Although I am getting good service from my UMW190 without an external antenna, I am in a low signal area and would like to have rock solid coverage.
I have tried a 1900Mhz yagi, a blade antenna, an omni, and a grid antenna. I am not seeing any difference in signal strength at all regardless of whether or not an antenna is connected and which way it is pointed. I have also tried two different pigtails form two different sources, and even borrowed a second UMW190 and tried it, all with no success. I know exactly where the tower serving my house is located, but I did try each of the directional antennas in a full 360 degree circle, stopping every few degrees to see if the RSSI improved. I tried both polarities too, although I understand it should be vertical.
When I contacted Verizon customer support they had very little information about it. I contacted Pantech, and they told me that support for this device is now handled by UTstarcom. UTStarcom told me that support for this device is now handled by Personal Communication Devices. When I contacted them the response was (and I quote) "We don't have any information on any external antenna support of our devices".
So I throw myself on the mercy of the Gurus here in the forum.
Am I missing something obvious? Is there a command that "activates" the external antenna connector? Does the connector even have anything connected to it inside the modem?
Any guidance on this would be greatly appreciated!
-Rick
Usually the external antenna works best where service is obstructed by certain materials and the external antenna is placed in a different area . If the signal is steady for the external antenna and the UMW190 in the area where you are using the devices, that would be the general signal strength of that area.
The recommend accessory for your device can be found at the link below:
Copy and paste the link below into your browser's address bar.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/accessory?action=accessoryDetails&archetypeId=11424
Hi Noah- Thanks for the response.
I am about 2.5 miles from the tower serving my house, with a hill between me and the tower. My RSSI is running about -90, and I would be more comfortable if I could get in the -80 range.
The antenna you suggest is an omnidirectional magnet mount type which requires a ground plane for proper operation. If you think that will be my best shot, I'll get one and try it- but it seems to me that the 16DBi yagi I tried should have given a much stronger signal.
I already have the modem located in the best place in the house, so in my case the purpose of the antenna is not to put the antenna in a better place than the modem. The goal here is to get a higher gain antenna than the one in the modem.
Have you heard from anyone who has successfully used an external antenna on a UMW190? I am really beginning to wonder if the external antenna connector does anything.
Thanks!
-Rick
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