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View Full Version : Misc Cell phone signal booster. Anyone have one?


mlyonsd
05-20-2015, 07:04 PM
Background.

I live out in the country and for the past 6 months have experienced many dropped cell phone calls. I put on a metal roof a year ago this month and didn't start to notice drops until about December. I upgraded our phones in January but still have the problem. I live on a high hill within 3 miles of the interstate and have an unobstructed line of sight with two cell towers. I'm a Verizon customer and don't know if their signal goes through them or not. Our phones fluctuate between 1-2 bars 3G-4G, both inside and out. I'm pretty cell phone illiterate so now I'm rambling. The funny thing is I sometimes use my cell phone as a hot spot when my satellite internet is down and it never fails. I'm only interested in dropped calls, not boosting my cell phone data speed.

Up to this point Verizon support hasn't offered much of a solution other than trying to sell me their signal booster. Problem is it uses an internet connection and since my internet is satellite they can't guarantee it will work. There are other options out there that use an outside antenna to work with the cell towers.

I'm curious to know if anyone else has something implemented that will solve my problem.

Reerun_KC
05-20-2015, 07:06 PM
Ask Buehler, I installed one in his parents farm house a billion years ago... They work pretty good.

Bwana
05-20-2015, 07:16 PM
I don't but I hear lots of great things about Wilson boosters.

mlyonsd
05-20-2015, 07:24 PM
I don't but I have hear lots of great things about Wilson boosters.

They are one brand I'm looking at. Expensive hence the reason for the thread.

Bwana
05-20-2015, 07:27 PM
They are one brand I'm looking at. Expensive hence the reason for the thread.

Yeah there are several brands out there but a Wilson is what you want if you need it to work and you're right they don't give them away.

Buehler445
05-20-2015, 07:28 PM
Ask Buehler, I installed one in his parents farm house a billion years ago... They work pretty good.

This. They're easy to install too.

mlyonsd
05-20-2015, 07:35 PM
Yeah there are several brands out there but a Wilson is what you want if you need it to work and you're right they don't give them away.

Thanks. What pisses me off is I've never had dropped calls before and I can't convince Verizon the problem is on their end. I even got rid of my land line years ago because the cell service was solid.

Bwana
05-20-2015, 07:39 PM
Thanks. What pisses me off is I've never had dropped calls before and I can't convince Verizon the problem is on their end. I even got rid of my land line years ago because the cell service was solid.

Yeah I remember when I was going through your neck of the woods a few weeks ago it was hit and miss around there.

mlyonsd
05-20-2015, 07:43 PM
Yeah I remember when I was going through your neck of the woods a few weeks ago it was hit and miss around there.
And you didn't even let me buy you a beer.

mlyonsd
05-20-2015, 07:43 PM
This. They're easy to install too.
Brand?

Buehler445
05-20-2015, 07:45 PM
Brand?

I don't remember. Wi-ex or something. It was cheap and probably got bought out.

Bwana
05-20-2015, 07:52 PM
And you didn't even let me buy you a beer.

Oh I'll be back through. :D

mlyonsd
05-20-2015, 07:55 PM
Oh I'll be back through. :DLemme know.

Bwana
05-20-2015, 08:00 PM
Lemme know.

Will do, hell now that I think about it that was last week. Delmont looked like it had seen better days. They must have figured out I was a Chiefs fan in Denver because they cancelled my flight back into Billings and rather that getting home at 4:30 I got home around midnight, the pricks. :shake:

mlyonsd
05-20-2015, 08:12 PM
Will do, hell now that I think about it that was last week. Delmont looked like it had seen better days. They must have figured out I was a Chiefs fan in Denver because they cancelled my flight back into Billings and rather that getting home at 4:30 I got home around midnight, the pricks. :shake:

Holy crap, you've seen parts of South Dakota I've never seen. Well that's not true, east Missouri river it's all the same. Next time you're going down I-29 or somewhere close let me know.

Bwana
05-20-2015, 08:15 PM
Holy crap, you've seen parts of South Dakota I've never seen. Well that's not true, east Missouri river it's all the same. Next time you're going down I-29 or somewhere close let me know.

You got it.

HonestChieffan
05-20-2015, 08:56 PM
I have one. Its not been worth the 400 bucks it cost. Mine is a Wilson that boosts 3g, 4g as well as voice...or is supposed to. I still have horrible service. Some days it seems better but it actually worsens voice side. If im having no luck completing calls I unplug the booster and that will usually allow some calls to go through. I have Verizon, they suck, and friends with ATT have no better signal at my place with or without the Wilson plugged in.

Dont get suckered by these outfits.

mlyonsd
05-20-2015, 08:57 PM
I have one. Its not been worth the 400 bucks it cost. Mine is a Wilson that boosts 3g, 4g as well as voice...or is supposed to. I still have horrible service. Some days it seems better but it actually worsens voice side. If im having no luck completing calls I unplug the booster and that will usually allow some calls to go through. I have Verizon, they suck, and friends with ATT have no better signal at my place with or without the Wilson plugged in.

Dont get suckered by these outfits.
Yeah......this is what I was afraid I would hear.

HonestChieffan
05-20-2015, 08:59 PM
Thanks. What pisses me off is I've never had dropped calls before and I can't convince Verizon the problem is on their end. I even got rid of my land line years ago because the cell service was solid.

Exact same as mine. Was awesome. Now I go from no signal to 3 bars lte sitting in one place. They suck trying to give excuses. If I had any alternative Id drop them in a heartbeat

HonestChieffan
05-20-2015, 09:04 PM
Yeah......this is what I was afraid I would hear.

Wilson customer service sucks as well. They basically told me I dont have a strong enough signal to boost. Ponder that! They have no explaination for why the booster reduces voice effectiveness. And they say if the phone seems to freeze, unplug the booster and reboot the phone. Doing that 5 or 6 times in an evening is a real kick. My antenna is 15 feet higher than my roof peak and is aimed at the Verizon tower. Dont piss your money away.

GloryDayz
05-20-2015, 09:18 PM
Thanks. What pisses me off is I've never had dropped calls before and I can't convince Verizon the problem is on their end. I even got rid of my land line years ago because the cell service was solid.

I know with AT&T I had to turn it into a personal mission to be pain in their ass enough to get them to evaluate the area in KC where MO-350 and I-435 intersect in the Raytown area. And yes, it took me going through any number of levels of engineers, secretaries, and even the AT&T lunchroom lady I'm sure, but I finally got them to admit that the area is terrible. But the funny part was that they decide to let me know they weren't going to fix it, "there were too many hills." WTF, one thing KC is known for is our huge hills!

Anyway, I feel your pain, and these companies are dirty whores so you prolly need to buy the booster.

J Diddy
05-20-2015, 09:23 PM
I use possum mobile.

They're great.