Has anyone installed a cellular booster?
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Topic: Has anyone installed a cellular booster?
Posted By: TheBum
Subject: Has anyone installed a cellular booster?
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2018 at 2:12pm
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I just ordered one of these cellular boosters for our 179, mainly so we can watch DirecTV Now on the AT&T network:
https://www.ubersignal.com/surecall-fusion2go-3-0-4g-extreme-rv-signal-booster-kit.html - https://www.ubersignal.com/surecall-fusion2go-3-0-4g-extreme-rv-signal-booster-kit.html I was wondering how people have mounted the outside antenna. It appears that the included bracket could be screwed into the side wall of the camper, but I ordered one of these to be able to mount it further above the roofline: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D1QPHK/ - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D1QPHK/ I'll likely put the amplifier in the dead space behind the stereo, connected to inverter I installed there for power. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Replies:
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2018 at 2:54pm
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We had been wondering about adding something on that idea. We would be really interested on how it works for you! ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2018 at 3:46pm
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I'm curious it it will really work. I called Verizon some time ago and asked about signal boosters. The technical support person said that will help in buildings with blocked or weakened signals, and may help push an incoming signal a little farther. But when I explained that I was hoping to be able to strengthen the incoming Verizon signal signal in areas where the it was very weak, he said that there is really nothing on the market that would help go from a very weak signal, like 1 bar bordering on no service to 2 or 3 bars of signal strength, if the base line signal is very weak. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: Larry-D
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2018 at 3:50pm
| I put one in our other TT. External antenna on a 12' pole. In a couple of state campgrounds found no difference. At home, in sight of the cell tower actually had a lower signal with it turned on. Haven't used it since (two years ago). In hindsight too expensive to do again. |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2018 at 4:27pm
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Cellular boosters like this are a crap shoot. First, you need to know where the nearest cell tower is. This is not always knowable. At any rate, you want the external antenna to be highly directional. A directional antenna will be several times more sensitive to weak signals than the omni that is in your phone. It will also reduce the interference that will be generated by your nearby phone. Which leads me to the second issue. The indoor antenna and the outdoor antenna need to be isolated from one another by any of several means: (1) Using an outdoor directional antenna, (2) Separation by distance (hard to do in an RV), Separation by RF-opaque material (fiberglass RVs are not very RF-opaque). I've been involved in setting up a number of cellular boosters. I've seen instances where a $250 system works great (because all the issues are favorable), and I've seen instances where a $10,000 system did not work at all (where all the issues are UNfavorable). I've seen much better results when using a femtocell, or WiFi calling for services & phones that support it. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2018 at 5:16pm
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Well. this is a third generation device, so I'm hoping they've gotten some of the kinks y'all mentioned out of the system. Only time will tell. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2018 at 8:22pm
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Well, the outdoor antenna on that one looks like an omni, you it will hurt you for the outdoor antenna. The other issues you already have a disadvantage. So I would not hold my breath. Be sure to give us a report if you try it out.
------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2018 at 3:21pm
This is exactly what I leaned as I researched what to do. You will never 'Boost' a signal. Best a better receiver of whatever is out there. I'm looking at directional receivers. I 'think' it has a better opportunity of 'reaching out' to a signal (weak or not). ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2018 at 4:04pm
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I should be able to test it in less than a week. I'll be in an area with traditionally weak cell service. I don't plan to install it permanently for this test so that I can return it if I don't get significant improvement.
It should be possible to retrofit a directional antenna if nothing else. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2018 at 4:44pm
As with everyone else... I'll be very curious as to the results! I have to believe, any antenna, as to being specific, has to be better than what's on the phone/router. To that, hanging my cell phone on a 20ft pole would probably increase signal. Just a little tough to answer a call... LOL. Yet I think you get what I mean. Looking forward to your post. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: NAP1947
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2018 at 9:10am
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In answer to your mounting question, I had a heavy duty suction mount from my original Sirius radio, it is about4” across and Mr T could not break the suction. I have an extendable rod from Lowe’s which is meant for removing lights from ceiling fixtures without a ladder. I used a SS hose clamp with a wing nut for tightening to clamp the pole to the mount. I have tried it at home with a Yagi directional antenna and find I can fine tune the direction by turning the pole before I tighten the clamp. Remains to be seen how it will work on the Pod but the slide sides are smooth and should hold the mount, cable can go through the rubber seal so no holes. We get the Pod in late April early May and will let you know how this works. ------------- Susan and Norm 2016 Venza, V6 factory tow 2018 RP179 |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2018 at 10:30am
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I found a Yagi antenna on Amazon for $30.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XH92RQV/ - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XH92RQV/ I'm planning to use this for mounting the antenna: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D1QPHK/ - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D1QPHK/ I'll do tests with the Omni and the Yagi. If it turns out that the Yagi is a lot better, then I'll have to see if I can rig up a stepper motor on it to aim it so that I don't have to climb a ladder each time; I could point it rearward for travel. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2018 at 11:20am
------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2018 at 4:38pm
That is the one I've been looking at. Singularly directional. It's what I like about it. Focus's one one thing only. What I've read so far leads me towards it. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: NAP1947
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2018 at 8:19am
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Google “TechnoRV” and look at their mounting system, similar but better than mine. ------------- Susan and Norm 2016 Venza, V6 factory tow 2018 RP179 |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2018 at 11:05am
