The Name

The old kit was called the ‘zboost YX510′. The new kit will be called the ‘zBoost SOHO YX545‘. This follows a recent trend with Wi-Ex for giving their products more than a manufacturer part number. This started with the kit recently released for the small apartment buildings – the ‘zBoost Metro YX540‘. We imagine this will be come started practice for Wi-Ex going forward. The YX*** codes that they give their products are pretty meaningless, and it’s good to see a more easily identifiable naming structure.

The Kit

The new zBoost SOHO YX545 lists a system gain of 60dB, a good increase from the 53/54dB of the YX510. Gain is a logarithmic scale where an increase of 6dB doubles the coverage area. It’s interesting to note in the PDF overview that Wi-Ex still list the coverage area as up to 2,500 sq ft – identical to the YX510. This is probably Wi-Ex moving to a more realistic expectation of coverage area. With the YX510 2,500 sq ft was only possibly with a strong input signal from the external antenna. Hopefully with the SOHO YX545 a few bars will get the unit up to the max.
Another big change is the coaxial cable included in the standard kit. The YX510 had 35ft of RG6; the SOHO YX545 will have 50ft of RG-59. The extra cable length will help with installations, allowing more flexibility in the antenna placement. Running the cable discretely through the home will also be easier as RG-59 cable is thinner and more flexible than RG-6.
The standard omni-directional external antenna also looks different from the one included in the YX510. It’s unclear if the antenna is more powerful, or just has a different form.

Full Kit Contents

It has not yet been released, so details are scarce. However we know that the Wi-Ex YX 545 will have higher gain, lower loss cable and an easier installation method. It is a completely new design from the ground up, and we expect it to be the perfect repeater kit for homes and offices up to 3,000 sq ft.

Release Date: Q3 2010
Product Page: Wi-Ex zBoost YX545

The zBoost YX039 Premium Antenna consists of two directional panel antennas, each with a 18″ jumper cable to connect them to an antenna combiner. The antenna combiner then attaches to a single coaxial cable for connection to the Wi-Ex Base Unit. The new YX039 System is to be used with the zBoost YX510-CEL-PCS dual band repeater kit.

The new and improved accessory antenna system, Wi-Ex zBoost YX039, offers an improved look and better overall signal gain!

Specifications:
This directional antenna system captures signals in both 800 MHz Cellular &1900 MHz PCS bands for the use with zBoost dual-band amplifier systems.
Gain: 8dBi (824-896 MHz) 13dBi (1850-1990 MHz)
Impedance: 75ohms
UPC: 1866390006
Connectors: The two antennas are inputted to the signal combiner, which has an F/Female connector

Kit Contents:
YX021-CEL Cellular Panel Antenna (824-896 MHz)
YX023-PCS Panel Antenna (1850-1990 MHz)
2x 18″ coaxial jumper cablesAntenna combiner
2x U-Bolt and mounting brackets for pole mounting (pole not included)
Instruction manual

It is totally wireless, no cradle or wire is attached to your phone and is easy to set up – comes complete with everything needed for a complete repeater system allowing  you to use your cell phone as normal.

• Decreases dropped or missed calls

• Works with all US carriers on 800 and 1900Mhz (except Nextel and 3G on T-mobile)

• Convenient, easy set up for immediate enhanced signal to your phone and/or data card

• Perfect for single story situations-no vertical separation needed

• The Metro YX540 offers patent-pending technology to prevent interference with the carrier network

You can visit our website: http://www.repeaterstore.com/products/repeaterkits/wi-ex/zboost-yx-540.php to order and be one of the first consumers to benefit from this innovative technology! We are pre-selling the zBoost YX540 and expect strong demand in the coming weeks!

The Wi-Ex YX710 will only be sold through professional installation services. We are adding professional installation as a service to Repeaterstore.com over the coming months. At this time we hope to stock the Wi-Ex YX710. If you are comfortable installing electrical equipment, you can try the Wi-Ex YX610 now. The kit is the same as the YX710 – the only difference is the amplifier case and slightly smaller 800MHz antenna.

Those clever boffins down at Wi-Ex Central have managed to cram the antennas, cable and amplifier into a single, sleek 2lbs unit. This means that to use the Wi-Ex YX400-P zBoost ONE all you need to do is find a window where you currently get a bit of signal. Place the zBoost ONE near the window, switch it on and you instantly have up to 1,200 sq ft of usable signal.

zBoost ONE YX-400

Compatibility

The YX-400-P is designed to work with only the MetroPCS and Sprint Networks. It is not compatible with any other cellular networks.

Availability

The Wi-Ex zBoost ONE has only just been announced and we do not currently know when they will be ready to ship. The latest we have heard is around Q4, in time for the holiday period.

Update: The YX400-P has now been released and is available on this page.

Product features

• No installation – just plug it in and you have coverage
• Single piece kit – no external antennas, internal antennas or cable
• 1900MHz PCS band, compatible with T-mobile, Verizon (Texas/Florida only), Sprint, Metro PCS, AT&T (some areas only)
• Wireless – no connection to your phone needed
• Good coverage area – cover up to 1,200 sq ft with improved signal
• Single unit measures just 10″ x 9″ x 3.5″

This week, RepeaterStore.com attended CTIA Wireless 2008 in Las Vegas. The conference featured over 1,200 exhibitors encompassing all aspects of the wireless industry. Needless to say, our eyes were fixed firmly on the cellular repeaters.

Over the course of the 3-day conference, we met many of our current suppliers (Wilson Electronics, Wi-Ex, Digital Antenna) and others we are planning to add to our store in the very near future (Shyam, Cell Ranger, and more). We discussed the current repeaters on the market, as well as some new products manufacturers are releasing this year.

The following posts will expand on the new products we saw. We’ve taken some photos and we hope you enjoy this glimpse at CTIA Wireless 2008!

We hope to have a unit in our hands for testing as soon as possible. You’ll find our preliminary thoughts and a full product review (once it’s available) on our Wilson Signalboost DT review page.

You will be able to star pre-ordering at the Wilson SignalBoost DT product page as soon as we have confirmation from Wilson as to what quantity will be included in our first shipment.

Update: It turns out that the delay was cancelled. We now have the Wilson SignalBoost DT available for immediate shipping.

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.

The zBoost YX500-CEL Premium kit includes an upgraded YX026-CEL Yagi Antenna, and the YX500-PCS Premium Kit includes the YX023-PCS panel antenna.