Cell Phone Signal Boosters |
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587 |
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Topic: Cell Phone Signal Boosters Posted: 24 Jul 2020 at 9:42am |
Has anyone had any experience using a cell phone signal booster? I am looking at the weBoost Drive 4G-X RV, but it is pretty expensive for something that may or may not work. We often camp in areas where there is often only 1 "bar" for LTE on Verizon. We need to be able to connect our computer via the phone to receive an online course my wife is taking and need adequate data transfer for streaming.
If not weBoost, any other recommendations?
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2630 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jul 2020 at 9:47am |
Wilson is the standard, but YMMV whether they will help you or not. My experience out here has been extremely mixed. It helps if you know where the nearest tower is, and can use a directional antenna to pick that up. The other issue is getting enough separation from the external and internal antennas.
I was involved in a project where we installed a very high end repeater for a retreat center near here. I did not pick the system or install it. According to the tech installing it, it cost somewhere north of $15,000, and it didn't work for squat.
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jul 2020 at 7:08pm |
LA, I have a weboost slim and a Wilson directional cellular antenna. If I actually have one bar, my experience is that my system will bring it in. If there is no signal then forget it. You will also need 50 ft of low impedance coax (I also got that from Wilson) and an adapter connector for the weboost which they can supply. I mounted my antenna on a 3 piece 21 ft extension pole for window cleaning I got on Amazon and clamp it to the flange of my slide. I rotate it slowly while my wife watches the signal strength. Takes a couple of minutes, if you know where the tower is its faster.
I leave the little antenna that comes with the weboost on the TV and use the booster in the car when not towing, I think the slim has been replaced by the drive sleek. Should work the same, but probably uses a different connector to the coax. Whole thing is going to be about $300-350. You don't need the fancy RV version, just put a phone in the weboost cradle and use it as a wifi hotspot for any other devices you have. You can make wifi calls from a second phone so no need to swap them.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jul 2020 at 7:16pm |
What? You mean the $7.99 phone boosting sticker with the zig-zag foil pattern wont work?
I'm....I'm...I'm amazed! |
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jul 2020 at 7:30pm |
Yah, I tried that first and nada. Tossed it in the box with my magnetic fuel savers....
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jul 2020 at 7:55pm |
Copper bracelets work! I know cuz I saw them on a late night infomercial...
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Jul 2020 at 8:20am |
Sounds like this stuff is still in the realm of sacrificing chickens to fix my computer.
For the sake of simplicity, I was going to mount the omni-directional antenna on the upper side of the trailer above the roof line. I spoke to a someone at Wilson and they said that there must be a minimum of 2' separation between each of the 3 major components [exterior antenna, amplifier, and interior antenna]. The price difference between the RV version and putting one together from different components is about $100, making the simplicity of the kit more attractive. But I'm concerned that the antenna will not be high enough and I really don't want to mess with antenna poles or a permanent mounting that makes clearance an issue for the trailer. I think it's back to the drawing board time.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Jul 2020 at 9:10am |
Yah, there is a big difference between the little omni antenna and the directional one, usually 2-3 bars. Mounting the directional one is not hard, the pole just slides together and I lay it inside the trailer with the antenna attached. If you have a ladder on your new trailer you can clamp it to that. The cable stays in the outside storage compartment, one end coming up into the interior where the weboost is and the other coiled up ready to pull out and attach to the antenna. Setup is not very difficult really.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Jul 2020 at 9:21am |
OG, thanks for the suggestions. You describe the omn-direction antenna as "little." The one with the kit I was looking at is about 12" high. Is that the little antenna to which you were referring? I was hoping to make the mounting permanent so I wouldn't have to mess with setting it up for each trip. It would not be hard to mount the antenna on the ladder. I just don't want a bunch of loose or wall mounted cables all over the inside of the trailer, like the cable guy who slaps coax all over the side of your house.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2630 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 25 Jul 2020 at 10:00am |
I think you would be better off not using an omni on the roof. The difference is a usable signal having to aim it, and a non-usable signal that you don't have to set up.
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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