ok. I have had a Verizon Bag phone for 10 years. Well a couple months ago I knew it was going to happen, but I got the letter. I had to give up the 3 watt bag phone.

I have a Motorola Razr, and it is ok. Small but ok.

I contacted Wilson Electronics and they suggest I get a in car amplifier kit. After a 30 minute conversation with their tech department, I feel they know thier stuff.

I asked where to get the goods and I was refered to a web retailer Cellular-360

So Question 1. Is Wilson the best out there?

Question 2. Anyone deal with Cellular 360 and had success?

Thanks for the help.

Go to

www.maximumsignal.net

They are a Truckers Report supporter.

Sorry I was not here earlier , Check us out . As mentioned we are a forum Sponsor . We carry Cyfre - The best Cellular amplifiers made . And our prices are very reasonable.

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www.MaximumSignal.net
Cellular Reception Solutions

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what is a bag phone?

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Breaker one nine, breaker one nine this heres red riding hood; i need a smokey report and i need it bad!



my Australian Shepard belle

They are the boat anchors of cell phones. I'm assuming by this poster. They cut off the analog signal thus is why he had to go digital. Here is a pic of a bag phone.

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no wonder i didnt know what those were. i was born around the time they came out.

I just looked it up and motorola has a new digital one http://www.motorola.com/consumers/v/...008406b00aRCRD

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Breaker one nine, breaker one nine this heres red riding hood; i need a smokey report and i need it bad!



my Australian Shepard belle

Motorola has 2 new digital bag phones . The M900 has a maximum output 2 watts and is for GSM Carriers ( Tmobile , AT&T ). The M800 has a maximum output of .6 watts and is for CDMA carriers (Sprint , Alltell , Verizon , US Cellular). You can use the Cyfre amplifier on the M800 to bring it up to 3 watts

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www.MaximumSignal.net
Cellular Reception Solutions

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What I write next is out of concern & kindness for fellow drivers & not from a self appointed fcc goober.

You want to be very careful using certain of those cheapazz amplifiers (& they all are).
Some of them are actually illegal to use in this country.

Most of these amplifers are known to create widespread interference to public safety radio systems, cellular systems & nearby individual cellular subscribers when these amps go awry.

When pronounced interference occurs, even from mobile installs, someone from a local radio shop, cellular or a police dept radio shop will come looking for it.

The fcc doesn't generally get involved until later in the game although they do have laws forbidding using certain types of these units.

Once located, your vehicle will be invaded (hopefully with a cop) right there.
The unit will be turned off in any way the tech can do it expeditiously.

Presumably he won't intentionally damage anything in the process, but...that's not a guarantee & you have no one to turn to for damages afterwards.

Here's the rub.
There's 2 basic kinds of mobile cellular amps.
Both are generally called Bi-directional amplifiers (BDA's in radio vernacular).
One type connects directly to the cellphone's antenna port.
The other has no direct connection to the cellphone antenna port.

It is the non-direct connected ones that prove to be the majority of problems.
The direct connect types have also been found troublesome but to a lesser extent.

The problem with the non-direct connect type is the antenna placements.
You have (2) antennas.
One antenna receives & sends to the cellsite.
The other sends & receives to the cellphone.
When the signals from one antenna gets into the other antenna, a feedback loop is created.
The feedback causes the BDA to go into "oscillation".
This is akin to acoustic feedback in a pa system.

Once started, that amplifer is now generating a broadband & uncontrolled hi power signal all over the cellular & public safety bands.

It will continue to do this until you remove power from it.

You, the operator, will probably never know it until/unless someone shows up to shut it off.

Once located, you will be made to shut it down if you're around or they will do it in your absence.

You can be sued by the cellular company, the other subscribers, the public safety agency, anyone who was delayed or denied cellular access to emergency medical help &/or fined by the fcc itself.

This type of interference gets everyone's attention & the fcc takes a very dim view of it unlike the cb amplifier/export radio thing.

The other BDA, the direct connected type, can also succumb to the feedback issue if the outside antenna induces enough radio energy into the cable that connects to the cellphone antenna port.

This can easily happen if the cable between the cellphone & amplifier is not shielded well enough or the connection to the cellphone is loose/dirty or if there's a poor connection thru a cellphone "stand".

I understand the need & desire for these & run one myself.

I just wanted you each to be aware of the possibilities or rather responsibilities you encumber in using one.

No one will sue the BDA maker or importer, its the user who is to blame in all circumstances.

Now you know...as little as I do.

PS. Yes, part of my job is to locate & resolve interference issues for PS & commercial radios systems. I am highly equipped & very good at locating the sources. Unlike some of my bretheren, if you're in a store I'll page you & try to wait for your return...unless the problem is severe enough..then you're on your own getting the doorlock or window fixed. I leave my card alongside the officer's. Sorry, best I can do.

Wow Bob, that was a lengthy and informative read. So I guess you may be meeting my hubby some day, because he can't do his job without one.

No reception when your out in the boonies, unless its plugged in.

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I have always been advised to not use an amplifier, by every cell phone dealer and rep I have asked about it. It is annoying to travel, but I have set my phone to beep when losing service or regaining it, I travel mostly the same areas and I know where it works and where I need to stop to talk. I have a friend that is a radio amateur, he has everything, including cell phone amplification setups. My guess is that the amplifiers are part of the problem of dropped calls, especially when you re sitting somewhere with a good signal and the call gets dropped.

I am pretty much resigned to putting up with the annoyance, cell phones are far from perfect.