Lazy Daze Owners' Group

Wilson 460108 Cellular Amplifier (Signal Booster)

June 01, 2014, 07:24:40 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 146686

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After trying to register this amp with the carrier per new rules I gave up.
Installed it in place of the Sleek Amp and connected to my Exterior and Interior Antennas. What a difference! I am boondocking at Williams Hill BLM park in CA. Coverage is good on the mountain but normally nonexistent driving up hill.
 With the new amp I had coverage the whole way. The cradle amp worked for maybe 1/3 of the way. I'll be testing this in the Central Valley and OR. soon.
So far looks like a big hurdle is lifted for me.

Bob

Re: Wilson 460108 Cellular Amplifier (Signal Booster)

Reply #2 – July 09, 2014, 01:15:38 am

Yahoo Message Number: 147270

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HI David and Wendy,

The Wilson 460108 has been an excellent investment for me. I use it with a telescopic antenna designed and built by Larry Wade. Andy had the vision and forethought the design. Not sure who deserved the credit here but everything works great. I can now get coverage almost anywhere including the Mojave Desert.

If you camp in very remote areas and need the best available this for me amp this is worth it. For most people I would say the Sleek is fine at a much lower cost. BTW I have a sleek for sale at a cheap cost.

The antenna helped as much as the amp. But I'm not sure if Larry still builds them.

Bob

Re: Wilson 460108 Cellular Amplifier (Signal Booster)

Reply #4 – July 09, 2014, 07:28:59 am

Yahoo Message Number: 147272

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While not very scientific one real world test is this: Was camped out at Jawbone creek in CA which has no cellphone to speak of coverage (0 bars on AT&T and sometimes one bar if in the right place I could get a steady 2 to 3 bars on Verizon (Millenicom) and make calls on AT&T with one bar. It make the difference between coverage and no coverage. That might make it worth any amount of money in an emergency.

Not for everyone but for a desert rat like me but invaluable. BTW the Wilson Amp is built in a metal casing. Very high quality unit.

Bob

Re: Wilson 460108 Cellular Amplifier (Signal Booster)

Reply #6 – July 10, 2014, 04:27:31 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 147293

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Bob and Larry were discussing cell boosters and their effect, suggesting that a comparison would be useful.  I did so, and have posted the findings, which I will summarize here, in the Files under RVing Resources, as a PDF file named "Booster Test Data".
 First, a quick physics lesson - a cell phone tower radiates signals with a pattern that reduces the signal by the square of the distance.  If you are 3 miles from a tower and measure the signal, then repeat at 6 miles, the signal will be 1/4 as strong, and at 9 miles, 1/9 as strong.  At some point, that signal becomes too weak to use.  A booster increases signal strength, thus giving you a connection where you might not otherwise get one.  A booster is not a miracle worker.  It will not give you a signal if the area you are in is too remote, or is blocked by a building, or a hilltop, or some other feature.  If you DO get a signal, but it is to a tower with 1X or 3G capability, you are not going to get 4G, and if the tower has to "time share" its users, you can have slow performance even with a 4 bar 4G signal.
 OK, enough of that.  Here is how I tested.  My internet connection is by using a Millenicom (Verizon) Jetpack.  It communicates with the tower.  It then provides a WiFi connection between it and my computer.  When possible, I tested service using Speedtest.net, a service which measures and reports your upload and download speeds in Mbps, or megabytes per second. I tested a Sleek Cradle, an old Wilson Mobile 3G and a new Wilson Mobile 4G booster.  The 3G booster used a magnetic mount 12" whip antenna mounted just in front of my AC unit.  The Sleek Cradle and the Mobile 4G used a 4" mini-mag antenna mounted on top of my batwing antenna.  I compared my service at a number of places using that equipment.
 Note that the posted table has an error.  I entered 60 dB as the gain for the Wilson Mobile 4G booster.  That should have been 50 dB.

ALONGSiDE THE MCKENZIE RIVER The old Mobile 3G booster provided the best connection, though really poor.  While the Sleek allowed the Jetpack to "see" a 3G signal, it was too unsteady to connect to Speedtest and run the test.  The Mobile 4G gave me a 1X connection, ok for text emails, but I again could not open Speedtest and run it.  The Mobile 3G showed a steady 1X connection and data speeds of 0.14 download and 0.05 upload.  From talking with folks at Wilson, I learned that the 4" mini-mag antenna was optimized for a 4G signal.  The 12" whip would outperform it in a location where 4G was not available but 1X or 3G was available.  I was in a valley next to a small mountain, which blocked my signal, thus the better result with the Mobile 3G that with the Mobile 4G - a better match between antenna and signal.

ABOVE THE MCKENZIE This was not in the test data because I did not yet have the Mobile 4G, and I was not recording test data, but it is worth mentioning.  From the above spot alongside the McKenzie, I drove up a USFS road to a boondock site near the top of the mountain.  I had no signal there on my cell phone or on my Jetpack.  I switched on my Sleek Cradle, and I had about 3 bars of 4G, and very fast data transfer, with speeds in the teens.  Location, location, location... This spot was tapping the same tower as the prior location, just without the intervening mountain.

