Mobile signal booster ?

[waterworks]

Any recommendations for a phone signal booster for the EE network, we have moved to a mooring with no phone signal half the time. ( We have no mains hook up only solar.)

[Tony Brooks]

4 minutes ago, waterworks said:

Any recommendations for a phone signal booster for the EE network, we have moved to a mooring with no phone signal half the time. ( We have no mains hook up only solar.)

 

Can your device accept an external aerial? That may be the cheapest and easiest way, unless you fail to get a signal when off the boat and standing on the stern or bank. If so, then I fear it will involve a network change to one that provides coverage where you are located.

 

You don't say if the problem is with data, phone calls, or both.

Edited August 16, 2021 by Tony Brooks

[Idle Days]

I described my hunt for a solution here, which may be of help.

[Tony Brooks]

FWIW - it seems Apple phones will happily switch themselves between normal Xg phone communications and what is in effect voice over internet is they are set to do so. Yours would seem to be set to do this.

 

Don't know about Android ones, but I expect many will do the same.

 

The only reason I know is because the kids have given me one of their old I phone's because they think it will make us easier to contact because they expect to use the mobile, while I prefer a landline and turn the PAYG mobile off except when I am any from home. Now it seems I have t find a suitable sim only deal and pay a fee per month.

[GUMPY]

29 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Now it seems I have t find a suitable sim only deal and pay a fee per month.

Smarty works well for us, you can change the tarriff every month if  you want.

We pay £6 but that's with 4gb data, if you don't need data then you get a discount tarriff bringing it down to £5 

Details here

http://referme.to/blHJxgx

 

On the subject of signal boosters I arrived at a site in rural Ireland a couple of days ago, no phone signal and no signal on our MiFi, plugged in the external antenna (Poynting Xpol) into the MiFi and bingo 2 bars of signal and a reasonable data connection, enough to phone over IP and stream data.

Edited August 16, 2021 by Loddon

[Sea Dog]

Is trying to boost a weak or non-existent signal the right answer? Have you looked at the coverage maps for that area with the various networks? One of the others may be better. The long haired admiral and I are on 2 different networks so as to maximize our chances of coverage on our travels.

[Richard10002]

I have a 3 PAYG SIM where the money doesn’t expire. I think I might have to send a text or something every 6 months or so to keep it active, but that is a small price to pay.

[mickp]

I have been googling this subject because at some locations I need to go outside of boat ,ok with warm sunshine ,to get any internet or calls.

There are booster for cell phones but ofcom made some illegal ,so they are for sale online but you need to check it's the legal type .if advertised as open to any network it's the naughty type and can cause interference. Legal ones are setup for the network u use.

I dont have one so not sure there any good ,and my info is just what i picked up with 1/2 hours googling 

[Tony Brooks]

1 minute ago, mickp said:

I have been googling this subject because at some locations I need to go outside of boat ,ok with warm sunshine ,to get any internet or calls.

There are booster for cell phones but ofcom made some illegal ,so they are for sale online but you need to check it's the legal type .if advertised as open to any network it's the naughty type and can cause interference. Legal ones are setup for the network u use.

I dont have one so not sure there any good ,and my info is just what i picked up with 1/2 hours googling 

 

I would be very wary of any supposed signal booster because, just as with TV aerial amplifiers, if you start with a crap signal you still get a crap signal but just as amplified crap signal. It would help if the signal was weak but clean, but then, there is the question of how to get the amplified signal through the Faraday cage known as a narrowboat. How would the OP know if it is just a weak but signal or one suffering from some form of interference that confuses the 1s and 0s?

 

If the phone works well outside the boat, then an external aerial will appear to boost the signal. If the phone does not work outside the boat, I would suggest a change of network to one that does work in that spot.

[matty40s]

With our home internet system(Huawei router and external aeriel), if our phones dont work in the boat, they automatically switch to wireless calling through the router. You may need to download your service supplier app for this.

[robtheplod]

Not sure amplifying is the way forward - you need to figure a way of receiving the signal better, ie outside aerial.... failing that change provider, move boat again or use Marina wifi if available?

[waterworks]

I looked on all the major mobile phone coverage maps and there all say it's a good signal at my address, which is balls, no ones getting a signal here. 

 

 

[David Mack]

The coverage maps are mathematically modelled based on mast distribution and ground geography. If you are in a local dip or valley bottom as canals often are you may be in a blind spot not identified by the model.

[Iain_S]

23 hours ago, mickp said:

I have been googling this subject because at some locations I need to go outside of boat ,ok with warm sunshine ,to get any internet or calls.

There are booster for cell phones but ofcom made some illegal ,so they are for sale online but you need to check it's the legal type .if advertised as open to any network it's the naughty type and can cause interference. Legal ones are setup for the network u use.

I dont have one so not sure there any good ,and my info is just what i picked up with 1/2 hours googling 

I don't think there is a legal type of booster for use in boats. There are two (very similar) specifications for static use and mobile use, but the mobile use specifically excludes boats and static caravans. I believe the thinking is that any interference would be easily traced in the case of static installations, and of short duration in the case of mobile use.

 

Mobile phone repeaters – what you need to know - Ofcom

 

UK Interface Requirement 2102 (ofcom.org.uk)

[mickp]

Didnt spot that one,just assumed mobile use but it is specific about not using in boats a caravan.

I suppose it's because of boats and caravans can be very close to each other and interfere with nieghbours  maybe

[waterworks]

I suppose I could try a SIM from all the networks and see if any thing works?

 

What are all the networks ?

[alias]

51 minutes ago, waterworks said:

I suppose I could try a SIM from all the networks and see if any thing works?

 

What are all the networks ?

 

The four carriers are 3, EE, Vodafone and O2. They sell services themselves, and also through resellers.

 

There are a couple of mobile apps that crowdsource coverage data that might be worth a look, as they are based on user reported signal strength that might be worth a try.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.zwanoo.android.speedtest&gl=GB

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.staircase3.opensignal&gl=GB

Edited August 17, 2021 by alias

[Alan de Enfield]

If you need a strong reliable signal then mabe what lumpy water boaters use could be applicable.

 

The article is about working from your boat and has a few paragraphs on 'communications'.

 

 

How to make a living on your yacht - Yachting World

 

[Richard10002]

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If you need a strong reliable signal then mabe what lumpy water boaters use could be applicable.

 

The article is about working from your boat and has a few paragraphs on 'communications'.

 

 

How to make a living on your yacht - Yachting World

 

In order to save anybody time, the only suggestion in the article regarding improving the calls signal is a booster.... which has already been discussed here and, I think, been deemed illegal in the UK.

 

To be fair, they do talk about satellite phones and Starlink.