Need advice on home cell phone booster

[Jeffery8mm]

We are looking to rid ourselves of our land line and use only the cell phones. We get poor cell reception in the house, but pretty decent reception outside. I know there are several brands/types of home cell boosters. Do any of you have any experience or recomendations for one that will boost the signal. I see radio shack has some for around 250.00 to 300.00. This is not out of our price range, if the work!!!!
Thanks,
Jeff

[cfabe]

If you can make calls using your phone's antenna outside, you're probably just on the fringe of being able to inside. You may not even actually need the $300 "booster." For most cell phones you can get an external antenna that will hook up to the phone to improve it's reception. This antenna could be placed inside the house or outside. I'd expect this to cost under $100.

[mellba]

I'm interested in finding out more about this. If we get out on the hill behind our house and walk around we can usually find a signal but rarely can get one inside.

[Alice In TX/MO]

We got ours from Radio Shack. It's wonderful!

[Quint]

What you're looking for is a cellular docking station that you can connect to an external directional antenna.

There are two that I know of cellsocket and dock-n-talk. What you do is put up an external directional cellular antenna and run it to your docking station. You put plug your cellular into the docking station. You can then plug the docking station into a conventional telephone corded or cordless. You can also wire the docking station into your house telephone wiring and use whatever jacks and telephones you may have.

When I used one I had an external antenna and went form no service to full signal strength. Just point the antenna at the nearest tower and you're good to go. I had mine wired into the house as a second line.

Do a google search for cellsocket and dock-n-talk. I got my cellsocket through http://www.cellantenna.com/

[Shrek]

My house took me down from 5 bars outside to 1 or 2 bars inside. I bought 4 passive coil window mount antennas and stuck on the house windows on the lowest reception areas in the house like they are put on car windows and I now get 3 to 5 bars inside.

The 4 antennas cost me less than $100.

[Ohiogal]

Thanks for posting this thread, I have the same issue.

[Jeffery8mm]

Thanks for all the info! I'm going to check into all these options. Rose, could you elaborate on exactly what you got and how much it helped? Thanks!!

[Jeffery8mm]

weekend bump

[just_sawing]

What your looking for is repeater setup. This will take the existing cell signal amplify it both ways. This will give you cell coverage for the surrounding area with muliply phones. The unit that I have decided on is $500.00
X=treme Geek web site has them.

[Paul Wheaton]

So ... how are the cell repeater contraptions working out for you all?

[WANR]

This is the place i ordered from to boost my air card for my internet conection and it works for my cell phone too... http://www.powerfulsignal.com/index.html i didnt know really what you would be looking for so i started you out on the home page so you can hunt around for yourself.

this is the same stuff radioshack sells but with these guys its cheaper and you get all the stuff you need right in one package.

Hope it helps you out.

[two_barking_dogs]

Originally Posted by Quint

What you're looking for is a cellular docking station that you can connect to an external directional antenna.

There are two that I know of cellsocket and dock-n-talk. What you do is put up an external directional cellular antenna and run it to your docking station. You put plug your cellular into the docking station. You can then plug the docking station into a conventional telephone corded or cordless. You can also wire the docking station into your house telephone wiring and use whatever jacks and telephones you may have.

Do a google search for cellsocket and dock-n-talk. I got my cellsocket through http://www.cellantenna.com/

I have a cell socket and its the greatest thing for cell phones as they allow every phone in my house to ring when I get a call on my cell phone and thus I don't have to make a mad dash to whereever I left my cell phone. Same with making calls, dial the number and then hit the # key to send.

The downside though is that the cell scoket is model dependent, or used to be. I've had mine since about 2002 so thus I have not been able to upgrade my phone without buying another cell socket. Cost at the time was $70 off of EBay. When my phone finally dies I'll once again buy another cellsocket and insure that my new phone will with it.

[Faithful One]

I've been looking at stuff for quite some time, need a universal booster for my tracfone which does not have a external antenna connector.

Wilson Electronics seems to be the best quality out there. I am planning on a repeater in my truck, I am RARELY more than 25ft from my vehicle, and I am in a fringe area.

BTW that powerfulsignal site is interesting, very well laid out, and I find their packages alot better than anywhere else.

[vicker]

What sort of power do these units require? I am goin gto be living off grid again very soon. My spot has marginal cell phone reception and I am interested in the booster, but wonder if it works off of batteries and what distance ranges from the cell phone it is effective at?
Thanks,

[Mare Owner]

Originally Posted by Shrek

My house took me down from 5 bars outside to 1 or 2 bars inside. I bought 4 passive coil window mount antennas and stuck on the house windows on the lowest reception areas in the house like they are put on car windows and I now get 3 to 5 bars inside.

The 4 antennas cost me less than $100.

What do these look like and where do you buy them?

[Gary in ohio]

Keep in mind MANY powered cell phone boosters sold are NOT FCC certified and illegal to use or require professional installation.