How can I boost a Cell signal from 1/2 mile away?

Repeaters that are available commercially are only effective at best up to 10,000 square feet. They are designed for areas where there is decent street level coverage, but indoor coverage is poor. You may want to try purchasing a yagi antenna and mounting it on a pole, or towards the top of the tree.

-Jay

 

do you have no service at all in the desired locaion? I f youdo than you do not need to place the amplifier on the hill , just at the location.

 

When was the last time you verified that signal? With the analog sunset, you may no longer have that analog signal, or it may have been replaced by a digital signal with more or less coverage area.

I would try an external antenna on your phone first, but the hill may be blocking your line of sight.

 

A yagi is directional, and of course if you went 20 0r 30 feet up you may find better signal as well.

-Jay

 

I suggested the antenna because you may have some signal at the campsite, but not strong enough to be usable. Either a better omni or a directional might get you to the point of usability, but if the signal is on the other side of that hill, then probably not.

I don't imagine there is a big market for field deployable, ruggedized, solar-powered cell repeaters. You might try the oh-so-difficult passive repeater system where you have one antenna aimed at the cell site connected to another antenna aimed at your camp. I've only heard people talk about them (mainly for wifi), but few get it to work.

Also, analog sunset was 2/18/2008, but I think you would have noticed some difference if it was shut off. I was hoping for your sake that you'd get a stronger digital signal in exchange. I think Alltel still has some analog running. What area are you in?

 

I have a Wilson 801201 Dual-band Wireless cellular amp, I purchased from Cellular Amplifiers Repeaters - Cellular Antennas - Cell Signal Boosters & I often travel between Alltel coverage markets in a very Rural part of South Mississippi for about a 10 mile section, where no wireless provider has service & with the booster my phone & my friends who have other service providers, (except nextel, or southern linc wireless) have went from 0 signal to at least 1 to 2 signal bars or more. If you want I very good product, then try this Wilson. They have been in the CB radio, & Ham radio bussiness for years. This might just be the answer you were looking for... :thumb:

 

Here are the direct links for the unit TheNasaWildman has. Looks pretty promising. I'm envisioning one of these in a weather proof box with a car battery attached to a solar panel to charge the car battery.

Wilson 801201 Dual band Wireless cell phone repeater amplifier.

Wilson 801201 Amplifier In-Vehicle and Car Kit by Wilson Electronics

Actually, I was thinking for this price range, I could get one for my wife's office since she has a sporadic signal throughout her building.

Also, see the "newer" unit: Wilson 801230 Wireless Mini-SignalBoost | RepeaterStore.com

 

Great Job , & thanks for the info Spleck on Wilsons new product. I :cheers: for your research...atriot:....

 

I would recommend this what Jay said.

 

The Wilson Electronics products work very well. They are also located in Southern Utah (St. George) Cell Phone Antennas and Cell Phone Boosters at Wilson Electronics ...call Ginger there 1-800-204-4104 ext 120 ...she can tell you what products work the best...and tell her that SoCal sent you!

 

Alltel and a few others are still operating analog today, but it will be almost all gone by the end of the year. Before you go and invest several hundred dollars in an amp I would recommend you wait till Nov-Dec and see if you get any usable signal on the hill.

 

When the carriers take the analog system off their tower, they will increase the call capacity of the tower, not the signal strength! Even with the analog being gone the tower will have the same power level. The Wilson products will boost BOTH analog and digital signals. If you need a boost now, no need to wait until the analog side is gone!

 

He may not have a signal at all once the analog goes away, since he's not getting digital at the moment.

 

Exactly, and amps or antennas do get around hard distance limits/access windows that are applied to digital signals.

Also he could have a pilot pollution problem if hes on a hill and the phone sees a digital signals from several towers.
Analog will be shut of in southern Utah in about 90 days. The phone will always seek a digital signal first, if it cant find one or if the digital signal is unusable it will kick to analog. If your not getting one now its not likely you will get one later as the digital build out is complete in Utah.

 

Cellular & Pcs amps can only solve some problems.. It it recomended that you ckeck you coverage area closely, then see if you are on the fringe limits of a zone, if so these Wilson Boosters will work well, But only within a reasonable distance, not if you are in the middle of the Desert, unless your carrier has a Cell site somewherenear or within about 5 to 9 miles, give or take a mile or two...

 

Yeah this was really helpful.
I'm rarely in any kind of place where I get zero signal, but the reception at my house [North Salt Lake, UT on a large hill] isn't so hot. I'm going to look into getting one of these wilson receivers.
thanks!

-Niki

 

Please report back your results! I think we all would like to hear more field reports about their effectiveness.

 

Of course. That's why I joined this forum in the first place. I'm generally an active member of the forums I join. I'll do some research and if/when I get something like this, I'll let you all know. =]

-niki