Does anyone have any experience with installing a cellphone repeater in their home?  What brand/model and how does it work?  My cell service at the house is kinda spotty and I don't have a hardline.

Thanks,
Jeff

Seems what you are talking about is a passive repeater antenna.  Basically two antennas connected together; one directed to the cell site to send/receive, and the other to send/receive the relayed signal to your phone inside your house.

Sounds like a good idea... tag.

No, I'm talking about an active repeater.

I can assist.  

Need to know what freq and technology

GSM?
CDMA?

800 Cellular ?
1900 PCS?

If these are unknown, give me your provider and general area (county)  in TX

How many "bars" do you see on your phone when you are outside your house?

Quoted: I can assist.   Need to know what freq and technology GSM? CDMA? 800 Cellular ? 1900 PCS? If these are unknown, give me your provider and general area (county)  in TX How many "bars" do you see on your phone when you are outside your house?

850/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS
2-3 bars when I'm holding it away from my body.  When I talk on it I frequently get dropped data.

To make sure I specify the right repeater, I need to be absolutely sure of the coverage type (frequency and technology) that is at your residence.

Repeater systems can cost between $300 and $45,000 dollars.

Obviously, there is a quality, and amount of coverage difference (repeater output power).

There is a less expensive way to accomplish the goal, and that's with a "hands free car kit".  Instead of installing it in a vehicle, they can be mounted on a frame and attached to a wall, etc.  The car kit should allow for the use of an external antenna that you can mount to the roof or an outside wall.  I would recommend a multi-element yagi type antenna that has a higher gain than just a vehicle type "mag mount" antenna".  This yagi antenna is directional, so you would need to mount it on the side of your house where you see the best signal from the tower.  The down side of this is you are teathed to a "base station" that you will have to use on "speaker phone".  These car kits cost around $100.  I can check on a price and spec out a model # if you provide your phone manufacturer and model #.

As you can probably tell, I work in the wireless industry (have been for 13 years).  I'm no sales guy.  I built cell sites for 7 years, now I design them.

If privacy is a concern, please email me at [email protected]

Yes, I know it seems strange that just because we own the same kind of rifle that I will help you out.  It still freaks me out a little too.

wonder if a repeater would help me in Darrington...

I Just installed a Digital Antenna  DA4KSBR-50U. It works GREAT!!!
cgi.ebay.com/DIGITAL-ANTENNA-DA4KSBR-50U-WIRELESS-CELLULAR-REPEATER_W0QQitemZ5874046477QQcategoryZ4668QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Price was about $400 Delivered.

My neighbor just installed a DA4KMR. He loves his, as well.
My house is larger, than his, so I got the larger unit.

Best prices are found on Ebay. I searched for over a month and picked this model from everything I learned.

I highly recommend them!

www.digitalantenna.com/cellamprep.html

Be sure to seperate the two antennas correctly.
If you use Nextel, be sure to get the "N" model.  All other carriers should work with the standard models.

This is kinda cool.  This is kinda interesting, too, since my signal terribly sucks here.

we have one at work.  I dont know any of the particulars but I do know that it works great.

I went from maybe 2 bars and iffy service up to full scale and 100% reliable calls.

Here's a good place to go to find out which cellular service provider has a tower near your location:

www.cellreception.com

Due to tower co-locations, sub-leases, etc., this is not 100% accurate, but a good place to start.

The digitalantenna product Keith mentioned above would probably work just fine.  You may find that replacing the supplied omni-directional antenna with a higher gain directional yagi antenna may be necessary if you are located in a very poor coverage area (> one bar outside on a good day with your left foot held in the air at a 62° angle)

Be advised than any active device that transmits on cellular/PCS frequencies is actually transmitting on frequencies that are licensed to the respective providers (Cingular, Nextel, Verizon, etc.)

If your device causes interference to the provider's networks, they have every legal right to have you discontinue its use.

I also work in the industry and am very familiar with commercial-grade cellular/iden/PCS radio repeaters.

Yagi antenna explanation:

www.alternativewireless.com/cellular-antennas/yagi.html

Be sure to purchase the correct band (800 or 1900) technology makes no difference, just frequency.

Quoted: Be advised than any active device that transmits on cellular/PCS frequencies is actually transmitting on frequencies that are licensed to the respective providers (Cingular, Nextel, Verizon, etc.) If your device causes interference to the provider's networks, they have every legal right to have you discontinue its use. I also work in the industry and am very familiar with commercial-grade cellular/iden/PCS radio repeaters.

