# Cell Phone Booster For Boat



## Workdog (Jan 10, 2007)

Has anyone tried installing/using a cell phone antenna booster on their boat? If so, how do you like it? From what I understand, there are basically two different types of boosters that would be useable on a boat: a wired booster and a wireless booster. For ease of use (of the cell phones), and to accommodate multiple users, I am very interested in a wireless unit. This is what I have been looking at: http://powerfulsignal.com/wilson-801245-ag-soho-60-marine-system.aspx . There are not a lot of user testimonials on the internet, and definitely not for marine use. For the locations I fish on Erie, I can typically receive text messages, but cannot call or text out when more than 6 miles or so offshore. So, I believe there is enough signal there to boost. The thing I would have to deal with is getting enough separation from the internal and external antennas. Let me know if you've tried a cell phone booster. Thanks. If I do get one, I will post a report here (probably not till I start fishing offshore in the spring).


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

I have a cell phone booster in my lake house. Would have one bar on verizon signal even with cell tower 2-miles away. We could not call and even txting would fail frequently. After installing cell booster - no problems calling or txting. The signal floods the entire house and extends outside some too.

The issues you will run into is that you first MUST have some signal already. Basically what the booster does is increase the power of your connection via the booster running at higher power and then your phone just talks to the booster itself. We had to put the antenna on top of the house to get best signal and appropriate separation between interior antenna and exterior antenna in single story house.

The distance between antennas may be the most difficult issue in a marine application. Thinking of my Baha - I think that i would place the base unit just inside the cabin door and then the exterior antenna would go onto (inside) an old tall VHF antenna running to the top of that antenna (drill and mount at top running wires inside old one). Thus old VHF is now just an antenna tube/tower for cell antenna.

I don't know the difference between the marine version and the home version other than perhaps the power input being DC versus AC. If there is a significant price difference and your boat supports AC, then not an issue there either perhaps...

Now the really cool booster that I saw at the Miami Boat Show is for wifi. Boats can join a network base in a marina and agree to become repeaters. This then builds a wifi network offshore too. So while you may be out of range of the marina - given enough connected boats between you and the marina - and you still may be connected to wifi. very practical in congested markets like those around the large FL marinas.


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## poorboy (Jun 30, 2013)

I have a wilson booster at my hunting camp and it works very good.The problem is you need at least 20 ft between the antenna and booster or you get feed back that is in the directions and mine is 120 volt.Check the directions online of the one your looking at to see if u need 20 ft.I live in rural ohio where they are doing the shale drilling.I know the drilling people are using a wilson model in there pickups and they say it does a good job.Check out wilsons website.


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## Workdog (Jan 10, 2007)

The link in my original post is for a Wilson marine booster. From what I have read, I will need 10' of separation between antennas for this system. I could get that separation by putting the booster antenna on top of at least a 4' antenna mast extension, then put that on my hardtop. The inside antenna would be mounted to a bulkhead wall at the helm of my boat. It appears home cell booster systems have different separation requirements than do marine systems, than do automobile systems. It is in the strength of the antenna output. The antennas for a car, inside and out, are much smaller than marine or house systems. The range from the interior antenna that you can get a usable signal is much less also in a car. I would be happy to get a good signal within 4 feet of an antenna in my boat. In a car, I think you need to be within 1 foot or so of the antenna to get a boosted signal.


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

Just curious where you are on Erie and what carrier you use when having problems. I use Verizon and go out of Geneva Marina. I have a reasonable signal to the Canadian line in this part of the lake. Occasionally voice may be an issue but txt always seems to work well. (Of course it may be a benefit that we have a tower in the marina...) I can't even recall the last time my signal went through a Canadian tower from the lake - was quite common 10years ago.


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## Workdog (Jan 10, 2007)

privateer said:


> Just curious where you are on Erie and what carrier you use when having problems. I use Verizon and go out of Geneva Marina. I have a reasonable signal to the Canadian line in this part of the lake. Occasionally voice may be an issue but txt always seems to work well. (Of course it may be a benefit that we have a tower in the marina...) I can't even recall the last time my signal went through a Canadian tower from the lake - was quite common 10years ago.


