And let’s have no double-entendre wisecracks, puh-lease.
The liftie-up antenna thingie on my cell-phone came off, and I can’t put it back on. Now: the phone works perfectly well without it; I have no trouble reaching or hearing people. But my alarmist brother-in-law says, “it will give you brain cancer and eat your head if you use it without the antenna!”
I am not looking forward to waiting in line at the Verizon store for my whole lunch hour and spending $25 for a new antenna if I don’t need one. Any opinions?
What kind of phone? I have a couple dead cell phones. I let my son play with them. If one is the same, I’ll pry it from my son’s hands as hands as he sobs uncontrollably, then steal the antennae for you.
Years ago we looked inside my bosses cell phone. What we thought was the antenna, which would slide in and out, was a dummy. It had absolutely no electrical connection to anything. It was there to give you something to fiddle with. The actual antenna was a small fixed piece inside the phone.
If it works fine, I wouldn’t worry.
This comment from your BIL is the first I’ve heard expressing concern over operating a cell phone without an antenna. I have serious doubts that it poses any sort of health hazard. Anyone know for sure?
The price might not be that high, IIRC most are around $15 installed.
Also I have noticed when I hook up my cell phone to my computer, and use the software provided, it shows very accurate signal strength. raising the antenna makes a noticable difference which I estimate at 10-20%.
Another thing I read in a cell phone manual is don’t hold the antenna while using it as you will be blocking the signal and the phone will boost power to compensate (hence you will be getting more radiation absorbed into your body).
so it may work, but may be weaker and not work in some areas, also it may be boosting power to compensate, and at the very least depleating the batteries faster, at the very worst frying your brain.
Is it possible that it is a passive antenna, boosting the signal by collecting EM energy and channeling it to the internal one?
I can tell you for certain that the risk of brain cancer by operating a cell phone without the antenna is no greater than that from operating with the antenna attached. in fact, the radiation pattern may become even more isotropic, resulting in a lowered risk, though any risk, such as it is, is tiny at worst. To date, no studies have shown a strong link between extended cell phone use and incidence of brain cancers.
Don’t worry too much about it. The antenna on most phones these days are almost cosmetic.
The antenna isn’t attached to anything (and I’ve examined several dozen phones) but I figure the 10% boost is about right. It’s really not enough to worry about. Basically your phone’s range is about 3 kms (1.8 miles) and it’s down 10%. As long as you’re in a city with fair - good coverage, you’ll be fine.
Analog mode may be affected more though. But unless you’re in the country it shouldn’t affect you.
1.8 miles is the approx range (depending on buildings etc) of your cell phone to the nearest cell tower. Cell phones work by contacting the nearest cell node and placing your call. While you move around (in a car or whatever) the towers “hand off” your call to another tower as you approach it.
Your slightly reduced range of 1.62 miles means you might hit a pocket of no signal more often.
Don’t worry about it. Most large cities have good coverage (well, my company does anyways) you shouldn’t have any trouble.