AT CAMP SHERMAN I had no signal with the plain Jetpack, with the Mobile 3G or with the Sleek Cradle.  I had a weak signal with the Mobile 4G, but not good enough to run Speedtest.

AT FISH LAKE CG, STEENS MOUNTAIN I was 15 miles from Frenchglen, OR, and was surrounded by hills.  I did three tests, one at 3:30 PM, one at 7:30 PM and one at 5:30 AM.  In all tests, I had no cellphone or Jetpack signal without using a booster.  In the afternoon, I did not test the Mobile 3G.  Using the Sleek Cradle, I saw 2 bars of 4G, and had speeds of 0.37 download and 0.02 upload.  Using the Mobile 4G, I saw 4 bars of 4G, and speeds were significantly faster, with 1.67 download and 0.05 upload.  In the evening, I tested the Mobile 3G and got 4 bars of 1X.  I did not bother with trying a Speedtest.  With the Sleek, I again had 2 bars of 4G but Speedtest would not run.  With the Mobile 4G, I had 3 to 4 bars of 4G and speeds were 1.23 download and 0.02 upload.  In the morning, I tested only the Mobile 4G, as I was already "sold" on it performing better than the others.  I had 4 bars of 4G, download speeds of 6.52 and upload speeds of 0.07.
 Based on my testing, I moved my 12" whip antenna location to a better spot, and I removed the Mobile 3G booster.  (It is available...)  I gave my Sleek Cradle to a friend.  I got a better 12" antenna.  I also have a directional antenna that I could connect and use if I will be somewhere with no signal and I plan to be there for a while.  For most situations, one of the omni-directional antennas will do an adequate job.  The directional antenna is aimed by moving it 10 degrees at a time, so aligning it would take up to 36 trials, turning, then checking signal strength each time.  That, to me, is a PITA unless I can get a signal no other way.
 As Andy said, for most people, the Sleek Cradle provides a significant boost and is an economical choice at a cost of about $100.  The Mobile 4G at $400 will provide service in some locations that the Sleek would not help.  Considering how fast signal strength drops off with distance, I suspect that the locations where a Mobile 4G connects but a Sleek Cradle would not will be relatively few.
 One final note - using a booster SLOWS my data transfer in locations where my Jetpack is able to connect on its own.  I use the booster only when I cannot otherwise connect.  I may see more bars with the booster, but running Speedtest shows the slowing effect.

Ken F in WY

Re: Wilson 460108 Cellular Amplifier (Signal Booster)

Reply #8 – July 13, 2014, 07:13:24 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 147331

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The blue boxes use an outside antenna to get the signal from the tower, amplify that signal, and re-radiate it by means of an interior antenna.  The result is a stronger signal inside the vehicle.  Poor antenna placement, either outside or inside, can result in crosstalk, preventing function.
 Devices such at a cell phone, a Jetpack or MiFi device then pick up the boosted signal from the internal antenna, thus the improved function.  The amps are "wireless" in that there is no wire that connects to the phone MiFi device.  The boosted signal could fry the electronics if one were to make such a connection.
 So - incoming signals go from the tower to your outside antenna to your booster to your internal antenna to your cell phone, smart phone or other cell-based internet device such as a Jetpack.  Outgoing signals start from your cell phone, Jetpack, MiFi device, etc., to the internal antenna, to the booster, to the outside antenna, to the tower.

Ken F in WY

Re: Wilson 460108 Cellular Amplifier (Signal Booster)

Reply #10 – July 13, 2014, 07:37:34 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 147333

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"I also have a directional antenna that I could connect and use if I will  be somewhere with no signal and I plan to be there for a while.  For  most situations, one of the omni-directional antennas will do an  adequate job."

Ken
 The antenna will make a bigger difference than any amplifier. I have several Wilson antennas and the directional yagi antenna, when aimed at the cell tower,  leaves the omni-directional antennas in the dust.
 I find many times, when in a moderate signal-strength area, that just turning the amplifier on, with the directional antenna in the down, stowed position, will boost the signal enough to get an extra bar or two, speeding up downloads.
I do not bother using the omni-dI also have a directional antenna that I could connect and use if I will  be somewhere with no signal and I plan to be there for a while.  For  most situations, one of the omni-directional antennas will do an  adequate job. omni-directional antenna anymore, leaving it up on the roof as a backup.

Larry

Re: Wilson 460108 Cellular Amplifier (Signal Booster)

Reply #12 – July 14, 2014, 10:49:32 am

Yahoo Message Number: 147349

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My Wilson 460108 uses a small interior antenna to communicate with your WIFI device like laptop, IPAD, IPHONE, etc. Unlike the Sleek amp there is no cradle. There is also a connection on the Amp to attach to outside antenna cable. An outside telescopic directional antenna is superior to the static outside antennas sold by Wilson.

IMO this is the best setup available today to obtain connectivity in remote areas. Total package of amp, outside antenna, low loss cable, installation, etc. is very expensive so consider real world needs before jumping in.

Bob