add antenna to phone

[Android Question]

How do you add an antenna to a smart phone

 

[Rukbat]

1) The phone has to have an externally-available antenna jack. Almost none do.

2) You plug the antenna into the antenna jack, using a very short flexible cable from the non-flexible cable coming from the antenna.

3) Be aware that any external antenna that will really work will turn your portable phone into a fixed-location device. Cable that works at the frequencies involved is a little thicker than earphone cable - it's more thumb-sized and it's very stiff. Assuming that we're talking about a few feet of cable. If you're thinking of mounting an external antenna, say on the roof, think half-inch copper pipe or larger as your antenna "cable". (Look at the cable running up the side of any cellphone tower you can get close enough to see the cable on. It's not that large in an effort to make copper more scarce.)

If you're in a location with poor reception consider two practical alternatives - a microcell provided by your carrier or changing carriers to one that covers the area you're in.