Wilson Electronics 801247 Desktop Cell Phone Signal Booster for Home or Office – For Multiple Users
March 14th, 2010 Posted in Cell Phones
- Signal booster improves cellular signal for both voice and data rates in small area
- Boosts your cell phone’s signal by more than 15 times
- Completely wireless; requires no physical connection to your cell phone
- Compatible with 800/1,900 MHz frequencies for all US and Canadian cellular providers (except iDen/Nextel/MIKE)
- Comes with 30-day money-back guarantee and 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
Product Description
Specifically engineered for use in rooms, the sleek Signal-Boost DT features a dual-band (Cellular/PCS) amplifier with an attached inside antenna, along with a compact, bracket mounted outside antenna. This wireless, plu… More >>
Wilson Electronics 801247 Desktop Cell Phone Signal Booster for Home or Office – For Multiple Users
Tags: 801247, Booster., Cell, Desktop, Electronics, Home, Multiple, Office, Phone, Signal, Users., Wilson
March 14th, 2010 at 11:44 am
No matter whose providing our cell phone service, dead zones still seem to be an issue. The overpriced and underachieving booster that my service provider billed us for was absolutely worthless. In short, after four days use I boxed it up and sent it back for an account credit. When the opportunity came along to take the Wilson Electronics 801247 Cell Phone Signal Booster for a test drive I had some serious doubts.
Opening the box, the first thing I noticed was the hard plastic body casing for both the exterior antenna and the amplifier. Speaking from personal experience I know that the exterior antenna unit will have a short lifespan against the elements unless it is weather proofed. Corrosion will definitely have an effect on the connectors. Vulcanizing tape, electrical tape and Scotch coat is a must if this product is installed outdoors. My other gripe is the design of the cradle. Its a given that the cradle will accumulate standing water which could result in damage to the unit.
That said, I did a quick inventory of hardware that included the DT amplifier, amplifier antenna, exterior antenna, mounting hardware, barrel connector, ac power supply, and both 20′ and 30′ coaxial cables. Kudos to the folks at Wilson for providing a detailed and readable instruction manual. Tools that will come in handy if mounting outdoors including the protection that I mentioned earlier are a drill, 3/16″ bit, phillips head screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. After determining the location of the strongest signal, I opted to mount the exterior antenna inside on a facing window.
Just a reminder to mount the front of the antenna so that it faces outside (which is the logo side) and not in the direction of the amplifier. To keep the system from oscillating and shutting down, I placed the amplifier about 30 feet away from the antenna. Always point the onboard antenna backwards towards the exterior antenna. The flashing of the red light means the gear is too close to each other and the unit will shut down. The green light means all systems are go. Luckily we got this model up and running after only two tries.
Now the important test. In the same space and about 10 feet away from the amplifier I opened my cell phone and got a surprise. Instead of getting the customary one bar for this location, I had the full compliment. That has never happened here. Conversations were crisp and clear. Instead of turning up my volume to hear the other party, I had to lower the volume on my phone. That is a first. To further test this system, I left the area and walked down the hall to the soda machine which is about 25 feet away. Even though I lost a couple of bars, my reception was still clear.
It goes without saying that this product is far superior then the overpriced piece of junk that my cell phone provider shipped out to me. The Utah based manufacturer backs this system with a one year warranty and also a 30 day money back guarantee. The company website is somewhat basic but offers great links to various product operating manuals, tech support and a toll free customer service number.
In closing, my only disappointment remains with the overall design of the exterior antenna and cradle. Still this booster delivers on a great signal. With proper installation (weatherizing) this Wilson Electronics product may just be the right choice for those of us that can’t hear you now.
Rating: 4 / 5
March 14th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R36HC2X5YOGQJC Wilson’s Electronics, a company out of St. George, Utah has been producing a number of products that enhances the performance of many of the digital devices that we use and rely upon. “The Cellular Signal Booster” is a powerful amplifier system that’s used to strengthen the reception of the radio waves to/from a cellphone and Internet data cards.
