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Cellular Phone Forum / General / General Topics / December 2004Wilson Cellular worth the "Doh"?
My wife and I have finally decide we need a better way to communicate then the unreliable landline that has plagued our existance for more years then I'd like to think about. I have had more outages with my phone then with a dead battery in my flashlight. Of course with a little one running around, it is understandable. We bit the bait and got onto Sprint's PCS service about a year ago. So far I haven't had the complaints that I read about, but then there are those that need things to complain about. Lets cut to the chase shall we. We decided to take a trip back east (from Utah, almost everything is "back east") and ran into a slight problem going through Wyoming and South Dakota. Our cell phones had a hard time getting the service needed (ie one to no bars of signal). I have heard many great stories about Wilson Cellular antennas, and we are about ready to invest in them. I was hoping to get some input from people about the amplifiers and antennas before I commit myself into the "cellular marriage." We are planning another trip fairly soon (but not soon enough) and all comments will be much help in our decision. TIA BTW My word prossesing program has no spell checker, I am not a "Spelling Bee Finalist", and am from Utah. I only speak (and type) two languages: Bad English and Worserer English. Please don't critisice my spelling mistakes or grammer. I get enough of it at home. >We are planning another trip fairly soon (but not soon enough) and all >comments will be much help in our decision. An external antenna certainly improves the signal, and Wilson makes good antennas. Anything more you'll have to find out by trying. (Just put the antenna as high as possible [i.e. on the roof, not on the trunk] and away from any conductive obstacles, like roof racks, luggage with metal in or on it, etc.) Yes. a little magnet mount for temporary will do you. My speakerphone setup has a permanent mount, and you only need it when the signal is marginal. > My wife and I have finally decide we need a better way to communicate > then the unreliable landline that has plagued our existance for more That would solve one problem, but there are a few things that need to be addressed. After our trip from "back east", I went over to my parents to help them with their yard and accidently ran over my phone, litterally. The insurance we had helped ($35 to replace the phone) but they sent me a different make and model. My wife and I HAD the same make and model phones, so a single antenna wouldn't have been a problem. Now it is. I have been to the Wilson cellular web site and noticed they have "In-Vehicle Wireless Amplifiers." I was hoping I could get info on this particular settup, ie has anyone set it up, used it, etc. I figure it will help us on those trips because her parents like to call her phone and my parents like to call mine. ANY comments on these settups would be worth the time I spent asking. TIA I only speak (and type) two languages: Bad English and Worserer English. >I have been to the Wilson cellular web site and noticed they have >"In-Vehicle Wireless Amplifiers." I was hoping I could get info on >this particular settup, ie has anyone set it up, used it, etc. I >figure it will help us on those trips because her parents like to call >her phone and my parents like to call mine. ANY comments on these >settups would be worth the time I spent asking. I'm guessing this would be rather expensive, perhaps more than the (retail) cost of the phone. I've never used one, though. One note about different phone types - the Wilson antenna can be used with different phones, with a simple adapter. Same antenna, different adapter. The "mini-mag-mount" antenna I use with my Motorola v710 is the same one I used with my LG VX4400, I just had to run down to the nearest truck stop (really!) and get a new adapter. The antenna was $30ish, I think...the adapters are about $10. And I'm serious about that truck stop stuff...just about every one of 'em I've seen carries the Wilson stuff in large quantity. I live in a major metro area and had to drive out to the sticks by the intersection of two major interstates to find a truck stop. :D I'm happy with mine, by the way. The Motorola v710 is already a pretty good RF performer. The Wilson mini-mag-mount adds roughly one bar of signal on the display vs. being inside the car. I don't know how much of this is the antenna itself and how much is the fact that it's carrying the receiving antenna to the top of the car (away from the inside), but it works either way... Mike >My wife and I HAD the same make and model phones, so a single antenna wouldn't >have been a problem. Now it is. So are you saying that you have