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Improving onboard Mobile communications


KJT

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That was my experience when I went into the '3' store. I noticed on their display board the E5756 and asked the assistant if it had an external aerial. He assured me it didn't. On looking at it closer I noticed it had the little square cover and told him I thought it might well have and opened the socket cover, to reveal.........an external aerial socket!

The assistant was convinced it was a charging socket!

 

Ken

Yes,

 

This sounds about right.

 

Well done for persisting! It surely makes it a considerably more useful bit of kit, if it can both be attached to a permanent antenna, (which I was told it couldn't), and can have a power supply permanently attached, (maybe not obvious, but that at least I think I had worked out).

 

Definitely one to look at again if I try and update our current arrangements, (a very old dongle that will take an antenna, connected to a separate 3G router - OK once, but no longer stunning!).

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Very interesting and hats off, very well done.

However...........I've got an equal system without mods or unnecessary disconecting of the system.

When I'm not too bashed or more inclined I might do a little write up.

Does your wind speed instrument give direction?

I have to say though that your post has probably been the best I have read on this subject since joining CWDF.

Have a green tea,

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Just picked up an odd computer mag to see an ad for Tooway satellite broadband, suggesting that it was good for all Uk service and good for up and download speeds. poorer was the latency (as the satellite is 22000 miles away or so) It used Ka band which is apparently good even in rain, and data between midnight and 0600 doesn't eat your data allowance.

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There's a long topic over on XDA developers about the antenna test socket on Samsung phones, and how NOT to connect to it! :rolleyes:

 

http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s2/general/external-antenna-socket-warning-t1273292

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Looks like the conclusion is to use the Australian patch cable - which is where this thread started.

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Very interesting and hats off, very well done.

However...........I've got an equal system without mods or unnecessary disconecting of the system.

When I'm not too bashed or more inclined I might do a little write up.

Does your wind speed instrument give direction?

 

Oh go on! Be devil. :) The whole idea of this thread is to try and prize these little nuggets of useful information so that those of us who are so inclined can improve our technical lot on the cut.

 

My weather station does indeed have wind direction. The unit is oriented with its little solar panel facing South then the wind direction is accurate.

 

There's a long topic over on XDA developers about the antenna test socket on Samsung phones, and how NOT to connect to it! :rolleyes:

 

http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s2/general/external-antenna-socket-warning-t1273292

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Interesting link, thanks Pete. That's the information my research gleaned. It could help to avoid an expensive mistake.

 

Ken

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  • 4 months later...

I've just receive a Samsung S3/S4 patch lead from Australia. £29 for just the cable, DHL delivered. I'll get a cheap back cover for my S3 and drill a hole myself.

 

The cable came with an FME male connector, so I'll have buy a convertor for whichever antenna I buy.

 

The connector to the phone was very tight, and needed expanding a bit to go on. I was a bit worried about damaging the really thin pin in the cable connector, but it seems to have survived a few connect/disconnects.

 

Cant comment on performance yet as I havent bought an aerial. I'll need one that does 3G and 4G as I plan to buy a second hand Samsung Galaxy S4 to take advantage of 4G at no extra cost on Three.

 

Couldnt find a cheaper source in the UK but, since it arrived, I found it might be about £10 cheaper to buy one from Australia on ebay.

 

Not sure whether to try a cheap chinese aerial at about ten quid or so, or to go the whole hog and pay the £60-£90 to the OPs supplier, or Solwise, or similar.

 

So... over 4 months on and I've taken the plunge. Bought an expensive 3G/4G aerial from Solwise for just over £80 delivered:

 

http://www.solwise.co.uk/4g-antenna-omni-xpol-a0001.html

 

an FME socket to SMA Socket adapter for about £5 on ebay

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261451637465?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

As a quick temporary arrangement, I've stuck the aerial to a side window with the wires in through the window. Plugged it into the W1 socket on my Samsung S3, and the signal improved from about -85dBm to -63dBm and 16asu to 25asu.

 

I'll try it on the Samsung S4 tomorrow and see if I get a 4G signal - I definitely dont get one here on the Bridgewater at Stretford with the phone in the window.

 

So far so good - it's got the signal power increase hoped for.

 

Just my luck that the unlimited tethering on The One Plan will be ending for all/most of us over the next few months.

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Looks very grand I'm far too mean to stump up 80 quid (so make do with a whip antenna instead.

 

Pretty, please - why does it need two cables?

Apparently, 4G works on MIMO technology - multiple in, multiple out. Solwise have a good article on how it works.

 

http://www.solwise.co.uk/learningcentre/antenna-considerations-for-4glte/comment-page-1/#comments

 

Worth a read, if only to realise that things might not be as good as they could be.

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Looks very grand I'm far too mean to stump up 80 quid (so make do with a whip antenna instead.

 

Pretty, please - why does it need two cables?

 

Solwise do a cheaper antenna:

 

http://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-antenna-panel-ren10-pn.htm

 

Though there's some identical looking ones on Ebay, eg:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/800-2500MHz-9dBi-directional-outdoor-Panel-antenna-10m-cable-for-gsm-3g-repeater-/181193966766

 

MIMO gives the most improvement where the signal gets reflected eg by buildings, may not be absolutely necessary for a boat.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

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Very excellent and well researched original post. We have a 3 MiFi, having previously had a dongle, and have found the network good subject to signal and their customer service has been very good when we have had problems. Did not know that there was an aerial socket on the back of the unit; may explore this as it is useful to know.

 

If you are a BT Broadband customer, they will give you a code that will enable you hook into other BT Broadband wifi units so you can surf the net when you are away from home. We use this and also on the boat with a mag mount aerial going through a booster into a laptop via a USB cable. The booster (Bear Share) is powered by the laptop. What we would like to do is to have the option to get a wireless router to serve the 2 laptops on the boat. Having experimented to date with various options and equipment, to date this has not worked. If anyone has any suggestions they would be welcomed.

