DIY 3G 4G antenna with a range of more than 30 km in 2022 year
Living far from the towers of mobile operators there are problems with coverage. The existing signal does not even allow you to make calls, not to mention the reception of 3G and 4G Internet. Such problems are easily solved by assembling a powerful antenna. This can be done with cheap materials. The antenna is able to pick up the signal even 30 km from the tower.
Antenna materials
For assembly you will need:
- solid threaded stud M6 or M8 140 mm long;
- nuts for the stud — 12 pcs.;
- thin tin from any metal;
- coaxial cable up to 12 m long — 2 pcs.;
- Pigtail connector with adapter — 2 pcs.;
- F connector for TV cable — 4 pcs.
Necessary Theory
Antenna parameters are different for 3G or 4G internet. The frequency range on which the desired operator works is important. To assemble the correct antenna, you need to know it. To do this, enter the network settings of your phone and search for network operators. In the issued list with many 2G positions, you need to look for only 3G and 4G. Knowing which operator provides the desired coverage in a given area, you can buy a suitable SIM card.
When assembling the antenna, it is important to observe all dimensions down to the millimeter. For each type of network they are different. Typically, a 4G network operates at a frequency of 2600 MHz, in 3G — 2100 MHz. Sometimes 4G and 3G have a frequency of 1800 or 850 MHz. If, when searching for a network, it was not possible to find an operator for 3G and there is no information about its frequency, then it is better to make an antenna for 2100 MHz parameters, so there is a higher chance of picking up a signal.
Antenna assembly process
I will assemble a 3G 2100 MHz antenna. The process of manufacturing devices of different parameters is similar, but differs in the diameter of the segments and the distance between them. First you need to cut 6 discs from the tin. I use thin sheet copper as it cuts easily with utility scissors. The diameters of the antenna segments according to the diagram should be 100, 74, 54, 39, 39, and 39 mm.
Since it is important to keep the dimensions to the millimeter, it is better to first drill a hole for the diameter of the existing stud, and then use a compass to build a plane for cutting the disk.
On a disk with a diameter of 74 mm, you need to prepare a hole for soldering the wire core. It is drilled at a distance of 11 mm from the edge. This antenna, when working with a 3G band, requires the connection of 2 coaxial TV wires. The length of each of them should not exceed more than 12 m. The second hole must also be drilled at a distance of 11 mm from the edge, but at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the first.
Now, having attached a 74 mm disk to a large 100 mm segment, you need to make markings for large holes for entering a coaxial television cable along with a braid.
From a pair of ordinary television F connectors, you need to break off the protruding part, as I did, and press them into the existing holes on the 100 mm disk. For reliability, it is better to compress the connectors a little.
Now you need to fix the disks on the stud in the specified order and in compliance with the distance suggested by the scheme. The distance between the segments at 100 and 74 mm is 10 mm, in the next transition between the discs the distance will be 9, 33, 33 and 33 mm, respectively. Each element is fixed with two nuts, one from each side.
When assembling, you need to double-check the distance between the disks, since the deviation will lead to a decrease in the quality of signal reception.
Next, you need to connect the coaxial cables to the large drive. This must be done so that the central copper strand of each wire enters a thin hole on the adjacent segment with a diameter of 74 mm. After installation, the wire must be soldered, in no case bent.
To the protruding tail of the stud on the back of the antenna, you need to attach a wooden, plastic or metal bar that acts as a holder. For reliability, coaxial cables can be tied to it so as not to create a load on the thin tin disk to which they are soldered.
Now you need to attach the Pigtail connectors with adapters to the free ends of the coaxial cable. It is they who are connected to the 3G 4G modem. All the antenna is ready, it remains to install it.
If there is no nest.
Setting
To achieve maximum reception quality, you need to move the antenna outside the room. It should be placed a little higher than the roofs of nearby buildings to minimize possible interference and prevent noise. You need to point the antenna directly at the nearest tower that broadcasts the Internet signal. To find out where it is located, you can use the Netmonitor application. Such a simple antenna is capable of picking up a signal from towers located at a distance of even more than 30 km.
