The latest and greatest in cell phone boosters?

D

Durango1

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Joined
Mar 29, 2012
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We currently have the Wilson Sleek 4G 5-Band Kit 5-Band Voice & 4G Data Booster installed in our Ram/ Flatbed Hawk combo and honestly it performs great with our S7 phones.

In fact, I was going to transfer the set-up into our new 2018 Ram Chassis Cab and Grandby Flatbed arriving in March. But as I (reluctantly) was getting our current set-up ready for sale yesterday I realized I've got the antenna wiring all nicely run. We have a 800/1900 MHz Magnet Mount Antenna for the cab (which does better for 3G and voice) and a 4-inch 4G Mini Antenna feeding the camper. (Better for 4G) Then we just switch the cradle when we stop for the night.

So if I include the Wilson Sleek in the sale what is everyone currently using for voice and date cell phone boosting. (We're on Verizon.) Our main wandering area is the 'remote west' with emphasis on Colorado and Utah. My job gives me great freedom to wander but it is better if I stay under the radar by allowing my co-workers to occasionally reach out to me. :)

Thanks in advance for any help.

Steve
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I use the Weboost 4G booster. The amplifier is mounted in the cab of the truck and we can move the internal antenna from between the driver and passengers seat (when driving) to the rear window (when camped). We really only use it for internet access though, so we tend just to switch on the hotspot on our phones on and leave the phone the cab near the internal antenna, then use wifi from our laptops in the camper.

The key for me was the antenna - there is no space on the roof of the truck for the an antenna with the extended cab over, and there are several issues with using the camper roof, so we ended up with this:
[sharedmedia=core:attachments:27097]
Down/travel position.
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Max signal position.

This is the 'trucker' antenna which doesn't require a ground plane. It works pretty well in the down position without adding any more height to our already tall camper. We can put it up if we really want maximum signal. or if the tower is in front of the camper.

The last thing is that I added a time delay solid state relay to the power for the booster. It actually runs off the starter battery, off a 12V outlet in the cab. It will keep the booster on for 4 hours after the truck is turned off. If we need longer than that we need to go turn the truck to ACC every 4 hours.
 
Thanks, Rando. The link to the "trucker antenna" is a big help. Since our new rig will be a regular cab the cab roof will be completely covered and I've been wondering where I'd put the antenna.

Which model of the Weboost 4G booster do you have? They are pricey little things! :)
 
Not too hijack my own thread but where did you get and/or build your side entry steps for your flatbed camper? They look 'safer' than the ones I'm currently using!
 
The steps are a 'custom' invention, but they do work really well. It is very stable, and the big flat steps make it easy to use facing either direction. It is half of one of these:
safety-step-4.jpg


With a bracket to attach it to the side of the flatbed. It folds flat and stores in the big pullout drawer that is under the flatbed. The only improvement I still need to make is a mechanism to adjust the length of the legs a couple of inches for off camber ground. It works fine without this, but it would be nice to be able to make some small adjustments to keep the steps fully level no mater what the ground is like.

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Durango1 said:
. . . what is everyone currently using for voice and date cell phone boosting. (We're on Verizon.) Our main wandering area is the 'remote west' with emphasis on Colorado and Utah . . .
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I have a weBoost 4G-M mounted in the camper with the supplied omnidirectional antenna on the camper roof. The internal antenna is mounted on the front pass-through window so the booster is usable in both camper and cab. I have a Verizon iPhone 5S and AT&T hotspot, wandering in remote South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah.

I'm happy with this setup; if I can get a signal it usually boosts to at least 3G.

jim
 
They generally won't give you service where you would otherwise have none, but they do boost marginal service up to usable service. We will often have '1x' (essentially voice only) and it will jump to several bars of LTE (full speed data) when we turn on the booster.
 
gaylon said:
How well do these boosters work?
Click to expand...
This article should answer all questions regarding boosters.

Boosters can be designed specific to vehicles, house, commercial buildings.

An important note that was previously mentioned, a booster will not capture and boost a signal if you do not have a signal. Hence the caveat, you must have a signal to boost. A booster will simply increase the energy of an existing signal and disperse it within your localized environment. FCC still regulates energy output of these devices just as they do with cell towers.

So if you're out in the boonies, off the grid and no comms, don't expect a booster to find and get you a cell tower signal.

Perhaps, a Garmin InReach might be a better option than a booster for many of the areas I've ventured out west where no signal was present. Albeit the InReach will cost more in the long run due to the service plan you select. But, InReach works no matter you locale in North and Central America (as long as you can see the sky). You can only trext message with the InReach, no voice capability with those in your contact list.
 
I know the boosters can't magically boost a non-existent signal, but don't they all come with much better antennas? The antennas should let you get a signal in way more areas than just your phone on its own would do, no?
 
So the initial build on our new FWC Grandby Flatbed model is finishing up which means it is time to resurrect this very useful thread.

Is Rando's Weboost 4G-M booster (along with the trucker antenna) still the 'latest and greatest'? Or are there any new players on the block?

Many thanks in advance!
 
looks like they have a few models that are similar, and one new kid on the block:

The 4G-M mentioned above
https://www.weboost.ca/products/drive-4gm

But then there is also this one
https://www.weboost.ca/products/drive-4g-x-rv

And since this antenna is recommended
https://www.weboost.ca/products/304415

Why not get the kit that comes with it?
https://www.weboost.ca/products/drive4g-x-otr

And then there is this new one that claims 65db gain, to be used while stationary
https://www.weboost.ca/products/304415

I'm assuming it has more gain because of a directional antenna, but then wouldn't a good directional antenna be an option with the other boosters too?
 
My limited understanding of antennas and signal transmission in general is that in order for an antenna to get a significant gain in signal strength it needs to be a directional antenna. That in turn means you need to point it in the direction the signal is coming from. That is difficult to know in most of my boondocking locations. I suppose one could rotate 360 degrees until the signal improves, but must be done slowly as it takes a few seconds for the signal to "catch up". BTW, most phones have a signal strength indicator that shows it in decibels.
 
The booster work in two ways - first they just transmit at a higher power level. Most modern phones transmit at < 250mW and the booster transmit at 3W, so you get around 12 dB right there. The second issue is the antenna - the antennas in handsets are pretty bad for a couple of reasons, they have to fit in the handset and they don't know the orientation that they will be used in. As a result they have essentially zero gain as they radiate in all directions. The antennas for the boosters know their orientation (mounted verticaly) so they can get at least 3dB or gain by maximizing their radiated power towards the horizon and not radiating up or down (this also helps for receiving).

You could do even better with a directional (horizontal direction) antenna, but it would be a pain as you would need to figure out where to aim it, and if not aimed correctly it will actually dramatically reduce your signal.
 
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