Getting a Good Cell Signal: Camping USA
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 พ.ค. 2019
- As I travel quite extensively all through the US, being able to get a good cell signal has been a challenge in the past for me. Now however, at a reasonable cost, I can increase my signal, even get reception when the phone says nothing is available. Links below.
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Note from Slim: Apparently the "Omnidirectional" antenna is NOT omnidirectional at all! It works best when pointing up. I had it pointing to the side on the peak of my trailer, but thanks to Rob's comment I turned it up and it works better, but still not as much gain as the directional antenna. As for boosting the jetpack with the weboost cradle, further tests showed a little gain but no enough to significantly improve the signal. I will continue to experiment with this. Thanks! SP
Yes, polarization matters and can make a huge difference. You should get your ham radio license and be able to chat with all sorts of folks during your travels on the road and portable anywhere you choose.
Is the directional antenna water resistant and will it over heat
It's omnidirectional around the long sides but not off the ends.
@@DaddyGoku69 It's a Yagi beam antenna inside. It won't get warm at these power levels. You would melt the coax before you would hurt the antenna.
@@user-bn3zo3mh5v okay thanks
Yay! A Monday pick me up! A new video from Slim!
Good ideas and finding the right answer can be frustrating and time consuming.
Thanks for sorting some of this out.
Slim, Love your work! I’m a retired Ranger. The post on your campsite is very likely for hot lanterns like gasoline Colemans or propane lanterns that will damage trees when hung near the bark. The heat cooks the cambium and will result in “cat faced scars” and can allow disease, insects to kill trees. Generations of Campers have typically not understood this, and these facts of life in the woods must be interpreted for them. When In campgrounds look at the sides of trees facing toward the center of the site. Pull nails and screws that permit improper lantern placement. End of sermon.
Thank you for that education. Very helpful.
Now I know what that triangular thing on a pole, near your bike, attached to the tow-hitch, is, after asking the question a month ago. I now have no need to play your vlogs over and over in an attempt to get further clues, and therefore, can now again, watch you each Monday in a relaxed state. And yes, I AM very much AR. Thanks,Slim.
Another informative video. I've watched a dozen vids on cell signal boosters and anteenas (I had to check for plural!) and once again you've proven to be a gifted teacher....thanks for taking the time to research, record, and edit these....saves me time and $$! Look forward to next u pop date on this subject. Journey mercies.
excellent! Best review on the subject yet. I've saved it to "watch later" so I can get the links to the products when I'm ready to purchase a cell boosting system for my RV. Thank you so much!
Thanks, Slim. Interesting to learn about various antennas and how they work.
Made me think of the old days of TV. With rabbit antenna, very limited channel you could see on the TV. Then came the omnidirectional antenna on the TV, with channel booster, better image, same programs. And then, on the roof antenna, now you were getting better reception and few more channel and then the amazing directional antenna with an electric rotor inside the house... Wow ! we as Quebeker could watch USA channel and discover new horizon... and then the cable kick in. Bye bye antenna, welcome HD and 4K TV...
The cell singles seem to be giving a lot of persons trouble Slim, but we still hear you. Thank you so much for your information sharing channel.Bless you on your travels and be safe until you get home on those highways Slim. Give the Americans hugs from us...We especially love the florals and differing landscapes...So beautiful.....We are on our way to the Island V. this weekend, so we will stop in and say hi to Love your RV from you...Take care....Sending love & hugs to you from ......Carolyn & Colin Hogarth
Thanks Slim for sharing your info, be safe traveling love ya
Hi Slim, thanks so much for sharing your wonderful videos of your exciting travels. Your videos are of stunning quality, sound and editing is so professional. Really enjoy the beautiful locations of nature and wonderful places you share with us. It's so nice that you have so much respect for the environment too. . I love your A line camper. Look so cosy. Especially in your winter videos, at night time and you show the outside with the lights on inside. Also so nice that you appreciate your subscribers and viewers. So once again thanks once again. (New subsciber)
Thanks Parmy. Welcome aboard! SP
Thanks Slim.... great work as always !!!
