Unchained Preppers
General Category => D.I.Y. => Topic started by: thatGuy on August 26, 2013, 08:51:50 AM
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Hey Gang,
In my life I have seen all kinds of 'tips' that weren't.. Well I stumbled across one that actually did work and I thought I would share.
If you place your cell phone into a parabolic reflector you can increase your cell service.. how much? Down at my house I never could get 3G service which left me to suffer the slings and arrows of what amounted to dial-up if I used my cell phone as a connection. For the last 7 years we have been using a Verizon MiFi instead and it got me thinking, "hell if the MiFi is getting 3G why can't my phone?" Enter a colander, a rubber band, a Jim Beam half pint to prop up the whole rig and a toothpick to hold it all together.
Bingo bango 3 bars of 3G service and $65 dollars back into my pocket.. Fuck you T-Mobile, fuck you Verizon and thank you humble cookware!
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Awesome find! What did you use for the reflector?
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Great idea man! Do you have a picture. I will be at the cabin this weekend where I get 1 bar of reception. I would love to give it a try and report back.
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Wow TG, that's really cool :pirateThumbUp:
A picture of the contraption would be awesome
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What your doing there is called a passive wave-guide. Also, they don't necessarily have to be parabolic. Pretty much any curve or funnel (rounded or squared) shaped metal can work with a little trial and error.
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BUMP. I was surfing the DIY topics and came across this great idea and thought some out there like myself never saw it.
THATGUY did you ever take a picture of it?
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Drop ThatGuy a PM asking him directly. He has been laying low for awhile and maybe you could lure him back ;)
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i've rigged a cheerios aluminum foil parabola or even a passive reflector a couple of times in the field. flat is a reflector - curved and put the phone at the foci and viola. a note - if it works for light or sound and is metal backed and over 1 foot wide, it should work. you need to point the parabola at the signal source - a tower, in this case. the orange peel type antenna still gives you good gain and is dirt simple to make.
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/CompSci_p010/computer-science/parabola-focusing-wifi-signals#summary (https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/CompSci_p010/computer-science/parabola-focusing-wifi-signals#summary)
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Parabolic-WiFi-Signal-Booster/ (http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Parabolic-WiFi-Signal-Booster/)
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another tip - if you need to make a call and don't have signal, find the nearest power lines and walk under them - hold teh phone at arms length. you should be able to get some signal if you are within 10 or so miles of a tower. the power lines are more permeable than air and will 'funnel' the signal.
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The folks on Uunchainedprepperas amaze me all of the time. :cheers:
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Let me see if I understand
I drink a bottle of Jim Beam while holding a colander to my ear and I get better cell reception? Does it work with tequila?
I need pics :facepalm:
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Nah Grizz, you wear the colander.
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On your head, so you can be a proper and devout member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Also know as a Pastafarian.
Nemo
https://pastafarians.org.au/
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Nah Grizz, you wear the colander.
Ahh, I get it now :cheers: