Cell signal boosters

[Dirtman]

I know nothing of the subject besides browsing amazon. Im looking for a way to boost my cell signal while camping. A few of the spots I go to I need to leave and drive somewhere else to get a signal. I found a few kits for around $200-400 bucks but dont know if they really work. Anyone ever use one or have input on the topic?

 

[don4331]

I thought the whole point of camping was to get away from it all - especially the cell phone. There is no coverage at my in-laws, which makes for nice get away.

While I haven't personally used one, several individuals in my company have installed them at their cabins (which just seems wrong). And they seem to work as advertised - part of it is getting the antennae up a few meters above where the phone is. I looked into them after my f-150 did its event into limp home an hour from cell coverage. But then I went back to a RBV and stopped worrying.

 

[RonD]

You can't boost what isn't there
Meaning if you can walk around an area and the signal drops in and out then you could use a booster placed in the area that DOES have a signal and it would eliminate the "dead spots"

If you have to drive to get a signal then where you drive to is where the booster would have to be, then it could boost the signal it gets so you wouldn't have to drive as far, lol.
But probably only add about 100ft less driving, lol, there are legal limits to the power of these booster so they don't interfere with regular cell tower signals

There are line of sight extenders, basically mini satellite dishes facing each other, that can extend the signal a few miles but line of sight, they have to "see" each other to work
That is what is used on Cell towers that are "out of town", but extend more than a few miles, lol, to the next tower

 

[Dirtman]

Thanks ron, do you just know about everything lol?

Let me ask you this, say I have a 1x or even a 3g signal where I am at, will a booster bring me up to 4g? Or just boost whatever type of signal Im getting? (im fairly tech illiterate). I can always make calls and get texts on my phone (usually on 1x whatever that is) but its not fast enough for doing 4g stuff like watching movies at the campsite. Im really just looking for a way for the kids to play on their dumb tablets. Not my kids, my kids would have a gun or fishing rod in their hand instead of a phone but thats neither here nore there. What I do now is drive up till I get a 4g signal and let them download their movies then go back. It would be great to just have that signal all the time though and not leave the site.

I looked into satellite stuff that works anywhere but the monthly fees are insane. Dropping a few hundred bucks once is waaaaaay cheaper. They can watch snails hump before I pay for satellite service. Also looked into RV style tv recievers but they give you basic cable and you need an actual TV. No tv's in the truck camper....

i actually went to a Verizon store and they tried to sell me a wifi hotspot for 29.99 a month... my phone has mobile hotspot capability... I asked the guy at the store how it makes wifi if there's no 4g service where I'm at. Even I know you cant just make wifi out of thin air and he gave me a bewildered look.

 

[RonD]

G stands for Generation
Originally there was just cellular data services, but it wasn't called 1G, just like OBD(on board diagnostics) wasn't called OBD1 until there was OBD2, lol

2G is 2nd Generation, and faster than "1G"
For 2G to work the Cell tower needs to have 2G software and electronics and your phone needs to have 2G software and electronics
Then there was 3G
And then LTE, LTE's full name is 3GPP LTE, and should be called 3.9G really since it not quite 4G but you would never notice much difference between LTE and 4G

Now 5G is coming

Each generation is faster or better in one way or another that previous generations or it wouldn't be implemented by wireless providers or phone makers
5G is suppose to offer more bandwidth VS more speed, but shorter range, which really only matters in big city highrise areas or sports arenas , when there are 50,000+ people all with a cell phone, lol, more band width means more people can be using the local towers for data without as much speed loss.

And in traffic jams, lol, local towers get jamed up and drop data connection(and phone calls) when handing off to the next tower or you can't connect at all

2G, 3G, LTE, 4G signals can travel as much as 100miles from the tower, but...........................Your cell phone battery and antenna can't, lol
And that 100miles is flat barren ground, any building, hills, trees, ect...........lessens the signal
And then there is interference, "like frequencies cancel each other out", so cell towers need to be placed and powered only enough to not interfere with the next tower, N, S, E and W
In cities cell antennas are usually angled down to limit the range while keeping power higher

What the closest cell phone tower has 2G, 3G, LTE, or 4G is what is available, assuming you have all of these on your phone
At the edge of the cell towers range the faster signals may drop out, data bits go missing, so your phone may switch to 3G, or even 2G if available, better to get the WHOLE signal slower than only bits and pieces of faster signal

