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Old 05-01-2022, 10:29 AM   #1
Elaineleslie
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Cell Phone Booster

I apologize if this is bit long-winded but...

We have a 27' TT and plan to spend 3-4 weeks traveling in Colorado this summer. We both still work and need reliable internet and phone service. We considered the Winegard Gateway since we have the AIR 360+ already installed but the technology seems outdated and we don't want to spend the money on another hotspot plan when we have enough GB on our existing phone plans.

I'm starting to think that instead, we need a cell phone booster. I've looked at the Weboost Destination RV and the Weboost Drive Reach which both seem good. I'm not sure our trailer is big enough for the Destination.

Has anyone had experience with these or similar tech?
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Old 05-01-2022, 10:49 AM   #2
JRTJH
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I think your cell phone/cell data reception will depend more on which carrier you have than on what type of booster you install. You can use the "FCC interactive map" located here: https://fcc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/web...bc88a0d1bdd25b to see the vast areas in Colorado that have no cell phone/cell data coverage. You can also see that some carriers cover larger portions of Colorado than other carriers, so, for example, if you have Sprint, you may get great coverage in some areas and "go for miles and miles with no signal" in other areas. It's the same with any carrier, some have better coverage on "one side of the mountain" and no coverage on the other slope....

If you know where you'll be in Colorado, someone may be able to give you some recommendations on which carrier offers the best coverage in that area. But, remember, what works in Grand Junction may be completely non-existant at Horsetooth Reservoir, just west of Fort Collins and work perfectly in Steamboat Springs, but not at Steamboat Rec Area, but work fairly well at Pearl Lake, across the highway from Steamboat Rec Area.
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Old 05-01-2022, 11:11 AM   #3
Elaineleslie
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Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
I think your cell phone/cell data reception will depend more on which carrier you have than on what type of booster you install. You can use the "FCC interactive map" located here: https://fcc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/web...bc88a0d1bdd25b to see the vast areas in Colorado that have no cell phone/cell data coverage. You can also see that some carriers cover larger portions of Colorado than other carriers, so, for example, if you have Sprint, you may get great coverage in some areas and "go for miles and miles with no signal" in other areas. It's the same with any carrier, some have better coverage on "one side of the mountain" and no coverage on the other slope....

If you know where you'll be in Colorado, someone may be able to give you some recommendations on which carrier offers the best coverage in that area. But, remember, what works in Grand Junction may be completely non-existant at Horsetooth Reservoir, just west of Fort Collins and work perfectly in Steamboat Springs, but not at Steamboat Rec Area, but work fairly well at Pearl Lake, across the highway from Steamboat Rec Area.
We have Verizon and have looked at the coverage map and called the places we plan on staying. Some have ok coverage and some say their reception is sketchy. Other places we go in Arkansas and Oklahoma are the same.

I know a booster can't create signal when there's none but I'm thinking a booster will give us enough in those sketchy areas. I just don't have any experience with them.
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Old 05-01-2022, 12:43 PM   #4
Hblick48
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I have a WeBoost Drive Sleek OTR that we use with a dedicated cell phone and portable router for internet. It boosts our signal by over 18db. Makes a marginal signal good enough that you will notice a speed increase.
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Old 05-01-2022, 12:59 PM   #5
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Our 2021 Cougar 26RBS came with the Winegard antenna system... I bought the Winegard router and an ATT sim card for an extra line and we are totally happy with the results. WIFI even where our phones fail... The antenna pulls in weak cell signals to enable the line to be dependable wifi in mnay locations where we could not get signal before. The extra line is only $41/month on our ATT plan and is unlimited data... Very happy with the system. Also works insode the truck going down the road...
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Old 05-01-2022, 06:58 PM   #6
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We have a weboost RV, about 3 years old. Makes a big difference in some areas, not much in others. Very happy with it. Some areas with no signal will give us 1-2 bars of voice, other areas we get nothing. Areas with 1-2bars voice and we will get some data. Nothing is a sure thing.

If you get one, remember, the farther you get the outside antenna from the inside antenna , the greater your boost will be. 10-20 feet will help. If they are too close the system will reduce range and boost to avoid interference between the two.
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Old 05-02-2022, 04:17 AM   #7
Elaineleslie
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pasayten View Post
Our 2021 Cougar 26RBS came with the Winegard antenna system... I bought the Winegard router and an ATT sim card for an extra line and we are totally happy with the results. WIFI even where our phones fail... The antenna pulls in weak cell signals to enable the line to be dependable wifi in mnay locations where we could not get signal before. The extra line is only $41/month on our ATT plan and is unlimited data... Very happy with the system. Also works insode the truck going down the road...
Hmmmmm... I was told by Winegard that AT&T isn't supported anymore. They've gone completely 5g which isn't compatible with the gateway.

Are you able to make wifi phone calls with that set up?

I just hate paying $41/month or more for a dedicated line that would only be used 3-4 months a year. I suppose if we were full-time RV'ers it would make sense.
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Old 05-02-2022, 04:25 AM   #8
Elaineleslie
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Originally Posted by GHen View Post
We have a weboost RV, about 3 years old. Makes a big difference in some areas, not much in others. Very happy with it. Some areas with no signal will give us 1-2 bars of voice, other areas we get nothing. Areas with 1-2bars voice and we will get some data. Nothing is a sure thing.

