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Old 04-29-2019, 11:47 AM   #1
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Cell booster: if you have one, how did you install yours?

I'm looking to get a cell booster, probably the Weboost Drive 4G-X RV, but I'm concerned about how to install it properly. Concerns include mounting the external antenna, getting the wire from the antenna into the coach, mounting the booster in an appropriate location with power available, and then cleanly running wiring to the internal antenna. I know it can be a challenge to run wires in or through our well-built cabinetry.

- How and where did you mount your external antenna and how did you get the wiring from that into your coach?

- Where did you mount and power the booster?

- How did you run the wire to the internal antenna?

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.
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Old 04-29-2019, 12:37 PM   #2
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We have a Weboost amplifier, but not the same model. I mounted the outside antenna on a 10 foot piece of conduit attached to the ladder on the motorhome. As I can raise the piece of conduit, I left enough slack in the RG-6 to be able to do so. I ran the coax along the top of the RV, and will have it enter opening on the right front of the roof where the power cable for my DirecTV controller comes in. Inside, it will run through the cabinets overhead, and under the valance on the driver side window. From there it will go to the driver side slide, and that is where the amplifier is located. We have about 3 feet of coax connected to the inside antenna. We have that antenna close to our couch, and when the signal from the tower is weak, we set our Mi-Fi device or our cell phones on top of the antenna as is it laying flat.


That is one thing we learned about the Weboost systems that inside antennas work best when your device is either on top if it, or very close to it.
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Old 04-29-2019, 02:23 PM   #3
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If your going with a Communication Cabinet approach, determine where that cabinet will be. A few considerations include:

> Feeding both 12V and 120V feed to the cabinet, as well as having access to the roof top for cable runs.

> Access to AC ducting. (IF you want to use a inside the coach Repeater Antenna, vs a Hershey Bar Antenna within the Communication Cabinet.)

(As FYI, in our 04 Allure, we had a cabinet with TV in it, just next to the sliding rear doors to the closet. We removed the Tubed TV, created more storage space for us, and we put a false panel 5" off the back of the cabinet (Nested up the side of the coaches fiberglass.). We had cables for communication, and also for solar panel wire, to feed in from the roof. So we had two 1 3/4" diameter holes cut, with conduits run down into that rear cabinet. On the rooftop we used two 4 Gang Boxes, with a waterproof lid on top. One us used to feed the solar wires down to the Solar Controller, the other is used for all communication cable feeds to the roof top.). This entertainment cabinet nested up against three over the window cabinets, and finally up to in our coach a smaller cabinet where the Heated Floor controller was mounted. I cut in 1" holes along the walls of all of those cabinets, to route wires thru over to that smaller cabinet, that happens to nest up against the bathroom wall that has one of the two pocket doors hollows to slide the doors into. About a 4 1/2' run from the old TV Cabinet, to the smaller cabinet. I ran 12V and 120V over to that cabinet. 12V is on a 15A fuse. And the 120V feed was just a 4 outlet Surge Strip, with the male plug plugged into the same outlet as the TV used to plug into. (We have not replaced the TV in the bedroom yet. But have all of the cabling and connectors available, and when we had new cabinet door made,we added a strong hinge system that we can add a surface mount to hold a LCD TV in the future if we want to add it.).

> From the Communication Cabinet to the Roof, we have:
- Three Cellular Related Antenna cables (Two to for the Maximum Signal 13" Magnetic Antennas. One for the MobileMark MIMO 2X2 Magnetic Antenna).
- CAT5 Cable feed from the WiFiRange GOac router, feeding POE to the WFR EliteAC.
- CAT6 Cable, which we feed up also to the roof, and up to another 2 Gang Water Proof box, with an Conduit down into the Cabinet in the front of the coach, just next to the Entertainment Equipment Cabinet over the passenger seat. We have that feeds into a 4 way splitter, to feed CAT5 cables to the Genie, Oppo Blue Ray, Marantz AVR and also over to the Samsung TV.

> From the Communication Cabinet in the bedroom, we removed a bedroom ducting vent, and poked whole in the styrofoam ducting run, to fish an antenna cable out from the Communication Cabinet, and forward thru the AC Ducting to a front vent next to a kitchen Cabinet. We removed that vents cover, and poked a hole to fish a cable over into the kitchen cabinet (Holds our glasses, and is right above the kitchen sink, and pretty well centered within the front living areas from front to back. The cabinet has about a 30 degree angle, and juts out about 20" from the passenger side of the coaches wall. Which in our coach, is a non slide wall.) We then drilled a small hole for the antenna cable towards the top of that cabinet, and mounted the Cellular Amps Internal 'repeater' Antenna in that location. (This is the Maximum Signal Amp, and we find this location works well for getting a boosted signal while driving, and also sitting in our front living area. The longest distance from the Internal Antenna, is about 8-10', to the front of the coaches driving position. Providing boosted signal to my DW's phone to help augment our GPS as we're traveling!)

> We find we use our MiFi's (ATT or Verizon, depending upon what is the better signal for the area.), direct connected to the MobileMark's 2X2 Antenna. We find it usually is adequate to get us a good signal. We tether the MiFi's to the WiFi Ranger GOac, which we then use for all of our Data Needs in the coach. At the few times where we can not get useable single via the MobileMark 2X2 MIMO (Omni) Antenna. We then use a WeBoost Sleek, fed from the second Maximum Signal's 13" Magnetic Antenna, which usually is enough to profile which ever MiFi we're using to have a useable signal. Probably twice a year, the lower boosting Sleek is not enough. And then we'll move the MiFi out and place within 18" of the Maximum Signal's Internal Antenna - it has been the difference of no signal, to useable Download Signal in areas of very fringe coverage!

