Archive for the ‘Improving Cellular Reception’ Category

In Building Signal Improvement

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

In Building Cellular Amplifier System

Cellular Repeater System

Where would you like to improve your cellular signal?

  • Home?
  • Office?
  • Warehouse?
  • Hanger?

Today, it’s easier than ever to improve your cellular signal. One of the best cell phone accessories categories is cell phone signal improvement. There are many systems that improve cellular signal strength inside of buildings. Picking the right one is the only challenge (well, installing the system can be a challenge too).

A cellular signal improvement system consists of:

  • Outside Antenna – Receives & Transmits to Your Provider’s Tower(s)
  • Cellular Amplifier – Takes Outside Signal, Amplifies It, Sends to Inside Antenna
  • Inside Antenna – Sends & Receives from the Amplifier and Broadcasts Inside.

That’s the basics. You’ll also need electrical power, maybe a lightning surge protector, cables and connectors.

The cellular amplifier (repeater) is the key. To strong an amplifier and the inside and outside antenna create oscillation. Unless your amplifier shuts down automatically, you can cause real interference with carrier towers in the area.

Basically you’ll need an amplifier that:

  • Communicates with your service provider’s towers at up to 3 Watts
  • Has Oscillation Control – Preferably automatically shuts down if it senses oscillation.
  • Has enough gain to cover your intended area.

More Info: In Building Cellular Booster Systems

iPhone 4 Signal Bars

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

A bit of drama popped up with the introduction of the iPhone 4. Users complained that if they held the phone in a certain way, the phone’s signal bars would drop dramatically. Apple responded by announcing that they were working on the formula on how bars are calculated.

It’s the popularity of the iPhone 4 that has brought the issue of how you hold the phone effects signal quality to the forefront. However, the potential to lose signal occurs in pretty much any cell phone if you cover the internal antenna with your hand or your head gets between the phone and cell tower.  So, this is not a new issue. I’m guessing that Apple’s announcement to change the signal bar calculation means that the signal drop should not be as dramatic as reported and that Apple feels that the actual problem is not the iPhone design (Where they placed the internal antenna).

Unfortunately there is no standard for calculating signal bars in relation to actual received signal strength reading.  Is Apple or AT&T any different from other carriers and manufacturers in the way they calculate signal bars? From our personal experience and testing, the major carriers and phone manufactures are all over the board in calculating signal bars as compared to the device received signal strength. The formulas are proprietary so there little that can be done to evaluate each. We have even seen cases where 2 phones on the same network, show different number of signal bars.

The most accurate way to determine your signal strength is to put your device into test mode and get a signal reading (in dbm). A BlackBerry’s signal reading can be found in Options > Status. Many GSM devices, including the iPhone 4, do not allow you to access test mode or any signal reading.

Here’s a good article with lots of contributions from the Wall Street Journal blogger on the issue.

The Case of Apple and the Mysterious Bars

Tekkeon Mobile Power Supply

Monday, June 14th, 2010
Tekkeon Mobile Power Supply

Tekkeon Mobile Power Supply

Cellular Amplifier Back Up Power

We get many requests for using a cellular amplifier in areas where there is no access to electricity or during power outages.

We have done some initial testing using a cellular amplifier with a couple of Tekkeon mobile power supplies with some pretty good results.

TekCharge MP1800

TekCharge MP1800

We tested the Tekkeon TekCharge MP1800 with our lowest power amplifier, the Wilson Sleek, and got about 5 hours of stand by time. We will continue to test with larger amplifiers and report the results.

More Info On Tekkeon Power Backup / Chargers at Alternative Wireless

Cell Phone Repeaters On The Go

Monday, June 14th, 2010
Wilson Mobile Professional

Wilson Mobile Professional

On the Go? Need to improve your cellular signal at home, in the office or on the road?

Since we started offering cell phone accessories, we have received these questions a lot and there are several options. One of the best is the Wilson Mobile Wireless Cellular Amplifier. It’s a 3 watt amplifier with about 40db gain. It’s a great mix of power while it minimizes required antenna seperation.  In a vehicle, the outside antenna is placed on the roof getting 6 ft of seperation from the inside antenna and having the metal of the vehicle between the two. In a home or office, the outside antenna can be placed outside a window and the inside antenna at your desk.

Wilson Mobile Wireless 3 Watt Amplifier System

Wilson Mobile Wireless 3 Watt Amplifier System

Other more portable options are the Wilson Mobile Mini-Amp and the Wilson Professional. With the Wilson Professional, you can improve your cell signal just about anywhere like the home, office, hotel, airport or vehicle.