A booster has the advantage of a larger Directional antenna and higher voltage, plugged in to 110ACv, or larger battery pack
The directional antenna is what helps the most

The signal level on your phone is YOUR signal level NOT the towers level
When your phone is on, it is constantly "pinging" the tower(s), the tower sends back YOUR phones signal level received at the tower
The tower has way more power and directional antennas so its never the towers signal you see its YOURS

That's why some brands/models of phones work better in areas where other phones lose the signal, if it was the towers signal then both phones would lose signal at the same time at the same spot, there is more to it than this but thats enough, lol
Cell phones usually broadcast/ping at 0.6 watts, some can jump to 2 watts others to 3 watts as needed

The booster's directional antenna is pointed in the towers direction so your phone signal can now "ping" it with higher strength and you get higher Bars back.
Directional antenna and booster may work where your phone has "no bars", line of site to tower would be best, and no guaranties.
But if there is any bars the booster will for sure help

But 2G, 3G, or 4G speed won't be known until tested



You can rent satellite phones, about $50/week, but $1.50/minute for calls

 

[adsm08]

G stands for Generation
Originally there was just cellular data services, but it wasn't called 1G, just like OBD(on board diagnostics) wasn't called OBD1 until there was OBD2, lol

2G is 2nd Generation, and faster than "1G"
For 2G to work the Cell tower needs to have 2G software and electronics and your phone needs to have 2G software and electronics
Then there was 3G
And then LTE, LTE's full name is 3GPP LTE, and should be called 3.9G really since it not quite 4G but you would never notice much difference between LTE and 4G

Now 5G is coming

Each generation is faster or better in one way or another that previous generations or it wouldn't be implemented by wireless providers or phone makers
5G is suppose to offer more bandwidth VS more speed, but shorter range, which really only matters in big city highrise areas or sports arenas , when there are 50,000+ people all with a cell phone, lol, more band width means more people can be using the local towers for data without as much speed loss.

And in traffic jams, lol, local towers get jamed up and drop data connection(and phone calls) when handing off to the next tower or you can't connect at all

2G, 3G, LTE, 4G signals can travel as much as 100miles from the tower, but...........................Your cell phone battery and antenna can't, lol
And that 100miles is flat barren ground, any building, hills, trees, ect...........lessens the signal
And then there is interference, "like frequencies cancel each other out", so cell towers need to be placed and powered only enough to not interfere with the next tower, N, S, E and W
In cities cell antennas are usually angled down to limit the range while keeping power higher

What the closest cell phone tower has 2G, 3G, LTE, or 4G is what is available, assuming you have all of these on your phone
At the edge of the cell towers range the faster signals may drop out, data bits go missing, so your phone may switch to 3G, or even 2G if available, better to get the WHOLE signal slower than only bits and pieces of faster signal

A booster has the advantage of a larger Directional antenna and higher voltage, plugged in to 110ACv, or larger battery pack
The directional antenna is what helps the most

The signal level on your phone is YOUR signal level NOT the towers level
When your phone is on, it is constantly "pinging" the tower(s), the tower sends back YOUR phones signal level received at the tower
The tower has way more power and directional antennas so its never the towers signal you see its YOURS

That's why some brands/models of phones work better in areas where other phones lose the signal, if it was the towers signal then both phones would lose signal at the same time at the same spot, there is more to it than this but thats enough, lol
Cell phones usually broadcast/ping at 0.6 watts, some can jump to 2 watts others to 3 watts as needed

The booster's directional antenna is pointed in the towers direction so your phone signal can now "ping" it with higher strength and you get higher Bars back.
Directional antenna and booster may work where your phone has "no bars", line of site to tower would be best, and no guaranties.
But if there is any bars the booster will for sure help

But 2G, 3G, or 4G speed won't be known until tested



You can rent satellite phones, about $50/week, but $1.50/minute for calls

That explains why I would loose signal getting too close to the tower.

One of my favorite junk yards in college was at the base of the hill the local tower was on. In the parking lot I had an OK signal, but once I got up the hill a bit, into the RBV/Ford Truck area it would drop out.