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Cell Phone Booster

November 29, 2010, 04:29:28 pm

I have seen that several of you fellow Foreforum folks have installed a cell phone booster. We will be leaving for our winter sojourn shortly and I think we should install one on our coach. I have ordered a Wilson Model 801212 kit and a 801201R RV Antenna. Most reasonable people would ask for advice before they place an order but I have never done things the normal way. It occurred to me after I pushed the "Place Order" button that it might have been a good idea to ask what others have chosen.

Have I ordered the correct setup for my AT&T phones and Verizon MiFi? Fortunately they can be returned if I messed up.

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Re: Cell Phone Booster

Reply #1 – November 29, 2010, 04:41:02 pm

Kent,
 
I am not able to go look up model numbers.  If the amplifier is about 3.5 to 4 inches square and the antenna has a spring at the bottom and about five smaller spikes radiating outward near the top then you got what we got and we love it.
 
When you install the amp try to put it where it will get some air.  It gets warm. Not hot.
 
I cut four sections of clear plastic tubing that had an inside diameter just large enough  for me to slip longer wood screws inside.  So when I screwed it down, the amplifier was half an inch away from the back of the cabinet.  This way it gets air flow all the way around. How do you plan to bring the cable inside the coach?

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Re: Cell Phone Booster

Reply #2 – November 29, 2010, 04:50:38 pm

George, it sounds the same. I am planning to drill a hole in the roof to bring in the cable. Probably up in the front of the coach.

I don't want to permanently install the amplifier because I am also getting a car antenna to allow me to use it in both the coach and the car.

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Reply #3 – November 29, 2010, 04:59:10 pm

We brought ours into the coach via the same opening in back that is used by the cable on the video camera, but we have a router on one of the night stands. 
 
Sorry, I can't offer any suggestions on drilling into the roof.

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Reply #4 – November 29, 2010, 05:12:02 pm

We use a Wilson Trucker NMO mount installed in place of one of the factory cellphone antennas.

I *think* our amp is a Wilson (it's been 6 years....)  Ours is a direct connect dual band CDMA because we use Verizon phones.  Not many phones have accessible external antenna ports anymore.  Some USB wifi modems do.

I believe AT&T and Verizon devices require different amplifiers (different frequency bands).  VZW is CDMA, AT&T is something else (GSM?)

I don't believe the MiFi accepts an external direct connect antenna (could be wrong).  There are mixed reviews of proximity/non-contact patch antennas that you velcro on the back of a phone (and those work with the non-direct connect amplifiers).  Most non-direct amplifiers with rebroadcast antennas have very small operating radii for the rebroadcast and fairly distant separation requirements (10 feet?) for the external and rebroadcast antennas.

Check the following for an excellent collection of RV communication info:

Jack Mayer's site

http://www.jackdanmayer.com/communication.htm


Escapees' Forum, Internet discussions

http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showforum=33


For sharing wireless internet, we like the Cradlepoint routers.  Ours is a CTR-350.

Michelle

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Re: Cell Phone Booster

Reply #5 – November 29, 2010, 06:56:44 pm

Thanks for the info. The one I ordered is a wireless so that I can run my MiFi and both laptops at the same time. The above links say that the wireless is not as good as the wired but I guess we will see if it is good enough. I gotta believe that the manufacturers have perfected the wireless amp by now. Too many people are using both an air card and phone at the same time for the wireless amps to be inferior. 

Of course its probably time for the wireless companies to completely change their signal types which will make everyone buy all new equipment. I have heard that Satelite TV people are changing the HD signal to gain more band width and it will require updated equipment. I'm sure the phone companies will not be far behind.

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Reply #6 – November 29, 2010, 09:28:53 pm

I converted the FT antenna, and had FT re-route the antenna cable to a spot beside my recliner.  I mounted a Wilson amp on the floor, and ran the output wire to a Wilson cradle.  I can use either my iPhone or Verizon MiFi in the cradle. 

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