Cell Signal Strength Meter

[3930dave]

SWMBO has a great point...... if it works better "broken", just go with it. :thumbsup:

I can relate though.... I do like to instrument "things" I'm working on. Rough guess, about $300 is what I'd expect to pay for something useful/reliable/accurate in this frequency range..... I've seen older Satellite Techs use a basic analog RF inline meter, but can't say I've seen one for cell (haven't looked hard though....)

Did see this one, same price range (I've never used it, don't know the Manuf):

Robot Check

Chews up batteries was the main complaint I saw listed, in the first page of Comments. AAA will be more runtime limited, but probably won't matter in your case - you're doing one antenna, not trying to install 10+ in one day.

Rgds, D.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Thanks guys, I learned what I needed, that is, no cheap way to do what I had in mind. "If it's not broke don't fix it."

 

[k0ua]

$40, don't seem like that much to me if it is really bugging you. Kinda looks like a bargain. Would I like to have one of those instruments? Yep. One can never have to much test gear.

 

[PILOON]

Very interested in this tread as I am in a poor reception area.
I have found some Chinese sites selling booster systems for under $100. that greatly interest me.
They very much resemble Wilson rigs at 5X the price.
2 types offered, 900 mhz and 1800 mhz and from there some confusion for me.
I'm on Bell which suggests they will drop the 900 come April.
Bell and their agents are useless for any help.
Pls educate me.

OH, I do get very poor reception at some spots but if I move or turn around I drop signal.
LOL, can't use my cell for pics as it wants to search all the time.

 

[pmsmechanic]

following this!

 

[LouNY]

following this!

Same here I can go from 4G and several bars to 1X in a step or turn in places

 

[orezok]

Out in the Mojave where I live, the cell signal was very weak. -112 or worse. About a year ago, Verizon built a new tower about a half mile away. I can see it from my house.

BUT, when I use the Opensignal app to locate it, the app points about 35 degrees to the right of the tower. Maybe there is a glitch in the software when the signal is very strong.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Out in the Mojave where I live, the cell signal was very weak. -112 or worse. About a year ago, Verizon built a new tower about a half mile away. I can see it from my house.

BUT, when I use the Opensignal app to locate it, the app points about 35 degrees to the right of the tower. Maybe there is a glitch in the software when the signal is very strong.

Now that's interesting. My Opensignal app also points about 35 degrees right of where the good signal seems to be coming from. I have assumed there is no tower in that direction (the ocean is 2 miles away downslope) but there could have been one installed along the coast highway (CA-1). Will have to check this out.

 

[EarPlug]

Cell tower antennas are not omnidirectional. They are usually set up with multiple antennas that have radiation patterns that goes out in a loop pattern. Just because you can see a tower doesn't mean you can receive a usable signal. You might be 90 degrees off the pattern. Many times they will be set up to track up and down a highway or canyon (think of a north/south orientation). They have determined that there is little need to cover east/west of the tower.

In urban areas they put up multiple antennas on a tower to create omnidirectional coverage