I’ve tested the product for two weeks using my Blackberry Curve (T-Mobile), The Novatel MiFi 2200 Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot Modem (Sprint) for Sprint and to measure the signal strength, the on-line site, Speed Test dot Net.
* First Impression
** Battery of Tests
*** Results and Interpretation
**** Pro’s and Con’s
***** Conclusion
* The product comes as a three-piece kit: the Outside antenna and cradle, the base unit “Signal Booster Amplifier,” and the Desktop antenna (which recently replaced an attached “Arm antenna.”) The kit also includes 50′ of coaxial cable and an assortment of installation tools that allows for installation in several ways.
** Blackberry– This isn’t the recently released 3G Curve, so when I get a WiFi connection, it’s the only time I can get a reliably fast signal for phone and internet connection. (This was why I eventually opted to upgrade my USB data card to the MiFi.) The MiFi gives me the WiFi signal I prefer, but the MiFi is limited to a range of 30′- 40′. When I’m on a call or picking up my email, the signal defaults to Edge beyond that 35′ or so.
With the Signal Booster on, the range jumped from 35′ to about 115- 120′. That’s almost one full block away from my apartment. I also noticed clearer phone conversations.
The MiFi– (casual observance) After the initial set–using the first interior antenna supplied–there was clearly a faster response time in surfing the internet. The latency effect on sites like YouTube seemed considerably shorter, same thing for downloading music video from there.
*** (Measured results)– I ran tests for 10 days in total. I measured the test at various times: early in the morning, in the wee hours during the week (“off peak times.) And, the other times were what I called “peak times:” right after school, 8-10 pm during the week and on the weekends. The measured results were from Speed Test dot net.
Novatel MiFi’s spec. sheet: The MiFi under the best conditions will provide up to
EV-DO Rev. A- 3.1 Mbps download/ EV-DO Rev. A- 1.8 Mbps upload
Without CSB (best results- off peak times)
(Jan 29, off peak hrs.) 1Mbps download/.28 Mbps upload
(Jan 29, off-peak hrs.)–With the CSB
1.37 Mbps download/ .3Mbps upload
(Jan 31, off peak hrs.)–With the CSB
1.28Mbps download/ .38Mbps upload
(Feb 14, peak times)–With the CSB
1.03Mbps download/ .49Mbps upload
(Feb 15, peak times)–With the CSB
.72 Mbps download/ .24 Mbps upload
(Feb 16, peak times)–With the CSB
.68 Mbps download/ .41 Mbps upload
**** Pro’s and Con’s
Pro’s
+ Easy to install/ All tools needed are provided
+ System gives an extremely strong amplified signal. (I can’t verify the company’s claim that it can magnify the signal response by 10x, however by my own test it is clearly about 4x.)
+ Customer service and tech support are friendly and thorough in their explanations.
+ System enables a cross-platform of devices from different carriers to function simultaneously without a drop in performance.
+ The entire kit is small enough to be packaged in an average size plastic grocery bag.
+ The system has a unique technology built-in that allows for surfing around high-traffic areas to find a less congested signal–avoiding overloading nearby towers.
+ Price for the system is competitive to other brands
+ Proudly designed and manufactured in the US by Americans.
Con’s
- The kit is made out of a light-weight plastic. [It is too early to tell how durable the outdoor antenna will hold up under extreme changes in weather. Here in Miami (FL), the temperatures range above 70+ ten months out of the year, during the sweltering summer months, the added humidity makes it feel well over 100. What about windy and blistery cold areas?]
- The AC adapter is considerably short for the distance it is forced to maintain. There’s a minimum proximity that the indoor antenna (“Desktop Antenna”) must maintain from the base and there’s also a minimum distance that the outdoor antenna must maintain from the base. I found its sweet spot a bit awkward until I made a makeshift ledge for it.
- Optional add-on’s that gamers might want to consider like a dedicated range antenna– a “Yagi”–for example, are upwards of $60+.
***** It’s hard to ignore a system like this that offers so much to cellphone and mobile internet users for a home-based business as well as a small office environment. The kit is relatively compact, easy to install and has few parts to be concerned with.
