All Cell Phone Signal Booster Accessories You Need to Know About!

Just like there's a cell phone signal booster for every need, there're wide variety of cell phone booster accessories for anything and everything related to cellular amplifiers. Are you looking to better the performance of your wireless amplifying kit to protect it, or simply want to assemble a booster on your own? Below is a short guide on accessories answering all your questions about what they are, and how can they help in fulfilling your signal boosting needs.

1. Attenuator
   
   Your signal amplifier is designed to handle only an acceptable range of signal strength. If the outside signal received from the cellular tower is too strong, it starts getting overpowered and experiences oscillations. This decreases the efficiency of the device because it is designed to power down per FCC regulations to prevent damage to cellular carrier's network.
   
   Attenuators for 50 Ohm kits have 50 ohm impedance with N-female connectors so they can directly connect to the back of it. It is typically installed (in one or more numbers, depending upon the requirement) between outdoor antenna and the booster amplifier to reduce the signal strength being received or being sent to the cellular towers. Most industry manufacturers offer 5db, 10db, or 20db attenuators to lower the signal strengths, respectively.

2. Signal Meter
   
   It is a widely known fact that signal boosters can only amplify existing weak signal and not create cellular signal out of thin air. This simply means that the stronger the available signal, the more effective your signal booster. One of the ways to ensure maximum effectiveness of your booster is to have the outside antenna installed in the exact spot on your property where cellular signal from the nearest tower is the strongest.
   
   A signal meter will do not only this, but it will also help you find the direction in which the cellular signal is the strongest: be it 2G, 3G, or 4G LTE signal, on all frequencies for all carriers. At the time of booster installation or signal antenna relocation, a signal meter comes handy in determining the power of the needed system and the location and direction of the outside antenna to feed maximum available signal as an input to the booster for amplification. It also helps determine best spots to install interior antenna for consistent coverage indoors.

3. Cable
   
   Cables are the unsung heroes of your booster kit. We pay close attention to the indoor/outdoor antenna and the amplifier to get the best out of our booster. Did you know that you can lose precious signal (which can indirectly affect your booster's throughput) depending on the type and the length of the coaxial cable? There are times when the cable kitted with your booster falls tad-a-bit short in its reach. Choosing a cable any longer than what you need isn't going to help either as signals traveling large distances through cables tend to diminish the signal strength. Choose the right cable to get the best out of your booster. Choose from the RG-6 or the RG-11 for smaller installations on 75 Ohm systems or the Wilson-400/ Surecall-400/ LMR-400 cable for large commercial installations on 50 Ohm systems. Choose LMR600 or Plenum cables for more specific large scale in-building installations for low loss or fire safety benefits, respectively.

4. Connector
   
   No signal booster installation or upgradation activity is complete without a connector. Connectors or crimps are used to join cables to one or more parts of a signal booster system. A male connector attaches to a female connector of the same type. You need to check the type of connector on your cable or accessory and get an appropriate connector - N, F, FME, SMA, MINI UHF, TNC, MCX to fit into your device and get it in a working condition. Choose any type RF connector from the selection table we have prepared, to get the job done.

5. In-building Antenna
   
   Your signal booster rebroadcasts the boosted signal indoors through the indoor antenna so choosing the right indoor antenna, whether you're looking at adding multiple antennas or simply upgrading your existing antenna, is important for a good mobile boosting experience. Indoor omnidirectional dome antennas impart coverage to rooms such as large circular halls. Directional panel antennas are best for directional coverage requirements in rectangular rooms such as a narrow hallway or a passage. One or more of these in-building antennas can be combined using splitters and taps for better performance.

