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DIY 2G/3G/4G wireless cell phone signal booster

by

Lau Han Ching (/member/Lau+Han+Ching/) in wireless (/tag/type-id/category-technology/channel-wireless/)

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About This Instructable

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Lau Han Ching

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Before begin. Where i stay is a rural area., cell phone signal reception is a
nightmare. 1 bar or no service, the best i can get is 2 bar. After a long searching
for a solution, trial and error. Discover this simple solution without purchased a
expensive 3G signal booster. Here the guide to build one from household items.
DIY 2G/3G/4G wireless cell phone signal booster is a home-brew booster which
uses common household items. This DIY can improves the signal of cell phone
signal inside your house, from 1 bar to full. You need to build 2 unit, one indoor,
one outdoor, both unit is similar and simple to build if you follow this guide, but i
take few hours to R&D. I name it, LauC2 antenna. Before we start, safety first wear
protector eye glass and safety gloves. When you see the bold text, is special for
people want details instruction. This project can build using material you can found,
finished LauC2 antenna have to 80% like the photo. Primary objective is E GSM
900, 2G signal reception. You need at least have cell phone signal coverage at
outside your house for this antenna to function and working, 1 bar signal strength
or come and gone.
Use the phone as usual, not wired. No wire connected to your phone.
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
First get all this items from your house :
1. iron wire from clothes stand / wire coat hanger, [double check using a magnet
is iron], 2-4 mm iron wire. Or you can get iron wire without paint coating
to improve efficiency.
2. two piece extend electric cable connector block, 20A [if any]
3. common cable TV cable / coaxial cable / satellite TV cable, 30 meter good
quality coaxial cable , no cut and joined.
4. wire cutter
5. pliers
6. screw driver, 3-6 mm phillips screw drive and slot screw driver.
You can found all this items at your nearby supermarket, hardware shop.
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11abgn Wireless Outdoor Solution Long distance
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Step 1: Start Building antenna, LauC2 antenna

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Look at the drawing. First section we going to build is the 3G antenna using the iron
wire from the clothes stand /wire coat hanger, the black color drawing. Not
necessary to remove the paint coating.
Straiten the clothes stand wire / wire coat hanger with pliers [ i using hand ] and
bend it 4cm at the corner about 45 degree.
1. Then measure 8cm from the bend and bend inwards at 90 degrees.
2. Then measure 9cm from the bend and bend inwards at 90 degrees.

