Blue View - Cell Coverage for Blanche

When we were sailing around the world on Nine of Cups, we’d sometimes go months without cell phone access or wifi. We had an hf radio that we could use to pick up daily weather reports and which we could use to send and receive very brief, text-only emails. Quite frankly, we didn’t really miss having internet access. After all, it wasn’t as if we could get an Amazon order or a pizza delivered in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

But that was then and this is now… and nowadays, we don’t like to go too long without cell coverage and internet. On our last road trip through New Mexico and Texas, there was no cell coverage or wifi in most of the state park, national forest or national park campgrounds, and we’d often go 2-3 days without picking up emails or checking on the latest news. On the one hand, it was kind of nice cutting that umbilical and realizing that we really don’t need to check emails or social media twenty times a day. On the other hand, we do feel uncomfortable being totally out of touch for too long and not reachable by family. Nor would I mind being able to download a topo map for the trail we’re about to hike; or figure out where our next campground will be.

A potential solution is to add a cellular booster to Blanche. These devices have an enhanced antenna that is attached to the outside of the vehicle, ideally on the roof. The antenna communicates with the closest cellular tower and passes the received data to an amplifier inside. Once the cellular signal is amplified, it is fed to a small antenna that acts as a personal, short-range cell tower inside the vehicle, and my phone then automatically connects to this personal cell tower. The manufacturers claim that I should see an increase in cellular signal strength of one to three bars; i.e. if I’m sitting on top of Blanche and see one bar on my phone, then with the cellular booster, I should see 2-4 bars inside Blanche. The downside is that there must be at least one bar on my phone for the booster to work. In places with no cellular service, the booster won’t help.

I did my research and, based on the technical specs, user reviews and price, decided on the HiBoost cellular booster. Since we only have thirty days to return it and we can’t really see how well it works here in Las Vegas, we waited to order it until right before the departure date for our next road trip. It arrived right on schedule in a surprisingly large box, inside of which were a whole lot of components and parts that will need to be routed and connected together.

It’s too close to our departure date, so I won’t get the booster installed before we leave, but I should be able to get it up and working once we’re on the road. The plan is to give it a good workout before the thirty days elapse. The two biggest questions are whether it performs as well as the manufacturer claims and do we camp often enough in places that have weak, but at least some cellular service to make the booster worth the cost.

I’ll let you know the answers to these questions in a week or two. In the meantime, we’ve started humming Willie’s On the Road Again. See you next week as Marcie keeps you posted on our trip north…