Member Since: 18 Sep 2017
Location: On the NC500
Posts: 497
Mobile / Cellular phone signal booster - any experience!!
Living in the north Scottish Highlands, a poor phone signal is a fact of life. It becomes a problem when I take guests out on a tour as I rely on a data signal for my location finder. Often outside the vehicle there is a weak signal but inside the metal box of the truck , it goes.
I’m considering a signal booster to resolve the issue but at nearly £300 I thought I’d try to get some advice from the group. Has anyone had any experience of these type of units? I understand they are more popular stateside.
Member Since: 17 Aug 2012
Location: Somewhere out back
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Not had any experience with anything like that but I’d be calling them to discuss your situation and see if it is what they would recommend? Or something else?
But also I see on there home page they do offer a 15 day money back guarantee so perhaps you could get one try in your wildest location and if no good return it?
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30th Aug 2020 8:42 am
pwheeldon
Member Since: 15 Jan 2020
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 1446
What about getting a mini unit with an external antenna? May not be as good as it isn't boosted, but may be a cheaper option.Discovery 4 GS 2009 Auto Stornoway Grey
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I suggest talking with you service provider in the first instance.
Some recommend particular solutions, based on your area.
I got a fixed signal booster for Vodafone, their Sure signal booster, which is c. £160 retail for a friend in a poor signal area. After escalating the issue with the customer service people, and the local Vodafone store, it was provided either f.o.c or virtually f.o.c. I can't recall which. This is of course irrelevant in your case as it uses fixed broadband. However in the course of my conversations, some 3 years ago, with Vodafone it was apparent that there were other "boosters" available.
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30th Aug 2020 9:55 am
NC500
Member Since: 18 Sep 2017
Location: On the NC500
Posts: 497
Thanks for feedback. I have contacted both EE and O2 (the providers I use) and they offer nothing for boosting signals in a vehicle.
EE helpfully said they were not required as the vehicle will quickly pass from one cell to another so poor signal or signal loss will inevitably be quickly rectified. I don’t think their ‘advisor’ had ever been to the Highlands....
30th Aug 2020 10:06 am
nigethecat
Member Since: 11 Sep 2016
Location: Marnoch
Posts: 4144
I used one a few years back in the house and got a noticeable increase in signal strength indoors, it was similar to the ones now priced at £300 but I don’t recall paying that for it more like £150....
I also installed an additional aerial on the tv mast using a signal tester to find the strongest signal. I guess the car ones would offer some similar improvement.
But as the others have said speak to your provider first as they may recommend a particular model and may even supply them at a discounted rate.... failing that I have two old Vodafone Suresignals that you are welcome to have for the cost of postage...I want to see the sweets before I get into your windowless van... I'm not stupid!
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30th Aug 2020 10:07 am
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
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Are any other mobile providers delivering a better signal strength? Might be worth seeing if you get a stonier signal from Vodafone.New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)
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Moo - I'm sure that the Vodafone signal will be rock hard.
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
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There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
30th Aug 2020 10:30 am
darrind
Member Since: 04 Jul 2008
Location: In A World of My Own!
Posts: 2863
Is it mobile signal you need or locally stored maps, the phones GPS signal is unaffected by the poor/lack of cellular signal, it just cannot download the mapping data to show you where you are against a blank screen. The phone should know where it is from GPS data using inbuilt GPS. Perhaps using a sat nav application with locally stored maps might be better.Must stop buying shiny toys....
30th Aug 2020 12:28 pm
NC500
Member Since: 18 Sep 2017
Location: On the NC500
Posts: 497
Thanks everyone.
Firstly, masts are so few and far between, all operators tend to share the same masts. I have tried EE, BT, Vodaphone, O2 and Virgin - all are more or less the same.
Regarding Google Maps, the underlying maps are stored locally on my devices but for some unknown reason, my ‘places’ have to be downloaded every time. I can only assume the designers and programmers of Maps think that everywhere in the world has a cellular signal.
If I could download and store my ‘places’ on my device, problem solved.
But I can’t, so it isn’t!
30th Aug 2020 1:24 pm
MGCarr
Member Since: 15 Jul 2014
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 703
You might like to have a read of this https://www.motorhomewifi.com/product-guide/ I have been using one of their 4G compact units on our motor home for about 6 months with a high degree of success. For example last weekend we were getting 2gig of broadband in a location where mobiles on the same network had no data service at all.
This is the unit we have, external aerial on the roof and WiFi router for up to 10 users in the wardrobe.
Hope it helps
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30th Aug 2020 2:30 pm
Iguana
Member Since: 14 Oct 2013
Location: 'Sunny' Zomerset
Posts: 9402
NC500 wrote:
Regarding Google Maps, the underlying maps are stored locally on my devices but for some unknown reason, my ‘places’ have to be downloaded every time. I can only assume the designers and programmers of Maps think that everywhere in the world has a cellular signal.
If I could download and store my ‘places’ on my device, problem solved.
But I can’t, so it isn’t!
I used to travel to Boise, Idaho regularly with work. Had the whole state downloaded on phone. Made sure data was turned off and Google maps using downloaded section worked perfectly.
When you go out, turn all mobile data off and then it should work Iggy/Ieuan
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30th Aug 2020 3:19 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
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Slightly off topic but you had to have worked for HP then...? The location field in all their printers tended to say Boise, ID.
I got a fixed signal booster for Vodafone, their Sure signal booster
I had one for work a few years back. I recall it only seemed to help me MAKE calls and not receive them.
my logic was that when I made the call, the box saw the signal and handled it - i.e. send it down broadband to Vodafone HQ or somewhere then out into the ether. But any incoming calls wouldn't know they should go to Vodafone HQ and would try to connect to me via local mast which weakly knew where I was but signal was too poor for phone calls..
Dean
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30th Aug 2020 4:47 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
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MGCarr wrote:
This is the unit we have, external aerial on the roof and WiFi router for up to 10 users in the wardrobe.
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