Before I buy the Sleek 4G
My wife and I are long time users of the sleek 3G. We use the sleek cradle connected to a Wilson truckers antenna, which is mounted on a redneck extendable paint-pole slid into a piece of pvc pipe zip...
Forum Discussion
Well, as usually happens when I decide to go down a tech/electronics path, it ends up costing us money… :D
I started this thread asking about the value of purchasing a Wilson 4g sleek to boost the signal to either of our phones (wifes: galaxy nexus 4G. mine: htc incredible ver. one 3G) for use as a mobile hotspot (preferably using foxfi) on our unlimited Verizon data plan. Ability to receive a signal at our favorite camping places (which have 4G LTE signal present) had deteriorated dramatically on both these phones and our old wilson 3G sleek.
And as usual the kind folks on this forum were very patient and helpful in my learning process.
So now we have obtained the following:
Two new-to-us Samsung galaxy s4 phones. Wife purchased an S4 to replace her nexus after seeing the substantially improved battery life and signal gathering capability over the nexus during our camping trip.
One Wilson sleek 4G. $130
http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electronics-Sleek-Kit-Packaging/dp/B00I9I67Z2
https://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/wilson-sleek-4g-23db-amplifier-kit-460107/
One Weboost Drive 4G-S. $144
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RHMFPCW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
One of these two boosters needs to be returned.
We just returned from a trip to two of our favorite camping spots and the weather was spectacular so we spent the vast majority of our time outside and not inside playing with electronics.
That said I did have a chance to do some testing with the new gear. Instead of just using the bars signal strength meter on the phone I downloaded a signal strength app that provided a bit more detail. It measures among other things the signal strength (dbm) and reference signal received quality (rsrq).
There are a couple of charts on this page that show what is considered poor, fair, good, excellent signal strength/quality. I don’t know if that’s some sort of standard or just that pages opinion.
http://blog.industrialnetworking.com/2014/04/making-sense-of-signal-strengthsignal.html
Sample from testing:
Samsung S4 with weboost 4G LTE and external Wilson trucker’s antenna.
Network: Verizon 4G LTE (as reported by signal strength app).
Non-boosted: -112 dbm, -10 rsrq.
Boosted: -96 dbm, -8 rsrq.
Speed test boosted: DL: 21.54, UL: 2.00. DL: 25.07, UL: 1.74. DL: 17.72, UL:.94.
Samsung S4 with Wilson sleek 4G (non LTE band) and external Wilson trucker’s antenna.
Network: Verizon 4G LTE (as reported by signal strength app).
Non-boosted: -109, -9rsrq.
Boosted: -99 dbm, -8 rsrq.
Speed test boosted: DL: 24.94 mbps. UL: 1.57. DL: 22.76, UL:1.30. DL: 24.37, UL:1.53.
Just a couple of examples of several strings of data I recorded. As you can see there was little practical difference between the weboost and the Wilson boosters. I took enough readings to realize that a few points either way likely didn’t mean much given the natural fluctuation of the signal strength and quality over time.
We had no problem with general web surfing and watched a 40 minute amazon show via the roku with no problems. Ultimately I think the phone really didn’t need boosting in these particular locations and the real star of the show was the S4’s ability to receive a useable 4G LTE signal vs the nexus (and of course my htc 3G).
I am somewhat disappointed with the weboost design and build quality as compared to the Wilson sleek:
The weboost uses a small barrel connector for the power vs the mini usb connector on the Wilson sleek. I’ve not had good luck with durability of the little barrel connectors on other devices. Further, the barrel connector (male) on the weboost was not centered in the plastic housing. May not be a big deal or may prove to be a problem over time.
The weboost only comes with two “ears” to hold the phone in the cradle vs several sets of ears that come with the Wilson sleek. Further, the one set that comes with the weboost is of solid plastic construction vs the open construction of the sleek ears. This means there is no flexing on the weboost ears when slipping a phone between them on the cradle.
One of the strengths of the Wilson sleek and its set of ears is the ability to secure a number of different types of phones in the cradle. The sleek ear design allows them to flex a bit which can mean the difference between holding the phone too loosely or too tight.
With the weboost in the case of the S4 one setting held the phone concerningly tight but the next adjustment out was far too loose. And of course if you already own a Wilson sleek, the sleek ears will not fit in the weboost cradle.
Finally, the weboost shares the Wilson sleeks propensity of running hot during operation. The metal antenna connector is too hot to touch on either of them.
So unless I’m missing something, the written specs seem to indicate that in terms of coverage the Wilson sleek 4G and the weboost 4G-S are the same???
And the testing seems to indicate that there is little performance difference between the two so I think I’d stick with the Wilson sleek 4G. Make sense?
If you have read this far, thank you! :D
I started this thread asking about the value of purchasing a Wilson 4g sleek to boost the signal to either of our phones (wifes: galaxy nexus 4G. mine: htc incredible ver. one 3G) for use as a mobile hotspot (preferably using foxfi) on our unlimited Verizon data plan. Ability to receive a signal at our favorite camping places (which have 4G LTE signal present) had deteriorated dramatically on both these phones and our old wilson 3G sleek.