That suction cup mount is intriguing. I suspect it would stick pretty nicely to the smooth sides of the Pod and would be easily removable for travel. https://www.technorv.com/suction-cup-antenna-mount/ - https://www.technorv.com/suction-cup-antenna-mount/ I'd be a little concerned about rain leaks when feeding the cable through the seals, unless it came out the bottom of the slide. I'l have to take a look at the seals more closely. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2018 at 1:57pm
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Just my opinion is that you will be much better with (A) a femtocell, or (B)WiFi calling. Both of these solutions require that you have an internet connection and/or decent WiFi service. These bypass the poor cell service entirely, and end up doing what amounts to VoIP. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2018 at 2:48pm
There is no wifi in a lot of the places I go. Cellular is my only link. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 20 May 2018 at 4:10pm
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Anything further on this? How'd the testing go? ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 21 May 2018 at 7:00am
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I took the plunge as well. Picked this up. http://www.wpsantennas.com/NFC-62---Dual-Band-Cellular-PCS-Repeater-Kit.aspx - http://www.wpsantennas.com/NFC-62---Dual-Band-Cellular-PCS-Repeater-Kit.aspx Price looked good! Really I was after the booster module, but at that price... What the hey. I did buy a better antenna (both inside and out). The antenna I bought has better frequency range. Puts me right around $150 all in. I'll update from the road as I get it setup and running. Please. Don't just buy this because someone else did. Check you carrier's frequency's and see what you require. One nice thing about this booster is it has adjustable gain. Important from what I've been reading. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 21 May 2018 at 11:22am
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Not well. I don't even know if the amplifier is working, but I got zero improvement with either the omni or Yagi. I need to test it where I have full signal to see if the amp properly turns on attenuation. Unfortunately, the indicator lights aren't helpful: no LEDs lit supposedly means that the amp is operating normally, but I would think a dead amp would show the same status. It wasn't a very good design choice. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 21 May 2018 at 2:26pm
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One thing I caught when researching was if the signal is too strong the Booster (amp) will shut down. The real pricey ones have auto adjustment. Mine is manually adjustable (which should take some time getting used to, LOL). Another talked about adjusting gain according to signal strength and distance from antenna. I'm a long ways from understanding all this, but a little further along than I was weeks ago.. If you can adjust your gain, I suggest turning it down and slowly coming up till you hit the sweet spot. That's what I'll be trying with each location I need to use it. Well, so's the current thought.. Hopefully you can and it helps. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 21 May 2018 at 3:25pm
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The gain isn't adjustable on mine. But, as I said, it has built-in attenuators that automatically kick in when in strong signal areas. When attenuation is on, some LEDs are supposed to light up, so that's why I wanted to find a strong signal area to test. I know of one where there's actually space to park my car. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Posted By: computerfixitguy
Date Posted: 22 May 2018 at 12:17am
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I have installed commercial boosters for internet use for several years on both ATT and VZW. The concept is pretty much the same regardless of service provider. Expected frequencies need a matching antenna in physical length. If your down low, VZW @ 700mhz, the signal goes farther and the antenna is longer, whereas 2100Mhz from AT&T it will not go as far and have a shorter antenna to match. Wilson Electronics makes most of the stuff I use. Rule #1, you cannot use a omni directional antenna and expect improvement. You won't even "double" the signal you are hoping to. Before I get yelled at, if you have a poor signal at 7 miles, then the Omni will make it better, like 5 miles, but not great like 1 mile. A panel antenna of the right frequency will be easier to point and go much further, I have them in the 14 mile range working quite reliably. A Yagi style, long and skinny, will offer the most gain and can work 20 miles away. This is all assuming you know where the antenna is. LTE has the benefit of being somewhat non line of sight. Meaning a hill or building shouldn't ruin your chances of success. Getting antenna location is pretty easy then you just kinda point. Large obstructions are a problem ( mountain) but you can reach the horizon with enough gain. Bodies of water are also a problem as the signal bounces. If the signal is too hot your not going to like that either, thus have more than one antenna (panel & yagi). Depending on what device you have you can get your signal level Ideal signal strength is -50 to -70db. Higher is better (-50 > -70). Neg 80 will probably not work. The whole thing is essentially physics. Antennas need to be some multiple of frequency wavelength. 700mhz is 16" top to bottom so the antenna needs to be a multiple of 16". 16 x2, or 16 x .25 . Bigger the better. Smaller is more portable. Modern cell phones will have 1/4 wave, where back in the day a bag phone had a full wave. ------------- Kim & Derek 2016.5 176t 2015 Jeep Rubicon JKU (trips west) 2008 Town and Country (trips east) 2 kids, 2 dogs |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 26 May 2018 at 11:02am
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I'm now in testing mode. 2 Bars to 4 Bars on low gain! Me liking. I'm only 5ft off the ground and at home doesn't matter which way I point it (Yagi). Field Test mode is running slow, so no real numbers yet.    ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 26 May 2018 at 11:18am
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Sorry, I should have added: This is 4g signal, so far minor improvement on LTE. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 26 May 2018 at 11:33am
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My better Yagi just came in and it's the wrong one... Have to send it back, they sent the same one I now have.. Wanted one that would reach the 700mhz range. Some LTE (I think mine) is down there.. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |
Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 27 May 2018 at 1:34pm
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Tested WIFI today. 2.4ghz range is what most YAGI's can reach (as mine is). One bar to two, pushing 3, but be it known, my router is inside and I'm shooting through a wall! I couldn't get in a position to see the router directly, yet as is... not bad with all things considered. Now if the campground has an outside antenna to broadcast.. Ya Baby! Hopefully the 'good antenna' (the one I actually ordered) comes in on Tuesday/Wednesday as scheduled. I leave Thursday and will have to run it (test it) on the road. So far, I'm liking what is happening. The correct antenna and I should be able to do what I hope. Time will tell. If it works well.. I'll post specific details if your so inclined. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJduGeZNFgtptH67leItRFQ - Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=72408 - Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander |