The world is geting smaller.
Submitted: Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 13:31
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49743
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Steve from Top End Explorer Tours
I used my LG TU 500 with a 6db car aerial at Jim Jim
camp ground yesterday.
I was 61 km from Cooinda and 73km from
Jabiru.
I asked for the best aerial and the Telsta girl gave me one that was 6db, then after I installed it I found out that there are 2 bigger aerials a 7.5 and a 11db, so I'm going to get the 11 db and should get even better reception.
I'm happy with the one I have, so I will put that on another car and the bigger one on the one we take on holidays.
Cheers Steve.
Reply By: Muddy doe (SA) - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 13:48
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 13:48
Be interested to see what improvement you get Steve,
We have the TU550 on NextG and I just scored a full kit for it on Grays Online auctions for $101 delivered. Having that installed next week and the installer has recommended an 800mm 7db whip antenna for it. The antenna is removable so we can just have it on when travelling.
DougT keeps banging on about not needing any sort of external augmentation to improve coverage. Most
places we go within
miles of any sort of populated place it is not a problem. We are not expecting it to double or triple the range or anything like that but when
camping on those fringe areas or down in a hollow it would be good to see what difference can be made to reception.
How big is the 11db antenna? Is it a broomstick type?
Cheers
Muddy
AnswerID:
262462
Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:00
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:00
The 7.5 db aerial is about 150mm longer than the 6db, I'm not sure about the 11 as I haven't seen one.
I used to get about 15 to 20 km from
Jabiru with out it, I now have from
Darwin to the
Bark Hut Inn, then regained service about 10km
Darwin side of the
South Alligator River.
So that equates to about 90km of no service from
Darwin to
Jabiru, In the past it was about 150 km of no service.
Cheers Steve.
FollowupID:
523935
Reply By: Member - John (Vic) - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:03
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:03
How can that be true???
So many on here tell us that Next G is crap and does not work at anywhere near those distances :-)
AnswerID:
262465
Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:08
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:08
I'm actually on the 3g set up.
I lost reception on about 5% of the road on the way in, But once on the
Jump up I had reception again.
The
camp ground manager has one and so do Parks, they put me onto it.
Cheers Steve.
FollowupID:
523936
Follow Up By: Muddy doe (SA) - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:20
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:20
Steve,
When you say 3G, what network is that? Telstra NextG or something else? The TU 500 is a NextG phone if from Telstra.
Muddy
FollowupID:
523940
Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:26
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:26
As I understand there was 3G and now it's Next G, Next G is like a Broadband version of 3G or so I am told.
Cheers Steve.
FollowupID:
523942
Follow Up By: Muddy doe (SA) - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:31
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:31
Telstra sold GSM phones that offered "3G"
services but on the 2G network and called it 2.5G. Very confusing.
Telstra NextG is a true 3G network with broadband (for a mobile network) speeds compared to the 2G/2.5G
services.
If you have a LG TU500 on a post-paid plan with Telstra then it is a fair bet you are on NextG. You would have got this phone since about Oct last year which was when NextG launched.
Muddy
FollowupID:
523947
Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:37
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:37
Not being tech minded, I up graded 2 work phones to these LG units on a 24 month plan, this was in May this year, the only reason I say 3G is, that is what is on the display.
Cheers Steve.
FollowupID:
523949
Follow Up By: George_M - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:40
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:40
"3G" and "NextG" are separate networks. 3G operates on 2100mhz, and is restricted to (some?) capital cities. NextG operates on 850mhz, and is Telstra's replacement for the CDMA network. I doubt that there is a 3G network in
Darwin, or if there is then coverage will be limited to the city and the inner suburbs.
To really complicate matters some NextG 'phones also support the GSM and 3G frequencies.
George
FollowupID:
523950
Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:48
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:48
The screen shows 3G then the signal bars, My phone works in
Darwin,
Jabiru, and cooinda.
Now Cooinda has CDMA and my new phone and CDMA phone work there and the new phone has much better reception, my old phone didn't work at Cooinda.
