What does PCS mean? I've been going through a lot of work and expense trying to improve my cellphone reception in the rual area I live in. There is not a Sprint tower for quite a distance from here. I bought a cellphone booster kit like the one sold out of Best Buy, and after a lot of work erecting a extremely tall antenna mast and running 120 feet of low loss cable I have an improved signal, the only part of the original kit that is still being used is just the booster, I've had to change both antenna's and the cable, but I still need a better signal, so I found an industrial type booster used for office buildings and wharehouses on ebay, I got it for about $300.00 less than it sells for new, I was thinking this should send the signal through the roof, I hooked it up and I got nothing. So I did something I should have done from the start, I researched it. It's for an In-Building Wireless PCS SmartTech Amplifier (60-dB). It's 1850-1990 MHz, so it should work for Sprint. The only thing I can't seem to find any info on is what PCS stands for. I see it everywere, but what does it mean?
Re: Titleless Okay, I just found what it means in Wikipedia, PCS stands for "Personal Communications Service". But I still don't know if that is why it did not boost my signal. Is it just for systems like Metro PCS? I think there is a reason that it's specified on the unit, I just need to know for sure. It does no good to ask the manufacturer, they never answered the question I asked last month.
Re: Titleless PCS originally referred to the 1900mhz band that was opened up for mobile service in the mid-90s. It was a digital band that allowed more features and option than existing analog bands used by the A/B cellular carriers at the time (on the 850mhz band). 1900mhz was digital from the start, whereas the 850mhz band wasn't in many cases. Sprint uses the 1900mhz band. Other than that, the PCS term is a relic of the past and plays no factor in whether your booster will work with your phone or not.
Re: Titleless Okay, thanks, then the problem is somewhere else, probably the outside antenna is the wrong type for this unit, I think it requires a Yagi style directional antenna, and I don't think a directional antenna will work here. I just could not imagine that it would make that much of a differnce.
If this is just for your house why don't you just get an Airvana? Sprint provides them for free if you complain and it will give you good signal inside your house.
If you climb on your roof where your antenna is located, how much signal is showing? In home amplifiers/repeaters only work well when they can receive a strong signal outside, and relay that signal inside. If the best you can get at the antenna is a weak signal, then all it has to relay inside is a weak signal. Specialized antennas and amplifiers can only do so much. How far are you from the site you are trying to connect to, and can you get a direct line-of-sight connection to it, or are there buildings, trees, hills, or other obstructions in the way?
No, there is no direct line of sight to the towers, it's blocked by the Sierra mountains, I have mountains and hills all around me. That's why I have to have a satellite dish for internet and another for television, now I'm attempting antenna's for my cell phone. I have had some limited success with the first one, I just figured a stronger amplifier would give me a better signal. But I guess it's not as simple as that.
Yeah, if you have a mountain in the line of sight, then your only hope is to get the antenna as high as possible. Its still not going to be great, you may get it better than it is now though.
This is why I don't think a directional antenna would work here, The antenna that originally came with the booster kit is a panel style directional antenna, and it proved to be almost useless, In order for a directional antenna to work you would need something to direct it at, so I switched to a omni directional antenna and I got much better results. I just don't understand why this new booster won't work with it.
