Any experience with 4G signal boosters?

[mrming]

Excuse the long explanation:
- Club WiFi not always on / too far from my berth
- I like to work from boat once a week, and my kids like to watch YouTube etc at the weekend
- I have a legacy mobile contract with 3 which allows unlimited data with tethering / hotspot (iPhone)
- However the 4G (very occasionally 5G) signal at the berth is poor
- I’ve tried the patented YBW method of hoisting the phone up the mast around 15 feet, in a bag
- That works well but it’s inconvenient
- I’d like a better solution that just works when I power everything on
- Ideally that would be an external antenna, but I don’t think that’s possible with an iPhone
- I’ve come across 4G signal boosters (there are a number of Ofcom approved ones) and am wondering if that could be the answer
- Am thinking I would mount the external aerial somewhere on the mast and run the coax into the boat / power the device from the 12v system

So, has anyone used one of these boosters?

NB: the intention is to use my existing phone’s data connection, not to buy a sim for another device, or to pay for Starlink.

Thanks!

 

[samfieldhouse]

My understanding is that their prime function is to redistribute a signal, ie by relaying it from a garden, into a house.
They can make the signal itself stronger so you have a more stable connection, but they can’t increase the bandwidth - so you won’t get more speed.
It sounds like what you really want is a 12v 4/5G router with an extendable antenna.

 

[Sandy]

Poor signal in, poor signal out.

As long as your bag is waterproof and you have a down haul what is so difficult about raising the phone higher up the mast?

 

[mrming]

My understanding is that their prime function is to redistribute a signal, ie by relaying it from a garden, into a house.
They can make the signal itself stronger so you have a more stable connection, but they can’t increase the bandwidth - so you won’t get more speed.
It sounds like what you really want is a 12v 4/5G router with an extendable antenna.

There’s plenty of bandwidth when the phone is up the mast. The issue with using a router / antenna is, the sim with unlimited free data is inside my phone.

 

[mrming]

Poor signal in, poor signal out.

As long as your bag is waterproof and you have a down haul what is so difficult about raising the phone higher up the mast?

Tethering to the phone soon flattens the battery, so it has to go up the mast with a battery pack, which I have to remember to charge. On the occasions mid-week where I’m there for an hour or two it all takes time to rig and de-rig so not totally ideal.

 

[MisterBaxter]

The way to go is to use an external antenna, up the mast ideally, connected to a SIM router on the boat. That gives you your own private wifi on the boat.
You can buy the two together as a package, eg:
TP-Link TL-MR6400

Edit - just re-read your post and saw that you don't want to buy another SIM. This suggestion obviously won't work in that case, but a cheap data-only SIM from GiffGaff costs very little, there's no contract so you can cancel at any time, and should work really well.

 

[Grumpydev]

I got an unlimited data sim recently for £15 a month rolling monthly contract, on the Three network, but unfortunately the speeds on Three where my boat is are absolutely useless so I'm back to much more expensive, but actually performant, EE.

 

[mrming]

I got an unlimited data sim recently for £15 a month rolling monthly contract, on the Three network, but unfortunately the speeds on Three where my boat is are absolutely useless so I'm back to much more expensive, but actually performant, EE.

My network is Three, and speeds up the mast are good, so this could actually be the solution, along with a router and external antenna.

 

[Grumpydev]

My network is Three, and speeds up the mast are good, so this could actually be the solution, along with a router and external antenna.

This was Smarty, via uSwitch, which took the price from £20 to £15 - my referral code is https://i.smarty.co.uk/DCRhTA if you want to use it (no stress if not, think we both get a £10 voucher if someone does)

You can switch autorenewals on and off in the smarty app, rather than having to ring up, which is a big plus in my book!

(if referrals aren't allowed mods feel free to delete)

 

[Sandy]

Tethering to the phone soon flattens the battery, so it has to go up the mast with a battery pack, which I have to remember to charge. On the occasions mid-week where I’m there for an hour or two it all takes time to rig and de-rig so not totally ideal.

Goodness my phone lasts 48 hours 'on tether' fully charged, but usually comes indoors overnight to charge. What is the battery capacity?

I unclip the main halyard from the boom, clip on the waterproof bag and downhaul then up it goes, takes all of 2 mins. The downhaul is attached to the end of the boom to avoid the phone hitting the mast.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Goodness my phone lasts 48 hours 'on tether' fully charged, but usually comes indoors overnight to charge. What is the battery capacity?

I unclip the main halyard from the boom, clip on the waterproof bag and downhaul then up it goes, takes all of 2 mins. The downhaul is attached to the end of the boom to avoid the phone hitting the mast.

Bit of a bugger when someone phones you though.

 

[Sandy]

Bit of a bugger when someone phones you though.

The phone is paired to the PC! Dam clever these IT guys

At least when I'm in the yard there is no signal.