I love your experiments and how you are so scientific going about it!
Its helpful to know how the cell situation is out in the middle of nowhere. Seeing the speeds broken down was good information, even if I don't need it right now. Its good to know what to expect
A very useful video on trying to get good wifi or a strong cell signal coming in, if you happen to be quite remote. He easily explains and demonstrates what can work in your off-grid circumstance. . . recommended.
Morning Slim, from South Africa...
Picked up on your adventures quite by chance and have since been enjoying them immensly. Certainly one thousand percent better and more entertaining that local television, aside, it's not garbage that I just have to suck up, it's what my interest is.
As I've been watching, I've jumped back and forth in your time-line, but that's OK, I'm geting the picture.. One thing though, our definition of cold is vastly different... Here, unbearably cold would be around 8 deg. C....... Snow? wazzat? last time it snowed in Johannesburg was in the 1960's? so, listening to you saying "It's not that bad..... around zero"..... Well, that just gives me the shivering heebies...
Like you, I'm a traveller, a solo camper, a boondocker a stealth camper by preference, and a facilities camper when necessary.
Fed up with caravans - campers - bush trailers, of which I have had many different variations, over some 50 years of outdoorsing, including what you call a tent trailer, I've knocked my own camper together out of a roof-top tent a small flat-bed trailer and a couple of sheets of shutterboard cut for me at the local hardware.... I tow the RTT bolted open... So it's gotta be SA's first canvas caravan.
Currently, I'm embroiled on a project to convert my Landrover Discovery II into a one-person camper, to try and do away with towing as I'm planning my next series of adventures dubbed by me as "dorp-cruip" means "town-crawling".... A bit like pub-crawling except little towns.... Go to all the little towns where only 500 or so are living and find out why they settled there....
Also considering a bycycle but am thinking of mounting it on the front bumper, as the rear door is integral to my use of the Landy...
Like you, I'm not great with people and absolutey prefer being miles from the next dude with his music / shouting / obnoxity, so I'm also 100 % set up for off grid. Key pillars are 50L Waco 12v compressor freezer, 140W 14A Solar panel, 65L potable water tank on the roof-rack A solar-bag shower set up and a cat-trench / bag toilet seat set-up. Dishes? simple, 2 round tubs about 500mm in diameter, been using that for many years. Aside from dishes, They take care of Laundry / basin-bath and a whole mess of related things.
Locking myself out of the car? been there-done-that. Opened it with a piece of fencing wire bent into a square hook, I keep it on the roof-rack as an emergency key..
Companionship? Got me a little dog, and trained her in protection & guarding.She is my burglar alarm and close companion... what more does one want...
Enough prattling, I'd love to show you a pic or three, but don't know how. I'f youré intruged I'm on facebook Warren de Jager, (have a Landrover Defender Icon).....
Appreciate the test. This info is definitely helpful. Thank you.
I enjoyed that, found it helpful too. Thanks! Love the mando,shirt too - bonus👍
HELLO!! I use a 7730L Jetpack and it has dual ports for an external dual antenna. Try to beg, borrow or steal one for a test and you may be very happy with the difference having it's own dedicated antenna can make. Love mine!! Good luck!
mike...in Los Angeles
Always good videos, Slim. Now in North Dakota, I suppose. Happy Travels!
Nice work Slim, your a champ.
This was an excellent demonstration..
very few Nomads talk about..
That white directional thingy you strapped to a tree...lol... All they ever talk about is the jetpack.
I doubt if I'll ever do this type of travel, I hate to drive ..
but at least I've got some great information for cell signal...thank you👍😊
Good morning Slim. What I've done as a ham radio operator is bought a painters pole. I made a base plate to put the pole into. It looks like a big L. I park my pop up trailer wheel on the drivers side to both stabilize it and partially ground it. Then run my coax into the trailer. When traveling, the pole collapses down to about 5 feet. Goes in the trailer or truck bed. Works great for my directional antenna or my omni when camping or doing emergency communions. Great video as usual.