And as usual the kind folks on this forum were very patient and helpful in my learning process.
So now we have obtained the following:
Two new-to-us Samsung galaxy s4 phones. Wife purchased an S4 to replace her nexus after seeing the substantially improved battery life and signal gathering capability over the nexus during our camping trip.
One Wilson sleek 4G. $130
Wilson 460107 Sleek 4G Amplifier Kit boosts talk, text, internet, 2G, 3G, AWS and 4G/LTE for most US carriers: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular etc… This is the NEW FCC-certified 2014 model, complete DIY kit… This model is designed to increase cellular data (talk, text, internet, 2G, 3G, AWS, 4G/LTE) … Compatibility: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Leap Wireless, C Spire, etc.
Supports providers that transmit in the following frequencies: 698-746 MHz, 746-787 MHz, 824-894 MHz, 1850-1995 MHz, 1710-1755/2110-2155MHz
http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electronics-Sleek-Kit-Packaging/dp/B00I9I67Z2
https://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/wilson-sleek-4g-23db-amplifier-kit-460107/
One Weboost Drive 4G-S. $144
The weBoost 470107 Drive 4G-S amplifies talk & text, 3G, and 4G LTE for all major carrier networks except WiMax and iDen.
All US carriers (4G LTE & 3G): AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Leap Wireless, C Spire, MetroPCS, etc.
All Canadian carriers (4G LTE & 3G): Rogers, Bell, Telus, Fido, Wind, etc.
Frequencies: 700Mhz, 800Mhz, 1900Mhz, and AWS 1700/2100Mhz.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RHMFPCW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
One of these two boosters needs to be returned.
We just returned from a trip to two of our favorite camping spots and the weather was spectacular so we spent the vast majority of our time outside and not inside playing with electronics.
That said I did have a chance to do some testing with the new gear. Instead of just using the bars signal strength meter on the phone I downloaded a signal strength app that provided a bit more detail. It measures among other things the signal strength (dbm) and reference signal received quality (rsrq).
There are a couple of charts on this page that show what is considered poor, fair, good, excellent signal strength/quality. I don’t know if that’s some sort of standard or just that pages opinion.
http://blog.industrialnetworking.com/2014/04/making-sense-of-signal-strengthsignal.html
Sample from testing:
Samsung S4 with weboost 4G LTE and external Wilson trucker’s antenna.
Network: Verizon 4G LTE (as reported by signal strength app).
Non-boosted: -112 dbm, -10 rsrq.
Boosted: -96 dbm, -8 rsrq.
Speed test boosted: DL: 21.54, UL: 2.00. DL: 25.07, UL: 1.74. DL: 17.72, UL:.94.
Samsung S4 with Wilson sleek 4G (non LTE band) and external Wilson trucker’s antenna.
Network: Verizon 4G LTE (as reported by signal strength app).
Non-boosted: -109, -9rsrq.
Boosted: -99 dbm, -8 rsrq.
Speed test boosted: DL: 24.94 mbps. UL: 1.57. DL: 22.76, UL:1.30. DL: 24.37, UL:1.53.
Just a couple of examples of several strings of data I recorded. As you can see there was little practical difference between the weboost and the Wilson boosters. I took enough readings to realize that a few points either way likely didn’t mean much given the natural fluctuation of the signal strength and quality over time.
We had no problem with general web surfing and watched a 40 minute amazon show via the roku with no problems. Ultimately I think the phone really didn’t need boosting in these particular locations and the real star of the show was the S4’s ability to receive a useable 4G LTE signal vs the nexus (and of course my htc 3G).
I am somewhat disappointed with the weboost design and build quality as compared to the Wilson sleek:
The weboost uses a small barrel connector for the power vs the mini usb connector on the Wilson sleek. I’ve not had good luck with durability of the little barrel connectors on other devices. Further, the barrel connector (male) on the weboost was not centered in the plastic housing. May not be a big deal or may prove to be a problem over time.
The weboost only comes with two “ears” to hold the phone in the cradle vs several sets of ears that come with the Wilson sleek. Further, the one set that comes with the weboost is of solid plastic construction vs the open construction of the sleek ears. This means there is no flexing on the weboost ears when slipping a phone between them on the cradle.
One of the strengths of the Wilson sleek and its set of ears is the ability to secure a number of different types of phones in the cradle. The sleek ear design allows them to flex a bit which can mean the difference between holding the phone too loosely or too tight.
With the weboost in the case of the S4 one setting held the phone concerningly tight but the next adjustment out was far too loose. And of course if you already own a Wilson sleek, the sleek ears will not fit in the weboost cradle.
Finally, the weboost shares the Wilson sleeks propensity of running hot during operation. The metal antenna connector is too hot to touch on either of them.
So unless I’m missing something, the written specs seem to indicate that in terms of coverage the Wilson sleek 4G and the weboost 4G-S are the same???
And the testing seems to indicate that there is little performance difference between the two so I think I’d stick with the Wilson sleek 4G. Make sense?
If you have read this far, thank you! :D
