Cell phone boosters and connecting them to cell phone antennas.

Cell phone boosters and amplifiers need special considerations to work properly. The first thing to consider is cabling. Nothing is more important than the cabling connecting your antenna to your amplifier. The incorrect wire and wire size can result in so much signal loss that there is no benefit to installing an antenna.

There are basically 3 types of cable used in cell phone antenna installations, type 9913, type RG 58, type 174 and some have used type 213 for longer runs for a minimum of signal loss.

The shorter the cable the less signal loss!

Yes, very true, but this is not always possible and some length of cable has to be used depending on where your antenna is located. The distance between the antenna and the amplifier or booster should be as short as possible.

Your antenna should be in the best location with no or as little obstacles as possible between the cell tower and your antenna. The amplifier should be in a dry location inside since they are not designed for outdoor installations.

Keep the cable between the amplifier and antenna as short as possible. Once the signal is amplified you can use a longer run of cable to your repeater or the location in your dwelling where your phone will be used.

However, it would be best to keep all runs as short as possible to avoid signal loss. If you plan out your installation well, this will not be a problem. Vehicle installations are much simpler in respect to cable lengths. There is only so much room in a car or RV to accomodate a cell phone booster and cell phone antenna installation.

In a building, this will be much different and requires some planning before you start. The first consideration should be mounting the antenna and work your way inside from there. Remeber, plan well to keep your wire runs as short as possible.

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