BajaNomad

Cellular Signal Booster Antenna for Telcel

joel - 7-22-2017 at 04:05 PM

Does anyone have a cellular signal booster antenna they'd recommend for boosting the signal to my mobile phone in a remote area far from the cel tower? I know a lot of Baja folks in remote areas still have old school antennas for ancient cel phones, but I'm thinking of one of the newer signal boosting packages that are now popular in the U.S. with a directional antenna and an antenna that creates a micro tower in your house. I did some research and it looks like Telcel uses 1700-2100 mhz for LTE.

JZ - 7-22-2017 at 05:19 PM

I bought one from WeBoost for use with my AT&T phone. Will work with Telcel too, as it's the same technology.

I used it out camping in a remote area on the fringe of a cell. It seemed to make a difference, but not enough data to tell for sure. I ended up taking it back after determining I wouldn't use it enough.

The reviews for it are pretty positive.

imlost - 7-22-2017 at 05:34 PM

I have a very remote place on the east cape, and use a Wilson DT booster. It works great. I placed the remote antenna on the roof, and there is a coax cable that connects to a transmitter on the inside of the house. I wasn't able to get cell reception at all before installing this. Now, I can actually get enough data transfer to be on the internet and download email.

A word of advice: If you have a house in a remote area, don't waste your money on a booster that covers 4G. Chances are slim that you'll ever be able to get a 4G signal, so just buy a booster that covers 2G and 3G.

People sell these all of the time. I picked up mine off of Craigslist for a fraction of the original cost.

I did a lot of research before settling with Wilson. It was a good choice.

imlost - 7-22-2017 at 05:52 PM

There are also apps you can download that will help you locate the exact direction of the cell tower, and also identify the strength of the signal you're receiving. This is helpful when trying to set up the outdoor antenna, because it needs to point directly to the cell tower for reception. The app I used was Network Cell Info Lite, and is a free download.

mtgoat666 - 7-22-2017 at 05:59 PM

I have used systems with yagi antenna, and a desktop handset with SIM card. Nice systems.
Try shopping at willlys electronics in national city. They got everything, and have knowledgeable staff.

Also, if you are in a town where many people are boosting a distant cell tower, then ask around and find out who is the local that is setting everyone up. In a remote town, there is always one guy that should have the nickname "sparky" (is there a Spanish equivalent for name "sparky?")

Alm - 7-22-2017 at 07:08 PM

My understanding of a "remote area" is when it displays zero bars of signal. No cell coverage. No towers within 40-50 miles, no unobstructed view to any tower. No booster will help when there is no signal to boost. An antenna in this case would have to be raised 15-20ft high, and to be used with VHF or some other band.

Probably 50-60% of the Baja peninsula falls into this remote category :)

[Edited on 7-23-2017 by Alm]

joel - 7-22-2017 at 09:59 PM

Thanks for all the advice. Good to hear that others have had some success. I get signal very occasionally in and around my house. I have a direct line of site but at least 20 miles to the tower (and that's just a guess). I was thinking that with a directional antenna mounted on my roof and enough power I could get a pretty consistent signal.

As for the 3g vs 4g question, interestingly it's often shows as LTE. I was wondering if in rural areas where towers are relatively recent if Telcel skipped 3g and that when they were installing a tower that had previously not existed they would put in the latest technology, so 4g was probably as available or more so than 3g.

imlost - 7-22-2017 at 11:11 PM

It's unlikely they'd install a 4G-only tower in Baja. 3G probably exists on the same tower. So many people in Mexico have older phones that would not work on a 4G-only signal.

That free app (or others) will help you decide what type of signal you're receiving and what booster you'll need.

JZ - 7-24-2017 at 03:28 PM

Get one that supports 4G/LTE for sure.

imlost - 7-24-2017 at 08:46 PM

Keep in mind that even if you're getting an intermittent LTE signal, it doesn't mean you'll be able to use that signal. LTE requires you to be within a certain close range to be able to transfer data at the speed of LTE. If you're not close enough - it no worky.

JZ - 7-24-2017 at 11:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by imlost  
Keep in mind that even if you're getting an intermittent LTE signal, it doesn't mean you'll be able to use that signal. LTE requires you to be within a certain close range to be able to transfer data at the speed of LTE. If you're not close enough - it no worky.


What are you talking about? LTE supports a distance of 100km in low frequency bands. Obstructions and other things will impact actual distance. And performance will degrade with distance and how loaded a cell is, but it's still LTE.

Your "no worky" sounds retarded.

imlost - 7-25-2017 at 02:19 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  


What are you talking about? LTE supports a distance of 100km in low frequency bands. Obstructions and other things will impact actual distance. And performance will degrade with distance and how loaded a cell is, but it's still LTE.

Your "no worky" sounds retarded.
It sure would be nice to be able to offer a suggestion without receiving a derogatory comment.

JZ: I hope you're right, and that Joel gets his 4G connection. In my area, we can't get 4G, but 3G works well when amplified. I'm suggesting to test the signal strength prior to purchasing a booster. That's all - end of my suggestions.