Wilson amplifier

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Anyone here use the Wilson cellular amp?. I just bought one to hook into my
VX6100 I have on Verizon. I have 15 days to decide if this was a prudent
investment before the refund grace period runs out. I have a few questions
that maybe someone can answer.
1......are these things supposed to run very warm, bordering on hot, even
when the phone isn't being used?
2.,.....If these things get such superior range(up to a 50 mile increase)
why would it, in a prime area(Waterloo, IA), go from a full signal indicator
to a no signal & drop the call & then back to full signal in less than a
block?
3.......Do these things really work as well as Wilson claims, or is this a
high dollar high tech version of the stick on cell booster?


--
Roughrider50

 

[Larry]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Roughrider50" <corkyf56@hotmail.com> wrote in
newse0Me.59077$D21.20424@fe07.news.easynews.com:

> Anyone here use the Wilson cellular amp?. I just bought one to hook
> into my VX6100 I have on Verizon. I have 15 days to decide if this was
> a prudent investment before the refund grace period runs out. I have a
> few questions that maybe someone can answer.
> 1......are these things supposed to run very warm, bordering on hot,
> even when the phone isn't being used?

Absolutely not! Something is wrong with that unit.

> 2.,.....If these things get such superior range(up to a 50 mile
> increase) why would it, in a prime area(Waterloo, IA), go from a full
> signal indicator to a no signal & drop the call & then back to full
> signal in less than a block?

The amp isn't going to solve dead zones caused by things blocking cellular
signals, like buildings, bridges, mountains, etc. It isn't magic.

> 3.......Do these things really work as well as Wilson claims, or is
> this a high dollar high tech version of the stick on cell booster?
>
>
I've got the DA4000 from www.cellantenna.com and it works very well out in
the country on CDMA and AMPS. It's not used here in the city.


--
Larry

 

[TGW]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

1) They do run warm, and they need some "room to breathe" -- the outer case
is basically a large heatsink. Also, the amp still functions when the phone
is "not being used" -- it allows you to receive calls that would have been
missed before.

3) I use a similar product from Criterion Cellular
(http://www.criterioncellular.com/amplifiers/index.html)-- the performance
is outstanding as long as there is some signal available to amplify.

"Roughrider50" <corkyf56@hotmail.com> wrote in message
newse0Me.59077$D21.20424@fe07.news.easynews.com...
> Anyone here use the Wilson cellular amp?. I just bought one to hook into
> my
> VX6100 I have on Verizon. I have 15 days to decide if this was a prudent
> investment before the refund grace period runs out. I have a few questions
> that maybe someone can answer.
> 1......are these things supposed to run very warm, bordering on hot, even
> when the phone isn't being used?
> 2.,.....If these things get such superior range(up to a 50 mile increase)
> why would it, in a prime area(Waterloo, IA), go from a full signal
> indicator
> to a no signal & drop the call & then back to full signal in less than a
> block?
> 3.......Do these things really work as well as Wilson claims, or is this a
> high dollar high tech version of the stick on cell booster?
>
>
> --
> Roughrider50
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

tgw Wrote:
> 1) They do run warm, and they need some "room to breathe" -- the outer
> case
> is basically a large heatsink. Also, the amp still functions when the
> phone
> is "not being used" -- it allows you to receive calls that would have
> been
> missed before.
>
> 3) I use a similar product from Criterion Cellular
> (http://tinyurl.com/95quc)-- the performance
> is outstanding as long as there is some signal available to amplify.
>
> "Roughrider50" <corkyf56@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> newse0Me.59077$D21.20424@fe07.news.easynews.com...
> > Anyone here use the Wilson cellular amp?. I just bought one to hook
> into
> > my
> > VX6100 I have on Verizon. I have 15 days to decide if this was a
> prudent
> > investment before the refund grace period runs out. I have a few
> questions
> > that maybe someone can answer.
> > 1......are these things supposed to run very warm, bordering on hot,
> even
> > when the phone isn't being used?
> > 2.,.....If these things get such superior range(up to a 50 mile
> increase)
> > why would it, in a prime area(Waterloo, IA), go from a full signal
> > indicator
> > to a no signal & drop the call & then back to full signal in less
> than a
> > block?
> > 3.......Do these things really work as well as Wilson claims, or is
> this a
> > high dollar high tech version of the stick on cell booster?
> >
> >
> > --
> > Roughrider50
> >

"...as long as there is some signal available to amplify"

I've tried the trucker antenna to no avail... I get 1-2 bars of signal
(vzw) but the phone cannot complete a call... any ideas how I can judge
how much signal IS available?