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Not wanting to be pedantic, but you really need an omni-directional aerial on a boat:

 

http://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-antenna-outdoor.htm

 

It would seem that mobile network operators may not provide multiple signals from their 4G aerials, in which case, a MIMO aerial makes no difference.

 

I bought the one I bought as it was recommended by the guy at Solwise.

 

Plenty of cheaper choices on eBay, and maybe from the same origin in China... This was part of the reason for my taking 4 months to do something :)

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Very excellent and well researched original post. We have a 3 MiFi, having previously had a dongle, and have found the network good subject to signal and their customer service has been very good when we have had problems. Did not know that there was an aerial socket on the back of the unit; may explore this as it is useful to know.

 

If you are a BT Broadband customer, they will give you a code that will enable you hook into other BT Broadband wifi units so you can surf the net when you are away from home. We use this and also on the boat with a mag mount aerial going through a booster into a laptop via a USB cable. The booster (Bear Share) is powered by the laptop. What we would like to do is to have the option to get a wireless router to serve the 2 laptops on the boat. Having experimented to date with various options and equipment, to date this has not worked. If anyone has any suggestions they would be welcomed.

Hi JR,

Before I purchased a router I used the free version of 'connectify' - http://www.connectify.me/

I just looked at the website & there are a few anoying pop ups ! BUT the basic free version once downloaded worked well.

 

As for my present router its - http://www.crucialwifi.co.uk/Alfa_R36_Wireless_N_Network_Router_Range_Extender_for_Awus036H

/p740998_3971490.aspx

 

Mark

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Very excellent and well researched original post. We have a 3 MiFi, having previously had a dongle, and have found the network good subject to signal and their customer service has been very good when we have had problems. Did not know that there was an aerial socket on the back of the unit; may explore this as it is useful to know.

 

If you are a BT Broadband customer, they will give you a code that will enable you hook into other BT Broadband wifi units so you can surf the net when you are away from home. We use this and also on the boat with a mag mount aerial going through a booster into a laptop via a USB cable. The booster (Bear Share) is powered by the laptop. What we would like to do is to have the option to get a wireless router to serve the 2 laptops on the boat. Having experimented to date with various options and equipment, to date this has not worked. If anyone has any suggestions they would be welcomed.

 

I don't quite understand - if your MiFi is an Huawei E5332 (with an aerial socket) or E5331 (without), both of these can serve - and does - two, 'cos that's what I do. In fact they can have up to 8 devices attached at one time.

A wireless router (well the normal type) requires an Ethernet connection for the 'disconvulated' mobile signal - so wont be a lot of good.

unless, of course, I've misunderstood what you're saying.

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I don't quite understand - if your MiFi is an Huawei E5332 (with an aerial socket) or E5331 (without), both of these can serve - and does - two, 'cos that's what I do. In fact they can have up to 8 devices attached at one time.

A wireless router (well the normal type) requires an Ethernet connection for the 'disconvulated' mobile signal - so wont be a lot of good.

unless, of course, I've misunderstood what you're saying.

It's the fee BT wifi he's talking about. It goes into one laptop and he wants to know how to spread it around to more laptops or tablets etc.

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Not wanting to be pedantic, but you really need an omni-directional aerial on a boat:

 

http://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-antenna-outdoor.htm

 

It would seem that mobile network operators may not provide multiple signals from their 4G aerials, in which case, a MIMO aerial makes no difference.

 

I bought the one I bought as it was recommended by the guy at Solwise.

 

Plenty of cheaper choices on eBay, and maybe from the same origin in China... This was part of the reason for my taking 4 months to do something smile.png

 

Gotta be careful with Ebay as the specs are often inflated.

 

MIMO may well improve signal quality and so throughput, even when there's a single transmitter, it's not just an extra receiver and transmitter.

 

Directional should be OK if pointed to maximise signal, not sure that a properly specced whip antenna wouldn't be as good, mostly.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited by smileypete
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That's fascinating, well written and very informative, so Thanks

Have a Greenie.

 

It would be great if the moderators could be persuaded to have an "oft requested topics" section as I'm sure that many threads disappear into history and folks ask the same question time after time.

 

I have pinned this so that it will not get lost.

 

N

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I recently had to investigate Mi-Fi and dongles for the new house as it was going to take some time to get connected to the landline and data..

 

One of the comments my research picked up was that 4G uses two channels simultaneously and the dongle has two separate aerials and receivers within, and so needs / has two co-axes coming out to separate aerials.. Whilst I realise you can feed two signals down one coax, I guess its cheaper or better for some reason having separate aerials.. The spec actually says 21 MBPS with one aerial / channel connected or 42 MBPS with two connected...

 

Nick

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I recently had to investigate Mi-Fi and dongles for the new house as it was going to take some time to get connected to the landline and data..

 

One of the comments my research picked up was that 4G uses two channels simultaneously and the dongle has two separate aerials and receivers within, and so needs / has two co-axes coming out to separate aerials.. Whilst I realise you can feed two signals down one coax, I guess its cheaper or better for some reason having separate aerials.. The spec actually says 21 MBPS with one aerial / channel connected or 42 MBPS with two connected...

 

Nick

 

but if your ISP/phone company do not transmit in MiMo (Multi in Multi out) then one aerial is enough, although there is some discussion as to two aerials can improve the signal reception.

 

I recently upgraded to 4G MiFi unit, am now in a position where, previously receiving 3G was difficult but with the new unit and two aerials I now have a full signal (3G) but crap download speed. Still no 4G here.

 

Whether the phone company has improved signal, whether the new MiFi is more sensitive, or whether the two aerials have made the difference, i do not know.

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