Today’s modern smart phones like the Blackberry and iPhone are capable of amazing feats such as surfing the Internet and sending video but they are sorely lacking when it comes to reception in marginal areas. The reason for this is that smart phone antennas are buried deep inside the phone instead of protruding outward or alongside the handset. Consequently your hand blocks much of the cell phone signal. Cases and skins don’t help either, resulting in bad cell phone reception and dropped calls.
How Can You Get Better Smart Phone Reception?
First recognize that all cell phone carriers are not created equally when it comes to different parts of the country. A carrier that works well in New Mexico may not work as well in South Carolina. This is due to which frequency your carrier uses in that area. Basically cell phone carriers use either 1900 Megahertz or 800 Megahertz (MHz). Expect better coverage in marginal areas where your carrier uses 800 MHz.
If you are roaming in an area where the towers use 1900 Mhz you can’t expect to get reception any more that about 10 miles away from the tower. This means that when you leave the most travelled highways, where there are lots of towers, you may not be able to make a call.
Step 1. To Better Blackberry, iPhone and Other Smart Phone Reception
If you have not already chosen a provider, find out which ones in the area where you work and travel most often use the 800 MHz band. This can be difficult since cell phone sales people are not knowledgeable about how their systems work. Call AT&T, Verizon, etc, and ask for a technician. Then ask which frequency they use for towers in your area. Choose a provider that uses 800 Mzh for better reception. Another good way to find out which phones work best in certain areas is to ask a local real estate professional. Since they rely on their phones for business and often travel throughout the county, they will know which carrier works best. If you have already chosen a provider and are trying to improve reception, proceed to step 2.
Step Two To Getting Better Cell Phone Reception
The next step to getting better smart phone reception is to try a cell phone booster / amplifier. The only amplifiers that will work with smart phones are the "repeater type". This type actively picks up your cell phone signal and repeats it, only at a higher power. This is accomplished by a bidirectional (boosts both receive and transmit) amplifier located in the vehicle or home. An inside antenna picks up the signal from your phone and boosts it over 40 decibels. The signal is sent from the roof mounted antenna on to the towers. These kind of cell phone boosters can boost up to five phones inside the vehicle at the same time and also boost laptop Internet cards. Look for amplifiers that are dual band. This means that they boost both 1900 and 800 MHz frequencies. You will get the most boost out of the amplifier on the 800 MHz band, and less of a boost on 1900 MHz.
Reputable makers of dual band cell phone boosters include Wilson Electronics and Digital Antenna Inc.
How to Use Repeater Type Cell Phone Boosters With Your Smart Phone
There are specific installation instructions that come with repeater type cell phone amplifiers. One key to a successful installation is to keep the proper distance between the transmitting antenna (located on the center of the car’s roof) and the internal antenna, which you should locate in a low location. Never place the internal pickup antenna on the windshield since this will cause "cross talk". Some amplifiers will display a red warning light that indicates that the two antennas are too close.
Other Tips For Good Blackberry, iPhone and Other Smart Phone Reception
A well charged smart phone battery will increase signal strength. Hold the phone as high as possible or place it in a high location and use Bluetooth. Never place any kind of metal case over the phone.
For more on how to boost cell phone reception in rural areas see: Tips For Better Cell Phone Reception In Remote Areas