--
jeaniesing
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://cellphoneforums.net/t185327.html

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

jeaniesing wrote:
>
> "...as long as there is some signal available to amplify"
>
> I've tried the trucker antenna to no avail... I get 1-2 bars of signal
> (vzw) but the phone cannot complete a call... any ideas how I can
> judge how much signal IS available?

You may want to try something that works, (but is rather pricey).. Check
www.cellantenna.com for a repeater.
I couldn't get a signal in the house (steel roof), and have a yagi outside
on the TV antenna tower, and the repeater inside (like what they do in some
stores to make cellphones work good). Used to use the wilson, but it was
cabled to the phone.. This one (about $500) lets up to 10 people use their
cellphones at once. Now I can walk around and get 5 bars inside... Works
great for data connections too.

 

[Larry]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

jeaniesing <jeaniesing.1tu60y@nospam.cellphoneforums.net> wrote in
news:jeaniesing.1tu60y@nospam.cellphoneforums.net:

> I've tried the trucker antenna to no avail... I get 1-2 bars of signal
> (vzw) but the phone cannot complete a call... any ideas how I can judge
> how much signal IS available?
>
>
>

Your problem is probably more related to multipath signals hitting the
phone, which amplifiers will not solve, than weak signals. The further you
are from a cell, the more signals bounce around to get to you just like the
ghosts you see on a UHF TV on an antenna far from the TV transmitter. In
the old AMPS days, a simple FM radio, you got noisy when the reflected
signal cancelled the main signal. You moved a foot and both signals
reinforced each other, instead of cancelling, and your call was clear as a
bell. The microsecond differences in the time the signals got to you made
no difference on analog FM. But, alas, now you are talking through a
computer (digital). Everything in a computer depends on timing. Signals
arriving microseconds late end up making a 1 on the direct signal and a 1 a
little late on the reflected signal. The computer, now confused because
the timing of the data is all wrong, simply gives up as it is programmed to
do and resets. Your call is dropped.

Wanna test it? Force the phone into analog and make the call. Move around
by a foot or two and see if you don't hear the signal fading in and out as
you move....that's multipath. The amplifiers won't fix this defect in
digital. They amplify the long path as well as the direct signals.

--
Larry

 

[Larry]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Peter Pan" <PeterPanNOSPAM@NOSPAMAkamail.com> wrote in
news:3md7iaF168hk4U1@individual.net:

> have a yagi outside

He has solved the multipath problem. The yagi, just like a good TV
antenna, allows him to point to the cell he wants and away from the
multipath reflections, just like TV. So, his calls are all coming, no
matter where he is in the house, from a single high point with a directive
antenna array. The repeater amplifies the signal in and out overriding the
multipath signal, entirely, so there are no dead spots.

America needs what Europeans have.....lots of COMPANY repeaters on
buildings, light poles, billboards, and other places to fill in the gaps.
Don't hold your breath.

--
Larry

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Larry Wrote:
> "Peter Pan" <PeterPanNOSPAM@NOSPAMAkamail.com> wrote in
> news:3md7iaF168hk4U1@individual.net:
>
> > have a yagi outside
>
> He has solved the multipath problem. The yagi, just like a good TV
> antenna, allows him to point to the cell he wants and away from the
> multipath reflections, just like TV. So, his calls are all coming, no
> matter where he is in the house, from a single high point with a
> directive
> antenna array. The repeater amplifies the signal in and out overriding
> the
> multipath signal, entirely, so there are no dead spots.
>
> America needs what Europeans have.....lots of COMPANY repeaters on
> buildings, light poles, billboards, and other places to fill in the
> gaps.
> Don't hold your breath.
>
> --
> Larry

Alrighty... if I have the issue of bouncing signals then the ONLY WAY
any antenna or repeater will work is by focusing on one of those
signals... can anyone steer me to a tutorial of sorts that will show me
what equipment I would need to make something work? ...the geek streak
in me that cannot let this die...


