Cell Signal Booster install question. Routing coax.

[dbhosttexas]

So after this camping trip, and the fact due to professional and personal communications and data requirements, I need to stay online while off grid as much as possible.

I have been eyeballing a signal booster for a while, but this trip to Huntsville SP with the 5G / 4G going up and down the entire time, barely enough for SMS but forget data... Amazon had a lightning deal on the HiBoost Travel 3.0 Explore X, more or less the same thing as a Weboost Overland but with a better warranty, and honestly better reviews from verified purchasers...

I can use one of the brackets that came with the awning to create a platform over the awning to mount the antenna, but my concern comes in the form of... How do I route the coax into the van?

Would something like this allow the coax to pass through and remain sealed?
https://amzn.to/3BRCWj6

[1der]

We have WeBoost on one of the rigs. It works, but there has to be a minimum signal and our phone needs to be near (like 12" near) the inside antenna to receive the boosted signal. This means the inside antenna has to be able to move from the front seats to cabin seating positions. Make sure to protect/reinforce the inside antenna cord connection to the antennna base, it is fragile.

Important to keep proper separation between the outside and inside antennas which is why our outside antenna is at the back most passenger corner on the pop top roof rack. You will want the antenna above any roof/pop top to keep it clear of obstructions.

The cable entry is pretty straight forward. The pass through you posted should be fine.

I wired the antenna power supply to 12 volts and put a switch by the driver position for the the power. These use a bit more power than one thinks!

[nyyankees588]

I would second what 1der said - I don't know anything about the HiBoost, but I installed and have used a WeBoost for the past ~1yr. I find it hard to quantify how much of a difference it makes. I've never had a "wow" moment, just a bunch of "huh, I guess it helps" moments when my cell has 1-2 bars of service and gets +1 bar when I turn it on. Data service still typically is slow, I'm guessing because the cell networks in remote areas are typically slower regardless of how strong your signal is (but that's just my hypothesizing, don't know if it is fact).



I haven't installed/used a Starlink myself (I've used others' to connect a few times), but if reliable data in remote areas were of high importance (and I could manage the slightly higher upfront cost and added monthly fee), I would pursue the Starlink.


For your routing question - yep, the gland you posted works. I would suggest installing a port that has holes for 2+ glands, if possible (they sell 2-hole ports exactly like the one you posted and there are lots of other variations that have more ports). Seal the unused gland using a space length of scrap wire. You never know what you might want to run a wire to in the future (additional solar, lights, etc) and if you're already putting a hole in the roof, it's way easier to have room to add to your port in the future, rather than having to drill a second hole for a separate port or swapping ports.

[1der]

As nyyankees588 added - IF data is critical and the monthly is in the budget, I would hold my nose and pay about the same amount for a Starlink mini antenna and the $50/$60 per month data plan. I could probably adjust my cell and home internet plans to help subsidize it.

The times in Baja on remote beaches and ability to connect w SLink were truly eye opening. No stress data connection and internet calling. Wish we had alternatives - Apple might be close w iphone satellite texting abilities - fingers crossed

[Big_ern_101]

Save your money. None of the cell phone boosters can make signal out of thin air. They don't do any more for you than taking a little short walk to find a clearing with a little better signal. If they were a magic bullet, every off-gridder would have one.

A few alternate options for you that would be more beneficial.
-A WIFI hotspot on a different provider. My phone is on Verizon, my hotspot is on AT&T. I can be in situations where Verizon is a dead zone and AT&T is awesome, or vice versa.
-A travelling companion on a different plan. I am on Verizon, and my wife is on Spectrum (not ideal, same towers) when she was on Google Fi and I was on Verizon, we could share data back and forth as needed based on signal.
-Starlink as mentioned previous.
-Garmin InReach. Basically a sattelite repeater for your existing phone. Not usable for day to day stuff at a reasonable cost but does provide that "anywhere in the world" contactability.
-Dedicated sattelite phone. Again, not real practical for day to day stuff unless you can get work to pay for it, they are not the McBudget option. Data is pretty poor on them too.

[Scalf77]

First and foremost, the Mobile Internet Resource Center is a great resource for staying connected in an RV or Boat. They provide a great deal of data outside of their paywall.

Things I would take into consideration before going the booster route would be the following. What are your real needs, you mentioned for both professional and personal communications and data requirements. Does your current mobile data plan cover those requirements? Who is your current carrier? Boosters only work on certain bands. Is upload of data your primary concern, boosters are better at increasing performance for upload, versus download. Do you need to have multiple devices connecting?

