Australia is indeed a vast, brown land, expansive in area, type of terrain, and population spread. Unfortunately, that makes telecommunication’s availability to everyone incredibly difficult.
We’ve all had the frustrating experience of mobile phone calls dropping out, poor reception that doesn’t allow a complete sentence to get through, data dropouts or simply no coverage even to initiate a call.
There’s no doubt that Telstra is the preferred carrier for suburban networks, as well as rural and fringe areas where mobile phone reception could be better.
Telstra takes rural reception seriously and has introduced the Telstra GO Repeater system to help ensure rural residents, fringe dwellers (like me), and travellers alike can utilise the carrier to its fullest potential.
The T-Go, in their words, is “a network coverage extension device that maximises your mobile signal in areas of low coverage. Telstra GO Repeaters receive a signal from a nearby Telstra mobile base station before amplifying and distributing this improved mobile signal to the desired area via an antenna.”
It is essentially a personal repeater station or booster system that works like a UHF radio repeater, except installed in your vehicle. They also have stationary systems more suited for buildings, but the mobile system got me intrigued for use in the Aussie HiLander project.
Given that our 4WD converted HiAce will be travelling the countryside, having a boosted mobile phone coverage is ideal for helping to keep us in contact with friends, family, and work colleagues. It could also prove invaluable in an emergency situation.
Once we have our T-Go system installed (which is happening as this issue goes to bed), the obvious thing to do will be to test it in local fringe areas that I know lack decent coverage – the joys of living in a rural setting! Later, we’ll give it a thorough workout when the Aussie HiLander is ready to hit the backroads.
Forget the number of bars on your phone; they mean little these days. Instead, it’s the real-life “yeah, I can hear you mate” that I will be looking forward to. Yep, making calls from my known black spots will see me smiling from ear to ear.
TECHNOLOGY
When I was a kid, I remember the old pair of tin cans tied to a string trick. I tried to improve my chances of hearing my mate by attaching a tube in the centre of the string line. It didn’t work. I tried pulling the string tighter, which improved things a little; I even tried pulling the string up and down slopes, different diameter ropes and fishing line I nicked off my Dad’s hand line… the things my young mind came up with! All up, I was, unknowingly, trying to introduce a repeater or sound booster system.
Fast forward five decades and the technology used in Telstra’s T-Go repeater system is way more advanced than I could muster my mind to think about.
So, if you’re hankering for specs or more information, then you’d be better off searching on the Telstra.com.au site or going directly to https://www.telstra.com.au/coverage-networks/network-coverage-extension-devices
I’ll be looking forward to making calls in some places where I struggled before fitting the T-Go unit. So keep an eye out for the OTR Winter issue and I will be able to give you a full update on the newly fitted unit and its performance, I’m also hoping I can order pizza from my local mob far enough out of town to have it ready in half an hour when I get in. Now, that’ll be a winner right there!
Emergency Warning
Do not confuse the Telstra GO Repeater system with a dedicated emergency communication device. The T-Go improves mobile coverage by boosting its strength. However, it cannot create coverage where there is absolutely no coverage. A Satellite phone, HF radio or PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) remain the best bet for remote locations.