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2btowed's avatar
2btowed
Explorer
Aug 16, 2013

cell phone amplification

Anyone had any luck with the Wilson line of cell phone amplfiers? It seems all the reviews are either love it or hate it.Would like to use to create hotspot while out in boonies.I realize that there are limitations as to what can be done,but in most places we can get cell coverage,just not enough bars to get good reception.

16 Replies

  • It's not the amplifier that counts, it's where the antenna is located. I have the base Wilson setup with antenna, holder and the integrated cellphone amplifier / holder. Works great, I may be one of the few that has seen repeatedly a swing from 1 bar to 4-5 bars. Nice improvement - but to achieve that, I may need to relocate the antenna 4-5 times around the TT to catch the best reception.

    My kit:

    Wilson Sleek
    Wilson Mobile Pro Accessories
  • I have the Wilson wireless mobile unit with a roof mounted antenna on my car.
    It works very well.
  • I have used the original Signal Booster from Wilson for over 6 years. Never had to connect it hard wired to a cell phone. They have a pickup antenna that velcros to any cell phone in its antenna area. Came with its own window mount antenna but I connected it to my MH roof top cell phone antenna. Wilson techs have been very helpful over the years. I recently changed to their multi-frequency yagi antenna and the Wilson Sleek 4G Verizon. We spend a lot of time in fringe coverage area and have had good results with both voice and data. Knowing the direction of the nearest Verizon tower and raising the antenna as high as practical has produced some amazing connections. YMMV
  • The repeater may be more to what you are looking for. That will allow you to use your cell phones, and use the WiFi capability on your computer, if you've got an air-card.
    They can be pretty pricy.
    I believe that Wilson has a 30-day moneyback policy, so it would be worth trying?
    Let us know how it works:)
  • I bought the whole setup a few years ago. The antenna helps as much as anything, assuming you can add a hard wired antenna, which most phones can not facilitate. The amp doesn't get you more bars, it just amplifies the signal you send. It only really helps in those rare situations where you can get a signal but cant send out one. A repeater type might help more; never tried one of those.
  • I've had somewhat good results over the years with the trucker antenna and amplifier, but nothing like "I went from 0 bars to 5". It's usually 2 bars to 3.

    I don't know how to use them for a hotspot.

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