This passive cell signal booster does nothing.
It took hours before my notional signal strengthened enough to enable Airdrop so that I could even get this pic on the Official TUAK ‘Pooter. We’ve had some variable weather, I have 3 posts pending the hour/day when I can download photos, and have for parts of two days. This morning I tore out bookshelves to relocate the indoor antenna directly behind the hotspot, ended up waving the antenna around within an inch of the phone to see if it had any effect on the indicated signal at all – and it really just doesn’t.
It’s capricious as hell. Some days I have two bars on the indicator and no problem sending texts and emails, dealing with photos and posting on the blog. Other times it’s like this morning and most of yesterday. You never know, but it has become clear that the antenna isn’t affecting the average.
Maybe in a location where the signal isn’t quite as weak as it is down in the Lair’s hollow, it would show some measurable effect. But here, I can’t get it to do anything.
Interesting experiment, though, and I appreciate the effort you went to in building and shipping it.
Thanks for the writeup and for trying.
Before salvaging it for parts, try first expanding the coiled up section so the coils are farther apart and see if there is any effect. Then if none, go the other way and compress them, repeat test. If nuttink, you are welcome to keep the cable which is good for any TV set, maybe you or the neighbors some day might need some, save the connectors and pitch the bent coat hangers. I will be making another one to play with here as my house also seems to be in a dead zone, rarely get 3 bars, usually 1 or 2.
Passive antenna systems like that are designed for the purpose of getting a signal through a thick wall or other structure (like in office buildings made of metal and concrete). One end goes outside the wall and the other end goes inside.
Since you aren’t living in a concrete or underground structure, Joel, you won’t see any difference. Now, on the other hand, if you took it over to Ian’s cave you might notice an improvement.
It’s a power draw, but what are the options on signal boosters? Anything that might be workable on a part-time basis, e.g., turn it on when you want good/better connectivity, off otherwise?