TWO phones for the two of you or are you implying that you two share the same phone. Maybe this would clear up something. Because you can get a new adapter for the phone and hook it to one antenna. They are easy to get from Wilson or a truck stop. Yes , my wife and I have seperate phones. Her phone is a Sanyo 8100, mine is a Samsung a620. We like to both use our phones while traveling . . . . so switching adapters during the trip would be pointless. Some one told us that if we put two antennas on our car, one would cancel out the other and leave us high and dry, that is why we are looking into the wireless solution. I would like to get feedback on this so we can make an informed opinion on whether or not it would work. We just took a trip down to Vegas this weekend and there were a few spots where we would have service and some spots where we would be looking. I was suprised that we had good service in the casinos. I believe it was mostly on I15 that we had the problem with the service, not while we were in town. I do thank Mike for the suggestion. Like I said that would solve a problem if we were both using the same phone. I only speak (and type) two languages: Bad English and Worserer English. I own a Wilson magmount. Think it's made like crap. Like vinyl tape covering the magnet. The ball fell off the end... You can do better. Make sure and get a 1900mhz capable antenna, if you ar using SPCS. Roaming through the deserts of CA and NV may include some analog 800 mhz use too. IIRC the Wilson "booster" didn'thave an FCC ID. I like the products Criterion sells. They also custom make cable lengths from high quality US makers. Cellphone Reception - Cellular, PCS and Nextel Antennas, Repeaters, Amplifiers, Car Kits and Antenna Adapters http://www.criterioncellular.com/ CellAntenna Corporation: Building Repeaters, Cellular Antennas, accessories, cellphone products. Check out their Q&A Forum too. http://www.cellantenna.com/ - David > I own a Wilson magmount. Think it's made like crap. Like vinyl tape > covering the magnet. The ball fell off the end... You can do better. I've had a Mag Mount from Wilson, but never had the same problem you've had. I now have a MiniMag from Wilson and it has done wonders for me. I've had it for two years now. I don't know if I'd want to change it. > Make sure and get a 1900mhz capable antenna, if you ar using SPCS. > Roaming through the deserts of CA and NV may include some analog 800 > mhz use too. > IIRC the Wilson "booster" didn'thave an FCC ID. The web site states that their amplifiers are "FCC Type Accepted", which TTBOMK means that it is consumer ready. Maybe they put the FCC ID on the amp itself. I mean, I wouldn't want to publically anounce my ID on a web site. > I like the products Criterion sells. They also custom make cable > lengths from high quality US makers. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > - > David I have never tried those before. I am very satisfied with the purchase I have made. As a matter of fact, I have a friend that lives in Pahrump, NV . . . . the fringe of cellular service. I bought her a Wilson Cellular Trucker for Christmas a couple of years ago, and she says that it has improved her service greatly. She put it on the side of her house and hasn't had to worry about missing an important call from her job. I'm not trying to pick a fight and say that "brand x" is better than "brand z", I'm just telling what I've observed from my own experince. You should do research and make your own opinion about this subject. Good luck in your hunting. Rich >I've had a Mag Mount from Wilson, but never had the same problem you've >had. I now have a MiniMag from Wilson and it has done wonders for me. >I've had it for two years now. I don't know if I'd want to change it. I've pretty much abused mine, and it hasn't come apart or done anything like the OP said his did. It works for me. The antenna on the site he gave looks a little larger (just a guess) and roughly $15 more expensive than the Wilson mini-mag-mount. If it gave $15 worth of extra performance, that'd be interesting. For now, I've never really run into a large area of no or bad service that I could test it, so I'm happy enough with the Wilson. As mentioned...I don't know if it's the simple act of getting the antenna on a metal-mount plane on top of a car away from the inside, but it nearly always adds "one bar of signal" when I attach it...for whatever that imprecise measurement is worth. Mike I own a Wilson magmount. Think it's made like crap. Like vinyl tape covering the magnet. The ball fell off the end... You can do better. Make sure and get a 1900mhz capable antenna, if you ar using SPCS. Roaming through the deserts of CA and NV may include some analog 800 mhz use too. IIRC the Wilson "booster" didn'thave an FCC ID. I like the products