The Verse - Volume 36
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Tech Tips - Tips for boosting cell coverage

Can you relate to the term “crackberry”? Have you become addicted to checking email on your smartphone? Do you go through withdrawal when you lose connectivity? Then here are some tips from jiwire.com for boosting your cell coverage at home and on the road.

A PCS/CEL repeater can bring outdoor strength indoors and boost your smartphone’s call quality and data throughput. The key thing to remember about all these signal boosters is that they are only as good as the signal you get in the location of the receiving antenna. If you don't get good reception outside your house or car, no booster is going to be able to improve on that. But if you can get 4 bars outdoors on one side of the roof with a good antenna, for example, one of these signal boosters can shift that strong reception indoors where the people are. This makes a huge difference in throughput, since one bar corresponds to a full 4 to 10 times signal increase. They are essentially repeaters, bringing the signal from the outdoor antenna indoors via cable, then broadcasting it again from a wireless base station much like a Wi-Fi access point. One added bonus is that with a better signal, your cell phone battery should also last longer.

Prices for signal boosters range from about $250-$300 for single-band (1900 or 850 MHz) models that work with providers on specific frequencies, to $400-$500 for dual-band models that work with almost all U.S. carriers and increase signal strength on any cell phones within range of the base station (about 2500 square feet). Most can be adapted for use in cars, trucks, and boats with the right antenna and mounting options, and some companies sell special auto or marine kits.

Here are some options to consider:

Home Connectivity:

The Spotwave Zen ($299 after rebate) is a single-band 1900MHz amplifier that works with Sprint and T-Mobile in most locations. If you think you're a candidate for the Zen treatment, the first thing to do is to go to the Spotwave site and enter your zip code, to see what carriers and services are supported in your area.

The Wi-Ex zBoost ($399) ups the ante with a dual-band antenna and amplifier that works with all GSM and CDMA carriers, including AT&T/Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Installation is almost exactly like the Spotwave: the antenna is placed either high on an inside wall near a window, or outside under the eaves (wherever you can get the best signal with your cell phone), then a cable is run to the wall-plugged indoor base station, which should be placed near the center of your desired coverage area, just like a Wi-Fi router. Coverage is stated as up to 3,000 square feet, although antenna upgrades are available to increase that to 10,000 sf.

On the Road Connectivity:

The zBoost YX200 (about $250) dual-band Car Signal Booster kit includes an amplifier, a small external magnet-mount antenna with a 15-foot cable, an internal patch antenna with 15-foot cable, and a DC power adapter. As with the Wilson model, you can either drop the external antenna cable between the window and door frame for a quick-and-dirty installation, or lift out the door seal to hide it underneath.

The SignalBoost Kit (about $250) includes a dual-band amplifier, cigarette lighter DC adapter, a 4-inch mini magnet-mount antenna, and a wired connector with stick-on velcro patch for your phone. It can be used in either cars and homes, although home users will likely want a stronger antenna and will also need to buy the optional AC adapter.
Source: JIWIRE.com

As always, if you have questions, please call the purple guys at Versent at 816-221-3900 or email at info@purpleguys.com and "We can do IT for you."

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