Been using this for a while now and have been pretty impressed with the performance. Figured I would post up a review. Personally I got it since a CB only goes so far so if I have a breakdown or anything crazy this may come in handy. Also like to go out exploring with the fiancé so this helps keep her happy when off roading starts to loose her attention.
The Model is 460108. This is new for 2014 and is certified to new regulations by the FCC. The booster is not supposed to cause the same headaches to carriers ( and end users) that previous boosters could. It is also carrier agnostic. So it doesn't matter what carrier you're on. At least in the US. However you do need to register it with the network before use. This is because they actively communicate with the network infrastructure in order to ensure reliability and prevent harm to local infrastructure. Another pretty handy thing is that it supports voice, 2G, 3G, and both "standard" LTE as well as AWS (XLTE for Verizon customers).
The setup is pretty simple. It has an indoor antenna, outdoor antenna, power cord, and the booster itself. The power cord just plugs into the cigarette lighter and has a handy on/off switch. So you can turn it off if not needed without having to unplug it.
There is plenty enough coax line to have the booster on the back floor area and tuck the cable away in the PS interior plastic panels and set the (strong magnet) antenna about 1/3rd of the way up the roof. It also is short enough to not protrude over the bars for the Baja Rack. A plus since I don't have to worry about it breaking if I need to throw something up there.
When not in use I just keep the external antenna cabling run and have it where the 3rd row buckle used to be.
The internal antenna is a little candy bar unit. It doesn't really have the best range. Though it can't be too powerful as it would cause issues if the external picked up its signal. Typically I get a few feet of range on it. Normally I have it like shown below since I can then use blue tooth for calls and then have my Note 3 run as a hot spot for data. So that extends the use.
I typically keep the internal antenna and the booster itself locked in the glove box when not in use since I would rather not have it come up missing and have to drop another 300 on a replacement. When in use I have it like this:
I like the idea of being able to see the status LEDs so that's why it's not just tossed under the seat or something. Though I may try some other mounting options in the future.
So about performance. I used some software on my phone that records network information (type of service, rssi, sinr, serving carrier if roaming, ect). It also can log it via meta data and graphic it to a map. Pretty handy. I have had a few Moab trips where I had this thing running wile running the software in the background. Through all of Kane Creek, 95% of the trifecca (poison spider, gold bar rim and golden spike) , and Lockheart Basin without service loss. Also several areas between Spanish Fork and Price that I would have service loss were unaffected.
All in all I would do definitely say it is worth while for someone who likes to go do some exploring but wants / needs to remain able to have mobile communication. Just understand: it is a booster. Not a creator. The thing does a VERY good job at scavenging service but it cannot create it.
The Model is 460108. This is new for 2014 and is certified to new regulations by the FCC. The booster is not supposed to cause the same headaches to carriers ( and end users) that previous boosters could. It is also carrier agnostic. So it doesn't matter what carrier you're on. At least in the US. However you do need to register it with the network before use. This is because they actively communicate with the network infrastructure in order to ensure reliability and prevent harm to local infrastructure. Another pretty handy thing is that it supports voice, 2G, 3G, and both "standard" LTE as well as AWS (XLTE for Verizon customers).
The setup is pretty simple. It has an indoor antenna, outdoor antenna, power cord, and the booster itself. The power cord just plugs into the cigarette lighter and has a handy on/off switch. So you can turn it off if not needed without having to unplug it.
There is plenty enough coax line to have the booster on the back floor area and tuck the cable away in the PS interior plastic panels and set the (strong magnet) antenna about 1/3rd of the way up the roof. It also is short enough to not protrude over the bars for the Baja Rack. A plus since I don't have to worry about it breaking if I need to throw something up there.
When not in use I just keep the external antenna cabling run and have it where the 3rd row buckle used to be.
The internal antenna is a little candy bar unit. It doesn't really have the best range. Though it can't be too powerful as it would cause issues if the external picked up its signal. Typically I get a few feet of range on it. Normally I have it like shown below since I can then use blue tooth for calls and then have my Note 3 run as a hot spot for data. So that extends the use.
I typically keep the internal antenna and the booster itself locked in the glove box when not in use since I would rather not have it come up missing and have to drop another 300 on a replacement. When in use I have it like this:
I like the idea of being able to see the status LEDs so that's why it's not just tossed under the seat or something. Though I may try some other mounting options in the future.
So about performance. I used some software on my phone that records network information (type of service, rssi, sinr, serving carrier if roaming, ect). It also can log it via meta data and graphic it to a map. Pretty handy. I have had a few Moab trips where I had this thing running wile running the software in the background. Through all of Kane Creek, 95% of the trifecca (poison spider, gold bar rim and golden spike) , and Lockheart Basin without service loss. Also several areas between Spanish Fork and Price that I would have service loss were unaffected.
All in all I would do definitely say it is worth while for someone who likes to go do some exploring but wants / needs to remain able to have mobile communication. Just understand: it is a booster. Not a creator. The thing does a VERY good job at scavenging service but it cannot create it.