Sorry I went on so much, and that I don't have pictures, but hope what I tried to explain helps you map out your path ahead.

And as FYI in general, IMO, anyone looking fo purchase a Cellular Amp today - may want to either hold for a bit, or possibly go with a hold over Amp (The WeBoost Sleek is not real expensive, and does a relatively good job for medium boosting amp.). My rational is 5G Cellular Amps are on their way, and I suspect will be available sometime in 2019. (I'm planning to limp along with my two amps that I currently have, and let 5G roll out some, and 5G amps mature some.)

Best to you, and all,
Smitty
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Old 04-29-2019, 03:28 PM   #4
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I have the Weboost you’re planning on. I did not mount mine permanently. I have a 25 foot extension flagpole that I mounted the outside antenna on. I still fly my flags. I have a piece of thick high density foam that I cut to fit in the drivers side sliding window. I run the outside cable in by the foam and have everything lying atop my dash. My coach has both 110v and 12v right there. I really don’t want to drill anymore holes in my coach. My setup works great. My flagpole sits in a metal footer that I put the driver side front tire on. No problems and I’ve been doing it this way for almost 2 years.
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Old 04-29-2019, 11:29 PM   #5
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I did the weboost and put the antenna at the rear of the coach. I removed some antiquated satellite hardware from the forward cabinet over the door and next to the tv. I rad the wires to the roof via the hole where the satellite cables ran. I found that behind the cabinets i could run all the cables. I installed a ubiquity exterior router and 15db gain antenna on the roof and also a network switch and an arlo base station. Now we can do most anything we can do at home including watching our dog and the temp gauge while away.
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Old 05-09-2019, 04:53 PM   #6
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Thanks, all, for your helpful and detailed input. I appreciate the creative ways you've all addressed how to retrofit a booster into your setup. Sorry for the delay in responding - we've been camping in places with extremely poor internet access. Guess I need that booster more than ever!
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Old 05-09-2019, 04:56 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PJStough View Post
We have a Weboost amplifier, but not the same model. I mounted the outside antenna on a 10 foot piece of conduit attached to the ladder on the motorhome. As I can raise the piece of conduit, I left enough slack in the RG-6 to be able to do so. I ran the coax along the top of the RV, and will have it enter opening on the right front of the roof where the power cable for my DirecTV controller comes in. Inside, it will run through the cabinets overhead, and under the valance on the driver side window. From there it will go to the driver side slide, and that is where the amplifier is located. We have about 3 feet of coax connected to the inside antenna. We have that antenna close to our couch, and when the signal from the tower is weak, we set our Mi-Fi device or our cell phones on top of the antenna as is it laying flat.


That is one thing we learned about the Weboost systems that inside antennas work best when your device is either on top if it, or very close to it.
Paul, what did you use to stick down the coax that you ran along the length of your roof?
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Old 05-09-2019, 05:01 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Smitty77 View Post
If your going with a Communication Cabinet approach, determine where that cabinet will be. <cut>
Smitty, thanks for all of your incredible detail, that was very helpful to me and made me realize that I probably need to think this through in a more systematic fashion. I particularly like the idea of using AC ducting, as I hadn't considered that approach at all. A lot to think about now...
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Old 05-09-2019, 05:03 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IASM View Post
I did the weboost and put the antenna at the rear of the coach. I removed some antiquated satellite hardware from the forward cabinet over the door and next to the tv. I rad the wires to the roof via the hole where the satellite cables ran. I found that behind the cabinets i could run all the cables. I installed a ubiquity exterior router and 15db gain antenna on the roof and also a network switch and an arlo base station. Now we can do most anything we can do at home including watching our dog and the temp gauge while away.
Just to make sure I understand, since you got the wires up to your roof in the front and installed the exterior antenna in the rear, did you run the wires to the antenna along the top of your roof? If so, how did you attach them?
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Old 05-09-2019, 05:11 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ55 View Post
Paul, what did you use to stick down the coax that you ran along the length of your roof?

I didnt. I just ran it under the edge of the air conditioners. It doesnt move when traveling. If I ever notice it moving I will use some self leveling caulk in a few spots to keep it from moving.
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Old 05-09-2019, 05:33 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ55 View Post
Just to make sure I understand, since you got the wires up to your roof in the front and installed the exterior antenna in the rear, did you run the wires to the antenna along the top of your roof? If so, how did you attach them?

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Old 05-13-2019, 09:20 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IASM View Post
I did the weboost and put the antenna at the rear of the coach. I removed some antiquated satellite hardware from the forward cabinet over the door and next to the tv. I rad the wires to the roof via the hole where the satellite cables ran. I found that behind the cabinets i could run all the cables. I installed a ubiquity exterior router and 15db gain antenna on the roof and also a network switch and an arlo base station. Now we can do most anything we can do at home including watching our dog and the temp gauge while away.
This is a great idea... I may have to do this
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Old 05-18-2019, 06:31 PM   #13
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Wires on roof .
I seen in pics of plastic wire track/raceway for solar wires 1 X 3/4 ish . I have not been able to locate any.
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