Cellutronics faq page, frequently asked questions page

Q4. I have intermittent coverage outside my home and no coverage outside. Do you think an external antenna will fix my problem and if so which antenna should I use?

Q5. What is a Yagi antenna and should I use the Yagi AY9-12, AY11-12, AY12-12, or AY15-10?

Q6. What does the term 'Gain' refer to?

Q7. Can I improve coverage to my phone without connecting an external antenna to my phone?

Q8. What about if I install a repeater in my house?

Q9. I have installed a AY12-12 on my roof and it has now given me excellent coverage. I would like to connect a second phone to this antenna. Can this be done and if so can we use both mobile-phones at the same time?

Q10. I would like to purchase a Yagi antenna for my home. Can I install this myself?

1. What are the benefits of external antennas?

External antennas provide better call quality, less dropped calls, provide your phone with much improved coverage range, and remove RF (radio frequency) emissions away from your body. For a complete discussion on the benefits of external antennas please refer to this article Antenna ReferenceArticle5D.pdf

2. Can my phone connect to an external antenna? And can I damage my phone when connected?

Not all phones have an external antenna connection. For a list of phones that do please see our home page and choose by either manufacturer of network provider. If you would like to see typical phone connection points please refer to this page. When connecting your phone or data card to an external antenna you must use care when connecting the cable to your phone or data card. Some phone and data card manufacturers do not expect people to regularly connect and disconnect their phone or data card to an external antenna. As such you must make sure you plug the connection on "squarely" to the connection point. Do not pull on the cable or drop the device when connected. Any excessive force on the connection point can be damaging to both the device and the data card. It is therefore recommended that when connecting a phone to an external antenna you use a hands free ear piece and operate the phone while it is lying down on a desk or center console. Cellutronics takes no responsibility or liability if phones, data cards, or adaptor cables become damaged.

3. How do I connect an external antenna to my phone?

This can by done using an antenna adaptor cable. The adaptor cable is a cable which has a special connector on it which is specific to your handset. It plugs into your phone and then connects to the external antenna. See Connection places on Mobile phones.

4. I have intermittent coverage outside my home and no coverage outside. Do you think an external antenna will fix my problem and if so which antenna should I use?

Yes, an external antenna will fix your problem so you receive reliable good quality coverage inside your home. We would recommend a Yagi antenna, starting at the AY9-12 right up to the AY12-12, or AY15-10 if you have a Vodafone 3G phone or data card.

5. What is a Yagi antenna and should I use the Yagi AY9-12, AY11-12, AY12-12, or AY15-10?

The name "Yagi" is given to this antenna from one of the Japanese inventors. It is antenna which has a series of 'Elements' connected to a 'Boom'. Some people refer to them as looking like a fish skeleton. Your TV antenna is similar to a Yagi, except the TV antenna is wider as it operates on a lower RF (radio frequency).

The AY9-12 Yagi antenna is our most popular high gain antenna. It is intended for most users who want a high gain antenna at an economical price. The AY12-12 is a stainless steel antenna and is long at 1.5m in length. The AY12-12 has even higher gain than the AY9-12 . The AY12-12 is recommended for user's close wanting maximum coverage, or customers who have poor to no coverage at their house or office location. The AY11-12 sits in between the AY9-12 and AY12-12 models. In other words it is the best balance best performance and price.

The AY15-10 is a dual band antenna. The antenna is required for users that have Vodafone 3G phones or devices as it does the entire frequency range 800 to 2500 MHz.

6. What does the term 'Gain' refer to?

Gain is the term used to measure the effectiveness of an antenna in one direction. It is usually measured in decibels (dB). The higher the antenna gain the higher the intensity (or ability) of the antenna to receive and transmit a signal in one direction. For example consider a light bulb in a house. The light bulb radiates light waves generally in all directions (omni-directional). This is ideal for lighting up a room.

Now consider the light beam from a lighthouse. The light from a lighthouse is intense and directional. It needs to go as far as it can to warn ships from hitting rocks. You can think of the lighthouse as having high gain. This is similar to a Yagi antenna. The lighbulb in the house you can then think of as having lower gain. They both have their applications. For example if you want an antenna for a vehicle you will require a low gain omni-directional so you can always get coverage as the vehicle changes direction. However, if you have a stationary object such as a house you can install a directional antenna such as a Yagi antenna. The Yagi antenna will point towards the strongest signal source (usually the closest cell-site) and direct the mobile phones RF energy (such as a light house) in that direction.

7. Can I improve coverage to my phone without connecting an external antenna to my phone?

No. The only way is to connect an external antenna to your phone.

8. What about if I install a repeater in my house?

In New Zealand you cannot install a repeater privately to re-transmit mobile phone frequencies. If you do obtain a repeater unit and install it, it will effect the local cell-site causing other users to loose coverage. Therefore these units can only be authorised by the owner of the radio spectrum you are re-transmitting and local government approval is required.

9. I have installed a AY12-12 on my roof and it has now given me excellent coverage. I would like to connect a second phone to this antenna. Can this be done and if so can we use both mobile-phones at the same time?

Yes, by installing a mobile phone splitter you can have two mobile phones connected to one antenna and the mobile phones can be used at the same time. Please be sure you use a splitter which has higher directivity such as the Cellutronics 'SPL-2-50NF', otherwise the phones will interfere with each other.

10. I would like to purchase a Yagi antenna for my home. Can I install this myself?

Yes you can install the antenna yourself. The antenna kit comes complete with installation instructions. You will need to have access to your roof and follow the instructions to align the antenna in the best direction to give maximum coverage. If you are not comfortable in installing the antenna yourself we recommend employing the services of your local TV antenna installer. They will have the necessary equipment and training to get to your roof and will know how to align the antenna.

Do you have any further questions? If so please email us at enquiries@cellutronics.co.nz

Q1. What are the benefits of external antennas?

Q3 How do I connect an external antenna to my phone?