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Tech Talk with SeaBits
ADDING A CELL BOOSTER TO YOUR BOAT
by Steve Mitchell
Staying connected while you’re out on the water can be important for cruisers who work remotely or simply want to browse their Instagram feed; and one of the easiest ways to do that is using a cellular connection. Being able to get a cell signal can be challenging, though, especially in out-of-the-way anchorages. To help solve this, you can use a cell phone booster with a marine-grade
well. Boosters are only beneficial when the signal level from the tower is low, and they will shut off if it is higher. When considering whether you need a booster, look at where you will be cruising, how close you will be to towns and population areas where there might be towers, and the terrain around you. All cellular providers have coverage maps
Cellular Tower
Outdoor Antenna
Amplifier
Indoor Antenna
Basic cell phone booster setup antenna. Cell phone boosters are pretty simple pieces of technology—an outdoor antenna is placed somewhere away from interference, and is responsible for picking up the remote signal from a cell tower. It is connected to an amplifier that boosts the signal and sends it to an antenna inside the boat. Boosters are a good solution for devices without external antennas such as smartphones and tablets, and where signal is in the mid to low range. For mobile hotspot devices, a directly connected outdoor antenna can offer good performance in most situations, but you can also place them in front of the indoor antenna and see good benefits as 48º NORTH
on their websites, which make it easy to tell if a particular anchorage is going to potentially have service. Another factor to consider before purchasing a booster is the power that it will use. On boats with limited battery banks or charging systems, a booster can end up being one of your biggest power consumers. Most boosters I’ve tested use a power supply that draws anywhere between 10-22 watts, or as high as 1.8 amps from a 12VDC battery bank. By far the most popular booster on the market today is the weBoost. They have a great track record, and various options to choose from. The best model available right now is the weBoost Drive Reach at $499 and includes a good
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indoor antenna, and a tiny magnetic (non-marine) outdoor antenna. Pair that with the Poynting OMNI-400 marine grade cellular antenna for about $200 along with a couple of adapters and good quality LMR-400 cable for about $65. That puts the total at $764 which gives you a high quality setup that will last for a long time, and allow you to connect to even the lowest signals. There are some alternative brands to consider as well including SolidRF and SureCall, and some 3rd party stores will sell bundles that include marine components. In most cases, it is better to buy a standard booster with a good indoor antenna and the cheap outdoor antenna, and replace that with a higher quality marine-grade antenna like the Poynting OMNI-400 or Wilson Marine LTE. You can also get different indoor antennas depending on your needs. The indoor and outdoor antennas cannot be near each other, or they will create a loop and the amplifier will shut down. Additionally, a booster will shut down if it detects a strong signal from the local tower, in which case it can’t offer a benefit. These features are hard coded into all boosters and are required
weBoost Reach amplifier and internal antenna MARCH 2020