If you get one, remember, the farther you get the outside antenna from the inside antenna , the greater your boost will be. 10-20 feet will help. If they are too close the system will reduce range and boost to avoid interference between the two.
Thanks for your comments...

How big is your RV? What model is yours? Did you have to put the outside antenna on a pole for the separation or is it mounted on the roof?

Ours is a 22MLS Travel Trailer (26'). I like the 64dB boost with the Destination RV but am concerned about being able to separate the antennas enough. The Drive Reach has a 50dB boost and seems to be less work to set up. Just wondering if it's worth the set up time and the extra $130 to go with the Destination?

Sorry for all the questions...
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Old 05-02-2022, 06:08 AM   #9
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We both work from the road on extended trips to give us more “reach” on our travels. We have a WeBoost Drive installed and are happy with it’s performance. We have a Verizon 4G MiFi with unlimited data, and we both have AT&T 5G smartphones with unlimited data and 40GB each for personal hotspots. I like having two different providers since where one may not work, the other typically does.

I understand that our situation might be a bit extreme, but the costs (although not at all unreasonable at $170/month combined) are absorbed through our respective businesses. YMMV
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Old 05-02-2022, 08:19 AM   #10
GHen
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Cell Phone Booster

Yes, I mount mine on a extendable window washing pole. It’s still just above our seating area but I can get the pole about 8 feet above the rv. The higher, the better reception. My rig is a 29’ Eagle 5th wheel.

I just run the cable out the window. Most of the time we have a good connection. When we don’t I pull the antenna out and I get improved reception. I have a couple of command strip broom holders on the outside of the rig, don’t even need to get on a ladder.
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Old 05-02-2022, 10:24 AM   #11
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I've not used one but I see this type of booster antenna on many trucks in the West Texas oil fields.


weBoost Drive Reach OTR - Cell Phone Signal Booster for Trucks and SUVs | Boosts 5G & 4G LTE for All U.S. Carriers - Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile & more | Made in the U.S. | FCC Approved (model 477154) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WYQND57...R44CHM72BZMSVE
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Old 05-02-2022, 12:12 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elaineleslie View Post
Hmmmmm... I was told by Winegard that AT&T isn't supported anymore. They've gone completely 5g which isn't compatible with the gateway.

Are you able to make wifi phone calls with that set up?

I just hate paying $41/month or more for a dedicated line that would only be used 3-4 months a year. I suppose if we were full-time RV'ers it would make sense.
Someone gave you bad info. AT&T still is very much active on 4G LTE and has very limited 5G coverage.
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Old 05-02-2022, 12:21 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody View Post
I've not used one but I see this type of booster antenna on many trucks in the West Texas oil fields.


weBoost Drive Reach OTR - Cell Phone Signal Booster for Trucks and SUVs | Boosts 5G & 4G LTE for All U.S. Carriers - Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile & more | Made in the U.S. | FCC Approved (model 477154) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WYQND57...R44CHM72BZMSVE

So THAT’S what I’ve been seeing! Thanks!
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Old 05-02-2022, 12:22 PM   #14
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Here is a link to the Hiboost 4G 2.0 RV cell booster I installed. I also installed a King WiFi booster at the same time. Both outside antennas mounted on a 4' extending mast. Both work very well and boost my cell and wifi quite a bit. The nice thing about the cell booster is that it feeds a router inside the our camper which has an inside antenna to make the router a hotspot for any device needing 4G LTE. Our system works with any carrier both 4G and 5G. A cell booster is critical if you want to stay connected. We use it to stream television via a Roku box.

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=50959
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Old 05-15-2022, 06:05 PM   #15
aehjr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
I think your cell phone/cell data reception will depend more on which carrier you have than on what type of booster you install. You can use the "FCC interactive map" located here: https://fcc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/web...bc88a0d1bdd25b to see the vast areas in Colorado that have no cell phone/cell data coverage. You can also see that some carriers cover larger portions of Colorado than other carriers, so, for example, if you have Sprint, you may get great coverage in some areas and "go for miles and miles with no signal" in other areas. It's the same with any carrier, some have better coverage on "one side of the mountain" and no coverage on the other slope....

If you know where you'll be in Colorado, someone may be able to give you some recommendations on which carrier offers the best coverage in that area. But, remember, what works in Grand Junction may be completely non-existant at Horsetooth Reservoir, just west of Fort Collins and work perfectly in Steamboat Springs, but not at Steamboat Rec Area, but work fairly well at Pearl Lake, across the highway from Steamboat Rec Area.
What John said...

We live in Colorado and have traveled/ camped/ ridden motorcycles all over the state. Cell phone coverage is inconsistent across the state, regardless of what the coverage maps may say. If good cell phone coverage is important, recommend you stay in a campground in or near a larger city that has good cell coverage.
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Old 05-16-2022, 03:06 AM   #16
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Here in the Northeast, especially in the mountains (hills compared to Colorado), the cell carrier maps are no where near accurate because the carriers use 2D maps instead of 3D. They get special favors from the Federal Government for providing coverage to a larger audience so they are incentivized to lie.

A few years back the state of VT sent a team of people out with specially equipped vehicles set up with 5 carriers and data logging software and they drove every state and US route in the state. Their map looked nothing like the carrier maps. I shouldn’t be surprised, but there was the proof. More states if not the FCC should do the same.
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