Safe Travels
Bruce Lenz hello from a fellow ham! 73! de KT4RK
Great information! I am traveling in my Aliner Expedition and have been very interested in the weboost line of products but can't justify the cost to myself. I appreciate the signal strength in decibels. Some people do reviews using only bars to indicate increase. Thanks again!
That was a great review Slim. I know exactly what I want now. You sold me on the directional antenna.....although I was leaning heavily in that direction...no pun intended - Hal
Cheers Slim have a great day and a half
Thank you for this information.
Your videos are EXCELLENT.Thanks.
Great testing! Loved the graphics showing results. Thanks! Ignore all the comments about that pole being used for lanterns. It's protection from wild pigs like you said!
I'm a computer addict. I had AT&T $120/mo for unlimited. Now I have it in my Airstream for $360/year for unlimited. (Initial install was not cheap) I love your videos, they are very informative and you are very articulate~
Great vid SP, wonderful review my friend. Safe Travels!
Great video! I saw one on this on CheapRVLiving and the expert there said that the jetpack has to be touching or within inches of the Sleek and hooked up to the directional antenna to get the better signal. Also if there is no cell tower anywhere within 40 miles, then you are toast! There is also a much bigger omnidirectional antenna available to mount on a pole. I did test the Sleek with omnidirectional small antenna like yours on top of my car, and found that I actually had pretty good cell signal inside Mt. Rainier National Park,which I have NEVER had before AT ALL. I could send and receive texts, emails, photos, videos, and calls. That means I can go there when I’m on call in south seattle where I am an Episcopal priest. Cool!!!!
I bought a Weboost Connect RV 65 for my off grid camping. It uses the same antenna you purchased. Tested it last month in Arizona on BLM land. Got 40 - 45 db gain. It's an amazing product if you need a signal boost. Plus, its very portable.
Hi see u get Amazon credit for sales. Can u put llink for portable battery operated fan ac/dc?
That u would rec ommend(fan)
Excellent ... thanks for testing your cell boost products and sharing the findings, Mr. Slim. I've been playing tag with cell signals recently and appreciate knowing their effectiveness and efficiency before making my purchase :)) Continued safe travels and happy adventures
Thanks tsuki. I will continue to improve on this when I get to drydock and start my next rebuild stage. SP
Thank you, I'll look forward to that :)
Great Video Slim, very interesting indeed.
As usually very informational ,, THANKS!!!
Great info Slim! Thanks!
Good experiment.
I’m so jealous of you . Please be safe in you travels.
I just got hooked on your channel and love it. We live vicariously through your videos. Regarding the Jetpack, if you are paying monthly I suggest trying to find a way to outright purchase an equivalent device ASAP. Otherwise it will end up costing you ton more money in the long run.
Information well presented and clearly explained.
Excellent practical information well explained.
As always great information ! Thanks for sharing ! I have been trying to get my Bus ready but a few hiccups . LoL Hope to meet everyone I’ve been learning from !
Hi Slim! I noticed your omnidirectional antenna is mounted horizontally on your camper. Antennas tend to be polarized either vertically or horizontally. I can’t find the info to confirm, but I presume cell towers are vertically polarized and your omnidirectional is currently horizontally polarized. That means you may not be getting the best performance. You should try mounting your omnidirectional vertically and see if it improves performance. Cheers!
Rob, I just tested it and you're right! I did get more signal, however not at high as the unidirectional. I'll add a note in the comments. Thanks! SP
@@SlimPotatohead Also, your directional antenna should be out the open and away from other obstacles, especially trees!
Hi Slim, in addition to the vertical mounting, you also might try mounting it on a metal plate. Most antennas perform better with what is known as a ground plane or a body of metal running horizontally. Another tricky might try some time is take your cell phone and place it on your roof leaning against the roof rack and performance may increase. For example when I was at Bayview Campground in South Lake Tahoe as a camp host, I would sit in the middle of my camp with two bars and upload time was 70 minutes. I moved the phone to the roof rack a few feet away and it decrease to 23 minutes give or take a minute. One last note, if you have not already tried it, try taking your jetpack and put it on the booster cradle. Maybe the combination of the two would result in even better performance.
