OT: Does Ham antennas interfere with other signals?

[Cackalak Han]

Didn't know where to put this. Ok, let me lay out the scenario. I have great reception all around my neighborhood EXCEPT about a 500-1000ft radius around my house. Coverage map indicates great coverage around here (3G) and like I said, I get full 3G coverage just up the street. Phone company advised me that there was a tower out near by and it should be resolved soon. That was a year ago. Multiple calls to them and still nothing done about this. Even requested a tech to come out to at least take readings. They've denied all of my requests.

Anyway, my actual question is (sorry for the babbling), would an antenna like this interfere with my cell reception? It is about 40ft tall. I understand CB/HAM is on a different frequency, but just curious if there is a chance it would interfere. If not, I have no idea what could be affecting the reception.

 

[gary in ohio]

An antenna and tower is not going to stop your cell reception. While its unlikely, but possible the ham could be interfering with your cell. If that was a case then cell reception would not be bad all the time, just when he was operating.

 

[xtatik]

There's a higher likelihood something in your home is interfering with his receptiion. :coffeedrink:

 

[PhulesAU]

There's a higher likelihood something in your home is interfering with his receptiion. :coffeedrink:

5X better look around for some of those made in china appliances.

 

[Cackalak Han]

Hmm. Thanks for the inputs. I guess it's a mystery still to be solved. I seem to be in some sort of Bermuda Triangle for cell signals. All of my immediate neighbors have the same issue, regardless of carrier.

 

[crusader]

It may be on your cell provider's end. I had Sprint for a few years before their customer service (or lack thereof) put me over the edge. I used to have great reception at my house--5 bars in my basement! Then one day they changed something antenna-wise and I would only get reception if I went to the northwest corner of the sunroom and stuck my hand out this way and my leg out that way.

I changed providers (keeping our old cell phone #s) and have enjoyed strong reception ever since!

 

[DaveInDenver]

I changed providers (keeping our old cell phone #s) and have enjoyed strong reception ever since!

When you changed providers, did you by chance get a new phone, too? The weak end of reliability is generally the handset in this equation. But it's possible they reconfigured cells and you ended up in a dead spot.

 

[CJCA]

When you changed providers, did you by chance get a new phone, too? The weak end of reliability is generally the handset in this equation. But it's possible they reconfigured cells and you ended up in a dead spot.

+1

Might be as simple as dead spot in cell coverage. The previous home I owned sat down in a shallow gully at the end of a cul-de-sac. Cell reception was extremely poor – as in there were two small areas of the house and property where I could get a weak signal and if I stood in a certain spot and didn’t move much, I could make a call, but even then calls were dropped probably 40% of the time. Everywhere else on the one acre property cell signal strength was non-existent.

Now if you walked approximately 50 yards to the street in front of the house, I had excellent signal strength and reception. The area was semi-rural, hilly and I believe there was only one cell tower in the area. I spoke with my cell carrier at the time and was told they might add a tower in the area in the future that would correct the dead spot, but that didn’t happen before I moved to a different home.

I didn’t try it myself at the time, but perhaps one of Wilson’s antennas or amplifiers might correct the situation.