S-280 Shelter. How do I get Cellular/Radio Reception Inside?

[antennaclimber]

What are the optimum antenna lengths for cell phones?Cheers Phil

Rule of thumb is:
234 divided by the frequency in MHz. This gets you close to a 1/4 wave antenna length for most frequencies.

Examples:

234/27.185 MHz = 8.6 feet for CB Channel 19
234/52.525 MHz = 4.45 feet for the 6 meter Ham band
234/147 MHz = 1.59 feet for the 2 meter Ham band
234/860 MHz = .27 feet or 3.24 inches for the 800 MHz Cell band.

 

[Tinstar]

Wilson makes a lot of Cell Boosters. They work well.
https://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/
The passive antenna system will work under the right conditions, it's all about the math to get a passive system to work properly.

https://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/weboost-home-4g-cell-phone-signal-booster-kit-470101/

I ordered this one.

Fingers crossed

 

[csheath]

Lightning sometimes acts in mysterious ways...there is the element of "side flash" where a strike let's say hits a tree and travels down the trunk but can create a side flash that finds another path to ground.

Here are some lightning/antenna grounding reference materials for inquiring minds:

https://www.repeaterstore.com/pages/signal-booster-antenna-grounding In particular, note this excerpt: "The metal frame or structure of a building. If none of the options above is feasible, you can ground by connecting to the metal structure of the building, as long as the structure is grounded."

https://www.bwcelectronics.com/articles/WP30A190.pdf

We went through a spell of getting lightening damage. One bolt hit a tree 200 feet out, ran along the ground to a pair of trees I had a swing set on, blew the metal crimps off the nylon ropes on the swing set, ran a few more feet and blew two tires on the wife's car, came in the house and took out the cordless phone, and gfi plug on a hair dryer. We were watching TV and it turned the screen solid green then the picture came back. Go Figure? Also tried some invisible fence one time. Had it all of two weeks when lightening struck the ground wire. It blew the controller off the wall and the GFI outlet it was plugged into was blown OUT of the wall.

 

[antennaclimber]

"Can you hear me now?"

 

[Tinstar]

System will get installed later this coming week.
Snow/sleet is predicted for Monday and temps barely above freezing for a couple of days after that.

No sense of doing the install in nasty weather.

 

[antennaclimber]

System will get installed later this coming week.
Snow/sleet is predicted for Monday and temps barely above freezing for a couple of days after that.

No sense of doing the install in nasty weather.

Old ham radio saying,

"Antennas that are put up in bad weather work better"

 

[Tinstar]

Great!!

What time will you be here to do the install??!!

 

[antennaclimber]

Great!!

What time will you be here to do the install??!!

Before you get out of bed....

 

[Tinstar]

Perfect!

Fast
Will work in freezing weather
......and will have the job finished before the eggs and bacon go into the cast iron skillet!!

Your hired!!

 

[8madjack]

It should do the job for you, I have a wilson pro 70 at my place, made a huge difference for me. I had marginal sevice at best inside and now its fast.

 

[Chainbreaker]

Duplicate post deleted.

 

[Chainbreaker]

We went through a spell of getting lightening damage. One bolt hit a tree 200 feet out, ran along the ground to a pair of trees I had a swing set on, blew the metal crimps off the nylon ropes on the swing set, ran a few more feet and blew two tires on the wife's car, came in the house and took out the cordless phone, and gfi plug on a hair dryer. We were watching TV and it turned the screen solid green then the picture came back. Go Figure? Also tried some invisible fence one time. Had it all of two weeks when lightening struck the ground wire. It blew the controller off the wall and the GFI outlet it was plugged into was blown OUT of the wall.

Geze Louise...TV's turning green, tires blown off car, things coming off walls? Sounds like paranormal activity to me! You might want to have an exorcism performed on your property or invest in lightning rods! Although having grown up as a kid a long time ago in Central Florida I can relate to the ferocity of some of those lighting storms there.

 

[m109a2]

Lightning is a weird one,There several kinds like ball lightning,foo fighters,cloud to cloud which can travel hundreds of miles,cloud to ground,ground to cloud,blue streak witch actually go as far as outer space.There is also volcano lightning,tornado lighting, forest fire lightning and more there is no rhyme nor reason for lightning.It does what it wants the fact that you have a tree line taller than your rig and or home does not make you safe.If you would like sleep better install a lightning rod system,AS far from from your electrical feed as possible on your structure this must be a dedicated circuit far from open water pipes or gas if close tie all together.Lightning rods is all about not taking a place to strike but to prevent.

 

[m109a2]

Oh and buy the way the ark you see in the sky is the size of a pencil like a welding rod it is bright.Al

 

[Tinstar]

System installed today.
Before,.......not a hint of service.
Now.......full four bars of signal.

The 30’ pole with the antenna attached helped without a doubt.

Well worth the $400 system cost!

 

[Tinstar]

Grounding rods attached to both shelter and new antenna pole.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[Jakelc15]

Glad to hear that works so well. I was looking at the same system for my m348 trailer. Like your shelter, the signal disappears when the door is shut.
It has a data plate on it that says it was painted with a radar reflective coating. It works!
I installed a 12v car radio and used a cb antenna outside for am/fm reception.

Do you have any pics of your install? Thanks

 

[Tinstar]

.
Do you have any pics of your install? Thanks

I do but not for online posting.

Basic install.
Very easy and the 30’ pole I anchored to a shipping container.
Doesn't matter on interior antenna placement as long as it’s inside.
Great signal inside no matter where it’s placed.

Worth every cent.

 

[Jakelc15]

Ok. Thanks. I was wondering how the s280 held the 30' antenna!
Maybe santa will bring me one this year!

 

[antennaclimber]

Great signal inside no matter where it’s placed.

Glad to hear it works and it solved the poor coverage.
What color is the antenna? Did you paint it OD green?