hl posted:

Hi,

Don't get too hung up on what the "bars" say. Just see if it works in spots where you know it was difficult with your other phone.
Having said that, I would prefer a phone that has a physical connection such as my old Nokia 6385. It works very well, almost continuous coverage from Dubbo to Broken Hill!!!!

Cheers

Member - Jeff M (WA) posted:

Yes I did research it before I bought it, like I do most things...

The phone does have a PROPER antenna connection, unfortunatally after realising this error, I enquired as to purchasing a cable that goes direct from the antenna into the phone's 1.5mm jack. 3 retail stores (including the telstra shop) claim that they no longer sell them as they were recalled for damaging the phones.

None of the other nokia phones currenty on the market even had a COUPLER ned alone a real connection!

The new kyocera didn't even have a car kit availble and I was not going for another motorola.

hl posted:

Hi again,

Please email me with the model number of your phone. Maybe I can help.
By the way, it is not unusual to pull the phone out the carkit and get a similar signal reading on the phone's own antenna. The loss in the cable and, if it is an on-glass antenna, the coupler loss, are significant. They can easily cancel the gain from the external antenna.

Cheers

my email: hhl@bigpond.net.au

Member - Jeff M (WA) posted:

Yeah no worries, it's a 6225 running the Advanced Car Kit CK-7W. I use a 6db Mobile 1 antenna.

Similar maybe, but 3 bars less!?!? It's not a glass mount and the cable is not that long, only just reaches to the nudge bar. 6db is a fair amount of gain, it should be doing better than that.

HK posted:

Hi I have the same set up and found out afterwards that there is no coupler for cdma .The coupler supplied is for gsm and some claim it works.I was also told that a coupler would be available the beginning of this year(i installed mine October last year)but it is still not available as far as I Know.Let me Know if you have any luck as I contacted Nokia themselves.I was a bit annoyed after getting the phone and kit and haveing it installed to be told that it is not the coorrect kit basically all you have is a hands free phone with no improved signal or improved power in the cradle.

Regards
HK

Member - Jeff M (WA) posted:

This is what the numb nuts are telling me now! (Nokia).

I tried my mates today and got 1 bar more with both the glass mount and nudge bar mounted 6db than without. That works out about right.

This his how I calculated it (very rough).

We'll go with 2db per bar as described in this post by someone with test equipment.

6db gain from antenna = 3 bars improvment.
Nokia claim RG58 loses 3db per 10ft (about the length of cable on most antennas)
6db - 3db = 3db or a little over 1 bar. (1bar = 2db)

Ergo you should get about 1 bar more with a working coupler and antenna. Which I did using my mates coupler on my handfree kit. With my coupler I LOOSE about 3 bars.

I'm not sure how the coupler works, but I would imagine that GSM and CDMA both require the same impeidance cable meaning (in my lamen understanding) that the coupler should work wheather it be CDMA or GSM...

Member - Jeff M (WA) posted:

Yeah the mongrals will not sell me the cable that plugs directly into the 6225 saying that it will void my warranty if I use one!? WTF is with that? What's the point in having the connector!? I think I might have to buy 2 tin cans and some tring and tell nokia where to shove it...

Member - Jeff M (WA) posted:

Well at least I'll be`able to use the antenna on 3g850. I's the only thing that works well...

Member - Captain (WA) posted:

Hi Jeff,

I agree with Grumpy here, something is wrong with your setup. I too have the 6225 and get an increase in bars when putting the phone in the cradle.

I used to have a Kyrocerra with a "proper" connection yet it worked no better than the Nokia with proximity connection. And when compared side by side to my mates old Nokia CDMA with socket connection, I had signal nearly 20 kms before he did when travelling east of Coolgardie.

I was skeptical of the proximity connection but I have found it to work well.

Cheers

Captain

V8Diesel posted:

Done a heap of big drives lately and my 6225 and car kit is working sort of OK. I use a RFI 1795 6.5db with it too.

Will be interested in the new 3G offers when they start.

Member - Jeff M (WA) posted:

Oh well guys I hope it doesn't start playing up, as you won't want to bother contacting Nokia. They are completley useless!

I emailed them asking about my Antenna coupler on my 6225 and the problems I was having with it and they emailed me back several hours later telling me that I don't need an external antenna because the phone's are just sooooo good and that I can buy an antenna coupler if I really want to....!!!???

What are they smoking?

1. I HAVE an antenna coupler, that's what I was emailing them about!!
2. What cardboard box does that customer support operator live in to think that in WA you woulnd't want an external antenna....

Bloody idiots. Man that kind of crap just pisses me off.

Member - Jeff M (WA) posted:

OMFG! This "nokiacareline" is a bloody joke. I have now been told that the product that I have complained about, which was then told to purchase to solve my problem (ummm, I already HAVE it otherwise I would not have been complaining aoub it) does not work with my phone! Apparently (according the the Nokia Service mob) the 6225 does not work with the coupler.

Strange thing is, I just went and tried an identical coupler from a mate on my car kit and it works great! Obviously my coupler is faulty. OMG, these guys are complete morons, they don't READ and they don't know THEIR products from a bar of soap.

I just returned their email and asked how they know that I don't need an external antenna, I said "I don't remeber you being with me out bush...".

Member - Jeff M (WA) posted:

Yes there is great coverage at black point. Installation is a non-issue as the coupler only has a coax connector that screws onto the coax connector of the antenna. Either the system is just crap or there is a fault in the coupler as I have tested it with two antennas.
I have a mate with a 6225 and the same coupler and handsfree as I have, I'm going to pull his coupler off and put it on mine tomorrow arvo and see if it makes a difference. If so, they can replace it under warranty for me. Despite the fact that nokia feels that we don't need external antennas..........