Cheers Steve.
FollowupID:
523951
Follow Up By: Muddy doe (SA) - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:48
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:48
True George however NextG is just a 3G network as
well.
On the screen of the handset of a NextG phone you should see an icon for "3G" as stated by Steve. This indicates NextG coverage. If it says "2G" then the phone has roamed onto GSM (which most NextG handsets are capable of doing).
2100Mhz 3G is mainly the domain of Optus, Vodaphone and 3. Optus is talking about an 850Mhz network but I am unsure of where this is up to.
No wonder the average punter is confused!
Cheers
Muddy
FollowupID:
523952
Follow Up By: Member - Mike DID - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 16:50
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 16:50
The 2100Mhz 3G
services from Optus, Vodaphone, 3 and Telstra are now only available in capital cities and will never be extended further.
These were the first networks to offer video several years ago.
FollowupID:
523982
Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 17:01
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 17:01
The phone was bought from Telstra?
The phone is on a Telstra account?
That model phone is only sold for Next G use?
The phone is a Next G phone.
The only service in that area is Next G.
If it looks like duck and walks like a duck.................
FollowupID:
523987
Reply By: Member - Boo Boo (NT) - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:12
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:12
Steve
G'day, yep I can back up what you say. Our range is better with 3g from
jabiru to
darwin. It also works out at the
mine.
Regards Bob
AnswerID:
262468
Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:22
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:22
In 1976 we would go to Yellow Water and go fishing, we would
camp on the side of
the billabong, there was a pub and a petrol bowser at Cooinda and a
camp ground with no
toilets, and mobile phones weren't even thought of.
Now I can sit in a boat on Yellow Water fishing and take bookings for our tour , Gee life is tough.
Cheers Steve.
PS pop around for a beer.
FollowupID:
523941
Reply By: Member - Boo Boo (NT) - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:28
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:28
About 5 ok for an hour or so?
Bob
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:30
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 14:30
Yep the beer is cold
FollowupID:
523944
Reply By: Member - Phillip S (WA) - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 15:01
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 15:01
Absolutely loved Cooinda....was there this year...saw yellow river and "pluto" ....don't think I would
camp on
the billabong...cdma worked for me through gcr, alice, up n.t.,
kakadu and back into W.A.
AnswerID:
262478
Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 15:08
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 15:08
Pluto was only a pup back then, pun intended, he was only about 2.5 mts then now he is over 5.
He got his name pluto pup, after someone from NSW through a tennis ball in
the billabong for their dog to retrieve,
well gues what?
The dog got the ball and the croc got the dog, that was about 10 years ago.
Cheers Steve.
FollowupID:
523960
Reply By:- Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 16:03
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 16:03
G'Day Steve,
Is the phone connected to the antenna with a patch lead, or do you have it in a full car kit with cradle?
Regards
Rolande
AnswerID:
262484
Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 16:44
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 16:44
Just a patch lead.
Steve.
FollowupID:
523978
Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 16:54
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 16:54
"after I installed it I found out that there are 2 bigger aerials a 7.5 and a 11db, so I'm going to get the 11 db and should get even better reception."
Higher-gain aerials don't increase power - they just focus it the available power more directly towards the horizon - which is great if your car is level and the ground is flat.
In a deep valley a high antenna will give you poorer signal because it focusses all the energy at the base of the
cliff. A lower gain aerial aims some signal at the top of the
cliff.
AnswerID:
262490
Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Monday, Sep 17, 2007 at 10:42
Monday, Sep 17, 2007 at 10:42
Beat me to it Mike , wouldn't use any more than 3db around hills in vic.
11 db requires Antenna be kept quite vertical and not bend in wind , really meant for a
home install
Robin Miller
FollowupID:
524109
Reply By: Member - Lionel A (WA) - Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 17:33
Sunday, Sep 16, 2007 at 17:33
Mike & Doug,
Im still waiting...............................................hehehe......
Lionel.
AnswerID:
262506