6. Lightning Surge Protector
   
   If you had to choose between jeopardizing your entire booster equipment and installing a simple accessory, which one would you pick? Lightning surge protectors are a boon if you're living in an area where thunderstorms are frequent. Your booster's outdoor antenna (mounted somewhere on the roof or the outer wall) is vulnerable to lightning as much as other simple antennas are. When lightning strikes, it travels through the outdoor antenna onto the other connected parts such as the signal amplifier and can damage your booster to an irreparable state. If you have got a lightning surge protector installed, the energy can flow through the outside antenna, its the cable, and to the surge protector which will safely ground it. Thereafter, you only need to replace the inexpensive gas cartridge in the surge protector for it to get back to standing on guard once again.

7. Mobile Antenna
   
   Boosting systems have gone mobile. Most of these mobile boosters are compact units where the amplifier and the indoor antenna are combined into a single unit, such as a cradle booster.
   
   Looking to install or upgrade a booster into your car, truck, RV or boat? Get a magnetic, roof, glass, or mirror mount booster antenna capable of enhancing 2G/3G/4G and LTE signals for a wide variety of carriers and frequencies, specially designed to be affixed within or on the surface of a vehicle.

8. Antenna Mount
   
   Mounts hold your booster in-place. It is a vital part of any booster installation process hence it is essential that you get the mounting part right. Pole mounts and wall mounts are hot favorites for antenna mounting as they go with most home/office surfaces. Similarly, magnetic mounts can be affixed on any metal surface and work best for vehicles. If you're dealing with a challenging room, window mounts, hole mounts, window mounts, and glass mounts are some of the other types of mounts to cater to your requirements. Mark a place for your antenna to be affixed and choose the right type of mount to mount it right.

9. Outdoor Antenna
   
   Do you want to upgrade your existing outside antenna or add multiple outside antennas for better coverage? You can choose from a variety of Omni-directional and Yagi antennas supporting 2G/3G/4G/LTE cellular signals and Wi-Fi for your building, residence, or business office. These come with single band as well as multi-band support.
   
   No matter how specific your requirement, there is an outdoor booster antenna for all your needs. Get a pole mount, wall mount or a ceiling mount antenna for your building. Get a magnetic vehicle roof mount antenna for your vehicle or an RV. Want to go premium? Get our MIMO Panel Antenna for Wi-Fi & Cell 3G 4G LTE supporting multiple antennas in a single packet.

10. Splitter and Tap
    
    Booster installations such as the Distributed Antenna System (DAS) comprise of multiple antennas attached to a common amplifier. A splitter is used in such cases to distribute the signal equally amongst all the antennas. Splitters come in two-way, three-way and four-way variants, each with a loss of -3db, -4.8db, and 06db loss respectively. Simply speaking, this means that for every x dB signal fed into an n-way splitter, all of the n-outputs will receive x + n dB signal.
    
    In a colloquial manner, taps are used for unequal two-way distribution of signals amongst two antennas, with one of them receiving a stronger signal than the other. This is mostly used in setups where one of the antennas is closer to the amplifier than the other. Hence, the one further away from the amplifier obviously requires a stronger signal because of the signal loss it faces while traveling through a longer cable. Taps come in two variants, a 6db variant which sends a loss of -6db way and -1.5db the other and a 10 dB variant which sends a loss of -10db to one end and -0.5db to the other.

11. Combiner
    
    When using multiple antennas for better coverage, use combiners to combine the signal from two outdoor antennas with one amplifier or two amplifiers with a single inside antenna. For instance, two Yagi antennas of 800 MHz and 1900 MHz can be combined using a combiner for better signal strength. Most combiners these days are sold as a single splitter combiner unit.

12. Power Supply
    
    Most boosters are equipped with a power supply adapter when you buy one. You can get one for yourself if this is not the case with your booster, or if you're planning on replacing your old one. Depending on your source of power (AC for homes, DC for vehicles), the required voltage and ampere unit and your booster device, you can choose from a variety of power supplies. You will find varieties of those for each booster being sold in the market. Get one with a USB plug-in for your vehicle and a two-pin adapter to be plugged into a standard wall outlet for your home or your office.

As you see listed above, there's a boosting accessory for all of your needs. Contact us for any questions or assistance with your needs.