is important as more powerful antennas can broadcast signals further and clearer. However a lower gain or less powerful antenna can broadcast better in hilly terrain, as the angle of the aerial matters less. Lower gain antennas are 3db or lower, for distance over flat terrain a 6db UHF CB (ultra high frequency) antenna or higher will suit better. Even with a lower gain aerial/antenna it still won't guarantee the signal will be carried 100% clear over a hill. Hills and buildings can still weaken signals but a lower gain antenna will increase the chance of carrying a full clear signal beyond any obstacles. See diagram below for a clearer explanation. With UHF 80ch CB you will find as a rule a 3-4dB Gain Antenna will work well in the High Country and again in the Desert, when I'm driving in the Desert I call from the top of the sand dunes east bound etc. With a mobile phone antenna you just stop at the top of a hill as most of the time the towers are higher and 6- 12dB gain will work better than the phone antenna but with the phone rain, fog, or smoke will give you trouble in getting a signal, but you will have more luck with a mobile phone antenna than without one. Mounting Location General Guidelines As a general rule for all pickup antenna installations: • Higher = Better. The higher up you can mount antenna, the better performance you'll receive. • In terms of performance, it's hard to beat mounting an antenna in the middle of your 4x4 roof. Why? This ensures it will be located at the highest point on your vehicle, which will maximize performance. It will also be installed in the middle of the truck's chassis. This serves to both minimize any directional bias (receiving signals only from one direction) as well as improve omni-directional transmit capabilities. • For roof installations, magnet mount antennas tend to work best. I recommend a 3' or 5' magnet mount for the top of your beloved rig. (The trouble is you will hit trees and bust it) • The bull bar base is a pretty poor place to mount an antenna on a 4x4. Why? Because it's so low on the vehicle, it makes it very difficult to get the antenna high enough to provide adequate performance. Additionally, most of the antenna is blocked by the 4x4 bull bar pipe - which prevents the antenna from sending or receiving signals to vehicles in front of the 4x4. Over many years I have found on top of the Bull bar is a good compromise if you can see it when driving and you will not hit a tree with it if you can see it. Poor Antenna Mounting Locations • If the antenna is surrounded by metal (low on the bull bar) • If the antenna is sandwiched between two surfaces (i.e., between a pick-up bed and the cab) • If the majority of the antenna is blocked or boxed in by some part of the vehicle If you have a Foundation Ham Radio License you can use 2mt with 10w and you get better range e.g. 10km to 39km in the mountains and up to 100km to150km in the desert Have a read on www.vk3kid.org the license is easy to get."

Thanks Jim!

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Great write up on general antenna information, however doesn't really answer the question of... How well does it work in real world?

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Yeah, I spoke to a few people, I even bailed up one fellow at the shops, feedback was mixed, but the consensus was you can make a call with them where a handheld simply won't so as a convenience aspect and safety point it seems like a no brainer.

I'll get one and report back.

Cheers Mark

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Hey guys I got another reply from Jim.

Hi I just up loaded a quick video on Antennas I hope this helps. Do they help with poor phone reception yes a bit on top of the hills, but if you want one you will find them on eBay cheaper. Just as a basic rule low dB gain on UHF CB (80ch) and high gain on mobile phone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2frSoyTGK_A

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Great video! Thanks for posting that.

Would appreciate feedback on how antenna goes on your end.

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A mobile signal booster I purchased at www.myamplifiers.com/en-au/ to deal with Telstra's signal problems is really good, recommend checking it out. Pretty stable so far, no problems with calling.

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