--
jeaniesing
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://cellphoneforums.net/t185327.html

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

jeaniesing wrote:

> Alrighty... if I have the issue of bouncing signals then the ONLY WAY
> any antenna or repeater will work is by focusing on one of those
> signals... can anyone steer me to a tutorial of sorts that will show
> me what equipment I would need to make something work? ...the geek
> streak in me that cannot let this die...

Actually, where I am now, it's definately NOT a multipath thing (way out in
the sticks in northern idaho, 20 miles to the nearest town, Att/Cingular/etc
don't work here, only Verizon). Tried a stick/omni antenna at first but
there wasn't enuf gain, the yagi give me both gain and when elsewhere
directional abilities.

Lived full time in my RV traveling around, and got into the omni and
directional antennas, and a repeater Not having the phone wired to the amp
was worth it's weight in gold.

You may want to see what locations are near you.. Try this link I got from
an old post:
<start paste>
> Try this link:
>
> http://www.pciatowersearch.com/activexframeset.cfm?CFID=47914&CFTOKEN=20650542
>
> David R. Goyer
>
<end paste>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Larry wrote:

> America needs what Europeans have.....lots of COMPANY repeaters on
> buildings, light poles, billboards, and other places to fill in the gaps.
> Don't hold your breath.

Not going to happen as long as there are NIMBYs harboring an irrational
fear of cell sites and repeaters.



--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"jeaniesing" <jeaniesing.1tvt1z@nospam.cellphoneforums.net> wrote in message news:jeaniesing.1tvt1z@nospam.cellphoneforums.net...
>
> Larry Wrote:
>> "Peter Pan" <PeterPanNOSPAM@NOSPAMAkamail.com> wrote in
>> news:3md7iaF168hk4U1@individual.net:
>>
>> > have a yagi outside
>>
>> He has solved the multipath problem. The yagi, just like a good TV
>> antenna, allows him to point to the cell he wants and away from the
>> multipath reflections, just like TV. So, his calls are all coming, no
>> matter where he is in the house, from a single high point with a
>> directive
>> antenna array. The repeater amplifies the signal in and out overriding
>> the
>> multipath signal, entirely, so there are no dead spots.
>>
>> America needs what Europeans have.....lots of COMPANY repeaters on
>> buildings, light poles, billboards, and other places to fill in the
>> gaps.
>> Don't hold your breath.
>>
>> --
>> Larry
>
> Alrighty... if I have the issue of bouncing signals then the ONLY WAY
> any antenna or repeater will work is by focusing on one of those
> signals... can anyone steer me to a tutorial of sorts that will show me
> what equipment I would need to make something work? ...the geek streak
> in me that cannot let this die...
> --
> jeaniesing
>

No use baiting Larry.
He'll always believe multipath propagation is inherently bad.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Peter Pan Wrote:
>
> You may want to see what locations are near you.. Try this link I got
> from
> an old post:
> <start paste>
> > Try this link:
> >
> > http://tinyurl.com/a7vj7
> >
> > David R. Goyer
> >
> <end paste>
Appreciated .. I see towers within 10 miles but, of course, geography
intervenes in hilly terrain like this. I am not subscribed to see the
companies... but a question: Does the site list active towers or all
towers? A company that operates locally built several towers just
before they went belly up but didn't manage to get them activated...
(the half finished golf course is even more depressing ).


--
jeaniesing
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

jeaniesing wrote:
> Peter Pan Wrote:
>>
>> You may want to see what locations are near you.. Try this link I got
>> from
>> an old post:
>> <start paste>
>>> Try this link:
>>>
>>> http://tinyurl.com/a7vj7
>>>
>>> David R. Goyer
>>>
>> <end paste>
> Appreciated .. I see towers within 10 miles but, of course,
> geography intervenes in hilly terrain like this. I am not subscribed
> to see the companies... but a question: Does the site list active
> towers or all towers? A company that operates locally built several
> towers just before they went belly up but didn't manage to get them
> activated... (the half finished golf course is even more depressing
> ).

