My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I'm gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do). Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast. Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out. In this case, I
expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower. I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out. I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore. Would a cell phone booster be illegal?

Parallax wrote:

My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I'm gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do). Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast. Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out. In this case, I
expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower. I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out. I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore. Would a cell phone booster be illegal?


Don't key the VHF if the cell phone is plugged in! In fact, it might not
be a good idea have the VHF on or connected. Doubt it'll help much, if
at all.

There was a good thread maybe a year ago about boosting cellphone
distances. There are both directional antennas and power boosters. Do a
google on Cell phone antennas, as I recall.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

(Parallax) wrote in message . com...
My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I'm gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do). Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast. Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out. In this case, I
expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower. I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out. I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore. Would a cell phone booster be illegal?


OK, an even worse idea.......Use your radar (I dont have one) as a
high gain antenna to point toward a cell tower. It ought to work for
900 Mhz. Some electronics could figger out the direction to the best
tower.

That's the dumbest thing I've seen in a long time!.....and will
destroy BOTH radio and cellphone....DON'T DO IT!

1 - Antenna will not transmit 800 or 1900 Mhz.....

2 - The transmitter of one radio transmits into the RECEIVER of the
other, destroying its sensitive input amplifier.

3 - The transmitters, themselves, will be operating into such a
complex impedance, it may take out the output amp in the transmitter,
too!

NO GO.......

Don't feel pregnant, though. Today I was helping someone troubleshoot
their electrical problems on a motor yacht. I casually asked him why
his battery charger was connected to his 2000W AC inverter. Without
missing a beat and totally serious, he told me that was to keep his
battery charged when he was at anchor away from the dock.......

Ever seen a perpetual motion machine?.....(c;

I just said, "Oh, I see.".....thinking about how I was gonna get away
from this boat before I found its exhaust riser plugged into the
diesel intakes to conserve air......

Sure hope his head doesn't pump into the fresh water tank....hee hee.

The inverter had plenty of power to run the 30A battery charger
plugged into it, though.....(c;



On 27 Oct 2003 15:39:00 -0800, (Parallax)
wrote:

My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I'm gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do). Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast. Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out. In this case, I
expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower. I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out. I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore. Would a cell phone booster be illegal?


Larry W4CSC

"Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"

On 27 Oct 2003 15:39:00 -0800, (Parallax)
wrote:

My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I'm gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do). Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast. Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out. In this case, I
expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower. I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out. I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore. Would a cell phone booster be illegal?

I have seen boosters advertised for some cell phones.

As for the VHF antenna, if it does come out to a multiple of the cell
antenna its gain would be so high, and its vertical angle so narrow,
that it couldn't be used in anything but dead flat calm, with no
ground swell. There is also the little problem of impedance matching
and coupling the phone to the coax.

The booster seems likelier to work.



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."

Rodney Myrvaagnes wrote in message . ..
On 27 Oct 2003 15:39:00 -0800, (Parallax)
wrote:

My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I'm gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do). Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast. Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out. In this case, I
expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower. I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out. I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore. Would a cell phone booster be illegal?

I have seen boosters advertised for some cell phones.

As for the VHF antenna, if it does come out to a multiple of the cell
antenna its gain would be so high, and its vertical angle so narrow,
that it couldn't be used in anything but dead flat calm, with no
ground swell. There is also the little problem of impedance matching
and coupling the phone to the coax.

The booster seems likelier to work.



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."


I never said I had good ideas. However, I realize that somehow you
better disconnect the connection when the VHF or radar is used. I
also forgot about impedance matching (my god, alzheimers, I taught an
engineering lab on impedance matching once). I really don't know how
a radar antenna works on small boats. If it is just a rotating dish,
it oughta work with the right transducer.

x-no-archive:yes (Parallax) wrote:

My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I'm gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do). Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast. Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out. In this case, I

We have (came with the boat) an external cell phone antenna which
doubles as a pole to fly the flag from. I also use a bag phone which
has a bigger battery. I get quite good connections with it when I
don't get anything from my regular cell phone.

There are external antennas for cell phones and also power boosters
available.

expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower. I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out. I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore. Would a cell phone booster be illegal?

grandma Rosalie

Why don't you just get a cell phone antenna and if needed, an amplifier? With a 4 foot
antenna on the stern rail we had contact with ATT for the entire East Coast. The only
problem area was Maine, where the coves can be blocked by hills.

BTW, one of the proposals for "next generation" cell technology was by a company that
specializes in small supercomputers for Defense Dept. radar and sonar systems. The same
technology that can "aim" radar can be used to aim cell bandwidth to the customer that
needs it at the moment.




"Parallax" wrote in message
om...
(Parallax) wrote in message
. com...
My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I'm gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do). Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast. Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out. In this case, I
expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower. I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out. I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore. Would a cell phone booster be illegal?


OK, an even worse idea.......Use your radar (I dont have one) as a
high gain antenna to point toward a cell tower. It ought to work for
900 Mhz. Some electronics could figger out the direction to the best
tower.

1) Cell phone amplifiers exist, work, and are legal. see
http://www.digitalantenna.com/cellamp.html

2) The VHF antenna idea won't work and might, as noted above, destroy
the cell phone.

3) The radar antenna idea actually has some technical merit, but the
challenge of actually getting the radar to point to the right place,
and hooking up the cell phone to its feed without significant
insertion loss, make it pretty much impossible. It would also be
illegal, as it would not be type accepted.

4) A cell phone antenna at the masthead is your best bet. West Marine
sells them. For good ones, see:
http://www.digitalantenna.com/cell.html


Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com

(Parallax) wrote in message . com...
My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I'm gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do). Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast. Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out. In this case, I
expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower. I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out. I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore. Would a cell phone booster be illegal?

On 27 Oct 2003 15:39:00 -0800, (Parallax) wrote
(with possible editing):

My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I'm gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do). Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast. Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out. In this case, I
expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower. I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out. I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore. Would a cell phone booster be illegal?

NO! Don't do it!

1. VHF radio WILL destroy cell phone receiver.
2. Cell phone transmitter WILL NOT match the VHF antenna resulting in
mostly reflected power. That could damage the cellular phone.
3. If you COULD use the same antenna (which you can't), the only safe
way would be to switch it to the transceiver in use while applying a
dummy load to the unused transceiver.
4. Some cellular phones are analog which uses the 800 mhz band, and
others are digital which uses the 1900 mhz band. Still others work on
both bands.

Also, don't use marine radar antenna. Radar operates at different
frequency than cell phones. They are not harmonically related.

You CAN legally use a booster amplifier (they are manufactured
typically for installation in a car. That can boost the 0.10 - 0.15
or so watts from the typical cell phone to 3 watts. Mount the antenna
as high up as you can, but do not extend the feedline from what is
supplied with the kit. The reason is twofold: 1) the amp is based on
effective radiated power which includes the loss on a feedline, and 2)
unless you get very good cable, you will lose more in feedline loss
than you gain from height, particularly on the 1900 mhz band. You
could use a directional antenna, but, so far as I know, they are not
legal for that type use. That's worth a check, though, as I believe
they are considered legal for use in security systems and it's been a
while since I looked at those regulations. http://www.fcc.gov
--

Larry W1HJF
Email to rapp at lmr dot com