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[cem_devecioglu]

Smartphones are low on the list of possibles... As said, I already have an iPhone for my email/web/smartphone needs, this handset is a backup and signal strength and reliability are the top concern

Plus, I had a Samsung handset once, for 15 hours, and sent it back because the user interface was incredibly poor I don't need to be asked 4 times if I really want to send a text FFS Anyway... That kind of put me off them

if signal strength is important for you,  very old motorolas that have a long antenna outside are perfect for the job..
 
they can catch signal even in mountains.. but not sure you can carry it

I used to use one of the old "house bricks" in the past... Signal was awesome but no Bluetooth Also needs to be a little practical

they were/are a life saver , I see them can talk where other phones has lost the signals hours ago
 
really recommended when you decide to go places far from civilization..

[ninjapirate]

Smartphones are low on the list of possibles... As said, I already have an iPhone for my email/web/smartphone needs, this handset is a backup and signal strength and reliability are the top concern

Plus, I had a Samsung handset once, for 15 hours, and sent it back because the user interface was incredibly poor I don't need to be asked 4 times if I really want to send a text FFS Anyway... That kind of put me off them

if signal strength is important for you,  very old motorolas that have a long antenna outside are perfect for the job..
 
they can catch signal even in mountains.. but not sure you can carry it

I used to use one of the old "house bricks" in the past... Signal was awesome but no Bluetooth Also needs to be a little practical

they were/are a life saver , I see them can talk where other phones has lost the signals hours ago
 
really recommended when you decide to go places far from civilization..

are they the ones with the huge brick sized power pack? i think my mum had one in the early 90s lol said it was for security, she could knock someone out with it haha

[Lazydocker]

Knock the house bricks all you like, they are fantastic handsets for signal strength

[ninjapirate]

Knock the house bricks all you like, they are fantastic handsets for signal strength

erm im talking about one of these   http://www.retrobrick.com/4500x.html

do they even still work?

[TheBoy]

Knock the house bricks all you like, they are fantastic handsets for signal strength

erm im talking about one of these   http://www.retrobrick.com/4500x.html

do they even still work?

No TACS phone will work in the UK now, TACS/ETACS was all shut down years ago...

[Lazydocker]

Knock the house bricks all you like, they are fantastic handsets for signal strength

erm im talking about one of these   http://www.retrobrick.com/4500x.html

do they even still work?

Not that one but a few years back my brother in law had the next generation on from them (still big, but flatter) which would take a credit card sized sim and work

[TheBoy]

Knock the house bricks all you like, they are fantastic handsets for signal strength

erm im talking about one of these   http://www.retrobrick.com/4500x.html

do they even still work?

Not that one but a few years back my brother in law had the next generation on from them (still big, but flatter) which would take a credit card sized sim and work

I had a load of 1st generation GSM phones, from Ericsson and Motorola (who used full sized SIMs). Then the Nokia 2110 "Brain Burner" came along and blew all the competitors out of the water.

[ninjapirate]

Im sure i had a nokia with the credit card sized sim! might of also been a motorola not totaly sure.

one nokia i had that was pretty tough ment to be splash and drop proof, cant remember the bloody number tho!

[cem_devecioglu]

Knock the house bricks all you like, they are fantastic handsets for signal strength

erm im talking about one of these   http://www.retrobrick.com/4500x.html

do they even still work?

nope not this one, couldnt find a picture on web yet

[henryd]

Knock the house bricks all you like, they are fantastic handsets for signal strength

erm im talking about one of these   http://www.retrobrick.com/4500x.html

do they even still work?

Ah,memories of my first phone,worked well too when it wasn't flying from the seat into the footwell

[VXL V6]

Odd question but... Does it need to be a mobile or can it be a carphone?

Reason I ask is that, at best, a handset is going to be a Class IV device which IIRC will only ever have a maximum Tx power of 2 Watts. The point is that a GSM (well any cellular phone) device needs to reach a minimum of three cells, be that base stations, micro sites or whatever, it must reach 3 in order for the network to triangulate the position and make mathematical calculations as you move towards / away from cells, when you are out in the sticks a 2W transmitter is challenged and this isn't helped by the lesser number of cells in lesser populated areas. When (if) the triangulation of cells is calculated the minimum power negotiation from the cells (which based on a Class IV device the return can only reach a maximum of 2W!)

The easiest solution to this is a more powerful handset and that would take the form of a Class II device 8 Watt, namely a carphone, these devices will make it possible to reach the minimum number of cells where a less powerfull device can't, the cells can then negotiate the return at up to 8W.

There are other factors to consider such as dual / triple band infilling to get over coverage issues, this is something that a single band carphone cannot handle.

Sorry for the technical description!

[Lazydocker]

Technical description fine, but...

Needs to be a mobile so it can be taken out of the van into home, particularly when I have someone else working for me too

Good thought though

[VXL V6]

Best bet, as others have said, is a Nokia 6310i, For in car use I would forget the bluetooth kit and fit a Nokia Cark-91 car kit with a proper 1/4 Wave colinear aerial. The 6310i has a proper connection on the back (if you take the rubber bung out!) that when docked in a Cark-91 allows the fully wired antenna to be connected.

[Lazydocker]

Best bet, as others have said, is a Nokia 6310i, For in car use I would forget the bluetooth kit and fit a Nokia Cark-91 car kit with a proper 1/4 Wave colinear aerial. The 6310i has a proper connection on the back (if you take the rubber bung out!) that when docked in a Cark-91 allows the fully wired antenna to be connected.

Is the antenna actually powered? Only ask because the van already has built in BT, plus a Parrot BT kit fitted too so I may be tempted to chuck the correct cradle in (for the antenna) and charging if it's worth the effort Not too worried though as it will be predominantly a back up handset for when my iPhone is out of signal

[Kevin Wood]

Odd question but... Does it need to be a mobile or can it be a carphone?

Reason I ask is that, at best, a handset is going to be a Class IV device which IIRC will only ever have a maximum Tx power of 2 Watts. The point is that a GSM (well any cellular phone) device needs to reach a minimum of three cells, be that base stations, micro sites or whatever, it must reach 3 in order for the network to triangulate the position and make mathematical calculations as you move towards / away from cells, when you are out in the sticks a 2W transmitter is challenged and this isn't helped by the lesser number of cells in lesser populated areas. When (if) the triangulation of cells is calculated the minimum power negotiation from the cells (which based on a Class IV device the return can only reach a maximum of 2W!)

The easiest solution to this is a more powerful handset and that would take the form of a Class II device 8 Watt, namely a carphone, these devices will make it possible to reach the minimum number of cells where a less powerfull device can't, the cells can then negotiate the return at up to 8W.

There are other factors to consider such as dual / triple band infilling to get over coverage issues, this is something that a single band carphone cannot handle.

Sorry for the technical description!

I think that, because the vast majority of phones are class 4 these days, the networks are planned to support them. In any case, cell reselection is based more on the mobile being able to report the strength and relative timing of surrounding cells so the TX power class isn't as much of an issue. One decent cell in range is fine. I would rate dual band functionality (and the likelihood that the phone is newer and likely has a better receiver / equaliser) ahead of a higher power class, TBH.

I would second the Nokia 6300 recommendation. I've had one for years and I wouldn't want to change it for any other current phone.