Cell Phone Booster installation

Bobmontana wrote:
So for the ignorant (me) , those of you that are running a booster. Do you see service in places where you didn't before or only stronger service where it is normally weak?

Both. There are places where we can get marginal phone/text service and with the booster phone/text is like normal and we get decent internet service.

there are places that w/o the booster we have no service, signal level below -120db but with the booster we can get phone service and text.
Some of these remote spots also let us get email and marginal internet, hit and miss.

And then there are places where we still get no service even with the booster.

The booster generally has a 3-5 watt max output vs. a phone around 0.8 watts. So if the booster can detect the cell tower signal AND then have enough signal to handshake with the tower (same process for the phone) you can get then get service.

So to get service you must meet two criteria
1) be able to receive and process a signal from a cell tower
2) the phone/booster must be able to transmit a strong enough signal for the tower to process and analyse the signal.

Now for best reception always put the cell phone in the cradle or on top of the indoor antenna wifi pad on the booster. In places where reception is marginal with the phone just being close to the indoor antenna may be adequate. so I just put my hotpsot in the booster antenna cradle.