You're always off somewhere having an adventure. I want to fix my Jayco up and remodel it so I can go on adventures too.
Cool vid there Slim... cheers buddy!
very interesting and well presented. Thanks for info.
Interesting, thank you.
Slim, Try with the hot spot in the WeBoost cradle. If the WeBoost system boosts cellular signals - it should make the jetpack more useable.
I bet That will help
Great information. Thanks
You can plug your Mifi into the directional antenna with an adapter. The antenna included with the Weeboost Drive Sleek is intended to have a ground plane, your car, and may not work as well mounted horizontally. You can mount you Mifi on the Drive Sleek cradle and have it function. I mount my antennas, I have both an omnidirectional and directional antenna mounted on an three section painter pole that gets it about 10' above our trailer. I have seen others use suction cups to do that.
Good video as usual! I am going to try and find any videos you may have done about how you f8nd your camp sites...wish me luck🤣you have a Lot of videos! I really appreciate the video you did about the atlas..It is a very good mapping system to use!
Great video! Even this very un-techy old woman understood what the devices did and how to use them!
Hi! Great comparison!
Yes.I enjoyd it and learn a lot. Even although i am far far away.
You can put your jetpack in the booster cradle just like you do with your phone to increase its signal.
Your Ellipsis jetpack is one of the slowest jet packs you can get also the most affordable.
Hey friend! why do you answer me?
Very helpful. Thank you.
Keep the coax short as possible too, Helps with feedline losses especially with cheap coax.
i love watching your videos.. very informative :)
Very informative.
If you are still in the badlands, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a must see. We camped at Cottonwood several weeks ago. I could not get over the beauty and wildlife. I am so hoping you make a video of a visit to TR National park. If you see a beautiful horse with a gorgeous full mane, give “Fabio” our regards.
Good description in layman’s terms Slim! As an old radio tech this one was as dry as a popcorn fart, and I have to admit I was quite skeptical and looking for fault (what a dick, I know), but you did a very good job, clear and to the point, with caveats, a decent view of some reasonable options.
Thanks again for the Monday morning boost (pun certainly intended), safe and happy travels!
I think you'll find ALL of Slim's instructional videos to the point, clear, and easy to follow.
great info. thanks
For me, the big advantage of having a Verion JetPack is that you can plug a "MIMO" antenna into it. These are really convenient (small) antennas that work quite well. You should definitely try one - they're not very expensive. While driving I have mine Velcro attached to my rear driver side window (does not impact safety). When I stop for the night, I simply pull it off a attach it to my camper's side window. Works Great! I use it in remote areas. I am currently at "Craters of the Moon" national monument in Idaho and it is working great. My phone by itself reports "no signal".
Greetings from Fargo N Dak , great vid dude !
Love your videos bud!
I have nothing helpful to add, but I just love your videos and look forward to them all. You just keep getting better in my eyes. And when a few days go by, I'm wishing for another one of your videos! Thank you for all of them.
Man I love these videos
Well done Slim. I’ve be using an older WeBoost and Wilson direction for some time now. Have experienced very similar results. Also, even in an area with excellent signal, I have found using the antenna will increase throughput. I’m sure you have a mount by now, but if not... ...I mounted mine with a painter pole and 1 1/4 plastic water pipe. The foam handle is a nice fit into the pipe, which is clamped to my trailer jack. The fit is nicely snug and I can turn the pole to adjust, yet it stays in position once there. Also, use a bulkhead fitting for the cable, makes a neat, water tight, installation. Anyway, good test and info. 😊 -Mark
Thanks Mark. Being on the road since I first bought everything has left me with few tools. Next drydock I will set up a more permanent setup. Thanks! SP
I look forward to your videos every week. You are a bright spot on TH-cam. I'd give you a 50db rating. LOL
Good info.