More Infor on Portable Cellular Repeaters

Wilson DB Pro Wins “2009 Best” Award

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
Wilson DB Pro Cell Phone Signal Booster

Wilson DB Pro Cell Phone Signal Booster

CE Pro magazine and the Custom Electronics Dealers and Installers Association (CEDIA) have awarded Wilson’s SignalBoost DB Pro cellular booster with their 2009 Best Electronics Systems Technologies (BEST) Award in the Home Networking Device Category.

CE Pro held it’s inaugural BEST Awards at the recent CEDIA Expo recognizing the “most noteworth new products and technoligies” for 2009.

Wilson Electronics answers the growing need to improve cellular signal inside buildings  ”with the SignalBoost™ DB Pro kit.  Allowing home integrators and contractors to cash in on an emerging market and consumer demand, DB Pro is installed using standard RG-6 cable, common to home installers and often prewired in newer buildings.”

Read more here: http://www.cepro.com/best/details/signalboost_db_pro/

Find the Wilson SignalBoost DB Pro at Alternative Wireless.

Wilson Electronics Sleek™

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
Wilson Sleek

Wilson Sleek

The Wilson Sleek

At CES this week Wilson announced it’s new Sleek cell phone signal booster. The Wilson Sleek™ is designed to be simple, plug and play and easy to move from vehicle to vehicle.

At a planned price of less than $130, the Wilson Sleek will come in at a lower price point than Wilson’s other amplifiers making it very attractive. It will support most signal frequencies from AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and the rest except for Nextel’s iDen 800MHz.

The Wilson Sleek Features:

  • Reduces dropped calls
  • Extends signal range
  • Speeds data rates
  • Up to 20 TIMES more output power to cell site when in a vehicle
  • Built-in port for battery charging
  • Simplifies hands free operation
  • Installs in minutes – no special tools required
  • Adjustable arms to fit most any phone

No expected delivery date has been given by Wilson. For more info, Wilson Sleek

Wilson Cradle Boosters

Friday, December 4th, 2009
Wilson Cradle Boosters

Wilson Cradle Boosters

Wilson’s new Cradle Boosters are a nice compact, portable and very effective to boost the signal to your device. The Cradle Boosters come in 3 versions: Apple iPhone iBooster, BlackBerry Curve C-Booster and the universal version U-Booster that works with most cell phones and cellular PDA devices.

Shop Wilson Cradle Boosters

Wilson iPhone Signal Booster

Saturday, July 4th, 2009
iPhone Signal Booster

iPhone Signal Booster

New from Wilson Electronics is the iPhone iBooster. The iBooster iPhone signal booster consists of an iPhone cradle with built in amplifier, an outside cellular antenna and mounting brackets.

Features include:

  • Built In Cellular Amplifier – Reduces dropped calls
  • Extends iPhone signal range and improves data rate in weak signal areas
  • Up to 20 TIMES more output power to cell site when in a vehicle
  • Built-in battery charger
  • Pass-thru iPhone connector for accessory access while in cradle
  • Cradle accommodates most iPhone protective cases
  • Installs in minutes – no special tools required
  • Package includes everything needed — plug-and-play
  • Attractive, compact design

More Wilson iPhone iBooster Information

New DualBand Cellular Repeater System

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
Wilson SignalBoost DB Pro Cellular Amplifier System

Wilson SignalBoost DB Pro Cellular Amplifier System

Wilson Electronics is introducing a new dual band in building cellular amplifier called the Wilson SignalBoost DB Pro. This Wilson cellular amplifier has  62db gain on both 1900MHz and 800MHz frequencies and uses 75 ohm RG-6 cable that is commonly found in current home for use with Cable or Satellite TV.

At the same time, Wilson has added three 75 ohm antennas including a dual band building cellular antenna, panel cellular antenna and dome cellular antenna. New options in include an in wall installation kit for the panel antennas such as an “in the wall” panel installation kit and stud mount dome antenna kit.

More Wilson Dual Band Cellular Repeater Info

Basic Cellular Amplifier Repeater System

Sunday, March 15th, 2009

The amount of improved cellular signal you get inside the building will depend on the signal strength outside (where ever you mount the outside antenna). Typically an in building repeater system will work for you if you can make a cell phone call from where-ever you might put the outside antenna. If you can make a call from outside of your vehicle or from the roof of your house or building, the signal is probably strong enough for the system to help you.

In Building Cellular Amplifier Sytems

In Building Cellular Amplifier Sytems

A basic cellular repeater building amplifier system consists of an outside antenna to collect the signal from the cell tower, a cellular amplifier to boost the signal and  an inside antenna to broadcast the improved signal  inside the building. A basic system is easy to install with running cable being the hardest part.

You can put most phones into test mode and get a received signal strength reading. This is a number usually between -60db and over -100db. The closer to 50db, the better the signal. To make a reliable phone call you usually need a signal under -100db. A signal in the -70db range will give pretty good coverage inside the building depending on the system.

More Info on In Building Cellular Amplifier Systems.