Cell Phone Signal Boosters

[Erick Lihme]

Pete,

Thanks again. I'll use Wat you use. Time tested, trail hardened is alway the most sensible IMHO.

:26_7_2: :26_7_2: :26_7_2: :26_7_2:

EL

 

[Grim Reaper]

As Pete indicated Boosters CAN help on the fringe but should be off when in good coverage areas.

I work for a TDMA carrier so I am speaking for that technology. TDMA Digital was built on the premise that the units within the system would be under 1 watt. Other then the first year there were NO 3 Watt "DIGITAL" products out. The booster car kits only boosted when in Analog where the system was designed to a 3 Watt standard. The TDMA booster kits did not boost TDMA (or GSM).

As for the comment I made of causing more drops:

The first big problem is you are boosting one way. While you are increasing your output wattage allowing the system to see you better but has the reverse effect that they system now thinks you are closer then you really are so it turns down its output power going TO YOU and the system then tells your phone to turn down the power on your end.

See the vicious circle of operating outside what the system was designed for?

The best bang for the Buck is a good outside antenna above the roof line or better yet dead center to the highest and largest flat horizontal piece of grounded metal on the truck. Preferably a direct connection to the phone if the phone has a RF jack. Many products will have a antenna coupler of some type.

Tomorrow I send a 53ft trailer FULL of TDMA digital gear to scrap. Millions of dollars at its original purchase price. #1 copper is binging $2.70lb And not even sure what all the aluminum sheet in the cabinets is bringing these days....That's what it will be sold off for. :yikes:

 

[lowenbrau]

I'm very partial to CDMA (that would be your Verizon or Sprint PCS networks) because I know it the best.

Pete

You must be ex Clearnet?

 

[Erick Lihme]

It's good to have basic understanding of any system being used so that one can adapt as necessary.

It appears that here in the woods (literally) there are way too many dead spots in areas one would not expect which the telecom folks have yet to overcome. I have some experience operating radio, and data transmission via trunked 800mhz systems for Mobile Data Terminals, not on the tech side, on the field side. A system is set up in a new area with the best intentions of providing full coverage. The guys in the field find out wat works, and wat does not as radio waves are do unpredictable things and rules of thumb do not always apply. The techs try hard to solve the problem with limited resources. Where theory and application meet is in the field.

I'll generally go with wat works in practice fully aware of wat in theory should not. What will be passable or work in one area shouldn't necessarily be applied in another, yet all the while keeping in mind the principles upon which a system operates. There are so many variables, hills, tree leaves, temps etc, variables which have more impact on a low output system, and specific frequency range. If it did not Verizon would not such unreliable coverage!. Somebody budgeted for Wat worked in another area!.

Using a Booster in the NW, such as MT and Canada might be appropriate. Using a booster in other terrain or areas may not. It advisable to be aware of a booster's limitations, pros/cons, and strengths, the knowledge which comes in part from experience.

For me, making an emergency call with a booster available, is good insurance :lurk: .

BTW, I'm so please to have been invited to such a fine group.

 

[mountainpete]

You must be ex Clearnet?

Hmmm... why do you ask? :sombrero:

 

[lowenbrau]

Hmmm... why do you ask? :sombrero:

I suspect we have a lot in common but I'm an implementation type.

 

[paulj]

Wilson offers two antennas with a magnetic base, one about 4" tall, the other 12" and $10 more. I assume the taller one is more effective, but I'm not sure it is worth the extra money and size.

I would be using it on an Element with some roof rack gear - small box and low platform. Still there is a good couple of feet of free sheet metal in front of the rack. The near term temporary use would be in eastern Oregon where coverage is sparse away from the I84 corridor. I have an analog capable Verizon phone.

Also, is an antenna like this usable away from the car? In most backcountry uses, especially emergency ones, I could stop and get out of the car, and even clamber up some nearby ridge, or in the worse case, hike some distance till I got reception.

paulj

 

[Big_Geek]

I've had both of the mag mount Wilson Electronics antennas and the 4" isn't even worth bothering with. I now own the taller antenna and am very impressed with it. I have been able to get fairly consistent signal in the national forest here in Arkansas, sometimes even in the valleys.

On another point, the antenna system is where you're going to get the most bang for the buck. Even if you have a booster and don't have a good antenna system, you haven't gained anything.

 

[gary in ohio]

It should be noted that the Wilson signal booster is NOT 3 watts output. Its 1 watt, Ok actually 1.04 watts, but no where near 3 watts.. Regardless of what the retailers/sellers says. Even the docs are wrong. While Wilson makes serveral models Alll you have to do is check the FCC website with the FCC id number to confirm your model. For example FCC ID# PWO8012SM depending on the frequency range your using goes from .0097 to 1.071 on 1900mhz and .01 to 1.04 on 800mhz. output power is based on power input from the phone. Also many of the wilson docs say that the cell site will control the amplifier power. This is really not true, The site will control the cell phones power level and based on the power level of the phone, the output power will vary. The wilson amp doesnt know there is cell site in the picture, its just amplifies the signal given to it.

 

[DaveInDenver]

It should be noted that the Wilson signal booster is NOT 3 watts output. Its 1 watt, Ok actually 1.04 watts, but no where near 3 watts.. Regardless of what the retailers/sellers says. Even the docs are wrong. While Wilson makes serveral models Alll you have to do is check the FCC website with the FCC id number to confirm your model. For example FCC ID# PWO8012SM depending on the frequency range your using goes from .0097 to 1.071 on 1900mhz and .01 to 1.04 on 800mhz. output power is based on power input from the phone. Also many of the wilson docs say that the cell site will control the amplifier power. This is really not true, The site will control the cell phones power level and based on the power level of the phone, the output power will vary. The wilson amp doesnt know there is cell site in the picture, its just amplifies the signal given to it.

Interesting, I would have expected them to be rated as a dBm gain, not max radiated power. So a +30dBm amp would in theory be a 1W output with a 1mW input. If the input is higher, so would the output be higher. Most phones are around 250mW, so the phones themselves do about 24dBm and so I would have expected that these Wilson amps would be able to hit much more than 3W (~35dBm) radiated power. My guess was that the amp is designed for a maximum gain and is only controlled down if the tower tells the phone to throttle back. Anyway, good to know that they can't do what they say before anyone spends their money.

FWIW, you find dBm by:

dBm = 10 * LOG (power in mW)