Cell phone signal booster

[Tami2red]

So, my boss wants a cell phone signal booster for his weekend home in VA. Of course, it's my job to find the best one at the LOWEST possible cost. (Not the POS things that go on your phone, the ones you use in your home. They look kinda like a modem...)

I know NOTHING about bandwidth, frequencies, etc. Neither does he, unfortunately.

Recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[GWguy]

A good place for info.

http://3gstore.com/

Pay attention to the carrier needed (ATT uses a different frequency than Verizon, etc... or was it Sprint? Been a while since I looked at this stuff) and make sure you look for dual-band amps.

 

[Bird Dog]

So, my boss wants a cell phone signal booster for his weekend home in VA. Of course, it's my job to find the best one at the LOWEST possible cost. (Not the POS things that go on your phone, the ones you use in your home. They look kinda like a modem...)

I know NOTHING about bandwidth, frequencies, etc. Neither does he, unfortunately.

Recommendations?

Thanks!

I had a problem down by Point Lookout. Verizon sold us a booster that uses the internet for about $200.00. Works great.

Only down side is if your internet is down your phone goes back to being bad.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

These aren't simple plug in and suddenly they work items, while a repeater does a nice job getting signal inside a building from the outside you have to make sure the phone and network is compatible with it and you have to set up things to work together.

 

[lucky_bee]

I have Sprint and asked them about a signal booster. Since my zip code and surrounding areas (aka all of Southern Maryland) qualified as "less than ideal" as far as signal service, they sent me a Sprint AIRAVE for free. It plugs into my wireless router and when I'm at my house, I can make and receive calls just fine.

It might be something he can get thru his cell phone service.

 

[Tami2red]

These aren't simple plug in and suddenly they work items, while a repeater does a nice job getting signal inside a building from the outside you have to make sure the phone and network is compatible with it and you have to set up things to work together.

Ok, so I did *a little* research and a repeater is definitely what he wants. (He calls it that *thing* to make your cell phone work better...)

He has an AT&T phone, but it's hooked up to Straight Talk. How do I find out which ones are compatible?

I majored in Business Management. Back in the dark ages before cell phones even existed. He doesn't seem to understand that just because I can fix *most* of his technology problems, that's not actually my area of expertise!

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Ok, so I did *a little* research and a repeater is definitely what he wants. (He calls it that *thing* to make your cell phone work better...)

He has an AT&T phone, but it's hooked up to Straight Talk. How do I find out which ones are compatible?

I majored in Business Management. Back in the dark ages before cell phones even existed. He doesn't seem to understand that just because I can fix *most* of his technology problems, that's not actually my area of expertise!

Not an expert by any means. http://www.ubersignal.com/cell-phone-repeater

 

[Dead Eye]

I use one all the time. Makes a huge difference in fringe areas. The wilson sleek 4g for at&t work wonderfully. The difference in the att model is only that it will work for LTE as well as the 3g. In other words it will work with most all carriers except nextell but only the att model will do LTE. The unit works well with verizon but won't do the super fast 4g on verizon only the verizon model will do the 4g for verizon. If its a att phone get the wilson sleek 4g-att and you are done, any of them will work but only the att model will give him the super fast LTE. The optional office kit will give you a nice suction cup mount to put the antenna in a window and a desk mount for the phone. These units work by placing the phone in a cradle and repeating the signal out the antenna so you will be talking hand free on speaker phone or a bluetooth . The phone has to be very close the repeater unit to work basically touching it. The higher up out in the open the antenna is the better. I routinely have solid reception 10 miles offshore by placing antenna in a porthole about 15 feet above waterline facing shore. This is a cheep solution that works well.

A different model that we have on other vessels uses a patch antenna (no cradle)in the galley . It supports several users at once and no need to put phone in a cradle, it is seamless to the user just use your phone in the area served by the repeater. It takes a bit of RF knowledge to properly install as separation of patch antenna and outside antenna is necessary to prevent feedback. This system is loved by the crew as they can use there phone at will if in galley and joining offices or accommodations . Its a bit pricey though, and I would not install one without top of the line coax. If you want to go that route I suggest JEFA TECH in hollywood Md.

 

[Dead Eye]

Did some research for you. The sleek is discontinued but can still be gotten. Best bang for the buck is a sleek 3g. At 80$ It will get the job done but without the super fast 4g internet, just the normal fast 3g internet. The BEST is the Wilson Pro 70 and it will do any carrier and support many phones at same time close to 1000$. At mid range 500 will get a we boost that covers all carriers. If I were you I would get whatever wilson, a cheep 3g or fast 4g. Stay away from the china eBay junk. I saw one that was so bad it killed the satellite television with interference. Make sure it has quality coax not the cheep television stuff.

 

[Tami2red]

Did some research for you. The sleek is discontinued but can still be gotten. Best bang for the buck is a sleek 3g. At 80$ It will get the job done but without the super fast 4g internet, just the normal fast 3g internet. The BEST is the Wilson Pro 70 and it will do any carrier and support many phones at same time close to 1000$. At mid range 500 will get a we boost that covers all carriers. If I were you I would get whatever wilson, a cheep 3g or fast 4g. Stay away from the china eBay junk. I saw one that was so bad it killed the satellite television with interference. Make sure it has quality coax not the cheep television stuff.

:

THANK YOU Dead Eye! This was exactly what I needed. Boss Man will be back today, so I'll show him and let him decide. (With some subtle guidance of course.)

You