Anyone out there found a decent phone booster to improve signal
I am sick of holding my phone through the skylight just to talk to someone
Currently on the Nullabor
Thanks
villatranquilla said
07:14 PM Apr 20, 2016
an external arial will improve reception but you must have a phone that will take the patch lead (goes b/w phone and arial cable)
Aus-Kiwi said
09:27 PM Apr 20, 2016
Pull up by one of those solar cellular towers .. Yes our phones don't have an arial plug .,
Bruce and Bev said
11:39 AM Apr 21, 2016
we have a Telstra phone that can have an external aerial plugged into it. You can buy from suppliers (try places that sell electrical goods and phones etc as they are usually much cheaper than Telstra or the other Telco shops) a short aerial. We just plug it into the phone and hang it out a window (just close the window so the metal aerial is not touching your RV body), or if you can talk outside, use the magnetic base of the aerial and stick it on the roof of your tow vehicle (wont stick onto your aluminum RV)
Hey Jim said
02:41 PM Apr 21, 2016
Hi Dolly,
Our phone is a T96 with a patch.We have a telescopic pool pole with attanna mounted on top, with 10metre heavy cable running to a dongal.
We ancor the pole to the tree with a few rachet strapes. Every time Lambie makes a call. All our friends say she is making yet another Trunk Call. We also have a Yargi directional attanna for the internet.We do this because we stay camped for three months over Exmouth way.
Regards Jim
Baz421 said
07:51 PM Apr 21, 2016
Buy a phone with external jack - there were 2 a while ago I looked at - one LG and one Telstra Dave (which I use) and get one of these antenna to suit.
This site deals only in mobile antennas (hundreds of different types depending on application). I have purchased many from these folks for my business customers to assist with mobile broadband reception.
An as stated by others, you'll need a phone with an external antenna socket.
Dunmowin said
08:37 PM Apr 24, 2016
We had a Next G Marine aerial installed when we had the van built, with the outlet on the dining table. With the correct patch lead, we can sit in comfort inside the van and make or receive calls. It does not always work, the aerial will only improve reception if there is any about.
We have the same set up in the tug, with the aerial wired into the glove box, with another patch lead there. We have a Telstra Tough TZE T84. We have another patch lead for our wireless internet, but unfortunately, cannot use them at the same time.
Dolly said
03:51 PM May 8, 2016
Thanks so much for your comments
I am really unhappy that Apple can't produce a good aerial and pissed off with Telstra for not providing better reception in black spots
All 6000 of them
Aus-Kiwi said
04:51 PM May 8, 2016
Other telco won't be any better !!
brickies said
05:12 PM May 8, 2016
If Telstra fixed all those black spots , Would we be prepared to pay more for our phone plans , Answer no way so we can't kept everyone happy .
Symo2540 said
06:55 PM Mar 25, 2018
TELCO Antennas in Brisbane are really helpful.
Recently did a desktop survey on what we need at home, very poor mobile reception.
Solution for mobile was a signal booster with external yagi antenna pointed at tower with an internal rebroadcast antenna to transmit the boosted signal.
Can also split output out of booster to internal antenna and an external antenna to point signal 100m down into gully to receive mobile coverage, very clever.
Signal booster can also be mounted in caravan when not at home to do the same thing, however would use an omnidirectional antenna mounted on van.
Mike Harding said
07:39 PM Mar 25, 2018
Unfortunately there are very few mobile phones on the market which have the ability to accept an external antenna.
If you do use an external antenna it is *essential* you use an appropriate co-ax cable from the antenna to the phone otherwise much of the signal gained by the antenna will be lost in the cable. RG316 is pretty good for this application but it *must* be terminated into the appropriate connectors by someone who understands high frequency issues otherwise... signal loss again. Such cable is expensive.
If you want to mess around you can obtain, say, 20m of thin, flexible single core electrical wire, tie one end to a weight and toss it as high as you can into a tree, wrap the other end around your phone about 10 times in tight loops. It'll probably make no difference at all (or even make things worse) but it *may* give you another bar or two - easy and cheap to try and even if it doesn't work at one location it may at another.
msg said
07:54 PM Mar 25, 2018
I have a Telstra Flip phone. 3G. Basic phone. It has an external jack behind the back cover. I can connect it to the aerial that I use for the internet. The aerial is only a short one 7 or 8 inches over the height of my 3mtr van. I know I can get the internet 70ks out of reception zone, so if I plugged it in, I could probably get phone as well. So far haven't needed to. Seldom been without internet anywhere. Includes remote outback places. To me just another option for communication along with the UHF. Just wish my TV would operate in towns. LOL. Yagi antennas appear to be really good especially for TV. But not practical for me. Just have to stick to prerecorded stuff on the hard drive.
Hi Dolly,
Our phone is a T96 with a patch.We have a telescopic pool pole with attanna mounted on top, with 10metre heavy cable running to a dongal.
We ancor the pole to the tree with a few rachet strapes. Every time Lambie makes a call. All our friends say she is making yet another Trunk Call.

We also have a Yargi directional attanna for the internet.We do this because we stay camped for three months over Exmouth way.
Regards Jim
Buy a phone with external jack - there were 2 a while ago I looked at - one LG and one Telstra Dave (which I use) and get one of these antenna to suit.
http://onwireless.com.au/high-gain-850-900-2100-fibreglass-vehicle-marine-antennas-for-nextg-3g-gsm-4g-lte-1800-with-spring-base.html
This site deals only in mobile antennas (hundreds of different types depending on application).
I have purchased many from these folks for my business customers to assist with mobile broadband reception.
Check out this page on their site for Mobile to Mobile ( M2M ) https://www.telcoantennas.com.au/site/catalog/4g-equipment/antennas/m2m
An as stated by others, you'll need a phone with an external antenna socket.
We had a Next G Marine aerial installed when we had the van built, with the outlet on the dining table. With the correct patch lead, we can sit in comfort inside the van and make or receive calls. It does not always work, the aerial will only improve reception if there is any about.
We have the same set up in the tug, with the aerial wired into the glove box, with another patch lead there. We have a Telstra Tough TZE T84. We have another patch lead for our wireless internet, but unfortunately, cannot use them at the same time.
Recently did a desktop survey on what we need at home, very poor mobile reception.
Solution for mobile was a signal booster with external yagi antenna pointed at tower with an internal rebroadcast antenna to transmit the boosted signal.
Can also split output out of booster to internal antenna and an external antenna to point signal 100m down into gully to receive mobile coverage, very clever.
Signal booster can also be mounted in caravan when not at home to do the same thing, however would use an omnidirectional antenna mounted on van.
Unfortunately there are very few mobile phones on the market which have the ability to accept an external antenna.
If you do use an external antenna it is *essential* you use an appropriate co-ax cable from the antenna to the phone otherwise much of the signal gained by the antenna will be lost in the cable. RG316 is pretty good for this application but it *must* be terminated into the appropriate connectors by someone who understands high frequency issues otherwise... signal loss again. Such cable is expensive.
If you want to mess around you can obtain, say, 20m of thin, flexible single core electrical wire, tie one end to a weight and toss it as high as you can into a tree, wrap the other end around your phone about 10 times in tight loops. It'll probably make no difference at all (or even make things worse) but it *may* give you another bar or two - easy and cheap to try and even if it doesn't work at one location it may at another.