3. Then measure 9cm from the bend and bend inwards at 90 degrees.
4. Then measure 8cm from the bend and bend inwards at 90 degrees.
5. Last bending is same as the first bland 4cm about 45 degree where install
extend electric cable connector block, insert the connector block to the ends of
the both end of the wire and tighten it.
All wire is connected inside the connector block. The 4cm area, clean/remove the
clothes stand / wire coat hanger shield [paint coating]. You have to use the wire
cutter to cut the wire. Build 2 unit. One clothes stand enough for building 2 unit this
kind of antenna. Maybe take you 1-2 hours or less.
Next step is the wireless antenna, the orange and yellow drawing. This section we
need to use the common cable TV cable. So first cut off the plastic jacket about 1520 cm length, depend on the center core round / turns , if you planning for testing
the center core round / turns, maybe good idea about 20cm. depend on the center
core round / turns diameter. Now you can see the [metallic shield] like a spider
web, cut off this metallic shield and look at the drawing again, the red line is the
metallic shield to be installed. No waste. Just twisted down the metallic shield
become a wire without cutting [cut it if too long ]and fit into the connector block at
the red line and tighten, not necessary a U shape. Then back to the cable, cut off
the dielectric insulator carefully, we need the center core for building the wireless
antenna.
Back to the drawing again. About 5cm from the edge of the center core [ or start at
plastic jacket edge depend on the length of center core ], we need to make 5 round
/ turns clockwise, E GSM 900 2G, we can do it using screw driver [ 3-6 mm
phillips screw drive ], just bend the center core round and round / turns on the
rod. Then straight the center core both area like the photo. Now we need to mount
this wireless antenna to the 3G antenna. Look at the drawing how this done.
Remember the edge of the center core wire have to joined the iron wire and
tighten. Do not forget the red wire.
After some testing, B1-WCDMA 2100, 4G have to be center core 7 round /turns at
outdoor unit, and center core 5 round / turns at indoor unit. Use your smartphone
searching for the location have STRONG 4G signal to put the outdoor unit.
A good signal strength define is maybe a stable 3 bar 2G signal, not a unstable
signal strength jump up and down too often. Probably take a while for getting the
right place.
If you not very sure, just make it 7 round /turns at out door unit and 5 round /turns
at indoor unit. If the signal strength still too weak, you can trial and error increase
the outdoor unit the center core round / turns 1 at a time. 1 round / turns mean 1
complete circle.
So you need both edge [ cutting edge ] of the cable to be the wireless antenna.
Better install the cable one end at the roof top or near roof top, open area. One end
is inside the house, anywhere you like.
Completed assembly, both end of the TV cable have a finished LauC2 antenna like
the photo.
When you finish building 2 unit of this antenna. One unit install at outdoor where
you can get STRONG cell signal strength and the front [flat area] of the antenna
have to face vertical to cell tower, somewhere. Adjust the LauC2 antenna until you
satisfied with the signal strength, test using your phone, recommended phone set to
2G for antenna adjustment purpose. Stay away from any wire mesh, object
blocking, wireless device. Can put inside house window where can get good
signal strength. if your house have lighting strike history, keep the antenna at
secure location.
Now the indoor unit, anywhere you like where you want to put the antenna.
Recommended at height area and open area for better indoor reception [ or center
of the hall ceiling], and the location you always busy with your phone and keep
distance with the wireless router. Just one condition, vertical or horizontal.
Why? you asking? Take your phone, if antenna is vertical, phone also vertical
getting strong signal strength. 2G signal always have better cell phone signal
reception, tested device Nokia 1110i, 3 bar or full . Lumia 635 2G can get 3 bar
signal. Moving too far away from the Lau2C indoor unit antenna, signal drop, tested
20-25m still have 2-3 bar. 1-3m i get full bar using Nokia 1110i.Smartphone always
having poor signal strength.
Take off your smartphone additional phone case, some phone case really
weakening the reception. If everything all right, you can dial out and received
income call, even the phone show weak signal inside house, all phone carriers do

have a free call customer hotline, dial the number and listen the audio quality.
The antenna no insulation part should not touching the wall or electric conductor.
If you want some dB value, enter Field Test mode on your smartphone
1. Nokia / Windows Phone, dial ##3282#
2. iPhone, dial *3001#12345#*
3. Android, access Settings>General>About Phone> Network or Status
Closer the value to -50dB, better the signal strength

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Ad

JAHT 11abg Outdoor

11abgn Wireless Outdoor Solution Long distance
CPE & Outdoor Antenna
www.jaht.com

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Please be positive and constructive.

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w I Made it!

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Lau Han Ching (/member/Lau Han Ching) (author)

Post Comment

3 months ago

Reply

i just modified and attached my Dlink 2750E antenna with this antenna, so fast it
show better internet experience., if have a solid concrete wall in between. Dlink
2750E is a ADSL WiFi-300N router.

RobertM550 (/member/RobertM550) . Lau Han Ching (/member/Lau Han Ching)

you mean for the indoor? can ypu show some pictures
of it? thanks

Michael Heng (/member/Michael Heng) made it!

