Adding an external antenna to a 5.8GHz cordless phone?

[sbken]

I just purchased a Uniden TRU8888 5.8GHz cordless phone and discovered the reception will not reach all areas of my house. My previous 2.4GHz cordless phone did. Is there some way I can boost the receive/transmit range of the new cordless phone?

 

[crayon]

Welcome to the group!

Have you tried relocating the base station to different areas of the house/ Like putting it up higher on the wall, ect. If your 2.4 is still working .. you could always take the 5.8 back.

Anytime that you start messing around with microwaves it gets tricky. It is just the nature of the beast. Parallel wires or traces in a circuit at a lower frequency that are harmless all of sudden become capactive when jucied up with microwaves freaking everything out.

 

[sbken]

Adding an external antenna for a 5.8 GHz cordless - reply

Thanks for your speedy reply and welcome, Crayon!

Unfortunately, the design of the cordless base station pretty well restricts its current location. It's an "all-in-one" jobbie that has answering machine, built-in corded base station and caller ID. Sorta like a Vegamatic.The unit needs to be located where we can see the answering machine and use a desk surface to write. I was hoping there might be a way to boost the signal for both Tx/Rx. Since I live in a pretty isolated area there's no problem with neighbors being disturbed with intereference.

 

[mmartinfan]

On the subject of 2.4 vs 5.8.................

My friend who has a 2.4 phone system in his apartment seems to get a lot of interference from something, the phone get realy scratchy and cuts in and out and overall has a ton of interference. Really quite crappy, he seems to think its a wireless interenet system somewhere but he has no idea if anyone has one of these in his apartment complex, and well he has no real clue on how a radio system/wireless router works. I know some time it has caused problems with other people.
Anyone have idea's on this? I kinda think the router thing could be correct but I think it maybe the phone system itself.

 

[sbken]

2.4 vs 5.8 GHz

It is well known that one drawback of the computer wireless signals known as "WiFi" or standard 802.11 uses frequencies in the 2.4 GHz band. Unfortunately, so do many wireless telephones, microwave ovens and other appliances around the home. The new generation of 5.8 GHz cordless telephones supposedly gets around that problem. Also unfortunately, as one moves higher in frequency interference from wires, metal pipes and other metallic items in the home and the home's walls can block reception even more than at the lower frequencies.

 

[Thayne]

I would take it back and get a Panasonic

 

[sbken]

Thayne:

I don't know if your comment was directed toward me and my Uniden TRU8888. If so, I don't know of any other cordless phone that has the features of the Uniden, namely, it works on 5.8 GHz for both send and receive, the base station is a corded handset so it will work in a power outage, it has a built-in answering machine and caller ID and it's expandable up to a total of ten cordless phones. I haven't found any other system that has all of those features.

 

[Thayne]

I didn't mean to sound so flip. If that model has all the features you need I see your point, for sure. I have had the coverage problem with 2 different models of uniden phones though; but I needed to go 2 houses down the block, and the panasonic worked a lot better. IMHO V-Tech phones are the worst.

 

[sbken]

No problem. I didn't think your answer was "flip". If you want range, and are willing to pay the price, supposedly the eGenius cordless phone wins hands down. They are outrageously expensive and, for my situation, wouldn't work since they are using the 2.4 GHz frequencies.[/i]

 

[loumaag]

No problem. I didn't think your answer was "flip". If you want range, and are willing to pay the price, supposedly the eGenius cordless phone wins hands down. They are outrageously expensive and, for my situation, wouldn't work since they are using the 2.4 GHz frequencies.

Pardon me for asking, but why are you avoiding the 2.4GHz phones?

 

[sbken]

Correction!

Sorry I misstated the brand name of cordless phone with the very long range. It is ***enGenius***.

Sorry.

 

[loumaag]

Re: 2.4 vs 5.8 GHz

Hmmm, I'll ask another way:

It is well known that one drawback of the computer wireless signals known as "WiFi" or standard 802.11 uses frequencies in the 2.4 GHz band. ...

Is this why you are avoiding the 2.4GHz phone system or is it because you upgraded for features?

 

[suttles1972]

I too, am not trying to be off subject when I say that I agree on Panasonic. The twin antenna technology does provides greater distance and stronger signal strength that many 2.4 and 5.8 gig phones. A personal test showed a distance of about 100 foot radius around my house. And showed a greater distance if you're line of sight with your base. But to get back on subject, I am not sure if signal extenders are available at the 2.4 or the 5.8gig range. For our new member's sake, l will do a search and see if extenders are available. Welcome aboard. :wink:

Try this. http://www.customphones.com/productCat46070.ctlg

This is a 5.8gig range extender for many cordless phones

 

[sbken]

Re: 2.4 vs 5.8 GHz

Hmmm, I'll ask another way:

It is well known that one drawback of the computer wireless signals known as "WiFi" or standard 802.11 uses frequencies in the 2.4 GHz band. ...

Is this why you are avoiding the 2.4GHz phone system or is it because you upgraded for features?

The only reason I "upgraded" was to eliminate the interference to my WiFi. The other features are nice but I already had an answering machine and a Caller ID display - so they're just icing on the cake. In fact, the old separates are easier to use than the all-in-one in the Uniden.[/quote][/u]

 

[sbken]

I am not sure if signal extenders are available at the 2.4 or the 5.8gig range. For our new member's sake, l will do a search and see if extenders are available. Welcome aboard. :wink:

Try this. http://www.customphones.com/productCat46070.ctlg

This is a 5.8gig range extender for many cordless phones

Thanks for the welcome, the URL and the offer to search for other Extenders. I checked out the URL you gave and they have a 5.8 GHz external antenna for exterior mounting that appears to need a connector on the cordless base station. The Uniden doesn't have either a connector or even an external antenna. <sigh!>

 

[loumaag]

Re: 2.4 vs 5.8 GHz

The only reason I "upgraded" was to eliminate the interference to my WiFi. The other features are nice but I already had an answering machine and a Caller ID display - so they're just icing on the cake. In fact, the old separates are easier to use than the all-in-one in the Uniden.

Okay, I had a similar problem manifesting itself by whenever the phone rang or someone got on it, the WiFi would go dead. I looked around and while looking into the problem I found this link and others which basically say move the WiFi to channel 11 which moves it out of the frequency range of most 2.4 GHz phone systems. I moved mine and my WiFi LinkSys Router sits about 2 feet from my 2.4 GHz base phone. No problems since the change in channels.