Criterion sells. They also custom make cable lengths from high quality US makers. Cellphone Reception - Cellular, PCS and Nextel Antennas, Repeaters, Amplifiers, Car Kits and Antenna Adapters http://www.criterioncellular.com/ CellAntenna Corporation: Building Repeaters, Cellular Antennas, accessories, cellphone products. Check out their Q&A Forum too. http://www.cellantenna.com/ - David > Some >one told us that if we put two antennas on our car, one would cancel >out the other and leave us high and dry, That simply isn't true. Some people shouldn't open their mouths because they obviously DO NOT know what they are saying. If both your phones have connectors for external antennas, go to you favorite cellular/stereo dealer that installs stereos and video screens etc in vehicles and have them install 2 antennas for you. Now to be fair. There are things that you can do with antennas that can make them more directional as well as an apparent increase of power (because of the directionality). This is most evident on 18 wheelers where the drivers place an antenna on each side of the mirror. IF they are 108" apart and properly phased, they will give better signal transmission behind and in front of the truck. This arrangement will almost eliminate signal to the sides of the truck. In your instance, you are not hooking the antennas to the same "radio" (your cell phone) nor are they properly phased. -- John S. e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net I don't think the "Two Antenna and Two Adapter" solution would be worth it, IMO. But then again, every once in a while, my wife and I travel with a friend who is pretty much a busy man. He like to try to keep in touch, has a cell phone, and would like to help pitch in for the "Wireless Solution." If he is willing to pitch in, then I don't mind, but would like to get info on it. That is basiccally the reason I started the post, to get info on the "Wireless Solution." I'm sure there is someone out there that reads these posts and can give me their experience on it. Good or bad. It's ok to tell someone that "that solution won't work", or "that is the dumbest thing I ever heard" as long as it is informative and helps me make the decision that will benefit me. That is all I'm asking for. I speak (and type) only two languages: Bad English and Worserer English. > I don't think the "Two Antenna and Two Adapter" solution would be worth > it, IMO. But then again, every once in a while, my wife and I travel > with a friend who is pretty much a busy man. He like to try to keep in > touch, has a cell phone, and would like to help pitch in for the > "Wireless Solution." If he is willing to pitch in, then I don't mind, > but would like to get info on it. Good call on getting info. When we purchased (well not really purchased but were given) our MiniMag, we did some research on other antennas and figured that it was better for our situation. > That is basiccally the reason I started the post, to get info on the > "Wireless Solution." I'm sure there is someone out there that reads [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > me make the decision that will benefit me. That is all I'm asking > for. "That solution won't work" <g>. Just kidding, I wouldn't know what solution would work for you. Only you can make that decision. Good luck with your research. > I speak (and type) only two languages: Bad English and Worserer English. That is apparent! <LOL> Rich > > I don't think the "Two Antenna and Two Adapter" solution would be > worth [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > purchased but were given) our MiniMag, we did some research on other > antennas and figured that it was better for our situation. Who did you get your antenna from? Maybe I could get a hold of them and ask if they would know the solution to my problem. > > That is basiccally the reason I started the post, to get info on the > > "Wireless Solution." I'm sure there is someone out there that reads [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > solution would work for you. Only you can make that decision. Good > luck with your research. Thanks . . . . I think. Any more help would be appreciated. I speak (and type) only two languages: Bad English and Worserer English. > Who did you get your antenna from? Maybe I could get a hold of them > and ask if they would know the solution to my problem. Actually, I got it from my parents. They were hoping to get a hold of me when I took long trips. Especially if they watch my son. Your best bet may just be to call Wilson Cellular or any other place that sells the products your looking at. They would be of some help in the information your looking for. Other then that, wait here until some one replies with what you are looking for. Rich |
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