I like your videos best when you have the camera a little farther away from you. It's much easier to see you and relate to what you are doing. Enjoy your day
Interesting subject
Hi Slim... tnx for your great videos... Hope you consider this suggestion... a freindly improvement. The quality of cable you use to attach your directional antenna to your phone amplifer/ craddle could increase the signal 6 to 10 dBm (1 to 2 bars)... typically the thinner the cable, the more signal loss it has... the longer any cable... the more signal loss it has. Best of luck.. and happy trails
Thanks Scott. As with most of my videos, this will be an ongoing experiment. Great suggestion! SP
After watching your video, I went on line and found a way to check my iPhone from the phone for the signal strength . Very interesting...
I have a ATT hot spot that we use at home. Signal strength depends on which window you place it in plus the time of day and how busy the network is. My iPad also has its own data plan which works better than the stand alone hot spot but not great at times due to the previous mentioned network traffic.
Good info - thanks !
Hey Slim ....long time subscriber,,, I really enjoy your videos and your knowledge on different subjects.. only downside ... you don’t do enough ...lol thanks again Craig. Pa. Guy
thanks for sharing
You can set the verizon hotspot in the cradle of the weboost and use either antenna :) Also the Omni antenna needs to be installed relatively flat with a ground plane for proper use.
Can you set your jet pack on the weboost cradle? It might improve usability in the back country. Just a thought, love your adventures, and videos! Happy camping!
good one
We have a Wilson booster on our house roof. It's necessary because metal roof limits cell phone inside the house. (big hail here in Hill country TX, NW of San Antonio)
Your feed line to the directional antenna is LMR200. Even though it is advertised as "low loss" LMR400 or LMR600 have much lower loss than LMR200. You should also try the jetpack with the Weboost amplifier.
Slim, you may want to try another experiment - one that might give you a different, and perhaps better, idea on how the directional antenna improves things: try running a test (such as the Speedtest app) that measures your internet speed on your phone. Compare using the phone "in town" against out in the boonies without the weboost, with the omni antenna, and with the directional antenna.
One other thing, when you're down in a valley, depending on where you are and the topography, you may get the strongest signal with the directional antenna when you point it away from the tower and toward something that reflects the signal. Another option is to build a parabolic reflector (similar to a satellite dish, but only bent horizontally) and put the directional antenna facing into it - you'd need to do some fancy math or just experiment with the distance and the bend of the reflector to optimize the reception. Kind of like the hack of putting a USB wi-fi antenna in a pop can that's cut open, and that hack is on TH-cam.
The strange post at your campsite is to hang your camping lantern on. That is why it has the steel bar with hooks Slim!
I think the omnidirectional antenna should be in a vertical position. Test if that improves boosting.
Put the JetPac in the booster cradle for signal boosting to the JetPac.
Ty sir
For my Android phone, signal strength can be found under settings, about phone, SIM status.
Wilson Electronics... the "WE" in weBoost. We install WE equipment and are reasonably impressed with the directional stuff... the weBoost products, not so much.
When I was in the desert sprint gave me the best signal
Hmmm - is that a new camera? Looks great, and great info! We've had some places with zero reception and you really feel cut-off from society, especially when you need a weather report!
You can attach your antenna to the jetpack device there should be a connector on the device if you got the wrong one
Check out the TH-cam channel creativity rv. She attached her antenna to a extendable painter's pole. Then she uses command hook devices used for storing a broom on the wall.
I am a long haul trucker with 30+ years experience. Verizon is has the best signal for the areas you frequent the most.
Thanks good info
You could replace this jetpack with one time cost device that does the same, but does not come with sim card and contract. You would put your own sim card into it to get faster upload, then move the sim card back to the phone when done.
Im getting ready to hit the road for the summer. Selling my house and going into a high top van. I wish I could understand all this. But I don't. I wished anyway. I love your videos.
Michelle Castaneda language barrier? Or just not techy? This is pretty simple outside of the lingo... if you want to use your cellphone get a booster is what he saying. He made a few videos in the last that describes how he connects with the web. Anyway good luck
Check the weBoost website. They have a number of straight forward videos explaining the products and technology. You could also just go to their channel (weBoost) here on TH-cam.
LOL>..Put the hotspot on the Sleek's Cradle ;)
Very helpful!! Good job.