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Using a cell phone booster at the cottage

  • 19 June 2022
  • 8 replies
  • 906 views
M
Userlevel 2

Hi,

At the cottage - the cell signal is pretty weak.  We’re surrounded by

I currently have a cell phone signal booster made for cars/trucks.  It works sometimes and other times it doesn’t.  It seems to be a random thing or if I’m lucky. 

Without the booster - there is no service at all.  With the booster - I can (sometimes) get “two bars” and make calls and send text messages.   The calls do sometimes get dropped - and other times we can talk for 30min and more.  

This car/truck booster uses a “omni-directional” antennae.

I’m considering getting another cell signal booster that’s made for home/cottage use.  It comes with a Yagi antennae.

I read that Yagi (directional) antennae are better at picking up weak signals - BUT it has to be aimed directly at the cell tower. 

Does anyone have experience with cell phone signal boosters?  - using a directional “Yagi” antennae?

Thanks.

mjl

 

 

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Best answer by BobTheElectrician 21 June 2022, 12:19

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8 replies

M
Userlevel 2

A follow question:  I know Koodo picks up it’s singal from Telus towers.  Will it also gt its cell signal from Bell towers? 

This is what a map of the area around the cottage, in Quebec:

https://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/cancellsites.html?lat=46.240193&lng=-75.058250&zoom=11&type=Roadmap&layers=bt&pid=0

I guess I have 5 choice of directions to aim my exterior booster antennae.

 

G
Userlevel 7
Badge +4

Some experience. You have to aim it steadily is all I can say. You want unobstructed line of sight and to point it as best you can. You can adjust to see what gets you the best signal. I guess make sure the stand or pole is securely attached so it doesn’t move over time. 

BobTheElectrician
Userlevel 7
Badge +4

Use this site to get terrain and elevation info. Hills, etc can effectively cut off your signal even if the tower is relatively close. If you can’t get a clean line-of-sight, you may be wasting your money on a booster.

 

https://www.scadacore.com/tools/rf-path/cell-tower-map-canada/

Not affiliated with Koodo.
M
Userlevel 2

Thank you - BobTheElectrician!

This is by far the most useful resource for finding towers in Canada.  I’ve been using 3 others, and this site is the easiest to use and has the line of sight tool between tower and cottage/mobile phone.   Currently mapping out a few directions towards towers.

 

Do you have any suggestions for a useful app for Android phones?  

I found 2:  LTE Discovery and Network Cell Info Lite.   Just not sure they’re so useful….

Thanks again Bob.

 

Michael

M
Userlevel 2

I manage to locate a cell signal with the cell mapper website. 

Thanks a million - Bob!!

Michael

 

BobTheElectrician
Userlevel 7
Badge +4

The android apps mostly suffer from the same problem: a strong competitor’s tower you can’t connect with will show many bars while the one you need may be drowned out.

For a vlid result, you actually have to minimally connect with your provider and then go to the About phone panel to read the actual dB strength of that connection.

Not affiliated with Koodo.
M
Userlevel 2

Bob -

Is there a certain “minimal dbm” value that will give a good, solid connection?

As a quick preliminary test of whether the booster will be useful  - I was able to dial a call with about -107dbm.  

I will vary the position and direction of aim of the antennae to try to find the strongest signal, before permanently installing.  To do this - I’m thinking of moving the antennae slightly and then taking a reading of the actual signal strength on my phone.    I’ll repeat this trial-and-error process until I find something a position better than -107 dbm. 

Is this what you would suggest?

Michael

 

 

BobTheElectrician
Userlevel 7
Badge +4

-107 is not a good start. You want a number like -95 to -97 (lower absolute value is better). My rural location gives me slightly better values than yours (-103 on Koodo, -107 on Rogers [identical second phone, different tower]), and the signal drifts in and out, probably due to trees between both towers and here. Spending $$$ on a booster will not solve that problem.

Not affiliated with Koodo.
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