Wilson Booster

docj wrote:

crcr wrote:

docj wrote:

gajd33 wrote:
They do help, but they only amplify the signal. If your out in the sticks where there is no signal then there is nothing to amplify. The other issue is only one device can be used with each "sleek", so we ended up getting a upgraded booster system so the DW and I (along with our MIFI) could all benefit as well as our occasional visitors.

The Sleek, of course, can't help you when the cellular network stalls or goes down completely. We're currently in a location with somewhat marginal Verizon 4G signal. The sleek helps our phone, acting as our hotspot, to maintain a connection but sometimes the data signal goes to zero throughput even though the phone continues to think it is connected. After a few minutes things return to normal but during the "outage" all the amplification in the world is to no avail.

I have camped in places where my phone shows NO signal and has NO voice or data reception, but once I put the phone in the Wilson Sleek, with my upgraded antenna 14' in the air, it often finds a signal to amplify.

If you are judging the signal level your phone has by the number of bars displayed on the screen, that is a very poor indication of the real situation. Most phones have a screen through which you can display the actual signal level. A decent signal is typically in the range of -95 dB and larger (the smaller the number the stronger the signal). When signal strength gets to be less than ~-100 dB things get pretty iffy. The Wilson Sleek is only capable of a ~3dB improvement in signal strength that's equivalent to a factor of 2 amplification. That's all it can do; that can be a lot but it doesn't achieve miracles.

It's possible that your phone saw no signal before you connected the Sleek, but it's also just as likely that the carrier was experiencing a outage at that moment. Many people are unaware how erratic the cellular data signal can be from moment to moment.

I'm aware of how to access the actual signal strength numbers in the phone, tho I seldom bother. When I said the phone had no signal prior to insertion in the Wilson Sleek, I meant that I could get NO internet access, and NO ability to make or receive calls or texts, which renders the phone useless for me in a practical sense. I have found the upgrading my antenna from the poor performance of the stubby antenna included with the Sleek, to a high gain antenna, plus raising the antenna high in the air on a mast, is a combination that gives me vastly improved boost from the Sleek.

I seldom ever experience carrier (Verizon) outages in the areas we travel and camp in. It's very reliable the places we go.