Sleek (WeBoost) booster on a 5.0TA

[padlin]

Has anyone installed such on a fifth wheel? If so where did you install the booster and the antenna?

[tractors1]

A few of us have them in a 21, which is same as the 5 from the doorway to the back. I added mine just aft of the fridge, in the overhead cabinet, so I could replace the antenna easily if needed. Haven't had any feedback issues with the cradle in the same compartment.

[rbryan4]

Charlie's right. Locating the cradle near the antenna hasn't posed a problem with these. The most logical location for the cradle is probably in/adjacent to an overhead cabinet over the dinette, with the antenna roof mounted aft above it.

[Ron in BC]

I just finished drilling an exit hole from my truck cab so I can use mine while underway. Later I might buy a second antenna to mount on the trailer.

It looks like several people have these now. I haven't used mine yet but will on the way to Osoyoss. It'll be interesting to compare notes at some point. I think it'll be an improvement on my previous units but time will tell.

Ron

[gbaglo]

Try it in Manning Park. Came upon a car accident a few years ago and couldn't report it until I got to Princeton.

[t-twnbob]

I had the antenna mounted just forward of the entry door and keep the cable coiled in the overhead cabinet next to the door. Reace drilled a hole in the forward corner next to the wall and added a rubber grommet. The cradle base is mounted on the lower cabinet counter top. 12 volt power is right there. I just pull the cable down and connect to the sleek cradle when needed. When traveling or not in use, the cradle lives in the drawer and the cable is coiled back in the overhead cabinet. Works for us.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Try it in Manning Park. Came upon a car accident a few years ago and couldn't report it until I got to Princeton.

Will do. Telus coverage map doesn't look good for the first half. I'll be doing a side-by-side comparison between two phones so I should be able to get a good impression of how much good the weboost does.

Ron

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Will do. Telus coverage map doesn't look good for the first half. I'll be doing a side-by-side comparison between two phones so I should be able to get a good impression of how much good the weboost does.

Ron

In our experience, the Sleek and antenna did a good job of boosting an existing signal. If there was no signal at all, it didn't create one.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

In our experience, the Sleek and antenna did a good job of boosting an existing signal. If there was no signal at all, it didn't create one.

Hmmm... all any booster can do is boost an existing signal. I assume this means that unless the network signal is strong enough to show some service (although perhaps very low), the booster won't be able to boost it to a usable level. That's a useful guideline - there are places on mountain highways where a typical mobile phone shows no network at all (as far as it can tell), not just poor signal.

[kands]

I have a Sleek 4G kit with a window mount for the short antenna. The last place we camped had reception of one bar on the Verizon network without the Sleek and three with the Sleek and window mount. Three bars was enough for email, weather, and news. We didn't try any more than that. When I was checking on this last year I found that Technomadia's The Mobile Internet Handbook - 2014 had some very basic info but also some very useful info on boosters, antenna selection, etc. One other item I was concerned about was the loss of signal strength with couplings which is why I'm trying just using the one coupling to the short antenna. I'll get a larger antenna if this short one doesn't do the job for me in the long run.

[padlin]

Originally Posted by t-twnbob

I had the antenna mounted just forward of the entry door and keep the cable coiled in the overhead cabinet next to the door. Reace drilled a hole in the forward corner next to the wall and added a rubber grommet. The cradle base is mounted on the lower cabinet counter top. 12 volt power is right there. I just pull the cable down and connect to the sleek cradle when needed. When traveling or not in use, the cradle lives in the drawer and the cable is coiled back in the overhead cabinet. Works for us.

Any chance of getting a picture of the antenna placement from the outside of the trailer?

[Mike Lewis]

I bought my Sleek earlier on my current trip, just to see if it would help data reception for my hotspot. It does-- it works well. I didn't mount the Sleek in the trailer. I sit it on the dinette table when I'm parked and put the hotspot in the cradle. I have an external antenna and route the cable inside when parked. So it's sort of a proof-of-concept.

Now that I know that it works, I'd like to get one of the models that has an external wifi antenna like the 4G-M or 4G-X. Then I could leave the hotspot in the truck (which is always parked next to the trailer) and still get the signal boost. It would work with my cellphone as well. But I'm put off by the cost of these boosters. Ow.

[padlin]

I installed half a dozen Wilson 3G units similar to the current multiuser boosters with roof mount Yagi, and ceiling mount indoor antennas at work a number of years back, was not impressed with their range. Might be something you want to check on before shelling out the $.

[Mike Lewis]

Was it the wifi range of the boosters that you weren't impressed with? Sounds like it, but wanted to make sure.

[padlin]

Yes, at times you had to stand directly under the antenna to get enough signal for calls. Tba ceiling antenna being 6-10 feet from the amp.

[Vermilye]

While the dual antenna systems (those using an external antenna feeding an amplifier that feeds an internal antenna) have the advantage that they let you boost multiple devices, I've found that the short distances between the two antennas forced by the size of our fiberglass trailers limits the working distance from the internal antenna. Even though my previous dual antenna system had a more powerful amplifier, I actually get more gain using a Sleek. Of course, I have the disadvantage that I can only amplify one device at a time, and it has to be in the cradle of the Sleek.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by padlin

Yes, at times you had to stand directly under the antenna to get enough signal for calls. Tba ceiling antenna being 6-10 feet from the amp.

Thanks for understanding what I meant: the repeated cellular signal, not a wifi signal that would come from a hotspot (in my case). I confuse myself sometimes.

[Ron in BC]

OK, tried out my new weboost at home because we live in a valley with poor reception so that should have been a good test for it.

Things did not go well. Plugged it in and the power unit and it made a little snapping sound. The green light that should have come on didn't. Checked the fuse and it was fine.

The quick start instructions refer to the website for detailed guide. Couldn't find anything. Phoned weboost, on Sunday no less , and they said they'd send me a new USB power plug. That's great customer service but I'm leaving for Osoyoss before it'd arrive here so it's being sent to Kelowna where I can pick it up after the meet.

So, the question for those that know these things, would it be possible to use a basic 12volt cigarette lighter USB outlet to power the cradle?

Ron

[skiman]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

OK, tried out my new weboost at home because we live in a valley with poor reception so that should have been a good test for it.

Things did not go well. Plugged it in and the power unit and it made a little snapping sound. The green light that should have come on didn't. Checked the fuse and it was fine.

The quick start instructions refer to the website for detailed guide. Couldn't find anything. Phoned weboost, on Sunday no less , and they said they'd send me a new USB power plug. That's great customer service but I'm leaving for Osoyoss before it'd arrive here so it's being sent to Kelowna where I can pick it up after the meet.

So, the question for those that know these things, would it be possible to use a basic 12volt cigarette lighter USB outlet to power the cradle?

Ron

Should work fine. It takes larger USB not micro.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

So, the question for those that know these things, would it be possible to use a basic 12volt cigarette lighter USB outlet to power the cradle?

Ron

Yes. My Sleek is plugged into a USB outlet and works fine. It does use the old-style mini-USB plug, though, at the Sleek end.