Cellphone amplifier boosts signals by factor of 10

Cellphone amplification technology for the car isn't new, but recent developments have made it more portable and affordable than ever before. Some of the newer in-vehicle amplifiers (priced around $280) work wirelessly with any handheld cellphone that uses 800 MHz or 1900 MHz cellular bands with AMPS, CDMA, TDMA or GSM and even Nextel's IDN — providing up to 10 times the boost on both the transmit and receive signal for as many as 3 devices simultaneously. We know what you're thinking, this thing is going to fry your noodle, right? Not so, see — the phone actually operates at reduced power 'cause it thinks it's much closer to the transmission site than it really is. Just don't try to conceal that radiating rear antenna in the child seat, ok? A version for Europe and Asia is in the works as is a model for amplifying the cellphone signal in your home — or are we just expecting too much?

[Vic Matson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

Excellent!

Now can the folks at hack-a-day hack a Moto bag phone, with the battery and antenna, into a portable unit?

If so there will be a run on eBay for bag phones.

[Tom McGee @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

With the AMPS system, the transmitted power from your phone is controlled by the tower. Dunno about the digital modulation schemes.

[Eli @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

Cell phones.... not sure how to post a picture here, so I put the link to it under my name. That picture was taken from a magazine in Peru (that's in South America ya'all).... check out the date!

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

Nextel usese IDEN, not IDN.

I suppose the real question here is, is it worth almost 300 clams?

[Dingo @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

Vic Matson....FUNNAY!

[Ken @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

The tower tells the phones how much tx power to use in all current cell systems, not just analog. Without that behavior you couldn't even HAVE cellular. Relatively few car or bag phones, transmitting at their full 3w in the cities, could bring down the whole system.

The line about the phone "thinking it's closer to the cell site than it is" is pure bs.

[I.E @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

@ken
it's not bs. maybe the way the way it was explained is lacking, but it is common knowledge that when in an area with terrible signal the phone uses more power trying to find/hold a signal. When in an area with a strong signal the phone uses less power.

[Vic Matson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

Ken

Pull over a cop and ask him what he is running!

If you don't get arrested he will probably say Wilson best phone equipment out.

[zee @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

yay, 10 times the cancer

[Ken @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

I.E....

True, but it's not the phone doing it ad-hoc. The phone only transmits more when the tower tells it to.

When the tower is losing the phone's signal, it first has to check with neighboring cells to see if they have the signal stronger. That means the phone is driving into another cell, and the call needs a handoff, not an increase in transmit power. Only if the tower is losing signal AND no other tower has a better one does the phone need to transmit more.

The towers (really, the network) have to control all the phones or everyone would be drowned out.

[lecco @ Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

$300 dollar is a steal, consider a similiar kit for the home cost $500. I was thinking about getting one for my house since the signal is almost non-existant unless I walk out to the street.