Cell Phone Signal Booster? August 26, 2016, 12:09:32 pm My bride lusts for a cell phone signal booster in our rig. (There are grandchildren now. I was never important before) Does anyone here have one and can you make a recommendation regarding how well they function and what we should buy? Since Lazy Daze and my Lance use aluminum roofs, is a ground plate necessary?Harold
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #1 – August 26, 2016, 12:43:03 pm You might want to do a board search for archived posts on this topic; there are many, but I suggest checking the dates of the posts for currency. This source may also provide a great deal of information about choices:Cellular Boosters for RVs Overview (weBoost, MAX-AMP, SureCall, SolidRF) –...
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #2 – August 26, 2016, 01:34:23 pm Harold,While you search for "booster data", here's what I use.Smoothtalker Mobile X1 Model # BR220-50. Works great but on an iPhone it doesn't do"LTE". Switching LTE off I go from 4G one Bar (no phone or internet connection) to 4G 5 Bar full phone and Internet use including YouTube. Makes my DW happy as a clam.Very satisfied. About $400 at Frys Electronics and is the latest model I could get about 3 months ago.Here's a shot of the control unit. The antenna mounts on my Sat Dish via magnetic base and I run the line through a partially opened drivers window.Hope this helps.Kent 1 Likes
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #3 – August 26, 2016, 01:52:30 pm We use a Wilson weBoost Drive 4G-M. Very pricey at almost $400, but it works quite well.We have a small antenna on the TV mast. I led the wire though a roof vent and mounted the booster in an overhead bin.Powered by wiring to 12v wires in the bin raceway. Installed a lighted switch on the bottom of the bin, so I could see it was on and turn it off when not needed.If you want more antenna, you will need to run the coax through a roof fitting available from West Marine.
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #4 – August 26, 2016, 02:13:56 pm Thank you JCT, Kent, and Don,My prior searches on this site for "cell phone signal booster" yielded meager results, but I knew if I asked the question I would get informed replies. I appreciate your comments. I'll follow up on each.I'd like to keep the system portable (no antenna cable through the roof) since our other sickness involves a small tug boat and I'd like to move the signal booster from one rig to the other. Next week will be spent anchored in a cove off Catalina Island and the following four weeks will be boondocking mostly back country areas in Idaho, Montana and south through Colorado. She likes to travel with me, but doesn't like to be out of communication with the kids for very long.Harold
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #5 – August 26, 2016, 03:43:51 pm " to keep the system portable "The antenna is the cheap part of the system. You could easily have an antenna installed in the RV, another on the boat and a third in your car.Just disconnect the antenna and take the booster part with you.We have used the Sleek ( weBoost) successfully for a number of years. Ed
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #6 – August 26, 2016, 06:11:36 pm Since boats, RV's and cars all have 12volt systems, a 12volt booster makes sense. A quick disconnect plug, the ones that ensure correct polarity, would make it easy to move it around. They are heavy enough that I would want it secured down where ever it is.
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #7 – August 27, 2016, 01:46:14 am While the amplifier is very important, so is the antenna and lead-in cable.Low loss cabling and a directional antenna can significantly increase the range of an amplifier.Below is an antenna system I built for Andy and few others, several years ago.Directional cellular antenna | FlickrIt uses a Wilson 4G wireless amp, LMR-400 cabling (the good stuff) and a Wilson multi-band, directional yagi-antenna, mounted on a HD telescoping re-lampers pole.Not cheap and it needs aiming but it will get you online when others can't.For less out of the way places, some use a second, omnidirectional antenna can be left connected, only using the directional antenna in weak signal areas. I find the directional antenna itself works fine in stronger signer areas, without aiming.I wouldn't be online now without it.Larry
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #8 – August 27, 2016, 10:15:10 am "a HD telescoping re-lampers pole."-----I am pretty sure that I know what this is, but where did you get it?
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #9 – August 27, 2016, 12:05:23 pm Thanks to all for great answers and suggestions,I ordered the WeBoost 4G-M yesterday, scheduled to arrive Sunday from Amazon prior to our Monday departure. The steel top of my 18 inch propane firepit should be a decent ground plane on top of the tug and the rig. Off Monday for a month of exploring.We are looking every day for listings for a later model 27 MB. Three more weeks in the Lance and I expect my bride to be even more motivated to find one! Harold
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #10 – August 27, 2016, 12:47:54 pm Quote from: Blueox25 - August 27, 2016, 12:05:23 pmThanks to all for great answers and suggestions,I ordered the WeBoost 4G-M yesterday, scheduled to arrive Sunday from Amazon prior to our Monday departure. The steel top of my 18 inch propane firepit should be a decent ground plane on top of the tug and the rig. Off Monday for a month of exploring.We are looking every day for listings for a later model 27 MB. Three more weeks in the Lance and I expect my bride to be even more motivated to find one! HaroldI have a Wilson Sleek and put the antenna on a pie plate on the roof above the dinette window and run the cable out the window to the roof. A piece of duct tape keeps the pie plate from blowing off. If I need to close the window tightly, I disconnect the cable and let it dangle outside. I got the Sleek for less than $100 and I understand that the WeBoost is nothing more than the Sleek rebranded and severely increased in price. The Sleek works very well.Chris 1 Likes
Re: Cell Phone Signal Booster? Reply #11 – August 27, 2016, 01:38:23 pm I bought my we boost drive 4Gm on the bay for less than $200 new still in original package.. Works great, but I need to purchase the longer antenna..the short one works well, but understand the 12in does better....reaches above the roof line of the. Rv. I have a suction cup mount that I attach the shorter one to, and I can barely get it to the roof line as I stick it on out the window. So far tho, works as stated.
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