My DW & I use AT&T for our cell carrier and it seems many of the places we're camping lately have marginal (if any) service... just plain voice calls & text.
Has anyone used one of the cell phone signal amplifiers like this one or something similar?
What was your experience? Would you recommend it? Was it worth the cost?
Having no experience with that unit, I can't say a thing about it.
But, you get what you pay for, if that one is cheap, it probably works cheap.
Do your cell-phones have antenna jacks? (you may need to read the manual or see a dealer), if so, an external antenna can work wonders, and they are certainly inexpensive.
On the high-end, are true cell-phone repeaters. These have two antenna's, on inside and one outside. My former (retired) employeer put some good ones aboard ship, With the outside mounted about 100 ft above the water line (top of the mast), we could get solid connections 20 miles at sea. But I know this system was not cheap, worth having, but not cheap.
2008 F350SD V10 with an 2012 Arctic Fox 29-5E When someone tells you to buy the same rig they own, listen, they might be right. When they tell you to buy a different rig then they own, really pay attention, they probably know something you don't.
Heretofore, it has been a 3 watt amp and thunderstick to boost cellular. I was facing the prospects of getting a new phone with Verizon's LTE technology. Unfortunately in the offering, the new dumb phones don't have an external antenna jack... the MiFi does... but not the new phones. The 3G Wilson Sleek has had very good reviews. Last info I saw was the 4G model of the Sleek is expected to be out in June. It should be compatible with most of the dumb phones as well as the MiFi card.
I have a Wilson Sleek and an outside Wilson short trucker antennae. Into this I place my AT&T iPhone with the hot spot activated and it works fine. Tend to use it in western Colorado where we like to camp and the signal is very weak. The Sleek makes a big difference. We also have a Verizon MiFi device which is a prepaid unit. So I will activate it with Verizon prior to heading west for the summer. With both AT&T and/or the Verizon MiFi, seldom am I without a workable signal. Sometimes there just isn't enough of a signal to work, but seldom does this happen. Both work well with the Sleek amplifier.
I previously used a Wilson amp that connected directly to the plug in on the back of my Motorola phone from the external antennae, but the iPhone and most smart phones don't have an antennae plug in port. Never had anything but good service with my Wilson products. Most of mine have been purchased from the 3g Store, on line.
joe b.
Stuart Florida
Formerly of Colorado and Alaska
Chevy 3500 DRW Dmax CC - Rockwood 8281 SS 5th Whl & 2008 Lance 845 TC www.pajbcooper.com web site
Alaska Trip 2011 posted
Colo-Utah-Ariz 2012 trip posted
"Without challenge, adventure is impossible".
I have no experience with this unit, but if you have a weak signal, then a boost will work to increase that signal for you. If you have no signal, there is nothing to boost. The booster has to have a signal to boost.
1775 wrote: I have no experience with this unit, but if you have a weak signal, then a boost will work to increase that signal for you. If you have no signal, there is nothing to boost. The booster has to have a signal to boost.
Understood... and I agree.
Last week we visited Oconee SP in SC. When we checked in we were told AT&T had no service in the park... Verizon had spotty coverage. Sometimes we had no bars... others we had a red X over the signal indicator. I expect sometimes we had no service... other times we had less than a single bar. Some evenings we received text messages. I expect atmospheric conditions were more favorable in the evening... storms were also in the area which may have played a part in the signal’s propagation.
We also visited Vogel SP in GA... similar experience.
For these particular parks, I feel if we could get an antenna in the air (and outside the tin box) with some gain, we could probably receive/send a signal... but would need to amplify it a bit.
Reading the reviews for some of the "consumer" amplifiers, some look mostly promising... though I don't know if I will be successful in convincing my DW we should fork out $200 for a new gadget for the camper. However, she also has little/no coverage inside her work place. If I can use the amplifier there too, I may receive approval for the expenditure.
I use a Wilson Sleek in my tow vehicle - it usually gives me a couple of bars more signal on an AT&T iPhone.
In the trailer I have a Wilson Dual Band Trucker/RV antenna combined with a Wilson Vehicle Booster Kit. The combination provides a boosted signal within 5'-7 ' of the inside antenna. Works with both the iPhone & a USB cell modem. A direct connected amplifier would work better, but not be as flexible.
Both systems provided a cell signal in places where the phone or cell modem would not work without them, but as others have stated, if there is no cell signal, they don't help.
By the way, these are 3G only devices. Wilson has announced a 3G/4G Sleek, but I don't believe it is yet available.
vermilye wrote: By the way, these are 3G only devices. Wilson has announced a 3G/4G Sleek, but I don't believe it is yet available.
Thank you for the additional details of your setup.
Yeah, with cell technology always changing... it's difficult to determine when best to commit. No one wants to invest dollars into a technology which doesn't support the next device purchased.
MegaJohn wrote: My DW & I use AT&T for our cell carrier and it seems many of the places we're camping lately have marginal (if any) service... just plain voice calls & text.
Has anyone used one of the cell phone signal amplifiers like this one or something similar?
What was your experience? Would you recommend it? Was it worth the cost?
Happy Camping!
John.
I bought one of those to install in my 2012 Sunstar 30T. It doesn't work in the RV. I tried to position it in various locations inside and the antenna in various locations outside. In order for the cell phones to work they had to be within 2 ft of the unit.
It works fine in my tow car, which is what it was designed for. I can't recommend this for RV use. My opinion for what it's worth.
Ski
* This post was
edited 04/12/12 02:53pm by skipole *
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