| Antennas
With all of the antenna choices currently available, a little basic information can help you maximize your antenna purchase. Bands - The term band refers to the frequency the antenna provides improved performance for. Cellular phones in the US operate in the 800-900 frequency or the 1800-1900 frequency. Most phones are currently operating in the 800-900 freq. range which covers all analog and most digital phones. Service providers such as AT&T operate primarily in this freq. range. The 1800-1900 freq. range is used primarily by providers such as Sprint PCS. Dual Band phones operate in both frequencies depending on the location. We recommend checking with your service provider to determine which band your primary area is operating in before choosing an antenna. dB/dBi- refers to the amount of gain the antenna provides. The higher the dB gain the more improvement in reception you should experience. Some companies try to make their antennas seem more powerful on paper by using the dBi gain rather than dB gain. a 7.2dBi gain antenna is the same as a 5db gain antenna. We recommend using the dB gain in choosing your antenna rather than dBi gain. Currently, we are not aware of a mag mount or glass mount antenna that provides more than a 5dB gain. Most antennas are a 3dB gain. Some base station antennas may provide as much as a 12dB gain. Open Coil/Closed Coil - Cellular antennas have a coil (looks similar to a spring) in the antenna which determines the frequency the antenna receives. Dual Band antennas generally have two coils, one for each band. Antennas without the a covering over the coil are open coil units. Open coil antennas are more likely to create wind noise (a whistling noise that occurs at higher speeds). Closed coil antennas do not tend to create wind noise and prove a better look. Passive Repeater - Passive repeater antennas do not require attachment to a handsfree kit or antenna adapter. These antennas are glass mount antennas which simply pass the signal through the window. While passive repeater antennas can provide some improvement in signal, generally it is comparable to antennas which attach to the phone through a handsfree kit or antenna adapter.
Base Station - Consumer Base station antennas have starting gaining popularity recently. Unlike vehicle antennas which use the car as a ground plane to provide the gain, base station antennas have the ground plane built in. This allows the antennas to be used in buildings, homes, or offices where vehicle antennas will not perform. The three most popular base station antennas are flat panel antennas, radome antennas, and yagi antennas. Flat panel antennas work and look great inside of building but disperse the signal in a single direction. Radome antennas are cylinders 3/4" to 1" in diameter and 12" to 14" long. Radomes disperse the signal 360 degrees and can be used both inside or outside of a building. Yagi antennas are directional antennas that must be aimed at the cellular tower. Yagi's provide the strongest available gain but require a line of sight to the tower. Glass mount - Glass mount antennas are attached to a vehicle window with adhesive. The base and whip are attached outside of the window with a base mirrored on the inside which passes the signal through the window. Most interior bases come with 12 to 14 feet of cable to attach to the handsfree kit or antenna adapter. Because the signal is passed through the window, tint other than aftermarket tint will dramatically reduce the gain. Glass mount antennas can be removed from the window and leave no permanent marks. Magnetic Mount (mag mount) - Magnetic mount antennas have a magnetic base that attaches to the outside of the vehicle. The antenna can be mounted on the roof, trunk or other flat surface on the outside of the car. These antennas generally come with 12 to 14 feet of cable which must be run into the car through a door, window, trunk, etc. to attach to the handsfree kit or antenna adapter. Magnetic mount antennas can easily be moved from one car to another. Permanent Mount - Permanent mount antennas are mounted by cutting a small round hole through the cars roof or trunk. The base comes with 12 to 14 feet of cable which must be attached to a handsfree kit or antenna adapter.
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