What cell repeaters/booster are you using? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Remi · RV-Dreams Family Member

What cell repeaters/booster are you using?

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm not familiar with cell repeater, but we use a Wilson powered antennae booster in both the truck and fiver and it really works great.

SK and Hutch · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have a Wilson Truckers Antenna attached to a Wilson 3 watt amplifier along with a Cradlepoint router. Works great with a Verizon air card.

Purchased all except air card from the 3G store. Howard posted earlier with the information on this equipment.

Hope this helps.

Wayne

Delaine and Lindy · RV-Dreams Family Member

We also have used the Wilson powered antenna. We have been using the WiFi during our 6,000 mile trip and have had good service. Keep in mind we only stay in RV Parks no boondocking and very few State or Federal parks. We do have the AT&T wireless USB system and we do use the Cradle Point router system. Good Luck with your choice.
GBY....

-- Edited by Delaine and Lindy on Friday 3rd of September 2010 09:53:19 AM

Remi · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks, there are a lot more options than last time i looked, even from Wilson. Go figure. Overall consensus still seems to be that Wilson is still the best bang for the buck.

Merci y'all ;)

BillA · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are looking at installation of a Wilson exterior antenna, amplifier, interior antenna and cradle point router. I was told by the Wilson rep that the exterior antenna needs to be a minimum of 25'-30' away from the interior antenna to avoid interference between the two.
Have those of you using this set up honored this seperation requirement and if not have you had any problems? I would much rather have both antennas toward the rear of the coach.

3Gstore_Matt · RV-Dreams Family Member

BillA wrote:

We are looking at installation of a Wilson exterior antenna, amplifier, interior antenna and cradle point router. I was told by the Wilson rep that the exterior antenna needs to be a minimum of 25'-30' away from the interior antenna to avoid interference between the two.
Have those of you using this set up honored this seperation requirement and if not have you had any problems? I would much rather have both antennas toward the rear of the coach.

We typically state that you need at least 20' of horizontal separation or 12' of vertical separation. If you have them to close together you'll notice the amplifier turn red as it begins to oscillate (interior antenna's signal is interfering with the external antenna).

When this happens the amplifier will reduce the power to stop the oscillation and this will also reduce your effective range from the internal repeater. If you have a bedroom in the back we suggest mounting the exterior antenna on the backside of your RV and the interior off the back wall outside the backroom. This helps get both vertical and horizontal separation and gives you a few walls in between the antennas.

-- Edited by 3Gstore_Matt on Tuesday 23rd of November 2010 11:06:04 AM

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

3Gstore_Matt wrote:
We typically state that you need at least 20' of horizontal separation or 12' of vertical separation. If you have them to close together you'll notice the amplifier turn red as it begins to oscillate (interior antenna's signal is interfering with the external antenna).

When this happens the amplifier will reduce the power to stop the oscillation and this will also reduce your effective range from the internal repeater. If you have a bedroom in the back we suggest mounting the exterior antenna on the backside of your RV and the interior off the back wall outside the backroom. This helps get both vertical and horizontal separation and gives you a few walls in between the antennas.
-- Edited by 3Gstore_Matt on Tuesday 23rd of November 2010 11:06:04 AM

What Matt has said is really important as pertains to "repeaters." Putting the two antennas close together is like putting a microphone right in front of the speaker with a PA system. You get feedback.

I’ll let Matt give us the long explanation as to why, but if possible, stay away from “repeaters” and try to use one outside antenna with an amplifier “hardwired” to the air-card or phone. It simply works much better if this is possible.

Take it away, Matt, if you care to.

(BTW, we use the Wilson amp - hardwired, trucker antenna, and an air-card router you’ve probably never heard of – Top Global. Verizon Air-card service.)

Bill

3Gstore_Matt · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill and Linda wrote:

What Matt has said is really important as pertains to "repeaters."Putting the two antennas close together is like putting a microphone right in front of the speaker with a PA system. You get feedback
I’ll let Matt give us the long explanation as to why, but if possible, stay away from “repeaters” and try to use one outside antenna with an amplifier “hardwired” to the air-card or phone.It simply works much better if this is possible.
Take it away, Matt, if you care to.
(BTW, we use the Wilson amp - hardwired, trucker antenna, and an air-card router you’ve probably never heard of – Top Global.Verizon Air-card service.)
Bill

A hardwired connection will always be better than a wireless connection. This is because there isn't any loss through the airwaves. The only loss that occurs is in the cables/adapter connections which will happen with a wired/wireless repeater system. That is the main reason why we typically recommend going wired if possible with your wireless modems.

However, that isn't an option if you want to improve your cellular reception as well. If you want to go this route we always recommend placing the wireless modem as close to the internal repeater as possible to reduce the loss that occurs through the air. As long as you can get the optimal seperation between the devices you shouldn't have any issues with oscillation.

Oscillation - This occurs when the internal antenna's rebroadcasted signal interfers with the external antenna. This essentially creates a loop where your receiver begins receiving the re broadcasted signal instead of the actual cellular signal.

You don't want this to occur because the amplifier will detune itself to reduce interfence. When it powers down it will also reduce your re-broadcasted area. There isn't anything wrong wih a repeater system but it won't be quite as powerful as a direct connect solution.

BTW we used to sell Top Global routers ;) We stopped selling them a long time ago though because of a lot of issues with the manufacturer. I'm guessing you're on an old grandfathered account with Verizon if you're using a Top Global capable modem?

-- Edited by 3Gstore_Matt on Wednesday 24th of November 2010 12:57:36 PM

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

3Gstore_Matt wrote:

BTW we used to sell Top Global routers ;) We stopped selling them a long time ago though because of a lot of issues with the manufacturer. I'm guessing you're on an old grandfathered account with Verizon if you're using a Top Global capable modem?
-- Edited by 3Gstore_Matt on Wednesday 24th of November 2010 12:57:36 PM

No, we’re not grandfathered, although I am one. J

I used the Top Global air-card router beginning years ago when it was one of the few that would work with the first generation PCMCIA Verizon supplied air-cards. (Pre-3G)

I used the system professionally as a backup to landline T-1’s for data networks around the US. (I’m sure you know all about “backhoe fade.”) They worked fine once we debugged the firmware in the Top Global routers and they work fine now with the newer 3G cards (PCMCIA.) I still use one in the rig as mentioned.

Once I had it the system working there was no reason to change out the hardware and the air-cards worked in the laptops as well. It’s just a legacy system that still works fine and is solid for 3G. Someday it will die and we'll replace.

Good explanation on “repeaters.”

Bill