judice@sulaco.enet.dec.com (Peripheral Visionary 19-Dec-1990 1050) (12/20/90)
Clever antenna designs produce radiation characteristics better than a vertical piece of wire cut to the proper length. This is essentially what the dB figures indicate - 3dB gain would be an antenna with a radiation pattern three times more powerful than "unity gain". However, there are tradeoffs, and 5dB gain antennas have a radiation pattern that's wider and closer to the ground - perfect for a desert, but not so good for hilly or mountainous areas. Since the base note was written from here in hilly New Jersey, I would suggest sticking with 3dB gain antennas, mounted as high as possible on the car. I'd point out that my experience with through-the-glass window mounts is as good as body/trunk mounted (drilled hole). The best antenna/installation would be a permanent mount in the center of yonur car's roof (see any NJ State Police car - their radio system is in a band near cellular). But then who wants to drill a hole in their roof? ljj [Moderator's Note: My thanks for the several good messages on antennas which have appeared recently. I think it is important to remind our less techically sophisticated readers who are considering their first cellular phone purchase for use in a metro area that any of the several antennas available commercially should work okay. Don't get too bogged down with antenna and coax considerations. PAT]