How to Increase Your Cell Phone's Reception

Boosting your cell phone signal to the legal three watts can dramatically increase reception.

The market seems to offer an almost endless array of options to increase cell phone service, more commonly referred to as reception or signal strength. From signal boosters to patches, manufacturers make claims that consumers later often find less than ideal. Emergency personnel, however, don't fiddle around with such unproven technology; they rely on three-watt boosters. The reason for this is that most newer phones only put out about a third of a watt with their internal antenna. Older phones, however, put out up to three watts, as allowed by the FCC. This is a major difference when trying to get a signal in a rural areas or through thick walls.

Things You'll Need

• Three-watt cell phone repeater kit
• Cell phone

Instructions

1. Install the antenna that comes with your repeater kit. Accomplish this by using your cell phone as a guide to find the best location around your house that gets the best reception. Install your antenna in that vicinity. Installation instructions do vary among manufacturers, so make sure you follow the user's manual closely. If installing in your car, mount the antenna in the front, alongside the hood, or in back alongside the trunk.

2. Mount the amplifier either on the dash (if installing in your car) or somewhere in your home -- preferably the area in which you will use your cell phone the most. Keep in mind that the repeater will often work best on the same floor where you are using your cell phone.

3. Run a coax cable from the antenna to the amplifier and connect them. You will find a coax port on both the antenna and the amplifier; simply screw on the coax cable to connect the two.

4. Insert the power supply that comes with the unit into the back of you amplifier. Plug the power supply into a standard wall outlet. Turn on the amplifier and it will boot up. Once it boots up, check your cell phone signal and you should notice a good increase. Users routinely report an increase of about three bars on average in some rural areas.

Resources

• Repeater Store
• Cell Booster Store