Cellphones have been around for quite some time now; you would think that, by now, the technology would have evolved to the point where our homes would no longer be subject to cruel, phantom areas of poor reception. But alas, dense concrete, wire-mesh stucco and some kinds of metallic siding can still render your home an annoyingly cell-free zone.
Here, How 2.0 solder-meister Mike Haney shows you a quick and cheap method of using your phone's hidden antenna-out and the garbage from your coffee and cookie consumption into a workable solution for improving your cell reception at home.
As always, our 5 Minute Projects are available in video podcast form—subscribe here. And check out the whole series at popsci.com/5minutes.
Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone with full articles, images and offline viewing
Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed
Share links with friends, comment on stories and more
Inside NASA's astronaut bootcamp and the grueling new training regimen for deep space. Plus, ten young geniuses shaking up science today, one writer's quest to analyze every man-made chemical in her body and more.
Check out the issue's full contents online here