3 months ago

Reply

10 days ago

Reply

Hi Han Ching, I read your instructables. What I came up its 2x10.5cm and
2x14++cm chopsticks, they are just recycled wooden chopsticks. Using one
2.5mm hard copper cable, I go around, then cut another 2.5mm, coil it around a
chopstick to make it like telephone cable. It's hard copper cable there, so coiling
might take some effort. Thereafter, I use a double 1.76mm power cable, just unskin
both cables(less than 1m), then twist them together. Receiver just throw outside
windows, then tie the other end to my radio.
Yes, I hear all of you, no near to router, no near to microwave oven thingy. Problem
is my DIY Ultimate radio (no need to charge for 1 month) is on top of a PC. When I
switch on the PC, the radio becomes disabled due to interference. Now with this
mini receiver, I could actually operate both the PC and radio at the same time.
Verdict: Yes, it works. Although it did not follow everything in the instructables, but
here is something I did manage to find out. Since the radio antenna itself is also an
antenna, not only wireless signal in the room gets a bit of boost, handphone
signals becomes better too. Hee. 1 receiver 3 benefits.

(https://cdn.instructables.com/FYL/ABCH/IVO3P5SC/FYLABCHIVO3P5SC.LARGE.jpg)

(https://cdn.instructables.com/FCY/IUQW/IVO3P5SH/FCYIUQWIVO3P5SH.LARGE.jpg)

(https://cdn.instructables.com/F81/P9B0/IVO3P5SV/F81P9B0IVO3P5SV.LARGE.jpg)

(https://cdn.instructables.com/FM7/T65Y/IVO3P5T8/FM7T65YIVO3P5T8.LARGE.jpg)

leninf1 (/member/leninf1)

23 days ago

Reply

CAN IT BOOST WIFI ?

KristinS28 (/member/KristinS28) . leninf1 (/member/leninf1)

18 days ago

Why would you ask that? It's not even remotely similar.

Ozzzzz (/member/Ozzzzz)

Reply

2 months ago

Reply

Where can I buy the two piece extend electric cable connector block? (link)

MikeT196 (/member/MikeT196) . Ozzzzz (/member/Ozzzzz)

Reply

2 months ago

http://www.ebay.com/itm/361734707581?
_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Ameliays (/member/Ameliays)

Hi.. we already made it, but it didn't work at all....we really

disapointed.. is there any suggestion...? Here is my email:
amelia.yoshepine@gmail.com

2 months ago

Reply

(https://cdn.instructables.com/FEQ/RTQF/IU7NDR9B/FEQRTQFIU7NDR9B.LARGE.jpg)

akshayarsade (/member/akshayarsade)

2 months ago

Reply

2 months ago

Reply

Is it usefull for 4g network?

Elsicario (/member/Elsicario)

Dear Sir, I feel great to write you, I have figured out every thing but not Abel to find
connectors could you please let me know another way to get this thing working
without them?

YogeshJ14 (/member/YogeshJ14)

2 months ago

Reply

still no improvement in my mobile sir pls gudie me to improve the range of 3g

ShivamR21 (/member/ShivamR21)

2 months ago

Reply

2 months ago

Reply

Can i make the antenna in triangular shape instead of square

NikoE4 (/member/NikoE4)

what if i have outside antenna for broadband and the other side is the LauC2
Antenna, will it work ?

JudeAbankwa (/member/JudeAbankwa)

3 months ago

Reply

Hi Lau, I happen to have a Satellite dish connected with a coaxial cable but no
decoder how can I modify this to boost 3G signal in my room?

MasnsenY (/member/MasnsenY)

3 months ago

Reply

3 months ago

Reply

what kind of metal will be best? aluminum, copper or iron ?

diygenius1370k (/member/diygenius1370k)

can i just use solid copper wire is it better or iron is better?

X
8

Lau Han Ching (/member/Lau Han Ching) (author) . diygenius1370k

(/member/diygenius1370k)

3 months ago

Reply

3 months ago

Reply

use what you can found

Shirko (/member/Shirko)

Thank you
I want to know cable should be 30 meters absulotly?

X
8

Lau Han Ching (/member/Lau Han Ching) (author) . Shirko (/member/Shirko)

no.

3 months ago

Reply