Cell Phone Booster Blog

Wilson’s new SignalBoost Pro Amplifier Kit was honored at the CTIA Emerging Technology (E-Tech) 2008 Awards. In the Mobile Consumer Electronics - Fashion & Lifestyle division, the SignalBoost Pro earned 2nd place.

Pictured here, the new SignalBoost Pro is a dual-band repeater which works with all carriers (except Nextel). It plugs into a USB port, which makes it exceptionally portable. It’s ideal for a small office environment. Wilson are also releasing an in-car version, the 801241, which likewise uses a USB port.

The SignalBoost Pro comes with a high-gain antenna. More technical specifications will be available very soon. It is expected to be released in the 2nd quarter of 2008 and we are looking forward to featuring it here at RepeaterStore.com.

We now have the Wi-Ex zBoost zPersonal YX300 in stock. At just $169, the zBoost YX300 is the cheapest indoor repeater coverage solution currently available. We expect the zBoost zP to introduce repeater products to a larger proportion of the consumer market. The kit is designed for first time users and is extremely easy to install, but the low price and simple design are reflected in the system’s small 6 foot coverage radius.

We have been testing the YX300 in real world situations since we received a test unit from Wi-Ex, and have had very positive results. The performance of the kit depends quite strongly on the signal strength at the window where the unit is installed. With reasonably strong signal at the window, we found that the unit provides significantly improved call coverage and can eliminate dropped calls and voice quality issues. However, we found that it is very important to maintain separation between the window unit and the indoor antenna - the unit oscillates easily and has to be reset each time this happens.

Overall, we recommend the zBoost zP YX300 for users with reception problems and a limited budget, but users who need a larger coverage area should consider installing a larger zBoost YX-510 kit.

A wired version of the zP, called the zBoost zP YX100, is due within the next few months. This will be a wired direct-connect amplifier that will complete Wi-Ex’s low-cost zP repeater line.

For more information and complete specifications visit our zBoost zP YX300 product page.

New EVDO and HSDPA services available from Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, Alltel and Cingular Wireless have made broadband mobile services a reality. But as many users are finding out, the speed of the data connection depends strongly on the signal quality. Data services are considerably more sensitive to errors in transmitting and receiving signals than traditional cellular services, so the same signal that works adequately for a voice call is often incapable of providing reliable broadband signal.

Unfortunately, if there is no EVDO/HSDPA coverage at all in your area, there’s no way of improving the signal. However, if you have at least 1 bar of signal somewhere nearby, it’s possible to use a high gain antenna and repeater to amplify the signal and provide reliable broadband access. Since all of our recommended units are dual-band, they will work with services from any of the major carriers, and will also improve voice signals if used with a normal cell phone.

Here are our recommendations:

Universal wired kit: Wilson Signalboost ($219)
For users who want a mobile solution for their broadband woes, we suggest the Wilson Signalboost Kit. The Signalboost amplifier boosts the broadband signal and channels it through a velcro patch that is stuck directly onto your data card or cell phone. Since the Signalboost uses this easy universal connection method, it can be used with cell phone and data card devices from any manufacturer. The kit comes with a 12V DC Cigarette Adapter as standard, but add a Wilson 12V AC Adapter to make the kit usable anywhere.

Direct Connect kit: SignalWide Clickitbase ($249)
For users who need an additional signal improvement, it’s possible to connect a cell phone repeater directly into the antenna port of their data card or cell phone. For these situations we recommend the SignalWide ClickItBase, which is sold with a custom connector for your phone or data card. The ClickItBase is designed specifically for 3G applications, but will improve all signals.

Wireless kit: Wi-Ex zBoost zPersonal zP ($169)
Wireless Extender’s new zP unit is a very low-cost wireless kit that can be used to cover a radius of up to 6 feet from the indoor antenna. To improve broadband coverage throughout a room or small building, we highly recommend Wireless Extender’s zBoost YX-510 repeater kit. The zBoost YX-510 comes with 35 feet of cabling that connects an outdoor antenna to an indoor unit that amplifies and rebroadcasts the signal. The standard YX-510 kit can cover up to 2,500 square feet from a strong outdoor signal.

Wilson Electronics recently announced the 801247 Signalboost Desktop DT, a new dual-band repeater kit called that competes directly with other low-priced dual-band kits such as the zBoost YX-510 and Digital Antenna DA4KSBR-50U.

The new 801247 Signalboost Desktop DT is a complete kit that includes a 50dB dual-band amplifier very similar in specifications to the Wilson 801245 SOHO Desktop. This Signalboost DT is available as a complete kit with a 5dB gain cradle antenna (for a total of 55dB of system gain) and 50 feet of 75-ohm RG6 cabling. This is the first Wilson product to use 75-ohm cabling, and the switch means that the system can be easily extended with RG-6 cables available at any electronics retailer. The 801247 is also the first complete wireless kit sold by Wilson - a departure from their usual model of selling kit components separately.

As the first complete dual band in-door kit manufactured by Wilson, we expect this to be a very popular product. There is no word on pricing as of yet, but you can find all the details and availability information on our store’s product page: Wilson 801247 Signalboost Desktop DT.

About a month ago we wrote about Wi-Ex’s announcement of two new repeaters: the zBoost zP Personal and the zBoost zP Wireless. At the time, Wi-Ex didn’t release any tech specs, which left us to wonder how effective a sub-$100 repeater could really be.

Courtesy of Wi-Ex we are now able to reveal that the zBoost zP repeater will have +31 dB gain in the wired “zP Personal” version and +43 dB total system gain in the “zP Wireless” version (measured @ 800 MHz). The difference between the two is down to the gain of the internal antenna that is included as part of the zP Wireless version.

Now, it’s always very unreliable to compare system gains for repeaters from different manufacturers, so to put it in perspective within Wi-Ex’s existing product range, the YX-200 Wireless Vehicle Repeater has a total system gain quoted as +50 dB. This is a difference in system gain of +7 dB between the two wireless repeaters, but taking into account the difference in price tag of around $130, this shows the zP repeater in a reasonably favorable light. However, there is a limit to how much you can learn from a product’s specifications and a more telling test will be when we put this repeater into practice in a real world situation. We will be doing this soon, hopefully before the zP’s scheduled release, which is rumored to be around mid-June.

Regardless, the zboost zP was never about raw amplifier performance and perhaps the most important specs to be released are the price: $99 for the wired version and $169 for the wireless version, and the weight: 10 Oz, or slightly more than half a pound. These figures represent significant reductions when compared with any other repeater available on the market. With dimensions of 4 x 5 x 1.3 inches, the zP is a truly portable repeater system. To have crammed a dual band repeater (i.e. a repeater compatible with all cellular networks other than Nextel) into such as small package is a remarkable achievement. The real question is whether Wi-Ex have managed to achieve this portability without sacrificing performance. On this, the jury is still out.

The full technical specifications are now available on our zP product page: Wi-Ex zBoost zP Repeater