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ennismaple
06-12-2013, 09:41 PM
Our sugar camp is in an area with poor cellular coverage. At best we can get 1 or 2 bars when sitting on the peak of the roof! Even then, you better make the call a quick one because it won't last long and the call will get dropped.

I'm sure many of you are in the same situation. While it is sometimes nice to not be reachable on your phone, being able to call 911 (God forbid), order supplies, troubleshoot or keep in touch with the family is necessary. Does anyone use a cell phone booster in their camp? We are considering buying a zBoost YX545x SOHO Extreme unit to hopefully get decent coverage in the camp. Any comments or recommendations?
maple maniac65
06-13-2013, 07:05 AM
years ago in my area cell coverage was minimal so I used a magnetic car antenna and put it on my metal roof and ran a wire inside to plug into my cell phone. The new phones do not seem to have that antenna jack though.
DrTimPerkins
06-13-2013, 07:16 AM
Any comments or recommendations?

We have used (at home) an earlier version of the zBoost (YX510). It worked reasonably well.
mapleack
06-13-2013, 07:41 AM
i have a wilson brand booster in my truck, it works well.
wiam
06-13-2013, 07:50 AM
How do they connect to the phone? Is it wireless?
ennismaple
06-13-2013, 02:25 PM
They don't connect to the cell phone - they amplify and re-broadcast the signal inside the building. You need to have some signal for it to work which is why it should be good for us to sue while boiling. I have 1 or 2 bars on the roof but nothing inside.

Anyone know how well they handle being inside an unheated sugar camp? Or should I plan to put it inside the RO room to keep it warm?
DrTimPerkins
06-13-2013, 03:32 PM
Anyone know how well they handle being inside an unheated sugar camp? Or should I plan to put it inside the RO room to keep it warm?

The antenna on the roof and the cable won't be bothered by the cold. Probably best to put the unit itself in the RO room. The manual for our unit says "indoor use only", but doesn't specify storage or operating temperature conditions. They have quite a bit in the manual on antenna and base unit placement. Shoot me an email and I'll reply and attach the manual for our unit (although you can probably find it online). Should be fairly similar.

Addendum.....the info online says 40 - 105 deg F. The manual is there too under the "Literature" tab. http://www.wi-ex.com/YX545x.aspx