Cellular data coverage using amplifiers?

[John Wetter]

Hi Gordon, are we still in the pre-order stage on this, or has the $50 discount expired at this point?

 

[Gordon Spencer]

Hi Gordon, are we still in the pre-order stage on this, or has the $50 discount expired at this point?

Pre sale is over but I will extend it to next week on car units for stormchasers . Call the order line 413-maximum and make sure to tell me you are a storm chaser.

 

[Nils Franke]

Hi everybody,
I didnt wanna start a new thread and thought this might fit in here. We are coming to the US for chasing in May, and are overthinking our equipment right now. We want to upgrade the Verizon 4510 to a 6620, because the 4510 seems to be some kind of broken. We have an older signal booster by Cyfre (CA-819), and it is a dual band amplifier. We are wondering if an actual 4G amplifier would bring a much better signal, last year we suffered some huge signal losses in Texas southwest of DFW. So my question is: is the Mifi 6620 better than the 4510 and are the actual 4G amplifiers significantly better than our Dual band amplifier ? Anyways we will chase with a dual setup using mobile data and a mobile thread net to be on the safe side. Thanks for your comments!

Cheers

Nils

 

[ericjkelly]

4G Amps are SIGNFICANT improvements over the old Cyfre amps. I made this move two seasons ago and have been very pleased. Chasing all last season with a Wilson 4G-V was great with only a few areas in West Nebraska to be challenging.

 

[Nils Franke]

Thanks very much Eric for your opinion, that will make us buy an actual amplifier model.


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[Nils Franke]

And I got another question: This WeBoost Drive 4G-X (already ordered and ready for pickup when we arrive) has a Wireless antenna. So how does it connect to mobile devices ? Is it via WiFi ?

As we will be using a MiFi with a data plan, since we are foreigners and don´t have a cell phone data plan, this does only connect to an amplifier via an antenna cable, is that right ?

We still have the antenna cable from our old MiFi, which sits very loose in the MiFi, but I was wondering if the Verizon 6620 Jetpack can connect to the inside antenna of the amplifier via WiFi ?

Or do we even need a MiFi ? Is it possible to load a data plan to the WeBoost 4G-X ? I saw that you have to register the amplifier at Verizons homepage...

Hope anyone can help on my questions ?

 

[Mark Blue]

And I got another question: This WeBoost Drive 4G-X (already ordered and ready for pickup when we arrive) has a Wireless antenna. So how does it connect to mobile devices ? Is it via WiFi ?

- The wireless antenna for the amp connects to your MiFi via the Verizon wireless cellular signal. The MiFi then blankets your vehicle with Wifi for everyone to use to access the internet.

As we will be using a MiFi with a data plan, since we are foreigners and don´t have a cell phone data plan, this does only connect to an amplifier via an antenna cable, is that right ?

- This will not connect in the same way as your old amp with a special cable between your amp and MiFi, it'll connect using the wireless cellular signal. You'll need to ensure that the internal antenna is in fairly close proximity to your MiFi too, otherwise your connectivity will be hit or miss. If you want a direct connect amp you'd be well advised to shift gears and go that route. You'd have to exchange your wireless amp for a direct connect though, but it'd save you some money. You still need to run an external antenna from the amp to the roof per usual procedure.

We still have the antenna cable from our old MiFi, which sits very loose in the MiFi, but I was wondering if the Verizon 6620 Jetpack can connect to the inside antenna of the amplifier via WiFi ?

- You'd probably need a new adapter cable with a newer model MiFi, but it could be the same in some instances. If you really want to connect your MiFi to the amp via a cable, you'd need a direct connect model (see above).

Or do we even need a MiFi ? Is it possible to load a data plan to the WeBoost 4G-X ? I saw that you have to register the amplifier at Verizons homepage...

- You need one way or the other to connect to Verizon, so it's either a MiFi, a smartphone, or dongle. It isn't possible to load a data plan on the amp. The amplifier is only that, it isn't designed to accept a SIM card or USB dongle. Yes, you do need to register on Verizon before you use a new amp on their network. It's pretty painless.

Hope anyone can help on my questions ?

Replies are inline above.

 

[Nils Franke]

Thank you very much Mark, that helps a lot. As I understood, the best way is to attach the MiFi directly to the internal antenna, with some velcro tape or so ?

 

[Mark Blue]

I had so many issues with wireless amps and reliable connectivity that when I decided to upgrade to a 4G amp I bought the direct connect model. The other issue as I saw it was the use of the term wireless with these units. You'll still have cables galore to deal with, trust me. You'll have to tinker around with your setup to find what works.

I use a Cradlepoint router, which is similar in form and function to a MiFi. My USB modem/dongle has an external antenna port that allows for the direct connection to the amp, so I decided that was best for my application. There's nothing worse than troubleshooting connection issues during a chase!


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