Durability should be a consideration as there’s only a 1-year limited warranty. And, with a retail price of $300, replacement costs can be unnerving under the wrong circumstances. The other side is also true, customer service and tech support are extremely helpful and should allay most fears when it comes to their products and installation.
I can easily see this product (and some of their other products, for that matter) increasing personal and professional productivity in a number of different scenarios. That, in my opinion, makes Wilson’s Cellular Signal Booster a good investment.
4 ½ stars.
Rating: 5 / 5
March 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
We live down in a “hole” so to speak in a canyon with hills all the way around us, huge trees and also have metal roofs. Needless to say we had major challenges for our cell phone service which my husband does his business by. With the help of the Wilson Electronics signal boost and installing per the manufacturer’s directions, we are able to make calls out of my husband’s 40′x40′ metal shop which was virtually impossible beforehand. We strongly recommend this product.
Rating: 5 / 5
March 14th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
This desktop/small room cell phone signal booster amplifier kit came with everything necessary to install the exterior and interior antennas. The installation was straightforward & easy. The easy to read, easy to follow, enclosed instructions give guidance on how to determine the best location for your external antenna. **
The manufacturer markets this desktop signal booster touting the following benefits:
(1) Greatly reduces disconnects and drop-outs;
(2) Multiple cell phones and data cards can be amplified simultaneously;
(3) Significantly improves voice and data signal quality;
(4) Increases data communication rates needed for 3G technologies;
(5) Receives and transmits better than your cell phone;
(6) Extends cell phone battery life;
(7) Easy to install and use, and is affordable
We installed the amplifier kit in a converted commercial building that has a lot of concrete, 12″ outside walls, and 6″-8″ interior walls. The outdoor antenna was installed on a high point facing in-between two cell phone towers that we needed to pick up (family members have two different carriers’ cell phones) and the coax line (the entire 50′) was run down an interior opening and into an underground basement area.
Overall, we are pleased with the results of this Signal Booster on our individual 3G compatible phones. We are now able to make and receive calls in our basement, which is something we both had trouble doing in the past. The only drawback is the amplifier’s range – maybe 15ft max (hard to measure because of the walls in our basement). However, this product is marketed as a desktop amplifier rather than a whole house amplifier (Wilson Electronics does manufacture a whole house amplifier system), so my expectations were that this product would have a limited range and I had to plan for the most optimal location for the interior antenna.
Concerns are the fact that the exterior antenna is made of plastic and we have it facing south. I’m not sure of the durability of the casing, so will need to monitor this. My other concern is the fact that wireless carriers will start to roll-out 4G in larger cities in the near future (4G is already available in certain cities). While this product will still support the 3G signals (and so will the carriers), it is likely that an additional antenna will be needed for 4G connectivity (data speed). I will update this review once I speak with the manufacturer’s tech support.
5 stars because the product does what it is marketed to do. The antenna is visually innocuous and the set up is easy for me, a moderate technically inclined person.
**With our installation, I already knew where our closest cell phone towers are located & which carriers are on which tower.
Rating: 5 / 5
March 14th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Getting a good signal almost anywhere but home isn’t difficult with my cell phone service, but getting a good one at home is a challenge. We will in a rural area and it isn’t unusual to only get 2 bars, 3 at best. I took the time to mount Wilson’s Signal Boost equipment both inside and outside of my home. I set it by the window just to see how well it would work, and I ended up with 5 bars. I then mounted it outside on the siding (I don’t like clutter inside) using the long cable Wilson provides and got a full 5 bars as well. Unless you live in a really strange place, mounting it indoors should be sufficient for most people.
Indoor set up time: 10 minutes
Outdoor set up time: 45 minutes
This is an expensive product in the signal boost market, but it is very easy to use and if you use your cell phone as your land line, and need a stronger signal, I recommend this. It comes with everything you need for mounting it in any of the three recommended locations – at a window, outside on the siding of your house, or on a poll on the roof.
Rating: 4 / 5