WeBoost Cell Signal Mounting ??

[eddyturn]

Hi all. I bought a Wilson Weboost cell signal booster and it seems to work fine but mounting it is my challenge and I am seeking input for solutions.

Van is Econoline RB with SMB fiberglass/wood penthouse top. The booster I have has the little magnetic mount and the only place you can put that is on the foot or so of bare roof up front of the penthouse top. That might be OK but then once you raise the top... it towers over the antenna and I would suspect interferes with any cell signal coming from any other direction than front. The other thing about the magnet mount is that has been noted by others that it comes off too easy and at the wrong times. I do want to make this a permanent install so we don't have to mess with it all the time. Park and use.

That makes me think about moving it to the back of the van on the fiberglass roof . My roof front to back has a solar panel mounted side to side, then Thule roof rails screwed to the roof surface. I also have Thule crossbars and are moved all the way back as to mount our needed top box as far back as we can. When we use the top box, I put it over on the right side of the roof so it's easier to be on top and get to the contents.

I have a 12x12 piece of galvanized 1/8 steel that I could mount to the roof with one of the many VHB tapes to make a ground plane for the antenna. Would likely not use the magnet mount and use maybe a spring loaded antenna that could take a hit from a branch. The steel plate would help in reception.

Other idea is to use the plate and use the Wilson NMO stubby antenna that is designed for permanent mounting into sheet metal. Thing is I would have to space my steel plate off the roof to make room for the bottom of that antenna and the cable underneath. Probably some spacers of some type to raise that steel plate 3/8 inch or so and then run the cable under the PH canvas to the innards of the system.

Other idea might get to figure out some square u-bolt type attachment to the Thule cross bar and perhaps get the Trucker type spring loaded antenna from Wilson. That would stick up higher though and even though spring loaded I worry it would get taken off by a branch hit. Advantage to this would be no ground plane steel plate would be required.

Could do the Thule rack bar mount with the NMO stubby but would not have any spring load to it so that's risky plus I might need the steel plate mounted below it. There would be a 4 inch or so gap between the base of the stubby and the steel plate so not sure that would even work for enhancing signal reception.

Just some thoughts and I know I am overthinking and over complicating this but I get confused easily with analysis paralysis.

Bob

[Blowby]

Well I am not sure if I can be of help, but I can show you the install I did last summer.
I started with the original antenna and then switched to the truckers one as it stands higher with the added extensions.
I am a little confused with your setup,but I was able to mount to the cross arm from my Aluminess rack.
I am also able to lower it for a more streamlined top when it is not in use.

[Blowby]

Another picture from down lower, just added some to my album as I am not sure why they post sideways.

[AndrewInSeattle]

You're sure a permanent install is right for you? I only ask, because we've used our WeBoost way less than I expected. The operating range between having a signal to boost and being weak enough to be unusable when unboosted is quite narrow.

I do a manual set-up in the few campsites where one of our phones shows a single bar or two, but we can't get email or the news. It takes 3 or 4 minutes to set up. (If we streamed video while camping, I might need to boost more often, but we don't.)

[eddyturn]

Thanks Blowby, that looks like a good install and something like that would be easier to do.

Andrew, we are going to take a trip and see how it works for us and wifey working from the van before we do anything permanent. Just need to see how others have done this.

[Charliesmom]

Our van doesn’t have a pop-up but I used the new “stubby” 4G NMO antenna from Wilson as a replacement for the Mini Magnet. It has only a 3.3 inch profile. It works great with the 4G Drive X booster. https://www.weboost.com/products/4g-nmo-antenna-314405.
I previously had an aluminum teardrop trailer and placed an 8x8 inch steel plate on the top, secured with 3M 5200 sealant. When camped, I would pass the Mini Mag antenna out through a window onto the steel plate. That setup also worked well.

[eddyturn]

Hey @blowby ... where did you get that tilt mechanism? Trying to find something like that on the Internet has not been productive.

[Blowby]

Eddyturn I got the tilt mechanism from #43196 - Folding Aerial Bracket | Rhino-Rack
Is pricey but I am very happy with it and then I mounted that to a bracket that i purchased from rough country which is bolted to the cross tube.

[Blowby]

The other bracket https://www.roughcountry.com/univers...mps-7017c.html

[eddyturn]

Thanks again Blowby!