What are some of the things you have figured out?

If you plug your car charger into your cell phone, but not your car it works like an antenna.

I keep an old battery cable and speaker wire in my truck, the battery cable can arc a starter with a bad solenoid and the speaker wire is just plain handy, it works as a tie down even!

I can modify a pen into at least 6 different things. Can you guess what?

The best security system for my truck is to remove the center wire from my distributer (only for long absences)

sport tape is better than any medical tape.

what say you?

Neat! Thanks for the tip.

Thanks Mac.

You'd be better off popping the cap and removing the rotor. A pro would see why it won't start and just use a spark plug wire to replace it. So it runs on 7 cylinders instead of 8, still beats walking. PM me if you want to know why I say remove the rotor, it's easy to start a points ignition system without using a key or causing any damage. I won't post that info openly on the internet.

That one is not a universal thing. It generally only works if your phone is designed to work with an external antenna to begin with and the routing for the external antenna is through the same connector that you use for power. Depending on the type of power cord used (straight or coiled, paired or coax...), the cords impedance level, how it is terminated and where it plugs into the phone relative to the actual antenna you may or more likely may not see any change in performance. In an emergency it might be worth a shot but it is not something I would depend on.

-Eric

Is there an easy way to tell if this one's phone is designed this way?

-Blast

My phone 3 years ago had an antenna that plugged into the bottom where the power cord also plugged in. I bought a double sort of plug so I could do both functions in the vehicle.

My new Sanyo phone has a short pull-up antenna but to insert the external antenna you need to unscrew the short antenna and screw in an adapter into that port. Not a quick connection and I only do it when I am in poor reception areas.

I do keep track of the sites in remote areas that for some strange reason have good reception. Often I may drive 20 kms to get to the spot we call "Telephone Rock" only to find other people there doing the same thing.

Mike

That is one of the reasons I am coming to visit your neck of the woods. If you happen to notice the bad spots, make a note (GPS?), and maybe I can help.

Don't go out of the way to do it though, I might be unable to change anything..

when i learned about the possible boost of the charger i tried it out. it worked for me, i gained a bar. did not know that it would not work for everyone. i know that some cell phone antennas are just for show, they are not connected to anything, but i was told (wrongly) that the coil of copper would act as an antenna, much the same as copper wire can be used as an fm antenna.

Jim

I don't have any Macguyver-isms to do with hiking, but I do know a lot about field-expedient vehicle repairs, since I own a Jeep and offroad it a lot.

Lost brake fluid reservoir cap? Ziplock bag and electrical tape will allow it to keep pressure.

Starter problems? Jump across terminals on starter with a screwdriver or pair of pliers.

Broken brake line on one corner? Roll the line on itself a few times and pinch it off with vice grips to keep all the brake fluid from leaking out.

Tire came off the bead? Spray carb cleaner inside tire and light with a match (EXERCISE CAUTION IF DOING THIS) then re-inflate tire.

Wheel broken off at the studs? Build a skid out of a log and some rope or ratchet straps.

Snapped axle shaft allowing axle to fall out? Ratchet-strap a tree to frame and back bumper to keep it in, de-bark tree and smear grease or oil on it where it will be rubbing against the tire to cut down on friction.

Need an improvised bucket? Open ammo can. Improvised jackstand? Closed ammo can. (those son-of-a-guns are TOUGH)

Need to get a tire OFF the bead to repair it? Place tire underneath vehicle, place your jack on the tire right next to the bead, and jack up to the frame or bumper. This will push down on the tire and break it off the bead.

Bent tierod? Pull it off, bend it back as straight as you can get it by whacking it on a tree or big rock, and sleeve it with a jack handle or length of pipe, then re-install it.

I'd have to think a little, but I've got more. I've had to do a lot of crazy stuff to limp broken vehicles out of the woods. I carry more tools than a Snap-On truck, and a bag full of ratchet straps and bungees, zipties, duct tape, electrical tape, you name it.