Comments for How do you stay connected in weak cellular areas?

Comment from Joe Ziti on 2010-08-11

2010-08-11T15:56:28Z

Wireless repeaters and distributed antennas

You are right, carriers have the signal outside of buildings all over the place. It is not their responsibility to get the signal indoors. More and more people are using repeaters for small indoor installations and DAS (distributed antenna for larger buildings and offices etc.)

I had same problem working from home office which is in the basement. I had to go upstairs or outside to answer calls from the boss or clients.

I got a really good repeater from www.indoorcellularsolutions.com for like $300 bucks and my wireless and mobile 3g works perfectly. The best part is it is not carrier specific. It works for all carriers in case I change carriers. Some carriers pay for these weak repeaters or have their own proprietary but i don't like proprietary.

]]>

A comment on: How do you stay connected in weak cellular areas?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from ibooster on 2010-05-04

2010-05-04T21:17:28Z

Nice discussion you have going here, just to add to it , that not all RV specific amplifiers are suited for car/truck , because some of the RV antennas need to have minimum separation to avoid feed back and i would go with a wired booster system

]]>

A comment on: How do you stay connected in weak cellular areas?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from ethan1066 on 2010-01-19

2010-01-19T08:03:13Z

i have always had poor cellular signals at my lake house, with 0 to maybe 2 bars showing on my phone. Therefore i was not been able to reliably use my cell phone at home. I have been looking for a reasonably and not too expensive way to increase our signal strength. When I ran across the Wilson Amplifier Kit, I was excited to give it a try. I mounted the antenna outside, installed the indoor antenna and hooked up the amp. My signal strength bars now register 3 to 5 bars on my cellular phone, and I can now use my cellular phone.

]]>

A comment on: How do you stay connected in weak cellular areas?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Snail on 2008-07-15

2008-07-16T01:08:35Z

I have found a while back an antenna which amplifies the signal of wireless -- I should provide a caveat that "amplifies" might not be the best word. The device is a printout of a parabola which you affix alluminum foil to and cut and paste/fold into the appropriate shape.
In any event, it was shown to boost/enhance reception of wireless Internet connection better than the booster product(in-home unit).

]]>

A comment on: How do you stay connected in weak cellular areas?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Alan on 2007-08-01

2007-08-01T21:29:47Z

On the ground plane... Wilson has a 4" round disk with a velcro/adhesive fastener on it rather than use the pizza pan ;-). Although it's a good idea, the 4" metal grounding plane is all that is needed for the 12" magnet-mount antenna. Wilson also has RV Trucker Antennas for mounting on the outside by the ladder or on the side of the RV.. the gain on it is better than the 12". But, as Kory says, combining the antenna with a repeater, such as the SOHO wireless unit... perfect for RVs, is a winning combination. Check out this site for a Wilson RV kit... plug and play:
http://www.powerfulsignal.com/RV-Motorhome-Cell-Boosters-Antennas/RV-Motorhome.html

]]>

A comment on: How do you stay connected in weak cellular areas?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Kory on 2007-07-04

2007-07-05T03:45:45Z

As a follow up, cellular repeater kits are by far the best way to increase your signal bars and stop dropping calls. They work by amplifying the weak signal through an external antenna that connects to the repeater unit. The repeater has a high gain cellular amp with an output that connects to an indoor antenna which re-distributes a strong and clear signal. Our company provides simple solutions for coverage areas large and small. Please visit our site for more info.
www.ksantennasolutions.com

]]>

A comment on: How do you stay connected in weak cellular areas?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Comment from Andy on 2005-07-18

2005-07-18T15:06:38Z

Leo,
I don't know if it is necessary, but I'd suggest that running a wire (maybe with alligator clips on the ends) between the pizza pan and the vehicle ground. (any part of the frame, I'm sure you can find something solid under the dashboard.) Also, since it looks like that pan may have some non-stick coating, I'd suggest scraping the coating off in a small area directly under the mount. You could test the ground of the pan with an ohmmeter, or just a battery, flashlight bulb and some wire.
A few thoughts...
Andy :-) By the way, nice article, and clever ideas!

]]>

A comment on: How do you stay connected in weak cellular areas?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.