Homestead Helper: Cell Phone Signal Boost Home Antenna

Wilson SignalBoost DT for home use.

I've had the same cell phone for about fifteen years and never really had many problems with it. That being said, I've also lived within the same 40-50 mile radius of the East Valley of Phoenix the entire time.

Once I moved to the country in northern Oklahoma, that story changed drastically. Within the first few days of arriving at our farm I noticed a change in the function of my cell phone. At the time, I had an HTC Droid Incredible which had served me well for a few years. But it was no match for countryside living.

Being on-call as a hospital employee, it is imperative that I be available immediately when I am on the schedule. When a patient needs an ultrasound in the middle of the night, I am the guy they call to come in and do the exam. Typically, technologists have a one hour response time from the time we get the phone call to the time we walk through the doors at the hospital. Obviously, the sooner the better. How long it takes me to receive the call is paramount.

Days after arriving at the farm I noticed incoming phone calls were going straight to voice mail without ringing at all. I would only become aware that a call had been missed once the voicemail icon illuminated on my cell phone. This initiated what ended up being two weeks worth of phone calls back and forth with the Verizon Tier Two Technical Support Team.

The techs determined that my nearest cell phone tower was about 15 miles southeast of the farm. According to them, this was a little too far for a cell phone antenna to reach on it's own. I was instructed to purchase an external signal booster for the farm which would increase my ability to pick up a distant cell tower signal.

Since there is no phone service nor internet service wired in at the farm, I considered this a worthy project as my cell phone is not only needed for work but is also my source of internet access for my laptop (thank you PDAnet!).

I purchased the Wilson Electronics - DT - Cell Phone Signal Booster for Small Home or Officewhich is now on sale for about $50 less than what I paid.  This kit was easy to install as I show in my video and I recommend it to anyone homesteading out of  reach from the local cell towers.

The signal booster increased my signal reception from one single bar displayed on my cell phone to a consistent 4-5 bars (5 is the fullest signal attainable). I have since not missed a single call. Hope this helps someone else too.

~OJD