vzw - need booster & antenna - suggestions?

ericgus

I want to improve cellphone quality in my home plus be able to connect my usb727(vzw) to the antenna/booster.

field test (via vzam 7217 (2420b)) shows rssi at 110 plugged into my laptop (rarely connects) either 1x or evdo.

Wilson 841262 (db pro) is what looks to be the best route for me so far. I have no los to the nearest tower (lots of trees) and was thinking a parabolic grid would be the best antenna for me but I don't think the HG915G-NF would apply to my situation. further, I dont think I can direct connect my usb727.

Any suggestions on antenna selection or alternate setups? I would prefer to direct connect my usb727 but if necessary (cost wise) I'll just let it transmit to the inhouse antenna for the Wilson setup. I also saw something that sid the db pro reception antenna should be apx 70' away from the internal antenna.. Any real-life experiences with distances less than that?

I wish to use the usb727 via a cradlepoint to keep a device connected a few hours a day.

thanks tons!

ericgus · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 1:43 pm Post subject: more info and questions

Nearest vzw tower is about 4.5miles away (antennasearch.com)
Service Type: Cellular
Call Sign: KNKA465
Latitude: 44.2390
Longitude: -123.1879

Transmitter Frequencies
Emmitter Class Freq(Num) Freq(Mhz) Power(Output) Power(Radiated)
1 880.02 NA 38w
2 891.51 NA 38w
5 835.02 NA 38w
6 846.51 NA 38w

Since I now know the lat/long of the tower, how can I calculate (compass heading) if I also know the lat/long. of my house. Would it be easier to pull out a map and pinpoint each location, draw a line and calculate angles from true/mag north? (~17deviation). For 'fine tuning' do I just go into field mode and watch my db/rssi? Sorry for all the wuffo questions, extremely new to this.

I also have an old Dish Network dish.. can I use that with the omni to increase my chances of getting a good signal? I'd assume to just mount it so the center of the antenna is where the lnb is and mounted in a vertical fashion.

I've also thought about switching from vzw to att or another carrier (phone signal from att is about the same as vzw's) simply due to current pricing. any advice there would be appreciated also. I'm about 8mos away from current end of phone contract and want to move up in phones and don't like the way vzw has always stabbed folks for the extras but appreciate the rural coverage while traveling.

Lost in Reality,
Gus

evdoscottc · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:24 pm Post subject:

Do you get a stronger signal outside the house than you do inside? This is key to knowing how well any antenna or repeater system will work.

If you want to improve the signal to both your cell phones and the Verion USB727 a repeater system is going to be your best bet. Check out the repeater FAQ we have put together here: http://3gstore.com/repeaters

The Wilson SignalBoost DB Pro 841262 ( http://3gstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28_65&products_id=1356 ) is the best option for covering a large area with an improved signal. The 70ft range from the inside antenna is a best case scenario. Range will vary based on how strong the signal is outside (where the antenna is), the construction of the wall the signal is going through, and the amount of electronic interference. The amount of signal improvement is going to be greatest the closer you get to the inside antenna, thats the best place to put the USB727.

A direct connection to the USB727 with an antenna and amplifier is generally the most effective method of improving signal. The downside is that it will ONLY improve the signal to the USB727 and not to your cell phones. Ou recommended setup for a direct connect system is below:

Building Mount OMNI for USB727: http://3gstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_145&products_id=1435
Direct Connect amplifier: http://3gstore.com/directconnect

Other antenna options for the direct connection can be found here:
http://3gstore.com/antennas

Don't forget if you have any problems or questions call our sales team at 866-3gstore (866-347-8673)

Matt · 3Gstore Employee Joined: 02 Apr 2008 Posts: 318

Your best option for figuring out an aiming path is to download Google earth. This is such a valuable tool for figuring out the terrain between you and the tower. Since you already know the location of the tower find it on google earth and place a pin by it. Then find your house and place a pin by it. Use the ruler to draw a line between the points (The ruler in google earth). So if you have some mountains or something in the way it can help you figure out the best place to put the antenna.

For example at my location if I placed my antenna on the west side of my home I'd be hitting the edge of a mountain blocking my signal. I placed it on the other side of my home because the angle to the tower was better and the path was cleaner. You can chart the elevation all the way from your home to the tower as well to figure out line of sight limitations.

You'll need to figure out your frequency though for selecting an antenna. 3G has a write up to figure that out in their tips section I believe. A direct connect setup is best but that won't work if you want to increase your cell service also.

ericgus · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:27 pm Post subject:

It's a little better outside as far as my phone is concerned. it bounces between 1 and 2 bars although I still get dropped calls. inside i'm 0-1bar and will lose reception during a call if I turn or move a step or two.. it varies.

I was partially hoping there would be a model with two connections (1 for direct and 1 for inside antenna)

Thanks for links/info. I'll do a bit more reading now. Smile

BartWalker · EVDO Newbie Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 4

The USB720 modem has an external antenna connector. I plugged in a wide band dish antenna and pointed it at the 3G cell tower. Signals went from unusable to 3-4 bars. The dish antenna is a commercially available 2.4Ghz unit but it is wideband enough to drop down to 1900 Mhz and still get the job done. I have the USB stick within 2 feet of the antenna in a weather proof container. I connect the USB stick into a 15' USB extension cable and feed the USB signal into the house on the second floor to a router which serves a Wifi signal to the whole house. Separatation between the 3G USB720 and the Wifi router is never a problem.

I'm not sure how you could hook up an antenna to your USB727, but you could surround it with a corner reflector using the usb stick as the focal point of the reflector. This should boost your signal to usable. Get your antenna up as high as possible.

J Clements · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 5:48 pm Post subject:

Hi Guys, I can only report based on what I bought from 3Gstores.
The tower is 9.6KM at an angle of 42 degrees, calculated using the Lat/Lon of the tower and the house. It's a rural area, relatively flat but trees on my and other properties between the house and tower.
I have the YAGI antenna with the 760 adapter and 20' of low loss cable which connects to [the MC760 modem from Bell Canada which connects to the MBR1000 router].
Without the YAGI, just the modem & router inside 12" walls, I get 50% signal with -84 dBm.
With the YAGI, mounted on the roof eave approx. 28' above ground level, I get 66% and -78dBm, (with data speeds sensitive to high winds more than moisture (rain/snow)). I get about 0.880MB/s download which is all I care about and compared to the dial-up of 26.4Kb/s I think I'm in high speed heaven.
Total cost: router $180, antenna & cable stuff $163, eave mount $45,
satisfaction - priceless!
I installed this in early Dec. 2009 so I haven't yet seen what happens when the leaves come out, I live in a bush with mature 55-60' tall trees. I'll know in another month or so. Maybe an amp might help thru the summer.
For the cell phone, I just put it on a shelf where it gets the best signal and then use bluetooth as I wander about the house. So far that works very well for me.