cell phone antenna

laurah · 10-06-2016, 12:21 PM

What exactly does the cell phone antenna look like? Is it worth getting? Would it be easy to install later-after market?

tractors1 · 10-06-2016, 01:24 PM

Don't know which antenna ETI uses; I had 12V drops put in my upper cabinets so I could power a Sleek cradle that connected to the antenna. Had the antenna mounted at one end of an upper cabinet, so it would be easy to replace if broken by a tree branch somewhere.

Which also means it would be easy to install after delivery should you prefer, but having the 12V drops available means you don't have to run the wiring............

laurah · 10-06-2016, 01:49 PM

There is sure a lot involved to stay connected

**rbryan4** · 10-06-2016, 02:17 PM

ETI doesn't "use" any of them. It's a customer supplied option. If you want them to install an antenna, on the roof for example, you can send it to them. They'll drill the hole, mount it, seal it and drop the cable where you specify. When I supplied a Wilson Sleek cradle as well as an antenna to Escape back in early 2015, they installed the antenna but not the cradle. That part was up to me. I'd planned ahead though by having Escape put a 12V drop in the cabinet near where I wanted the cradle, so it was easy to do the rest on my own.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

laurah · 10-06-2016, 02:29 PM

said the blind woman

casejh · 10-06-2016, 08:40 PM

What antenna did you choose, and what location on the trailer did you choose to have ETI install the antenna? Thanks.

JPSpins · 10-06-2016, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurah

said the blind woman

Funny!
There seems to be no shortage of probes and pokes to get a signal from the outside to the inside...as long as there is a signal to be captured. These are notoriously lacking in Canada as soon as one wanders from a city or big town. In Ottawa, occasionally in town.
I have yet to find something that I would be comfortable with and I have plenty of time to decide. If I cannot connect I will read a book.

tractors1 · 10-06-2016, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casejh

What antenna did you choose, and what location on the trailer did you choose to have ETI install the antenna? Thanks.

https://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/wil...a-male-311119/

installed above the drivers side cabinet just behind the fridge on a 21. Had a 12V drop installed there

laurah · 10-06-2016, 10:33 PM

I have not picked out the antenna yet. I was thinking I could get help with that here also. I will look at the information here so far.
Thank you.

**rbryan4** · 10-07-2016, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casejh

What antenna did you choose, and what location on the trailer did you choose to have ETI install the antenna? Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tractors1

https://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/wil...a-male-311119/

installed above the drivers side cabinet just behind the fridge on a 21. Had a 12V drop installed there

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurah

I have not picked out the antenna yet. I was thinking I could get help with that here also. I will look at the information here so far.
Thank you.

We have the same one that Charlie links above. Ours is right above the driver side overhead cabinet at the dinette (which is toward the front on the 19).

stephen99 · 10-07-2016, 04:51 AM

This is the one I went with:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Mounted high on the drivers side just downstream of the fridge on a 21.

casejh · 10-07-2016, 03:18 PM

I appreciate the information. I have considered both the Wilson trucker and the Wireng antennas, and figured if I went with a permanent mount I would choose driver side just aft of the refrigerator with the wire coming into the upper cabinet. My other thought is to have a small wiring hatch (it is identical to the 30 amp cord hatch and ETI installs it) low on the drivers side at the rear. I would put the 12 volt feed for a 12 volt plug in under the dinette drivers side and have the booster there, with the internal antenna from the booster under the passenger side dinette seat. (I would also have an extra exterior access hatch there on the driver side to get under the driver side dinette bench from the outside just for extra convenience). I would have wiring for an extra portable solar panel there (as I am getting the roof mounted solar panel and controller). I would use the small wiring hatch for both the portable solar panel, and for the antenna on a mast mounted on the rear bumper. I would have something like a flagpole holder permanently mounted on the rear bumper drivers side, and would put the mast with the antenna in place as needed, with the antenna wire running down through the hatch plugging into the booster under the dinette. I would keep the telescoping fiberglass mast and antenna in an extra stinky slinky tube under the trailer, or under the bed, and just put the mast in place at camp if needed. Thoughts or advice?

SFDavis50 · 10-07-2016, 03:40 PM

I really like that idea of the small wiring hatch. I plan to get the U shaped dinette and my understanding is that the electrical systems are all under the back seat. I was also thinking about a King Jack antenna mounted on a removable mast and using a wiring hatch would be a great place for it to connect inside the trailer along with a cell phone antenna and wiring for an additional portable solar panel.

I can't justify permanently mounted stuff on top of the trailer being dragged thru the air if I won't regularly use them. I can see me possibly growing into them after a couple years and longer trips.

casejh · 10-07-2016, 04:29 PM

I didn't mention it, but I do plan to have the Ushaped dinette there.

ReagentGrade · 10-07-2016, 05:10 PM

John, I have read that cell antenna cable looses signal very quickly. If you're going to put your antenna on a pole, you might want to get a device that has the amplifier right at the antenna. Otherwise the loss on the cable could reduce the signal to less than a roof mounted antenna with a short cable.

I'm not expert at this stuff, but I bought a one-year subscription to https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/

They test equipment in real life and give suggestions for lots of situations. Before I read their stuff I had higher expectations, which turn out to be questionable. I've scaled back on my anticipated solution which will also save me $$$. This may sounds like an advert for them, but it's just a personal recommendation. I decided my annual fee would be money well spent if it saved me from a mistake. That had turned out to be the case.

I still have lots of time to decide, but I'll probably just get something like a cradle for my phone with a short cable to a roof mounted antenna. I'll use blutooth for calls and tethering for iPad/computer access.

Rich

laurah · 10-10-2016, 03:42 PM

Now that I am thoroughly confused about the cell phone antenna I want to throw another wrench into this conversation. I am going to be full timing and mostly boondocking and want cell phone and internet connection. I have read that the triangular antenna on a mast is the best for both. Is this true? In this case would I just need to have ETI put a hole (hatch?) in the trailer? Then what would I need inside?

tractors1 · 10-10-2016, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurah

Now that I am thoroughly confused about the cell phone antenna I want to throw another wrench into this conversation. I am going to be full timing and mostly boondocking and want cell phone and internet connection. I have read that the triangular antenna on a mast is the best for both. Is this true? In this case would I just need to have ETI put a hole (hatch?) in the trailer? Then what would I need inside?

You will need a ground plane on your antenna and a connection to a router (either a MIFI device or a phone as a hotspot) on the inside. Many use a phone as a personal hotspot since that doesn't count as an additional device on your phone plan. If you do a phone you will need a cradle device such as a Wilson Sleek - I think the product line has been renamed as WeBoost. Try searching the forums with that term for specific product info. I just put the antenna with a built-in ground plane on the roof of the trailer; works fine.

laurah · 10-10-2016, 04:06 PM

That is what I will ask ETI to do then.

laurah · 10-10-2016, 04:09 PM

Would I have ETI but the hole/hatch in the trailer for the antenna to connect to the router?

tractors1 · 10-10-2016, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurah

Would I have ETI but the hole/hatch in the trailer for the antenna to connect to the router?

I had ETI install the antenna roof mounted over the cabinet just rear of the fridge on the drivers side; the cable entry to the cabinet is where I had a 12V drop installed to power the cell phone cradle using a 12V lighter plug-in socket mounted to the inside of the cabinet framing.

Makes for easy access should the antenna need to be replaced if damaged. It's at the forward end of the cabinet behind the facing, so the door access is not impeded. Pic is before I cleaned up the wiring; everything is inside with the door closed when I'm online. Nothing is mounted outside the cabinet.

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