Cell phone extender

[DreamWeaver III]

Hi we are looking at setting up our boat for offshore and want to increase the range of the cell phone in marginal anchorages (I need to keep work cellphone number active) we have iridium go also and wifi hotspot for data etc.
just wondering what extenders people are running - something akin to the "Phonetone" range or similar?
comments please
Cheers

[svmobert]

Originally Posted by DreamWeaver III

Hi we are looking at setting up our boat for offshore and want to increase the range of the cell phone in marginal anchorages (I need to keep work cellphone number active) we have iridium go also and wifi hotspot for data etc.
just wondering what extenders people are running - something akin to the "Phonetone" range or similar?
comments please
Cheers

What part of the world are you in? If North America, then something like this... https://www.sea-tech.com/product/sea...r-booster-kit/

Else, if you are Europe/Asia then Doradus or Nikrans.

[Chuck34]

Some years ago, cell service at our marina was poor at best. We bought a yagi antenna that we mounted on the marina roof and connected to the phone. Made a big difference and if I recall, less than $100

I might add, this is really only good at a fixed location, at a dock. Not so good swinging on a hook.

[belizesailor]

Sea Tech, a few questions:

The referenced study of the Sure Call booster refers to the "closest competitor" (almost certainly Wilson). Assuming so, what specifically about the Fusion2Go 3.0 product is better than the comparable Wilson product?

The standard Fusion2Go 3.0 can be purchased for about $400. What are the value add items that you include for your price?

[hellosailor]

Wilson is now called something like WeBoost, IIRC.

Excellent equipment BUT you muse make sure with anything like this, that it will work with the carrier and service that you are encountering. And these days that may mean 3G, 4G, and LTE from various carriers.

They all work best hen used with optional higher-gain antennas. The real performers are actually "picocells" or "femtocells" like the cellular->Wifi hotspots that the carriers offer. They talk to the nearest tower, and then pass the signal back down to your local phone (or phones--not all can do more than one at a time) on different channels.

There are US and foreign regulations about which units can be used where, also.

But if you buy the good stuff and follow the setup, they do work very well. There's one other catch: Cellular companies intentionally will not connect to phones that are more than ## miles from a tower, in order to avoid having too many towers negotiate which one takes a call. This used to be 16 miles, some folks have said it may be more like 20-30 miles from a tower now, depending again on carrier.

And hoisting a booster or antenna all the way up the mast can actually hurt: The cable loses more signal power than the box can gain. Ask the vendor, and check the specs, to be sure.

[svmobert]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Sea Tech, a few questions:

The referenced study of the Sure Call booster refers to the "closest competitor" (almost certainly Wilson). Assuming so, what specifically about the Fusion2Go 3.0 product is better than the comparable Wilson product?

The standard Fusion2Go 3.0 can be purchased for about $400. What are the value add items that you include for your price?

The fusion2go basic kit is for a car. It does not include any antennas or cables suitable for a boat. Our kit includes high gain marine exterior antenna and interior panel antenna to cover the interior of the boat, rather than just 1ft radius of the small included antenna. Also includes low loss coax cable for both antennas, spare crimp on connectors and adapters as needed.

[Looking4Neptune]

I am thinking of adding something like a Poynting 402 antenna and a PepLink Max BR1 Mini. The goal is to significantly improve internet access in anchorages and near land. I will be sailing mostly in the Sea of Cortez (Mexico) and the South Pacific / NZ, maybe going on to SE Asia.

Is there any way to get an idea of how much the improvement would be? I know it is very complicated and depends on many factors but has anyone who has installed such a system, assessed its performance and then tried just using their mobile phone as a hot spot and compared? Trying this in a number of locations could give good information. I would love to see any results people might have for this type of test.
Thanks!

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Sea-TechSystems

What part of the world are you in? If North America, then something like this... https://www.sea-tech.com/product/sea...r-booster-kit/

Else, if you are Europe/Asia then Doradus or Nikrans.

I wish we had access to this sort of thing in Australia!

If I read the regulations correctly, we are not allowed to use this sort of equipment. A pity, because we could do with it in many places.

[CarlF]

Check out this review by Panbo of the Cel-Fi. I’ve just bought one. In the first test I was blown away at how much better it did than my We-boost. Note that this currently is a US and Canadian product. Hopefully they’ll support more cell providers over time.

Also, I have found a masthead antenna to be not worth the trouble. Even with LMR-400 coax, too much signal is lost on the way down the mast to the amplifier. I’ve found a removable directional antenna at deck level works better. The cable from the antenna to amplifier is 12”. You have to re-aim the antenna if the boat swings but the signal is much better.

And keep your expectations in check for 3G and LTE data. You are not going to get 5 Mbps internet 30 miles from the tower. In my experience the amplifiers give you about 5 miles more LTE range than no amplifier. Hoisting your phone up the mast sometimes works almost as well.

https://www.panbo.com/cel-fi-go-a-tr...-cell-booster/