I put in at Geneva, Bula and Conny. My carrier is Alltel (becoming AT&T in the spring/early summer), but others have Verizon on my boat. We typically have full service out to about 5-7 miles out of Geneva and Conny, and maybe 8-10 at Bula. We can receive texts beyond that for another 5-7 miles but usually cannot send out voice or texts. Don't lose that phone...it's a keeper!


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

Workdog said:


> I put in at Geneva, Bula and Conny. My carrier is Alltel (becoming AT&T in the spring/early summer), but others have Verizon on my boat. We typically have full service out to about 5-7 miles out of Geneva and Conny, and maybe 8-10 at Bula. We can receive texts beyond that for another 5-7 miles but usually cannot send out voice or texts. Don't lose that phone...it's a keeper!


Switch to Verizon...My dock neighbor has Alltel and can't get reception for nothing. I have Verizon and have had service (including 4G) out to about the 08 line from Bula...

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

...but I can't say I tested it much further than that...

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

I have to agree that you should switch to Verizon. They have the best coverage in that area. I have family members with various carriers, so we have compared them all side-by-side and Verizon does have the best area coverage.

Or i can give you my lake house address and you can cruise by when you need a boosted signal. ha ha ha

Btw- my phone is the standard Iphone4s -- nothing special there...


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## Workdog (Jan 10, 2007)

privateer said:


> I have to agree that you should switch to Verizon. They have the best coverage in that area. I have family members with various carriers, so we have compared them all side-by-side and Verizon does have the best area coverage.
> 
> *Or i can give you my lake house address and you can cruise by when you need a boosted signal*. ha ha ha
> 
> Btw- my phone is the standard Iphone4s -- nothing special there...


You got beer in the fridge there?  

I've got a Samsung S III. Alltel is transferring to AT&T this year. So, we'll see what happens with that. Several of my crew have Verizon though and they have reception problems too.


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## Evileye (Jan 29, 2006)

I have verizon and typically dont get a signal out by the bouy
off lorain. The problem is the phone goes into roaming and burns
up the battery. Im good out to 10 miles or so.


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## johnss (Feb 10, 2014)

Workdog said:


> Has anyone tried installing/using a cell phone antenna booster on their boat? If so, how do you like it? From what I understand, there are basically two different types of boosters that would be useable on a boat: a wired booster and a wireless booster. For ease of use (of the cell phones), and to accommodate multiple users, I am very interested in a wireless unit. This is what I have been looking at: http://powerfulsignal.com/wilson-801245-ag-soho-60-marine-system.aspx . There are not a lot of user testimonials on the internet, and definitely not for marine use. For the locations I fish on Erie, I can typically receive text messages, but cannot call or text out when more than 6 miles or so offshore. So, I believe there is enough signal there to boost. The thing I would have to deal with is getting enough separation from the internal and external antennas. Let me know if you've tried a cell phone booster. Thanks. If I do get one, I will post a report here (probably not till I start fishing offshore in the spring).



I trying but nothing good came of it. But Mr. prevateer said that no difference between marine version and the home version - its absourd, in my home systems works very well, but on boat i have in my vehicle kit wireless booster and i cannot call or text out when more than 10 miles, when at home it covers almost the entire state


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## Workdog (Jan 10, 2007)

Thanks for the info guys. I'll still look into this and let you all know how it goes as I start fishing offshore in the spring.


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

johnss said:


> I trying but nothing good came of it. But Mr. prevateer said that no difference between marine version and the home version - its absourd, in my home systems works very well, but on boat i have in my vehicle kit wireless booster and i cannot call or text out when more than 10 miles, when at home it covers almost the entire state


It is a "signal booster" so if you have no signal (0%) when on the lake and boost that signal by a factor of 100x times, you will still have no signal (0%).

here is the mathematical formula...
0% signal x 100 boost = 0% signal strength.

Understand what you speak of before you say something is [absurd] - otherwise you are just providing an uninformed opinion.

BTW: technically it is Dr. Privateer (I have the university documents to prove it too.)

ps: how does your home cover the entire state? now there is an absurdity...


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