Cell Signal Boosters

[Ford850]

My point about the passive system idea was that with simply a couple of these antennas coupled with a piece of low loss coax cable like some LMR 400 with N connectors on each end you might be able to get enough signal into the cabin without using any electronics at all. This is a simple passive antenna concept. It can work, and I suspect that it might work well in your situation because of the construction of your house. You would need a mounting mast outside and would need to experiment to find the best tower direction to point the outside antenna. Then mount the inside antenna to point to where you want to operate the handheld phone. With the antenna shown you would have 24 db gain minus the loss from the coax and its connections. Which would be several DB depending on coax length. (DB=decibels, a logarithmic way of measuring RF power)

This is intriguing. The antenna you linked to shows a maximum gain of 12db. Why do you double it to 24db? How high does it need to be mounted on a mast, say in an open yard?

 

[JRobyn]

I have experience with both a relatively inexpensive (ZBoost) booster, and a much pricier Wilson, probably similar to what you're looking at (Wilson ProBoost IIRC).

We had poor (2 bar) Verizon reception at the Atlanta house, better upstairs in the bedrooms. So put in the ZBoost there, with the as-supplied omni-directional receiving antenna in the attic, and the little as-supplied rubber ducky transmit antenna right in the middle of the downstairs area. I was expecting to get maybe 10+db boost, actually got maybe 1/2 that. Changed the receive antenna to a good Wilson directional (yagi) higher gain antenna. That got me an acceptable and useable signal, but I never could be sure what direction to point the antenna, You can use phone apps like "Open Signal" to help with this, but sometimes what they report seems very sketchy. Part of the problem may be that the Atlanta area gets new cell towers almost daily.

At the farm, we are 10+ miles from the nearest Verizon tower, so had 1-2 bars of 1g. Put the Wilson in there with directional receive antenna in the attic and a big "panel" transmit antenna laying on the sheetrock in the lower attic, right in the middle of the main living area. This gets us 3-4 bars of 3g.

As mentioned, you want as much separation as you can get between your receiving and transmitting antennas, or they will feedback with each other and the amp will have to be throttled back. My older Wilson is very good about letting you know if this is happening with color-changing LED indicators. So my setups with antennas in the attic is NOT ideal.

After we sold the Atlanta house, I took out the ZBoost and moved it to my in-laws cabin across the field from us at the farm. Tin roof. They got 0-1 bar 1g before. Now 2-3 bars and sometimes 3g. I mounted their directional antenna (Wilson) up about 20ft on their existing TV antenna mast. The outdoor receiving antenna, well away from the transmit antenna really makes a big difference. They previously did like others on here have said - go out on the porch and point your phone toward town to MAYBE have a conversation. Forget it if it was raining much. Now they get acceptable service inside all the time.

 

[k0ua]

This is intriguing. The antenna you linked to shows a maximum gain of 12db. Why do you double it to 24db? How high does it need to be mounted on a mast, say in an open yard?

Another one on the inside of the house attached to the coax. Of course there would be loss in the coax and the connectors. as well as the path loss's both inside and out. This approach may or may not solve the OP's problem, but the upside is that the cost is low as well as the complexity. The active system of the Wilson booster repeater is practically guaranteed to work, but the cost is much higher.

Passive repeater - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tunnel transmitter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As for how high to mount the outside antenna, the higher and cleaner line of sight to the nearest cell tower the better, but on the flip side the more coax in use connecting the two antenna's the worse the performance will be due to losses in the coax cable. So a happy medium must be reached. I surmise that the building and especially its metal roof are seriously degrading the signal, so a 12 db gain yagi with perhaps 6 db of loss in coax and N connectors with 12 db gain of the radiating antenna inside minus the path losses in the air on the inside might possibly be enough to get a usable signal on the inside of the house.. It is a risk, it might not be enough. But it could be.

 

[MossRoad]

Sometimes I feel like Oliver on green acres. When I'm on call on the weekend while I'm down at the cabin and get a call at 2:00 a.m. and have to get up out of bed and walk into the yard when its 18 degrees outside to get reception. At least I don't have to climb a telephone poll.:laughing:

Oliver takes over the Hooterville phone company...

 

[MossRoad]

While I don't pretend to understand all the actual math, I understand and have experimented with the concepts. And it seems you now have a better understanding of the ideas also.:thumbsup:

I'm glad you admitted that.... hahahhaa :thumbsup:

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Im showing 111dbm, 1 bar.

 

[N80]

Oliver takes over the Hooterville phone company...

Finally someone got my Green Acres reference.



My wife wants me to build a gazebo out in the yard so we can use the phone. She wants to call it the Verizon Pavilion.

 

[N80]

Im showing 111dbm, 1 bar.

That stinks. Here in town I'm at -60. (Closer to zero is better.)

 

[N80]

[/QUOTE]

The answer is.........6.

 

[MossRoad]

Finally someone got my Green Acres reference.

View attachment 461163

My wife wants me to build a gazebo out in the yard so we can use the phone. She wants to call it the Verizon Pavilion.

NICE! :laughing: