An RV or recreational vehicle is a convenient and luxurious way to travel the world and explore new places in comfort. With the various gadgets and equipments installed, the RV is essentially a home on wheels and provides all the basic living amenities including TV, bathroom and a kitchen all placed inside this motor home. But we all know that despite the various advancements, there is one thing for which sadly you might have to shell in some extra money. The cell phone signals are usually weak in remote areas and can become a serious reason than can spoil the most exciting of camping trips. While cell phone signals are hardly any problem in the big cities, they are practically non-existent in remote areas. Coupled with the heavy metal lining in the vehicles, cell phone reception inside the RV is a big problem and it is always considered best to install a signal repeater to improve signal.
Causes of Poor Signal
The chief causes of poor reception in an RV are the distance from the signal towers and the various obstructions between the cell phone signal and your device. Terrains such as hills, mountains, trees, rivers etc. can cause several types of signal interference. Even the materials used in the RV, such as metal and heavy insulation to protect from the outside weather makes it difficult for the already waning signal to penetrate the inside of the vehicle.
Typical Signal Booster Setup for RV
A typical signal booster setup for improving cell phone reception inside the motor homes comprise of an external antenna, an amplifier, an internal antenna and a low loss cable for connecting all the various units together into one signal boosting machinery. The antenna first receives the weak signal through the external antenna, amplifies it through the amplification unit and then relays the signal inside the RV via the internal antenna.
General Types of signal Boosters for RV
Depending on your wireless carrier or service provider, there are a wide variety of signal boosters that you can buy for your RV.
Cradle Type
Meant to boost the signal for just one cell phone at a time, the cradle type is the best for people who like to go alone on various camping trips into the wild with fewer or no companions. As referenced by the name, the cradle holds the cell phone and provides an unmatched signal boost. The cradle is connected to an external antenna that receives the signal and sends it to your phone via the cradle. While the cradle type is an inexpensive solution, it can be only used on one device at a time and the phone has to sit on the cradle in order to receive the boosted signal, thus limiting mobility inside the camper.
3G Signal Booster Kit
The 3g Signal Booster Kit is more of a permanent solution to all your cell phone signal problems for your RV. It provides a boosted cell phone signal throughout the RV thus making it great when you’re camping with your friends and family. The absence of a cradle greatly enhances the mobility and you no longer have to keep the cell phone device in a special place to receive proper signal. The 3g booster kit supports both 2g and 3g signals.
4G Signal Booster Kit
Despite of the name, this kit supports both 3G and 4G networks. As most of the next generation cell phone devices coming out with 4g support it has become important to keep up with the latest informational technology trends and update. The 4g signal booster kit comes with the same number of accessories like the 3g kit and relays the signal throughout the RV with multiple device support.
Installing a signal booster in your RV can certainly solve all your problems related to poor cell phone signal on your recreational tips into the wild. For more information on signal boosters and Wilson Amplifiers to boost signal, you can check the various websites online for the different types and makes of cell phone signal boosters and repeaters.
Image by Bruce Fingerhood