Wouldn't it be illegal for anyone to transmit on their frequencies besides those they have given permisson to?

-Foxxz

Technically, yes.

In case you DO need a Yagi, the best deal I've been able to find was at:
2690609326.monstercommercesites.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=71

$40 from that vendor.....I've seen this same unit on Ebay for $100.00

I wouldn't trust the RG58U cable that ships with it, though.

If you go with the car kit, you can solve the "teathered" problem by getting a portable home phone that works off of your cell phone.  basically instead of plugging into a wall line, it uses your cell phone in a dock.

SWS speaks the truth.

I've had personal experience with hunting down a interference generating user, it's no fun and at great expense to the service provider.  

These devices are debatable borderline/gray area.

DO NOT use them in a metropolitan area where you may be in close proximity to a cellular tower.  It will cause interference, and knock other useres off the system.  

Remember, this is how SWS and I make our living, feed our kids, pay our mortgage, buy our ammo, etc.  

tag

Quoted: DO NOT use them in a metropolitan area where you may be in close proximity to a cellular tower.  It will cause interference, and knock other useres off the system.

I would imagine if you're in a situation where you'd need one, you're probably not located where this would be a problem.

And that's why I have no problem in assiting JeffC

He pays for a service that due to his geographical location, he cannot use.

As long as the actions he takes to correct the situation don't cause harm to an FCC licensed facility, or other users, power to him.

Quoted: SWS speaks the truth. I've had personal experience with hunting down a interference generating user, it's no fun and at great expense to the service provider.   These devices are debatable borderline/gray area. DO NOT use them in a metropolitan area where you may be in close proximity to a cellular tower.  It will cause interference, and knock other useres off the system.   Remember, this is how SWS and I make our living, feed our kids, pay our mortgage, buy our ammo, etc.

So uhh, help me get the NExtel tower to stop intterupting my sat radio service!?

Sat Radio= XM/Sirius    2320-2350Mhz

Nextel    806-821 MHz Transmit
              851-866 MHz Receive

You must be in such close proximity to the Nextel tower that the Sat Radio is being de-sensitized by the raw output power of the Nextel site.  Radio frequencies go through several stages to be transmitted (or received) that interlace the audio/data.  Sometimes these stages can be interfered with if there is a high power transmitter near by.

You need a bandpass (notch) filter.

Let me see...................

A more selective antenna might help..........

www.xm-radio-satellite.com/browseproducts/XM-Radio-Commercial-Amplified-Antenna.html

Also, it could be a mix of frequencies (intermodulation) between a Nextel harmonic ((Nextel X 3)-FM Radio Station))= XM

In which case it would be in-band interference, and your screwed.

I can't find any comercially available filters.

After looking at a few products, this is probably your best bet:

www.xmradio.com/catalog/product_detail.jsp?id=28345&type=Antenna

Interesting idea!  As for me, Verizon is finally constructing a cell tower in my area, within view of my house, so I'll hold off. Two years ago I would have been all over this.

Quoted: And that's why I have no problem in assiting JeffC He pays for a service that due to his geographical location, he cannot use. As long as the actions he takes to correct the situation don't cause harm to an FCC licensed facility, or other users, power to him.

So I live in a suburban area.  There are no towers within sight of my house and according to the
celltower location website that was posted  there is a tower within ~1.5 miles.

So how do I determine if having a repeater will interfere with other users or facilities?  Wouldn't having
a repeater  benefit anyone else in the area using the same provider and frequencies?  Is there
some other route I should take with the provider?  I have called them to report my poor reception but
just got the runaround.

Quoted: Sat Radio= XM/Sirius    2320-2350Mhz Nextel    806-821 MHz Transmit               851-866 MHz Receive You must be in such close proximity to the Nextel tower that the Sat Radio is being de-sensitized by the raw output power of the Nextel site.  Radio frequencies go through several stages to be transmitted (or received) that interlace the audio/data.  Sometimes these stages can be interfered with if there is a high power transmitter near by. You need a bandpass (notch) filter. Let me see...................

3rd harmonics.... maybe he should report that Nextel tower to the FCC.  It is Nextel's responsibility to rein-in their spill over to 2400Ghz.

Might be overloading the front end of the receiver. Its called intermod. Happens to my ham radios when a cop car is in the vicinity.

-Foxxz

and you want more electromagnetic energy pulsing through your home/body why?