Factors that Affect Your Phone Signal

Poor cell signal reception often causes undesirable dropouts. Factors that can reduce mobile signals include terrain type, weather conditions, natural and manmade obstacles, cell tower antenna angles, and co-channel interference.

Terrain shielding (drop in terrain caused by hills, etc.) can create signal shadows that affect the radio waves transmitted between cell tower and your device.

Buildings, trees, and random objects in the way of radio transmission may also affect how well you hear your call. Radio signals repeatedly bouncing off obstacles create a multipath, decreasing mobile coverage. Sometimes parts of a vehicle, such as the roof and pillars, may cause phones to dropout more inside your car than when you’re standing outside. The best solution is to have a phone antenna angled at a good position that is less susceptible to obstructions. The optimum position for an external antenna is outside your vehicle, and as high as possible without objects around it.

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Metal-based material and insulation used in buildings can also be responsible for your phone’s sudden drop in reception. The metal dampens your devices RF signal receptibility. Culprits include: metal support structures, concrete brick material, metal roofing, foil-based roof insulation, window tinting, large metallic surfaces, copper plumbing/wiring, etc.

Aside from physical objects that may obstruct radio signals, sub-par atmospheric conditions can, too. Water reflects radio waves, which means rain and fog can weaken phone reception by scattering cell signal. The more drops of water, the more chance for signal dropouts. Furthermore, lightning may cause signal blackouts due to electrical interference and physical damage to cell tower antennas by collateral wind or storm. Snow-ridden conditions can refract radio waves, too (depending on how densely packed the snow is, but generally ice is less dense than water).

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Fortunately, poor cell reception can be easily rectified with a well-positioned antenna on the roof of the building attached to a patch lead and a modem running inside the building. Sometimes large buildings use a series of ceiling antennas in conjunction to external antennas to amplify signal coverage. Homes with low network signals can benefit from external antennas too.

Alternatively, at times, cell-tower antennas themselves may be to blame for low reception. Some cell-towers use a single omnidirectional transmission antenna which has a capacity limit, impacting phone reception.

How Phone Antennas Can Fix This

With the above issues in mind, there seems to be a clear need for a solution that can improve poor network signals. Phone antennas are particularly helpful in boosting signal strength in low reception locations, especially rural areas.

At Strike, we have a vast variety of external phone antennas and patch leads; among which we have the B2, MB7, and TX9 model antennas. These state-of-the-art antennas deliver extraordinary consistency in gain and pattern and are suitable for Next G; 3G, 4G & GSM networks.

Check out our range here.

Strike Alpha Cradles

Strike Alpha Car Cradles are great solution for boosting your mobile signal. It comes with an internal antenna designed to boost your phone signal once it’s connected to an external antenna. With this signal boosting feature, you will be able to stay connected even in rural or remote areas.

In summary, a user should position an external antenna as high as possible on the outside of the vehicle, and run the cable to the interior and connect it to the Strike Alpha cradle. It is important to realise that no antenna can “invent” a signal that is not there. The solution mentioned above simply captures more of the signal from outside the vehicle, and transfers it to the phone inside the car.

The Strike Alpha Car Cradle is a durable smart device holder intelligently designed to hold, charge, and protect devices while driving. We have a vast range of Alpha Car Cradles on our website that are custom designed to suit a range of devices such as smartphones, tablets, payment terminals, alarm transmitters, GPS, etc.

About Strike Group

Strike Group is Australia’s leading provider and manufacturer of innovative car technologies. Strike integrates innovative design and seamless engineering in all its products. The company now exports to 72 countries having appointed key partners in the American and European market.

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