Fraid I can't answer that. I live about 30 miles outside (NE of) spokane
washington, and no other cellular company besides Verizon works anywhere
within 20 miles of me, so it's pretty easy to tell who's towers they are!
In my case, now that I have a home, I used it to find the nearest tower and
aim the directional antenna for the repeater that way.
Used to travel in the RV and aiming was hit or miss (used the TV antenna
mount.. turn the antenna, wait, see if the bars change etc, usually couldn't
watch TV when the directional was aimed for cell ), that's when I went for
the omnidirectional antenna (mounted it on the roof of the RV, always 12.5
feet above the ground that way), could usually use it and watch TV at night.

You shouldn't have to subscribe to see towes though at that website.. i
never did and used it for a few years of travelling. As for your q about
active or not, it is based on FCC locations of transmitters/antennas.. Can't
imagine someone spending 10 of thous constructing and licensing a tower, and
then not using it or selling space to others.

Just saw the part about the trucker antennas, I used one for a while, cabled
to the antenna jack on the phone, but since I got this (CAE-50
http://www.cellantenna.com/repeater/building_repeater.htm about $449), it
has worked great, not only for me, but anyone that visits and has a
cellphone.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Peter Pan Wrote:
> Just saw the part about the trucker antennas, I used one for a while,
> cabled
> to the antenna jack on the phone, but since I got this (CAE-50
> http://tinyurl.com/cezcz about $449), it
> has worked great, not only for me, but anyone that visits and has a
> cellphone.Guess I'll just have to be certain there is a return policy on the beast
before I buy ... Thanks for your help


--
jeaniesing
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Larry" <noone@home.com> wrote in message
news:Xns96B37B9D2AECnoone@63.223.7.253...
> "Roughrider50" <corkyf56@hotmail.com> wrote in
> newse0Me.59077$D21.20424@fe07.news.easynews.com:
>
>> Anyone here use the Wilson cellular amp?. I just bought one to hook
>> into my VX6100 I have on Verizon. I have 15 days to decide if this was
>> a prudent investment before the refund grace period runs out. I have a
>> few questions that maybe someone can answer.
>> 1......are these things supposed to run very warm, bordering on hot,
>> even when the phone isn't being used?
>
> Absolutely not! Something is wrong with that unit.
>
>> 2.,.....If these things get such superior range(up to a 50 mile
>> increase) why would it, in a prime area(Waterloo, IA), go from a full
>> signal indicator to a no signal & drop the call & then back to full
>> signal in less than a block?
>
> The amp isn't going to solve dead zones caused by things blocking cellular
> signals, like buildings, bridges, mountains, etc. It isn't magic.
>
>> 3.......Do these things really work as well as Wilson claims, or is
>> this a high dollar high tech version of the stick on cell booster?
>>
>>
> I've got the DA4000 from www.cellantenna.com and it works very well out in
> the country on CDMA and AMPS. It's not used here in the city.
>
>
> --
> Larry

I also posted this message on another NG & received this reply from this
gentleman regarding the use of these amps.:

"RR50,

As someone who designs cellular testing instruments I do need to chime in on
this, as I am sure that allot of truckers have thought about using an amp.

Cell phones today are VERY different of the older types (going back some 10
~ 15 years), the newer GSM units typically run at 850/910 & 1900 Mhz and
have very low power output. The real issue with good reception is not your
phone being able to "hear" the base station, its the base station being able
to "hear" your phone due to its limited output power. This is where the idea
of an AMP came from, and its a very real headache for the cellular industry.

Cell works by containing the RF from multiple phones into small "cells",
which hand off the single to a different cell base "radio tower" as you move
from one area to another. When you use an AMP significant problems arise
particularly in prime areas with lots of towers - many towers hear your
phone at the same time with an AMP and it causes massive congestion on the
backbone. And YES the cell company does run reports to detect this, its an
indicator that an AMP is in use which is not legal.

Do they really work, yes they do but there use is really only of importance
when you are a long way from a cell station. They are great for outback
Australia but driving across America they really should not be used due to
their nature of disrupting the network as a whole - which as you could
imagine also disrupts fellow cell phone uses and drives the cell providers
crazy.

