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CORDLESS MODIFICATIONS
Souce: Monitoring Times Sept. 1990
By: Bob Kay
Reprinted By: John (Topol) Johnson, KWV8BP
of The Hotline BBS 304-736-9169
If you own a Pro-2004 Scanner radio, you're probably an experienced radio surgeon. As you poked around the innards of the radio, you were gaining valuable experience. Sure, snipping a diode was easy, but it wasn't the only modification that required your attention. To add an additional 100 channels, you needed a steady hand, a keen eye and a thorough knowledge of soldering techniques.
Now that you have successfully completed your internship, why not use your newly developed talents to extend the operating range of your cordless phone?
The entire operation will take less than an hour, and it can be accomplished on your kitchen table.
We begin by taking apart the cordless handset. The screws that hold the two halves together are usually hidden beneath the front panel. On most handsets, a retaining screw is locatted under the plastic holder that displays your telephone number.
After the two sections have been separated, remove the factory antenna and replace it with a 72" telescoping whip antenna, Radio Shack part #270-1408. Reconnect the antenna wire, assemble the handset, and check you work by making a call to a friend.
The Base unit modification requires a little more expertise, but it is certainly within the skill level of most scanner buffs. After taking the base apart, remove the small antenna, and install a BNC chassis mount connector into the existing antenna hole. If the connector won't fit into this location, the hole can be enlarged, or you can drill a hole and install the connector at a more suitable location. Don't forget to solder the antenna wire to the center lug of the connector. Should the wire be too short, splice into and extend the length as needed. The trick here is to keep the wire as short as possible. When the "mods" are complete, reassemble the base and grab your ladder.
For my cordless base antenna, I chose "Cushcrafts" 10 meter, vertical ground plane. The height of the antenna's vertical element can be changed by adjusting a few screw clamps. I set the height at 10 feet and used 25 feet of RG-59 Coax. The Coax was temporarily routed through a window and connected to the cordless base by using a solderless male BNC, Radio Shack #278-104.
You can eliminate the cost and inconvenience of erecting a seperate antenna by simply hanging ten feet of wire along an outside wall of your home. Solder the RG-59 directly to the wire and weatherproof the connection.
The performance of my modified Cordless phone was oustanding. The improved antenna system increased the operating distance to approximately 3000 feet. It was now possible to answer my cordless phone from across the street! However there were some disadvantages. The increased transmitting range was also accompanied by an increase in the reception range. On many occasions, I could hear voices of other cordless phone users. And during several phone calls, I could actually talk to a third party! Readers that live in Rural areas may not have this problem. But if you live in the city or nearby suburbs, don't be surprised if you suddenly find yourself talking to a complete stranger.
Scanner Buffs that live nearby will also enjoy the increased range and clarity of your cordless signal. It's similar to a "catch 22" situation. If you increase the operating range, you also increase the possibility of being monitored..
This file was brought to you by, John Johnson, KWV8BP of The Hotline BBS,
give us a call, we have many files on Scanner & Radio related subjects..
THE HOTLINE BBS 304-736-9169
2 phone lines, HST-14.4 Modems
Notes from John:
I also did these Mod's way back when I first got a cordless phone many years
back I accomplished a few phone calls from my cordless at ranges of near a mile at times.. I wish to also note that this type of modifications can also
be done on Maxon type Communicators, this will dramatically extend your
ranges of Transmission and Reception, however it is against the FCC rules
to extend these types of transmissions.. Have fun and enjoy, any questions
can be left to me most anywhere..