Important Information:

A patch lead is required to complete the antenna connection to the modem or mobile phone. There are two types of patch leads to suit modems and mobile phones depending upon the availability of an external antenna connector on the device.

For devices with an external antenna connector, the patch lead has an FME male connector at one end for connection to the antenna, and a device specific connector at the other end for the modem or phone. This is the preferred way to connect an antenna and will give the best result. Patch leads are selected based on the model number of the modem or phone.

For devices without an external antenna connector, such as many mobile phones (including the iPhone), the patch lead is similar except it has a pad, clip or cradle/holder for the device end instead of a connector. These work by proximity induction and require the pad or clip to be placed on the modem or mobile phone next to the internal antenna. The signal is transferred to the devices’ internal antenna by induction. This method of antenna connection has signal loss of 3dBi or more and therefore a minimum 7dBi antenna is recommended. For mobile phones, a cradle/holder is recommended as they generally have less signal loss and some models include phone chargers. When the phone is placed in the holder the antenna signal is transferred to the phones internal antenna by induction.