Will the police turn up, NO - but you may find your service turned off or
cancelled if you continually cause disruptions to the backbone. They know
who is causing the problem as your SSN (subscriber serial number) is
transmitted on a regular basis.

I would just like to plead to all truckers not to use these products.

Regards

Fred."

He sounds very knowledgeable........any comments?
--
CorkyF

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 13:17:38 GMT, "Roughrider50" <corkyf56@gmail.com>
wrote:


>I would just like to plead to all truckers not to use these products.

I would just like to ask...Who has actually had their service turned
off for using one?

Please site specific instances!

--



Pegleg
U.S. Navy Retired
Support Our Troops

All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words:
freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.
Sir Winston Churchill

 

[MCarrick]

I bought a Clear Voice 1900 cellular repeater a couple of months ago, and I have had perfect reception ever since. Even in dead cell zones caused by interference/partial obstruction it can be helpful, if you can find a good location for your external directional antenna (this is why I went for the Clear Voice model - it has a signal strength monitor for the external antenna for easy alignment). It only cost me $269, covers an area of 2,500 square feet can support up to 20 simultaneous callers. See http://www.cellboosterstore.com/ for more information.

 

[dukeofearl]

Those Wilson amps are the real deal, I can vouch for how well they work. Mine ran hot but I found the problem.
I use a Wilson Cellular amp in the semi truck I drive. When I first installed the amp it was very hot like you describe, and did not seem to improve my reception. In frustration I carefully checked everything out and found that I had installed my antennae with a short in it; I had inadvertently mounted the antennae so it was in contact with the metal in my mirror bracket. This is improper; I should have had the plastic washer in properly to prevent this short. I bought a new antennae and, without the short in the antennae, my amp now did not run hot and my reception was greatly increased. I am a happy and satisfied user of a Wilson amp. Couldn't live without it. I now cruise the highways without dropped calls. So be sure to check for a short in your antennae install or your coax. Double check to make sure you have not inadvertently reversed the in and out in your coax install into and from the amp.
One other tip; the cellular signals are very line of sight. In other words, the signal is like a rifle bullet in that it will travel a long distance if there is no line of sight obstacle to block it, such as a building or a hill, etc. An obstacle will defeat your signal just surely as a brick wall or hill will stop a rifle bullet. So your amp will make a huge difference out on open or relatively flat ground, but will do little if you are, for example, in a canyon. Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[gudgetguy]

Yes, I would have to agree.

I've had a fair amount of experience with repeaters over the past few years. It started when I needed something for my Toyota as I couldn't pick up calls or even texts on my way to work. I grabbed the Wilson 801201, which did the trick for me. It also works for my wife's phone which arguably is not that great - She is a talker...

Soon after I needed something at home when I switched to AT&T. Verizon had always been fine in my house as there is a tower just down the street, but with AT&T the ground floor just gets nothing. I first went for the Signalboost DT, only to realize that this isn't really a powerful amp and that I really needed the Wilson 801245 SOHO. I have to say this amp worked a charm. It didn't really look great in the pictures, but when you feel it in your hands you can actually see its really a quality piece of equipment. I've tried some amps from other manufacturers like zBoost and although they are a lot cheaper, I kind of prefer the Wilson amps.

 

[vik1066]

Cell phone amplifiers improve cell phone reception by filtering cellular signals and amplifying them. Typically an external antenna is placed outside the building, car, RV, or truck. This antenna is used to send and receive signals from the nearest cell phone tower. The received signal is transferred through a cable to an amplifier unit, which filters the signals, amplifies them, and then transmits them via cable to an internal antenna that rebroadcasts the signal. By using a cell phone amplifier, you can achieve full bars on your phone in an area where you previously had no reception.

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

They don't all require external antennas you can also get in car solutions, and Wilson has a bunch of different ones (Google Wilson and check their site for details), we use and sell them at work all the time for remote parts of Alberta, solid products sofar.

Anywhooo, this thread is ancient and the boosters have changed since the OP's question, although Wilson is still good, no longer a relevant thread to the OP's issues, thus will be closed.