Not really sure where to ask for help on this...

[C0RR0SIVE]

Ok, this subject could be posted in one area, but my not be suitable for that area due to certain reasons...

We have a Straight Talk home phone system, it uses the Verizon cellphone network. For anyone NOT familiar with these units, they are essentially in the most basic terms, a cellphone that connects your house phone to a wireless carrier, you can use your home phone like normal, but it's a whole LOT cheaper.

Here is the issue... I live in an area where the only carrier is mostly AT&T... Verizon here has a few towers, but they are spread apart, and thin. I honestly think the one we are connecting to is in Lexington, as I am very close to LEX in a straight line compared to the town I do live in.

Now, we do get a low to medium signal according to the lights on the unit, but that signal sometimes drops out. I have determined we may not need a signal booster, but possibly a higher gain antenna that can be attached to the house outside, at the top.

Here is where I run into issues... I don't know the type of cable, nor the connections/adapters needed to get an antenna ran from the unit, to the outside of the house and on the roof... I will need a VERY high quality cable as this will be a ~30-50 foot cable run. I shouldn't need to use RG11, but RG6 should suffice.

So, does anyone have any good ideas on what parts I am needing such as the antenna, cable, and any adapters? From what I can tell, this phone base just uses a regular detachable antenna like a router would.

Any help would be appreciated, and if possible, anything from Amazon would be the best.

In all honesty, after looking, this looks to be suitable, but I am unsure http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electronics-Dual-Band-Connector/dp/B0018PS4O0/ref=pd_cp_cps_0

Only issue, the cable is rather flimsy looking, and rather short for my needs it seems.

 

[carnageX]

Back when I worked at an electronics shop, we'd sell Wilson antenna's all the time. They're geared more toward cars (due to the strong magnet in the base); but I guess it would work. Only issue I'd see is the (like you already saw) the cable isn't very thick. You could try adapting over to a thicker antenna cable, and then back down to the connector your need...but you may get some loss due to the adapters.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

See, that's the problem, I don't even know what adapters and such I would need. I have looked at Wilson kits, but they are all amped, and incredibly expensive... I really just need a slightly larger antenna that can mount on the roof, as we have a fireplace, and at the peak it has a solid metal cap over the entire chimney, so mounting isn't an issue.

 

[carnageX]

I used to adapt those things all the time to different cables for customers... but that was about 5 years or so ago, so I honestly can't remember. I didn't always know off hand, either...I ended up just grabbing several adapters off the shelf and trying one at a time until I got to the correct end. Don't suppose you have any places local that you could try out different adapters, do you?

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Sadly, no, Radioshack MAYBE, but they are a two hour drive, and I don't have a way to take the base with me to try out adapters to various different cable types.

 

[PP Mguire]

Is it standard wifi connector type like you would get on a router or wireless card? Also what frequency range does this service use?

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Frequency range, I have NO idea, I just know it's on the Verizon network. The connector looks like a standard one like a Wifi router or Wireless card would use, I will have to back to you on that as the phone is in use almost all day.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Ok, just figured out it is using a TNC connection. Base is TNC Female, antenna is TNC male.

Here comes the tricky part, while I can find a cheap outdoors antenna with a regular TNC Male connection, I can't find ANY coax cables with REGULAR TNC Male/Female ends... Everything is TNC Male to RP-TNC Female and so on... Not just regular TNC at both ends...

This is starting to become a headache. Anyone wanna help me find some regular old coax that has regular TNC connections on it? Starting to become a headache because the more I search, the less I find.

 

[carnageX]

Could always try making your own cable; i remember finding TNC ends a long while back when I was thinking about making a bi-quad antenna from an old satellite dish.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Thought about that, till I saw a crimp costing more than I can afford, also looked at adapters, but can't find RP-TNC to TNC adapters.