kfp673
PA
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Joined: 12/12/2012
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Hello all,
Looking for suggestions on a cell signal repeater / booster. My wife and I are both able to work from home and sometimes we work from camper. However, some spots we camp have poor cell service and we use our phones as hot spots for our laptops. This past week for example we were in the PA mountains state park and had 1 bar LTE at our site. Good enough to send emails without attachments but not for Teams/Zoom calls or large attachments. Thankfully, we know this state park well and know if we drive up the hill from the campground a bit we can get 3 bars 5G and hold calls fine. I noticed 2 campers with an expandable pole and white antenna that I assume was a cell extender. Trying not to spend a fortune since it will likely be used 2-3 times per year, but let me know if you have suggestions of repeaters that work well. Thanks!
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CA Traveler
The Western States
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Joined: 01/03/2004
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Wilson has good ones. But 2 people working away from home in a CG sounds wonderful, because when done for the day look at where your are. So why not step up to the plate and get Starlink? Use it at home and dump whatever you now have. Sure it's a few bucks but look at the pros.
2009 Holiday Rambler 42' Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
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Bob
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RedRollingRoadblock
Oregon
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Joined: 11/26/2007
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For hours of reading (Some free, some paid) https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/
Most popular cell booster seems to be https://www.weboost.com/
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Bionic Man
USA
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Joined: 04/03/2009
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I added a Weboost to our RV two years ago. It’s hit or miss at best. Spent over $500. If I were to do it again I’d just go Starlink. Sure there is a monthly fee with it, but it is so reliable. Much better than the WeBoost.
2012 RAM 3500 Laramie Longhorn DRW CC 4x4 Max Tow, Cummins HO, 60 gallon RDS aux fuel tank, Reese 18k Elite hitch
2003 Dodge Ram 3500 QC SB 4x4 Cummins HO NV5600 with Smarty JR, Jacobs EB (sold)
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Dutch_12078
Winters south, summers north
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Joined: 10/07/2008
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I've had better overall luck getting good cell signals with a dual aimable YAGI antenna set configured as a MIMO set connected to a hotspot. The antenna set has outperformed our previous $600 booster/repeater and the WeBoost prior to that. The MIMO set was about $140.
Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F53 chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
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Matt_Colie
Southeast Michigan
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Joined: 10/09/2011
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I used to work out of my coach as a daily basis. Over some years and upgrades, I was a Wilson Fan. (I still have the antenna on the left mirror.) In complete honestly and given the situation today, if it is deductible, go with Starband. Yes, it is more, but it is more of everything.
Matt_C
Matt & Mary Colie
A sailor, his bride and their black dogs (one dear dog is waiting for us at the bridge) going to see some dry places that have Geocaches in a coach made the year we married.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Joined: 12/18/2004
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first step a high gain cell antenna
second step a pole to raise it up high
third step a weboost
or
starlink
It is too bad mesh wifi did not catch on. I did have a high gain wifi antenna and could get about a mile away.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.
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routeforty
ohio
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Joined: 12/26/2006
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Dutch_12078 wrote:I've had better overall luck getting good cell signals with a dual aimable YAGI antenna set configured as a MIMO set connected to a hotspot. The antenna set has outperformed our previous $600 booster/repeater and the WeBoost prior to that. The MIMO set was about $140. Sounds exactly like what we're looking for. I have some lake property for our TT but we only get 1 bar verizon. Could you maybe expound on what you have, where you got it, etc? We're slightly technologically challenged so you might have to go into a little detail if you have time. Thanks, Gary
2018 coachmen leprechaun class c 2008 KZ spree 260FL
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kfp673
PA
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Thanks all. Star link seems awesome, but as mentioned, this is for 3 or 4 trips per year. Just trying to boost 1 bar to 3 or 4 for a few days. I read some reviews of a few on Amazon and some love and some hate. Also, some claimed better cell call service but no better data which is really what we need. I'll read about weBoost and the others.
Curious, anyone try the "el-Cheapo" $200 options from amazon? Don't need huge sq ft coverage considering we can sit within 10' of the device. Thanks!
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Joined: 12/18/2004
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kfp673,
You can not boost a signal that doesn't exist.
I preferred an omni directional high gain antenna. A Yagi works better--but you need to know where to point it.
Get an Omni and a painters (extension) pole and get the antenna way way up.
* This post was
edited 06/26/23 09:32pm by pianotuna *
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