Will a Cell Booster Work in 1x and 1 bar?

[myway_1]

I am getting so frustrated trying to find a dispersed camping site with 4G and three bars. I drove around all day in the Pike and San Isabel National Forest SW of Pueblo and for the most part had no signal at all. When there was a signal it was only 1x and one bar until finally I found 4G and one to two bars.

I can't be spending so much time trying to find a spot

I am in a car and have no room for a pole for a directional antenna.

Will the Weboost Drive 4G-S with the 4" antenna that comes with it (replaced the Wilson Sleek) help in a scenario of 1x and one bar?

 

[jimindenver]

The Rockies can be wicked fun when it comes to internet. They are what set me on the path I am on with it. As for you question, if the band being broadcast is within the range of the booster and your phone uses it, then yes you may see a improvement. How much is hard to say. Have you looked at your carriers coverage map when picking a spot? On some you can zoom in and see detailed boundaries as to where there should and shouldn't be a connection.

 

[MrNoodly]

A booster is better than no booster, but it's not going to turn a 1x into a 4G if you're not in a 4G area. With just the standard antenna you might get a two to four bar improvement. Sometimes you can grab a 4G instead of a 3G. It won' be able to pull a signal through a mountain.

 

[myway_1]

^^ I'm using Verizon. Thanks for the coverage map suggestion. I looked at it and was astonished to see all the areas without coverage. But there supposedly is 3G coverage in many of the places where my phone was showing no coverage or 1x. Could it be that my phone has poor reception components in it? It is a smart phone (LG Optimus Zone3) but only cost $30.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Will the Weboost Drive 4G-S with the 4" antenna that comes with it (replaced the Wilson Sleek) help in a scenario of 1x and one bar?

I have a weBoost 4G-M.  I usually use it with the 4" antenna, about 12' in the air.  If I can get any kind of signal it will boost it to a usable signal.  Usually this means that dropped calls go through clearly or dropped internet connects or slow internet speeds up.  weBoost claims up to 50dB but I have never seen more than ~ 20dB of boost (iPhone reported) with the provided 4" antenna.

And yes, the quality of the antenna in your phone does make a difference.  Also any external antenna (outside the vehicle) or higher antenna will improve signal.

 -- Spiff

 

[tx2sturgis]

The very best type of cell signal boosters use an external antenna, but you can buy them with a short (4" to 18") magnetic antenna for your roof and they will help improve the signal quite a bit.

If you can get any usable signal on your phone, then a booster (with the right bands of course) will make a difference.

But as mentioned here, they wont work miracles and if there is zero coverage, such as in a box canyon or dense forest, you may be out of luck.

 

[DLTooley]

Line of sight to an antenna is a good way to find service areas.  You can be quite far away.  My favorite example is the Abajo Mountains in SE Utah - you can be 30 miles away and still get a signal.  

Sometimes antenna farms are even listed in the topographic map atlas.  Sometimes they can be hard to figure.  A view spot overlooking a town is usually a good bet.