Cellphone boosters

no signal
OR
too weak to work

boosters .. boost a weak signal

a booster with a directional "YAGI" antenna Might help
you get a signal and boost it

but NO guarantees the only way is to try it

Amplifying on what the other person said.. If you can go up on the roof. No signal = No Signal and some places that's all you get.

Very weak signal the booster may work..

Also remember that HEIGHT IS MIGHT Which is why Is said to go up on the roof to check (You need not get off the ladder) a 20 foot pole (or taller flagpole) is a great place for the "outside" antenna on a booster.

As Mr Wizard said, a cell booster has to have at least a minimal signal to boost. That signal may be below the threshold that your cell phone detects, but it does have to be there. Various boosters have different levels of minimum threshold themselves, so finding one that works where you need it can be a difficult task in a deep fringe area.

We host in a site that has extremely poor cell signal ore WeBoost will gives us three bars of LTE in the 5er and a couple near the outside.

first, which carrier? between verizon and ATT (and the others that use either verizon or ATT signalling) we often find one or the other will give a good signal, but not both when we are in remote locations. easiest solution is if one gives a good signal use that carrier. That's why our cell phones are Verizon and our car is on ATT.

Second, boosters require a minimum signal level to be able to get you a useable signal. Signal level needs to be around -140/150db or better for a booster to work. -140db with a booster will get you a signal around -110db which is adequate for voice and text. -140db will generally not give you a useable signal w/o a booster.

And you may find a booster will give you good voice but not data. In one spot we visit signal level is around -130db, booster gets it to -90db or so, but signal is only voice (1x) no data other than messaging.

And "bars" is generally not a good indicator of actual signal strength. use a app that gives you actual signal strength for voice and data channels.

We have a weboost system that I can use with either an omnidirectional antenna or a directional yagi. Does it work everywhere? NOPE. Does it give me a useable voice/text signal in very marginal conditions or when there is no service w/o a booster? YES in many cases, but not all.

Finally I've found that if I need a booster for data, even with a booster data rate is generally much slower than areas that don't need a booster.

ktmrfs wrote:
first, which carrier? between verizon and ATT (and the others that use either verizon or ATT signalling) we often find one or the other will give a good signal, but not both when we are in remote locations. easiest solution is if one gives a good signal use that carrier. That's why our cell phones are Verizon and our car is on ATT.

Second, boosters require a minimum signal level to be able to get you a useable signal. Signal level needs to be around -140/150db or better for a booster to work. -140db with a booster will get you a signal around -110db which is adequate for voice and text. -140db will generally not give you a useable signal w/o a booster.

And you may find a booster will give you good voice but not data. In one spot we visit signal level is around -130db, booster gets it to -90db or so, but signal is only voice (1x) no data other than messaging.

And "bars" is generally not a good indicator of actual signal strength. use a app that gives you actual signal strength for voice and data channels.

We have a weboost system that I can use with either an omnidirectional antenna or a directional yagi. Does it work everywhere? NOPE. Does it give me a useable voice/text signal in very marginal conditions or when there is no service w/o a booster? YES in many cases, but not all.

Finally I've found that if I need a booster for data, even with a booster data rate is generally much slower than areas that don't need a booster.

I am with Bell, up here in Canada.

I have an iPhone; which app would you recommend?

This app will help you find a signal. It simply points to the cell tower. If you don't see an arrow you won't get coverage and a booster won't help.

Open Signal

Fizz wrote:
This app will help you find a signal. It simply points to the cell tower. If you don't see an arrow you won't get coverage and a booster won't help.

Open Signal

Thank you. Next time I am out where I have no service, I will give it a try to see what it is out there.

Fizz wrote:
This app will help you find a signal. It simply points to the cell tower. If you don't see an arrow you won't get coverage and a booster won't help.

Open Signal

good app, but I disagree with the no arrow booster won't help. Many a time I've been in places with no service, so the app won't point to a tower and once I hook up the weboost I get a useable signal and the app points to nearby tower(s) and the booster gives me at least voice service.

For cell service to work, the PHONE must have enough power to ping a nearby tower, and the tower must be able to then give enough signal for the phone to recieve. The PHONE output power is the weak link in the system in almost all cases. That's where the booster comes into play.

And in car phones such as onstar ATT have more output power than a handheld, IIRC the same power as a booster will give you. so at times while folks with ATT have no service my onstar phone gives nice service and internet access.

Get far enough away from a tower and yes, booster won't solve the problem.

I'm in the same situation, lake front site very weak signal. I can get text and some times calls but data is nearly impossible.

Neighbors have Verizon and can get data. I have US Cellular since the days of the bag phone.

I seen on ebay several boosters from $99 to $139 price range. Most do not mention US Cellular for compatibility. Some say they only work for 4G. I wish I was more informed about what to purchase. Hate to switch carrier's. At night I can see the flashing red light on a tower just a few miles away.