Cell Phone Boosters - Any suggestions?

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by crl

Just finished installing our weboost cell signal booster. Was curious if I needed to contact my cell phone carrier before use. We use Verizon wireless. Notes in the directions that we should call our provider. Would like to hear how others handled.

Not sure why you would need to contact them? You're not doing anything to the actual phone or service.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by crl

Answered my own question. Found the website for Verizon in the directions and registered the booster to be sure all is ok. Easy process.

There is no need to register a Cell Phone booster.



Stop and think about it. You install a booster and your CG neighbor with Verizon comes over to watch a movie in your TT and gets a call. He wll be using your booster, since boosters can not be programmed to only work with your phones. Cell phone boosters amplify signals, nothing else.


Our CG neighbors come over or stand next to out TT to make calls or send texts/pictures. Glad I can help them.



Don


My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[bunkersoft]

I mounted a Wilson directional antenna along with the Weboost Sleek. Got 15db gain. Went from no service to 4 bars. Able to stream Netflix without any issues. I didn't want to drill into the roof so I used a painters pole to mount the antenna. It is 3 feet above the rooftop. When retracted is 7 feet wide, making it easy to store while traveling. Everything came to a little over $300.

[wanderlust]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLKY_aE8Vdg

[smithmdsmith]

Originally Posted by bunkersoft

I mounted a Wilson directional antenna along with the Weboost Sleek. Got 15db gain. Went from no service to 4 bars. Able to stream Netflix without any issues. I didn't want to drill into the roof so I used a painters pole to mount the antenna. It is 3 feet above the rooftop. When retracted is 7 feet wide, making it easy to store while traveling. Everything came to a little over $300.

Nice setup with the antenna. Can you move the pole around the trailer? I ask because with a directional antenna, you don't want it to point back over your trailer where the internal antenna is located...it creates a problem with signal reception. I have my directional antenna on a tripod stand that I can move around the exterior of the trailer, but it's only about 6 feet tall. I would really like to have the height you have.

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by bunkersoft

I mounted a Wilson directional antenna along with the Weboost Sleek. Got 15db gain. Went from no service to 4 bars. Able to stream Netflix without any issues. I didn't want to drill into the roof so I used a painters pole to mount the antenna. It is 3 feet above the rooftop. When retracted is 7 feet wide, making it easy to store while traveling. Everything came to a little over $300.

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the info!

I checked Amazon and found that there are multiple versions of the Wilson antenna. Which version did you buy?

[Mustang65]

The one thing to remember about cell phone signal boosters is that the internal (amplified signal) antenna should not be between the directional antenna and the cell tower as the signals from the interior unit can/will interfere with the exterior antenna signal input being received from the cell tower.

Antenna choice depends on your needs. If you travel a lot an exterior Omani-directional exterior antenna will probably be your best bet.

If you know the location of the cell tower (smart phone lookup for compass location) an external directional antenna will provide your best signal from the tower.

If you permanently mount it on your RV, an exterior mounted Omani-directional antenna is your best bet,

In the mountains as we are, the external directional antenna is the best choice (used the smart phone app to locate exact cell site location)

Don
My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[mharrison]

I just ordered this setup yesterday and should be here Saturday, we've been at several State Parks with poor or no service. Heading to Crowder State Park in September to test it out, hopefully there will be enough signal to boost. https://www.weboost.com/products/drive-x-rv

[Kbarb]

Most of these "boost" systems are basically an outside antenna to pick up the signal, and an inside antenna to rebroadcast the signal.

Those WeBoost units mentioned here a pretty pricey, around $500.
My guess is for part of that premium price you pay for the name.

Last time I checked there were quite a few other offerings by competitors on Amazon around $200 with the same 4-star reviews as WeBoost, or better.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by Kbarb

Last time I checked there were quite a few other offerings by competitors on Amazon around $200 with the same 4-star reviews as WeBoost, or better.

I bought a WeBoost system for $200. It works for a single phone at a time, versus a network. In our case, one phone at a time is fine.

If we hotspot off that phone, then multiple devices can benefit at one time.

The big plus with the WeBoost system is that it works on all phones and all networks, you don't need to know what channel or network your phone transmits on, like with other booster products.

[Kbarb]

If we hotspot off that phone, then multiple devices can benefit at one time.

Nice way to do it.
How does the single user restriction work anyway ?
How would they control what goes through the antenna, unless it's a computational limitation.

The big plus with the WeBoost system is that it works on all phones and all networks, you don't need to know what channel or network your phone transmits on, like with other booster products.

Indeed there are others on Amazon that handle multiple carriers.
Some even (claim) higher dB boost than WeBoost's for the same price.

I'm not really pushing it either way though. You'd have to do your do diligence to see what you're actually getting, and for what price, read the reviews too.
It seems that WeBoost's pricing is primarily based on Single/Multiuser and degree of amplification.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

I bought a WeBoost system for $200. It works for a single phone at a time, versus a network. In our case, one phone at a time is fine.

Which model do you have? If I recall, there was only one of there models that isolated output to a single phone and that model was discontinued a while ago and the newer models no longer isolate the output to a single phone and that had to be in a cradle connected to the unit.
Just wondering.
Don
My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[mharrison]

It took me a long time to decide what to buy after reading reviews on this site and many others along with watching youtube reviews. They are pricey but if it works as advertised I'll be happy. I did save a few bucks with a discount code I found, only 5% but I'll take it. Here's the code: RVWITHTITO

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by Kbarb

Nice way to do it.
How does the single user restriction work anyway ?
How would they control what goes through the antenna, unless it's a computational limitation.

Which model do you have? If I recall, there was only one of there models that isolated output to a single phone and that model was discontinued a while ago and the newer models no longer isolate the output to a single phone and that had to be in a cradle connected to the unit.
Just wondering.

That's the one I have, it sits in a cradle, that's why it's a single user booster. Only the phone in the cradle is getting boosted, but if you hotspot that phone, other devices can share the connection. Only thing inside the coach is the cradle and booster module, no second antenna.

It's the WeBoost Drive Sleek model, sells for $199 on Amazon and other places. One thing I did with it, since it comes with a small shark fin antenna for a car roof, is to upgrade the antenna with a trucker OTR higher gain one for the roof of my rig.

As we all know, the antenna is a weak link in the system. I used it the first time with the shark fin, and got about a 25 dB gain. Haven't tried it yet in the boonies with the bigger antenna.

[smithmdsmith]

I camp in an area where the signal is spotty. Sometimes I can surf the web, stream video, etc., other times I can't even send a text or a phone call.

With the $200 weBoost Sleek, I can always text and make phone calls, and can usually surf the web, but streaming video is still pretty spotty.

With the $500 weBoost Drive Reach, texts, calls, and web surfing are all good, but streaming video is still not 100% reliable. Also, the closer you are to the internal antenna, the better the signal.