How to Choose the Right Amplifier and Antenna for Cell Phones

We’ve always been heavily involved with the internet and e-commerce, so when we bought an RV and started traveling, it soon became clear that we’d have to find some way to take our internet with us.

We searched for satellite systems and different cell phone companies trying to find a service that would allow us to talk to our office and work on the internet while traveling in our RV. Although satellite systems are nice when stationary, they are very expensive, the Internet is slow, and they are too difficult to set up when traveling. It seems our only portable option was a mobile data card. While this worked fine when we were within a major city area, it tended to be unstable while traveling and when in a rural area. So what were we going to do?

We discovered cell signal boosters and they solved our problem. We were so hooked that we soon decided to offer these solutions to others.

When we first start talking to a potential client, they always ask 2 questions.

• How does it work?
• How much does it cost?

In a nutshell, this is how it works… A cellular signal sent from a cell tower is picked up by an external antenna, which feeds it to an amplifier that boosts the signal and sends it to an internal antenna that is picked up by your phone or data card. The opposite occurs when the signal is sent back to the cell tower. This works with the phone signal and the EVDO internet signal.

The answer to the second question will depend on what you need. Want better coverage when you’re in your car? Maybe your home has spotty cell phone coverage and you want to stabilize it or not stop in the middle of the road to make a call. Do you want a wireless connection or are you okay with something that connects to your phone? Do you need a system that you can take wherever you are and that works in your car and at home?

Something very important you should know…

You have to have a signal to start with to increase it. If there is no signal, there is nothing to increase. Several things can affect your signal. Wet trees, weather, brick siding on your house, metal, hills, power lines, and most of all, distance to the cell tower.

When choosing a cell phone amplifier, what do you look for?

First, the FCC regulates the power allowed, so it doesn’t interfere with other frequencies. Look at the gain and power of the amplifier. As stated above, the gain is the number of times the amplifier power is increased at the output of the amplifier. Gain is expressed in db, a way to make it easier to write large numbers. The maximum power allowed is 3 watts. If too much gain is sent at 3 watts of power, the sound will be distorted and power will be wasted. Since we only want a cell phone amplifier, not an education, just use 40 db max for cars and 50 db to 60 db for houses. RVs can be considered any way, vehicle or house. On a powerful amplifier, the distance required for the internal and external dual band omnidirectional antennas is around 20 to 25 feet. If the RV is shorter than that, a less powerful amplifier or dual band directional indoor antenna should be used.

Choosing a cellular signal booster and antenna

Mobile Systems

Let’s start with mobile systems. In a car or Semi, you have limited space to organize the components. The more powerful the amplifier, the more distance is required between the external antenna and the internal antenna so that there is no oscillating interference with the signals.

In a car, a powerful amplifier will not work well due to the length of the vehicle. A dual band magnetic omni antenna is perfect for outdoor use with a medium power cell phone amplifier. If more than one person is to use the signal, an ultra-slim, low-profile dual-band internal antenna should be used. Each time a wireless connection is used, the signal strength is lower. If only one person is going to use the signal, a direct connection to the cell phone is more efficient. This can be accomplished with a special phone cord adapter or universal cell phone jack.

There are several kits that we recommend that work well in a car.

Wilson Electronics SignalBoost Mobile Pro 801243 Wireless Amplifier – Primarily used in the car (we have this unit in our Jeep), this portable unit can easily be brought inside a building when needed with an optional accessory kit. It comes with a small wireless amplifier, which means nothing is connected to your phone. The outdoor antenna has a magnetic base to stick it to the roof of your car. The indoor antenna is built into the amplifier. This dual band kit is perfect if more than one person will be using it with different phone systems,

Wilson Electronics iBooster Sleek Cell Phone Signal Booster 815226 – The Sleek iBooster is a telephone base with a built-in amplifier. It also has a built-in port for charging the battery. The Sleek fits most cell phones.

These are just a few kits available. Wilson has several featured kits available like the ones above. Visit our website for more information on these.

recreational vehicles

In RVs where a strong cellular signal may be needed, you may not know where the cell tower is. In this case, an external Dual Band omnidirectional antenna and an internal Dual Band directional antenna must be used. This allows you to pick up the signal and use a powerful cellular amplifier and route the internal signal away from the external antenna.

Home, Home Office, Booth

In a house or cabin, the setup is different. A house or cabin is stationary, so a more powerful cellular booster can be used with an outdoor antenna and an indoor antenna so there is no interference with each antenna’s signal.

external antenna

For the best service and if you know where the cell tower is located, you should use an omnidirectional or yagi antenna as your outdoor antenna.

With the Yagi directional antenna, you will need to point it towards the cell tower to receive the proper signal. If the location of a cell tower is not known, most cell phones have a signal strength meter that can be used to locate the strongest signal. With your cell phone turned on, check the signal strength. The strongest signal will determine the direction of the cell tower. We have a helpful article on how to find signal strength for most phones. Signal strength is measured in negative numbers. Move your phone in small increments, wait 10 seconds, and check the signal strength. The higher the number, the stronger your signal will be. For example, -60dB is a stronger signal than -75dB.

The Omni antenna receives the signal from all directions, but also sends in all directions. This means that the indoor antenna can affect the signal if it is too close to the outdoor omni antenna.

The proper distance between the indoor and outdoor antenna depends on the power of the cellular booster or booster. If you use a more powerful cellular amplifier, it is recommended that you use directional antennas. In RVs where a strong cellular signal may be needed, you may not know where the cell tower is. In this case, you must use an external dual-band omnidirectional antenna and an internal dual-band directional antenna. This allows you to pick up the signal and use a powerful cellular amplifier and route the internal signal away from the external antenna. In a car, a powerful amplifier will not work well due to the length of the vehicle. A dual band magnetic omni antenna is perfect for outdoor use with a medium power cell phone amplifier. If more than one person is to use the signal, an ultra-slim, low-profile dual-band internal antenna should be used. Each time a wireless connection is used, the signal strength is lower. If only one person is going to use the signal, a direct connection to the cell phone is more efficient. This can be accomplished with a special phone cord adapter or universal cell phone connector.

Understand what some things mean

Band or frequency range-The first thing to know is what band or frequency range you are transmitting on. As a general rule of thumb, we don’t usually know this information right away, but you can visit a website called Wireless Advisor, type your zip code into “Search for Service.” It will list the providers in your area, the band they are broadcasting on, and the technology used.

You will get the most power if you select a system that is specifically for your cellular band range. However, when friends and family come to visit, you want them to be able to use their phones, too. Wilson offers dual band systems that will cover everything except Nextel. For Nextel, you must choose a system that supports the iDen platform. We’ve tried to make it easy for you by listing the band in the spec breakdown for each unit on our website. If in doubt, select a dual-band system.

Bands also apply to antennas, so when choosing an antenna, make sure it’s made for the same frequency range.

Gain– The gain is the number of times that the signal in the amplifier increases at its output. However, more gain does not necessarily mean more power. The gain must also take into account the distance between the internal antenna and the amplifier. The FCC regulates the power output allowed on amplifiers to 3 watts. The gain helps regulate the output power so that it does not distort the signal.

There are more scenarios that can occur than the ones I’ve described above, but I hope you understand it a bit better. After reading this, if you’re still not sure or need some advice, give us a call and we can help you figure it out.