There is an area I go to quite often that is a blackspot re Orange service....if I get an extension ariel kit for my phone for this help? Are such devices available as my phone can't pick up anything from its built in ariel......I imagine mobile phones are like TV sets with set up ariels that cant pick up freeview so you have to get a roof one or a stronger one with a boost amp?

There must be some sort of extension/add-on possible as a lot of phones have those sockets on the back (near where the internal aerial is - usually covered by a rubber peg) for attaching something.

I once saw an episode of Brainiac where they'd made their own heath-robinson antenna, which did improve reception, though not massively.



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How to make your own cheap as chips: http://stealthtactical.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-to-boost-your-cellphone-reception.html

There is an area I go to quite often that is a blackspot re Orange service....if I get an extension ariel kit for my phone for this help? Are such devices available as my phone can't pick up anything from its built in ariel......I imagine mobile phones are like TV sets with set up ariels that cant pick up freeview so you have to get a roof one or a stronger one with a boost amp?

We dont get a signal 90% of the time at home.
I tried a purpose built antenna and found it next to useless.
So what i do is,i have a car cradle that has an external antenna output on it and the lead that goes to the antenna,i cut off the plug,stuck on a tv antenna plug and stick it in a tv antenna socket and hey presto,full signal 100% of the time.The antenna is not used anymore anyway as we have sky.
The only downside is that your phone is tethered and has to sit in a cradle,but its much better than shouting "hello Hello" like an idiot every time your lucky enough for the phone to ring.
i use a 6230i