Newest WeBoost Cellular Amp

[EscapeBoulder]

Originally Posted by gmchamplin

The coax connection was replaced with a SMA female to SMA female bulkhead connector, with washers on both sides. Also needed to shave excess plastic on both sides, to reduce the panel thickness and allow enough threads on both sides.

Do you know the impedance of the WeBoost's cable? So one gets the correct connectors for the thru hull panel? Or is that even important?

[CWagner]

Please ignore prior question.
Found what I needed.

[hotfishtacos]

I also have a WeBoost amplifier system that I was using just last week while camping in the Lee Vining, CA area. It is an amazing system when you have weak and/or marginal signals. Like Gary, I use a painter's extension pole to get my antenna up high but mine is mounted in a steel pipe in the front of the trailer on one of my Equalizer WDH mounts. Here are screen shots from my phone's signal strength before and after I turned on the booster.

Before Boost



After Boost



Pretty impressive!

[hotfishtacos]

Here are a few more pictures of my setup.

Antenna mounted on extension pole



Antenna Pole mounted on Equalizer WDH

[gmchamplin]

Originally Posted by JStelly

And what did you use for the 12v switch? I’m not very electrically inclined but I can follow directions with enough guidance. [emoji4]

I just ordered single-pole lighted switch from Amazon. the Daystar Universal Rocker Switch with Blue Light.

[gmchamplin]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Thanks for the photos, and especially for the idea of using a PVC pipe clamped to the spare tire carrier to hold a temporary antenna mast. It's an obvious solution that I just didn't think of.

Do you mind telling us what data plan you have? I also use a hotspot but it has a 20 GB / month cap, and I would rapidly run out of data if I were to stream movies with it. I haven't been keeping up with data plans so I don't know what is available now. Thanks.

I have the Verizon pre-paid 16 GB per month plan, at $45 per month.

We watch 3-4 movies a week, and so far it looks like 16 GB will be enough. If I need more data, I can just buy more in 3 GB increments.

[JStelly]

Originally Posted by gmchamplin

I just ordered single-pole lighted switch from Amazon. the Daystar Universal Rocker Switch with Blue Light.

Thanks!

[gmchamplin]

Originally Posted by EscapeBoulder

Do you know the impedance of the WeBoost's cable? So one gets the correct connectors for the thru hull panel? Or is that even important?

I did not see impedance as a parameter when I ordered the connectors on Amazon, so I didn't worry about it. I think I remember seeing that the cable impedance was 50 ohms, but my memory is not always reliable.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by gmchamplin

I did not see impedance as a parameter when I ordered the connectors on Amazon, so I didn't worry about it. I think I remember seeing that the cable impedance was 50 ohms, but my memory is not always reliable.

It depends on the antenna/amplifier combination. I've seen both 50 ohm & 75 ohm systems, 50 ohms most common, particularly for older designed systems. I'd check with Wilson or, if another brand, the manufacturer.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by hotfishtacos

Here are a few more pictures of my setup.

Antenna mounted on extension pole



Antenna Pole mounted on Equalizer WDH

What type of antenna is that? Thanks.

[hotfishtacos]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

What type of antenna is that? Thanks.

It is the magnetic vehicle antenna that came with the booster. I tried some others but this one performs best. I mounted an upside down cake pan on the top of the mast to provide a ground plane. It works really well.

[gocamp]

at signalbooster.com.......anyone know a cheaper 200 dollar range booster that works good instead of the 500 dollar one the OP posted? Thanks

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by gocamp

at signalbooster.com.......anyone know a cheaper 200 dollar range booster that works good instead of the 500 dollar one the OP posted? Thanks

The WeBoost Driver Sleek is a cradle type booster that sells for $199.99. It requires that you place your phone or hot spot in/on the booster, ie you can't wander around the trailer boosting the signal as you can with the dual antenna types.

That said, they work. I use one when I need an amplifier, although it is an older version made when they were called Wilson Sleeks.

[Rossue]

The difference though is the new amp has a metal casing with cooling fins. This allows them to crank up the gain as much as possible.

[gocamp]

Good weboost reach review here https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/gui...ter-intensive/

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

The WeBoost Driver Sleek is a cradle type booster that sells for $199.99. It requires that you place your phone or hot spot in/on the booster, ie you can't wander around the trailer boosting the signal as you can with the dual antenna types.

That said, they work. I use one when I need an amplifier, although it is an older version made when they were called Wilson Sleeks.

I was reviewing that one on the Wilson website and guess I was looking so long that they threw a popup with a $20 discount code "vehicle20" at me, plus free shipping, so I just ordered one for my hotspot. A lot of times sitting in our Scamp the foil blocks our phones from getting a signal, but I can usually stick my hotspot in a window and get a signal from that. Hoping having an antenna and booster for the hotspot will improve on just the bare hotspot sitting in the window.

[Radar1]

I received our Weboost Drive Sleek carrier yesterday and had a chance to do a quick test today.
I simply laid the mobile antenna on top of our fiberglass roofed camper for the test (would a metal ground plane be advantageous for a better signal?).
I got a good boost in signal with the WeBoost powered on, so it looks like this will help with the weak signals we previously got while inside our reflectix lined camper.

Looks like a 4 DB gain in RSSNR, and a 3 DB gain in RSRQ when powered up. RSRP improved 21 DBm which took it from the marginal area to the good area. I have no idea what all those DB measurements mean but from all appearances it looks like it's working well.

[ericw]

RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) The average power received from a single Reference signal and is typically 44dbm (good) to -140dbm(bad)


RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality) Indicates quality of the received signal and is typically -19.5dB(bad) to -3dB (good)


Decibel (dB) a unit used to measure the power level of an electrical signal (or the intensity of a sound) by comparing it with a given level on a logarithmic scale.


Since you didn't know what these mean (and may still not know ), but yes, it made a difference. The cell phone towers talk to the phones and these are measures of the signal the phone is receiving.

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by Radar1

I received our Weboost Drive Sleek carrier yesterday and had a chance to do a quick test today.
I simply laid the mobile antenna on top of our fiberglass roofed camper for the test (would a metal ground plane be advantageous for a better signal?).:

What kind of antenna are you using? If a mag-mount then there will be a significant difference. If using an OTR antenna it is not necessary.

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by Rossue

What kind of antenna are you using? If a mag-mount then there will be a significant difference. If using an OTR antenna it is not necessary.

Thanks.
Yes, I'm using the tiny mag mount supplied with the WeBoost Sleek. If I get the OTR antenna, then it might be easier to leave the mag mount on my tow vehicle and buy the OTR antenna on Amazon and have that set up on a pole for my camper.
I noticed that "hotfishtacos" has his mounted on an upside down metal pie plate on a pole. Is that all I would need? I have a couple pizza pans laying around.