May 05, 2003 11:36 AM
8031 Views
(Updated Jul 08, 2003 01:15 PM)
My problem was that I could not find an appropriate category to post my review. I was not allowed to post it in ''General Advice on Cellphones'' because I already had a review there (on GSM Versus CDMA). I requested for a separate category, but it was refused perhaps because ''mobile antenna booster'' was not a brand.
But then I wanted to bring to the kind notice of all those people who are shelling out Rs.1,500/- or more, the futility of buying this product. Hence this review. Just to be sure, I made it clear in the title of the review itself that the review is not about Nokia 3310, but only about an accessory. I also rated Nokia 3310 as recommended.
Cellphones have made it so you can reach out and touch someone from almost anywhere. However, the problem with cellphones is that they don't work everywhere. There are almost invariably the broken voice, and the dropped calls. But these days there is a new device being advertised on TV, that says it will fix your cell phone problems. The ''antenna booster,'' that is being advertised is a piece of tape, with gold colored/metallic paint on it.
According to its advertisers, you are simply required to paste the tape/sticker below your Nokia 3310's battery, and that dramatically improves the reception. The sticker need not be connected to your cell-phone circuit, or with the internal antenna, and the ''antenna booster'' can improve your reception in elevators, tunnels, buildings and more!!According to the manufacturer it is like having a 4 foot antenna on your phone!!!
Talk is not cheap when it comes to cell phones, and so obviously everybody hates it when the reception is poor, and wants a good reception. But can the ''antenna booster'' make a difference for your Nokia 3310? Does it work ''as seen on TV?''
But first questions first! If a simple, cheap, gold coloured sticker could improve the cell phone signal reception drastically, why could not Nokia itself put such a device in its mobile phones? After all, Nokia as well as other cellphone companies spend thousands of dollars every year in search of better technologies and devices that may improve signal reception!
But then, a friend of mine argues that a physical phenomenon called the ''parasitic antenna effect,'' is in operation here and the product really works! Therefore, we should not easily brush off the claims that the ''antenna booster'' would dramatically improve reception of a mobile phone.
Therefore, I tried the ''antenna booster'' hoping that it would improve my cell phone reception in the mall. After following the instructions for installing it, there was no immediate change. The signal strength meter stayed the same. After a few calls from the mall, the reception was just as poor as it was before installing the ''antenna booster.'' In the top most floor of M.S. building in Bangalore, a call was placed on the cell phone with its ''antenna booster.'' The reception was equally poor.
The ''antenna booster'' was tried in the basement of my apartment buildings, and in the elevator of my office building (Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala, Bangalore). It was close to tunnel-like conditions. A call was able to be placed, but there's no indication of the ''antenna booster'' having anything to do with it. The ''antenna booster'' certainly did not work ''as seen on TV.'' If at all the ''antenna booster'' made some ''micro-level'' difference, the same is certainly not perceivable on the signal indicator of my cell phone. It is definitely a waste of money!
Another friend of mine, who works as an engineer with a cell phone company tells me that the ''antenna booster'' will not, and can not improve reception on a cellular phone, because of the following reasons:
1). A Cellphone is designed with the antenna it has (which is actually a coiled copper wire), based on a mathematical formula for the length of the antenna and the frequency it operates on, i.e., the antenna that is provided with the cellphone is the exact and best fit for that cellphone, and that phone is not equipped to work with/respond to any other antenna.
2). The ''antenna booster'' does not carry any electronic circuit to do anything to the RF frequencies, power, or anything else. Even assuming that the ''antenna booster'' does something magical to the power levels of TX (transmission) and RX (reception) without involving any electronic circuit, even that would not make a difference, as the towers would not recognize the increased power, and thus, would manually set your cell phone's power level to a correct setting.
2). Poor reception can be caused by many factors, like poor atmospheric conditions, low battery, broken antenna, flashing antennas appended by youth to their cell phones (they actually use your RF/TX power to generate the lights), incorrect IRDB loadings (intelligent roaming data base) that tells your phone what towers to pull off for optimal performance, incorrect system select, incorrect band order, etc. So will liquid damage. The ''antenna booster'' can rectify none of these problems, and therefore will not work!
So here's the answer to the main question: How do I improve my cellular reception?
Pay your bill on time. This way, your cellular company can put up new towers.
Don't add flashy antennas, batteries, whatever.
Please treat your phone like the piece of electronic equipment that it is. Don't use it as a hammer, or let infants play with it. Don't toss it with your keys 5 feet away. Don't bite the antenna when you are tense, and don't poke/dig your nose with it.
Use preferably the cell phones with external antennas. They are better than those with internal antennas.
Because of good designing and software, some cell phone models have inherently good reception. Research well before you buy a cell phone. You can visit websites like < http://www.gsmbox.co.uk> and other similar sites, to read the test reviews before buying your cell phone. Don't go purely by looks, or company name. All the best!
