Bushwalk Australia

I'm keen to boost mobile reception while hiking and I was wondering if anyone had any experience in doing so.

There are plug-in antennas (through the headphone jack) on Ebay that look promising to my non-technical mind.

(copy-paste: "3.5mm Black Jack Plug Mobile Cells Phones Signal Booster Enhancement Antenna")

But:

. There is no technical claims made
. Photos don't even show it plugged in
. never seen these in use
. And at $10.05, it's cheap and likely too good to be true.

Grateful thoughts and experiences.

cheers

LBC

Read these first before buying anything:
https://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/mobile-phone-repeaters-information-for-consumers#difference
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2011L00866

Lord Backcountry wrote:I'm keen to boost mobile reception while hiking and I was wondering if anyone had any experience in doing so.

There are plug-in antennas (through the headphone jack) on Ebay that look promising to my non-technical mind.

Errr ... I'd not go that way.
The problem with these devices is that people use them in close proximity to a base station ... and that overloads it and it then drops services.... hence the problem.

Some phones have a connection for 'testing' that can be used to provide an external antenna ... the external antenna can then be a directional antenna (like your TV antenna .. but smaller for the different frequencies). You do have to point it at the best signal (as seen by the phone bars, if you have more than 3 then you probably don't want to use the external antenna)
E.g https://au.element14.com/rf-solutions/a ... a%2Fsearch
The advantage?;
completely passive - not using extra battery power.
You have to go to some trouble to use it .. so won't have it connected when you can do with the normal phone.

Disadvantages ... takes room and weight.

Personally? I'm not going to go with it. If you really need connectivity .. go with a sat phone. If you only need SMS then an inreach. These will work where a cell phone with boosters/external antenna will not work.