I went with a cellular mobile router as my solution for better connectivity. I also have a Starlink Mini installed. You can view the installation in my build thread. I have had a USB mobile hotspot as one of the devices on my family plan for a while. I just removed the SIM card from that device and use it in the modem for my system. So, this didn’t really increase my cost for data, although if I were a heavy user that may be different. Many full timers may run multiple SIMS and have coverage from multiple providers.

I also installed the Starlink Mini a couple of weeks ago, haven’t been able to get any real data usage from it yet. Starlink itself is going to be hurt by tree cover, and oversaturation of existing satellites. The more popular the area the less the bandwidth is just like cellular.

The Mini has reasonable power usage, compared to previous generations, but still can be a significant power user. The mini is portable, so it can easily be deployed at your site. The router is built into the mini, so you can’t place it too far away from the van, as you need to attach to the Starlink using WIFI. As I already have a router, I have chosen to disable the Startlink router and cable it to my existing router. This also generally gives you better performance. The Mini has a wide power input, while it will run off 12 volts, if you are running longer cabling you should probably boost the power up. I am using a 12 to 24 volt booster. I have mine hard mounted to the top of my van. It can be removed in the event I was staying in one location long enough to make that worthwhile.

In any event I would check out other options, it could be that a booster would be a fairly expensive band-aid versus a real solution.

[dbhosttexas]

Originally Posted by 1der

As nyyankees588 added - IF data is critical and the monthly is in the budget, I would hold my nose and pay about the same amount for a Starlink mini antenna and the $50/$60 per month data plan. I could probably adjust my cell and home internet plans to help subsidize it.

The times in Baja on remote beaches and ability to connect w SLink were truly eye opening. No stress data connection and internet calling. Wish we had alternatives - Apple might be close w iphone satellite texting abilities - fingers crossed

Starlink Roam Unlimited is $165.00 month, I plan on adding it later...

I currently have a Google Fi unlimited plan that does not seem to throttle too badly...

The booster was recommended by a friend that has one in his Class A and he at least claims it covers most of the coach.

The WeBoost seems to require it be super close to the interior antenna...

[Charliesmom]

I first put a WeBoost in our teardrop trailer in 2017 using dual mini magnet antennas on top of the rig. The performance was marginal so I added a MiFi hotspot (Verizon). The system was improved but data costs were unreasonable on the $15/mo base plan. When we purchased our SMB in 2019 we added a permanent NMO antenna on the roof with the WeBoost unit, including a new “inside” desktop antenna. In 2022 when Starlink became available, we purchased a Gen 2. It was a game changer for us when we had no cell coverage. We would activate it before we left on a trip and pause it when we returned home. We also deployed it at home when the local cable internet was down, which is not infrequent in our area. We purchased a Starlink mini when it was on sale this fall (Roam $50/month - plan 50GB) for when we are in the van. Our plan is to eventually dump our Cox cable internet, as we no longer have traditional telephone or television needs and install the SL Gen 2 on our roof for home internet. We will still use our WeBoost in the van when we have cell availability. The fact that you no longer require an internet connection to activate SL means that if we are traveling to an unknown “cell coverage” region, we can activate our new mini on the fly. As mentioned above, it’s good to have options for connectivity. The MIRC has been a go to for us, also.

[dbhosttexas]

Originally Posted by Charliesmom

...As mentioned above, it’s good to have options for connectivity. The MIRC has been a go to for us, also.

Absolutely. Unfortunately I cannot afford to do everything at once. My plan is to get the most out of the service I have now. That should cover the majority of my needs. A Starlink Mini is in the plan, just not yet. I am figuring installing it on the piece of roof not covered by the Penthouse top.

[Big_ern_101]

My experience with Google Fi was that it was OK for signal but usually a bit lacking compared to Verizon, as Google is an MNVO and just contracts the towers they use; they don't hit everything. Wife on Google Fi would often need me to tether her phone to my Verizon phone for decent internets while outside of major metro areas.

I would 100% recommend test driving another carrier before going too ape on cell phone boosters and starlink. The two big guys left are AT&T and Verizon, personal experience has them pretty equal but both excel in different areas. I can have full 5G on AT&T and be stone dead on Verizon or vice versa depending on where I am.