Two cell tower dilemma

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scottmoore

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Feb 16, 2010
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Greetings...long time lurker..first time poster

I've enjoyed reading this site after finding it, while looking up info on CB's for hunting last year.

After a search on cell phone antenna's and reading the site, I have a few questions..

I've always had low reception at my home, so I picked up a wi-ex zbooster and had great results.

Recently ATT opened 3g in my area, and although rural, I am close enough (8 miles north west) to get the signal on the 2nd floor. However, last month they did some switching with verizon and leased (traded?) another antenna to improve coverage with edge (7.5 miles south)

Except for 2 rooms, the edge overpowers the 3G. If I'm going to have to move the omni antenna, I would rather try replacing with a directional first to see if I can focus on the 3G tower.

I've seen people talk about the $25 yagi's but all I've seen on e-bay and such are twice that.

I've reviewed

Martin E. Meserve - K7MEM - VHF/UHF Yagi Antenna Design

and

Yagi Design

and ran some designs for a 800 mhz yagi and printed the 850 mhz template from the second.

I'm looking at a brass/pvc construction using an old coax connector to tie into the existing RG6 cable I have.

Any suggestions before I get this project started?

Should I build the 850mhz template, or run the numbers for the 800 mhz or 850 mhz on the Meserve sight?

Should I use brass or copper for the elements?

Aluminun tubing or PVC for the boom?

Thanks
 

fineshot1

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Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
2,532
Location
NJ USA (Republic of NJ)
I do not think you need an antenna solution.

It sounds more like a phone programming solution.

Your phone simply needs to be programmed to ignore the verizon system id's
and when that is done it should only see the ATT 3G network and scan that
instead of the verizon 3G network.
 

Astrak

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Joined
Feb 17, 2005
Messages
1,632
Location
Mesa, AZ
A yagi would be a good solution, I'm not sure programming your phone has anything to do with it as Verizon is CDMA and AT&T is GSM and the phone should not even be on the same band as the Verizon tower.
 
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