Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/53591
MOBILEOFFICE By Larry Walton Wilson recommends mounting the interior antenna for the dual-band booster high on the inside of the driver's seat so other cell phone devices can take advantage of the enhanced signal. Adding a cell phone booster to your pickup for better cell coverage low like an old west gun fi ghter. The phone's antenna could fi nd that number ten rib every time you climbed into your pickup. Calls were short and to the point because M the meter was running. Still we were glad to be able to make the call from the fi eld. Now we take our cell phones and our cell coverage for granted. They have become as much a part of our lives as the pickups we drive and the machines we operate, which is why a weak signal can be so disruptive to our business and personal lives. Boosting in-cab cell reception can be a real money maker, which is where Wilson electronics comes in with their line of cellular 12 PROPICKUP February 2012 any remember the day of the portable "brick phone" when con- tractors wore it in a holster slung signal boosters. "The dual band mobile wireless is one of our better products for the construction industry," says Jonathan Bacon, Director of Marketing, Wilson Electronics. "It not only improves cell phone signals, it also works with laptop data cards to provide higher data rates and faster speeds." I tested a couple of Wilson's wireless cell phone signal boosters in an area where con- tractor Brian Monroe recently did a job with no cell service. As I approached the jobsite, the signal strength indicator on my cell phone went from one bar to "no service." Using the cell phone signal boosters I was able to see a dramatic improvement in cell service. In fact, the best combination moved the signal from "no service" to fi ve bars 3G and phone calls made from the location were loud and clear. There are three main components to a mobile wireless unit. At the core of the system is a signal amplifi er, which gets power from a 12V power point or cigarette lighter. The amplifi er is connected to an external antenna located on the roof of the vehicle and an inte- rior antenna mounted inside the vehicle. The external antenna handles signals between the amplifi er and the cell tower while the interior antenna transmits signals between amplifi er and cell phone. Wilson off ers these systems with several variations on setup. Their popular Dual Band Mobile Wireless Cell Phone Signal Booster ($175) uses a rooftop antenna with a mag- netic base, an under-seat amplifi er and a rectangular interior antenna that attaches to the driver's seat with a hook and loop strip. It works well for hand-held phone use and can accommodate a laptop data card or a second cell phone at the same time. The more compact Wilson Sleek ($70) employs a phone cradle, which houses the amplifi er and the interior antenna. It includes a smaller rooftop antenna with a magnetic base. This unit works best with hands-free Bluetooth and has a bit less power than the dual-band signal amplifi er. I saw an increase of three bars with the Sleek. In testing, I got the best results with the