Cell phone signal

How do you measure db gain? Iphone only has 5 dots.

Your time for buying Wilson products is running short. They changed their name to WeBoost. Still good products with a price increase. The Wilson Sleek can boost one device at a time. With Verizon I average 18db gain. Since you can text it sounds like your current signal is about 105db. Best case scenario the Sleek would get you near 87db. When discussing 3G, anything below 91db is great. I also have two multi device Wilson boosters. They work great in a vehicle. They do have their drawbacks in an RV. The specific unit I have has an indoor antenna with a range of 5ft. The closer the device, the better it works. 6" and under distance between devices I have seen 35db gain. The unit I have is good to four devices. They also sell other units that have an indoor antenna capable of lighting up an entire room.

Both units I've mentioned ship with 4" rubber antenna. The rubber antenna has very little gain. It also does very little to harm signal. Wilson sells bigger, better antennas. However, you will have to be very specific with your exact needs. The bigger antennas might hurt 1x, 3g or 4g signal. They may help Verizon 4g, but, hurt AT&T 3g. All antennas have a trade off.

Antenna placement is not supposed to matter too much. It does. I've found middle of my truck and Jeep hood provides the best signal. Not sure about your RV. The 4" rubber antenna can boost off a can of chili for its ground reference. Some metals are better than others. I carry an emergency sheet of roof flashing (small). The higher you can get the antenna is better. Outside the vehicle/RV is also preferred.

If you have any specific model questions Wilson (now WeBoost) has great customer service. As mentioned in previous comment. Some phones have stronger signal than others. I've found most Motorolas and new Samsung devices have great signal strength. There are exceptions. Not all cell towers are created equal. Some tower power outputs are turned down. Some towers provide great signal with very low speed. I've seen other towers with low signal output and very fast internet speed. Some towers do not respond well to VPN's.

50db - Perfect signal

87db - Still decent

92db - Expect 3g speed to decrease

96db - Losing data connection, calls/text ok

101db- Call quality severely diminished, text probably ok

105db - Reaching the upper limit of text

110db - Might receive a text, usually can't send one

120db - No signal.




Wilson Sleek


Wilson Mobile Pro 4g

Another vote for Wilson Sleek. We have had good success with ours.

DW's Apple does not get a signal when my Android gets good reception. Lots of online retailers like Solid Signal offer a variety of amplifiers. I bought one three years ago and with its external antenna it boosts the signal well.

I like the Wilson brand of amps, I have a Wilson Sleek and am amazed how well it works. I have used it inside buildings at work and out in the boonies. They have cradle based amps that will work for a single phone or hotspot, they are cheaper and more portable. They also have hotspots that will allow multiple devices to connect, they cost more but allow more flexibility with a permanent install. Depending on what type and if you want 3G to LTE you can find one from about $100 to $500. The situation you describe sounds ideal for an amp, having a signal but one that is not strong enough to be practical.