Randy, that indicates that there is a weak signal available and the signal booster would most likely make a difference. So here's what you do. Get a booster, go back there and call me after it's set up. Just make sure your GPS location setting on your phone is enabled before you call..........
Another sly fox trying to hone in on our paradisical site. Nice try Big E
R&V Spiker posted:Another sly fox trying to hone in on our paradisical site. Nice try Big E
Awww, you saw right thru me........
So far after getting the 4gX it has improved our signal by 20-40 dBm's. This has made the difference between being able to make a call and/or getting data and not.
Today we will be in yellowstone and will try it and next week in glacier for an extended stay and will let you know how it performs there.
We will be getting the base/home unit for work when we get back from this trip as the many times at work you have to go outside, out from under the metal roof, to make a call to a customer.
The 4gX seems to be pulling ahead. I am also considering a similar setup. Thank you for sharing. You are saving me both time and $$$$.
Fizbin posted:So far after getting the 4gX it has improved our signal by 20-40 dBm's. This has made the difference between being able to make a call and/or getting data and not.
Today we will be in yellowstone and will try it and next week in glacier for an extended stay and will let you know how it performs there.
We will be getting the base/home unit for work when we get back from this trip as the many times at work you have to go outside, out from under the metal roof, to make a call to a customer.
Just remember, there has to be some available signal for it to work.......
Big E posted:Randy, that indicates that there is a weak signal available and the signal booster would most likely make a difference. So here's what you do. Get a booster, go back there and call me after it's set up. Just make sure your GPS location setting on your phone is enabled before you call..........
My older Wilson amp still works great and makes a real difference in being able to get phone service and Internet.
On our previous TC I had the antenna mounted pemanently on the roof attached to the roof rack. Tree branch snags would break off the tiny ground plain antenna stub outs. With the new Lance 1172 I decided to keep the antenna portable and and I built a antenna mast out of PVC, 24" threaded sections, that I can erect in a few minutes and mount to the roof access ladder. I mount the antenna to the PVC mast and I then run the antenna coax through the dinette slideout rubber wiper seal into the interior of the camper and connect it to the amplifier which is powered from the Lance factory USB/12volt cigarette receptical. Mucho better setup with no antenna breakage to deal with.
I would never want to be without the amplifier and antenna when in the boonies, cus it's always good to get a call out in emergencies, the Internet access is just a convenience.
Nutman you raise a good issue. I actually have a small junction box on my roof for this purpose, I got two mending rods and screwed them in and then put a little silicone behind them to hold them away from the junction box, then I just slide the antenna into this gap which holds it securely in place. When I stop somewhere I open my sky light, stand up on the bed, and drop it into the holder. When I leave somewhere, I reverse the process - that way it's not sticking out way above my camper on my drives.
The cable from the antenna runs down into the skylight, which is a little annoying - I guess I could run it somewhere else, but it works for me.
Big E posted:I recently aquired a WeBoost Drive 4GM cell signal booster.
Hope somebody finds this useful, Erick
Looks like this will be very useful to us.
Just got back from a few days up by Big Basin, very spotty cell and internet service.
My truck has built in WIFI so that helps on that end, but inconvenient having to have the ignition in the Aux position (and the keys in the ignition). Good reception and broadcasts very well from the truck to inside of the trailer, AT&T based, but a bit inconvenient and doesn't really solve the phone issue.
I could add a separate phone service to the truck I suppose but would only use it infrequently, and then I would have to be in the truck.
I'm thinking what you have here is a good solution, wife is on Verizon, I use AT&T so there are two chances of getting a signal.
Just ordered my Drive 4G-X, we'll see how it is when it gets here
I bought one a few weeks back, there is a place in the State Forest about 15 minutes from my house that I have never been able to use my phone....I can now...
I only tested it at that spot and driving along in that State Forest road it seems to work really well for about 2 1/2 mile stretch of the road that I drove, I have not tried putting the inside phone antenna up against the phone, I just had it laying on the seat along side of me, so I can not give a report on that, I wanted to go up to the Allegheny National Forest to a spot I know, I only get one bar and can not make any calls from that location, it will be a good test also...but unfortunately I had got sick and didn't make the trip....
Tom, it's not total magic, but close to it and it. Often it will save the day when you think you have no phone service. And, it improves your mobile hot spot for the internet.
Last month with Setters in the Smokies, we had no phone signal. The Speedboost worked in both our campers and we were also able to make a mobile hot spot with our phones because of it. Without it, no dice.
I had forgotten the metal ground plane for the magnetic mount antenna so we improvised by sticking the antenna to the bottom of a cast iron skillet and then put it on the roof.
When Doug brought his over to my camper I instantly made my phone a hot spot and got on the internet....as a test we would turn it off(weboost) and I would instantly loose the internet connection...turn it back on and get back the internet... we tried that test a few times.... it sold me on one....!!!!
I'm now going to buy another two mini antennas and drop the wire from one down the Fridge vent and put a Velcro mount on the back of my dinette seat for the unit. The other one I will mount in my Jeep , and the one that came with I will mount on the truck...not necessarily in that order
having three antennas will speed up the set up in all the vehicles......
I don't know if there's truth to this, but someone said the 120V adapter puts out 12v to the unit. Whereas the 12v adapter only puts out 6. They said that when at 120V, it gets a lot better reception than the 12v, because of that input power.
Anyone try that?
I have been looking at these boosters, and was confused by the 10' distance requirement between antennas. I too wondered, how can this work in a car. It is nearly impossible to get 10' of separation in a truck camper. I had not seen this thread until today, and now I am thinking this will be my next mod project.
I have seen some RV'ers use a Wilson directional antenna, on a pole. More trouble to set up, but they report more gain than the vertical stubby. That would be the cat's meow, but I am not sure the directional antenna is type accepted with these units.
TangoFox posted:I don't know if there's truth to this, but someone said the 120V adapter puts out 12v to the unit. Whereas the 12v adapter only puts out 6. They said that when at 120V, it gets a lot better reception than the 12v, because of that input power.
Anyone try that?
not yet....didn't have mine that long....!
As far as 10 ft I just had mine on the roof above the driver....I did read where you should stay in the center of roof away from sun roof and windows ...I think it showed toward the back of car, which in my jeep will only be about 6.5 ft
I wouldn't try the input thing until you speak with the customer service department to confirm it, because I see now that some of the 120V inputs are 6v in... so I wouldn't want to smoke the device because of it.
Debating getting a different antenna other then the stubby one. Maybe I'll keep it for now and try it out first.