[geeks] Opinions on T-Mobile and Verizon

[Dan Sikorski]

Phil Stracchino wrote:
> Michael Parson wrote:
>   
>> One thing I've found recently is that personal cell-phone repeaters are
>> surprisingly affordable.  You can get one for your house for <$300.
>> Both Fry's and Thinkgeek have them for $249 for the single-band or
>> $349 for the dual band units.  Google/products found them for cheaper
>> elsewhere.
>>     
> Unfortunately they can only amplify and rebroadcast signal that's there
> in the first place.  We don't have reliable GSM signal here even
> outside.  It's highly typical around here for me to pull out my phone at
> the school bus stop, see three bars, think "Aha!  I have signal!", try
> to dial a call, and watch the signal drop to zero and stay there before
> I can even finish dialling the call.
>   
The one we have at our office has a directional antenna.  Point that 
antenna and your nearest cell tower, and while the low gain 
omnidirectional antenna of your phone near ground level might not get 
any signal, a higher gain directional antenna can.  I'm not in that 
office very often, so I cannot comment on how well it works first-hand, 
but my coworkers reported a big improvement when it was first installed 
about eight months ago.

    -Dan Sikorski