Communications On the Road

Cell Phone Providers

We often get asked which cell phone provider to use for best coverage. There is no definitive answer – it really depends on where you travel and how you place your calls. We use Verizon America’s Choice Family Plan. This has provided us excellent coverage across the nation. Others use Cingular and report equally good coverage. It just depends on where you place your calls from. Friends of ours are on our Verizon Family Plan. They also have their own Cingular plan, which they are about to give up. They have found that for their use Verizon gives them better coverage than Cingular. In my opinion, if you are a user of Verizon or Cingular, then I would just stick with your current provider.

Notice we have not mentioned any of the “smaller” companies. They may give really good service in a specific area – in fact better than Verizon or Cingular – but they do not have the nationwide coverage (in practice) that the big guys have. Personally, I would not recommend them, but if you are already with one of them you have nothing to loose by sticking with them and seeing what happens.

If you are buying new phones, or are eligible for an upgrade, then make sure you get a phone that has an external antenna connector. As a fulltimer, or extended timer, you are sure to be in marginal service areas. The ability to add an external antenna, and the use of an amplifier, will enable good connections in areas where you would not be able to hold a signal without them. But to use either the external antenna or amp you must have a phone that has an external antenna connector. Many phones have them well hidden under little plugs near the antenna.

Cell Phone Antennas and Amplifiers

There are a number of antennas for use with cell phones. We, and most other RVers, prefer the Wilson Trucker Antenna. There are actually two models of this.

One is designed for use on RVs and has a long threaded shaft extension designed to go through the roof of the RV. It can be cut off and mounted on a bracket on the roof. This is the antenna we use – mounted to the side of one of our solar panels. The advantage of using this on the roof is that the antenna is relatively short and will not get caught on tree branches as easily.

The second model of the Wilson Trucker is designed to be mirror mounted on a truck mirror. The disadvantage of roof mounting this is that it sticks up pretty far and is subject to limb damage. If you choose to use this on the roof, make sure you mount it on the far left of your rig, and use an antenna spring to minimize damage.

In my opinion, the proper use of this version of the antenna is 1) on a mirror arm, as designed, 2) a permanent mount on the side of the RV with just the top of the antenna projecting above the roof, 3) on a PVC pipe that is temporarily attached to the RV slide with clamps when in camp.

Both versions of the Wilson can be used on fiberglass RVs. They do not require a ground plane – the radials you see near the top of the antenna perform this function. Both versions should be mounted so that they are not obstructed by air conditioners or other objects on the RV roof. Clear line-of-site to the cell tower is required for best reception.

The Wilson comes with 12’ of cable. You should carefully consider where you prefer to sit when you use the phone. See if the cable can be easily routed to that location without extending it. Extending the cable attenuates (decreases) the cell signal. On our rig we dropped the cable down the refrigerator vent and sit at the dining table when we use the antenna. Our amplifier is under the refrigerator, and the 12-volt power required for the amp is tapped off of the refrigerator power. Each installation will be different, but you need 12-volt power for the amp, and a location that minimizes cable run.

If you are looking for an even better antenna than the Wilson Trucker – at least the specifications are better, I have no personal experience with it – then take a look at SKU CM100 on the Prime Cellular site. It is a fiberglass antenna with 9 dB of gain. The disadvantage of this antenna is that it is more difficult to permanently mount, since it is 25” tall. However, for an antenna on a PVC pole that is only put in place once you set up, it should provide as good or better service than a Wilson Trucker antenna. I would only consider this if I knew I had extreme reception issues in an area I set up in frequently. At about $84 the extra gain you get would normally not be worth the premium over the Wilson Trucker, unless you really need it.

Here are my suggestions for the “typical” RV setup.

1. I would probably get the RV version of the trucker antenna because it is shorter on the roof of the rig - otherwise it is the same unit as the mirror mount one. You can either mount it through your ceiling directly into your RV, or on a separate mount on the roof and cut off the section designed to go through your roof. Look here: http://www.primecellular.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=126 and scroll down for SKU: 301119. The alternative is the longer trucker, SKU: 301101. I'd use the longer one if I wanted to mount it on the side of the rig, shorter one if ON the roof. Both are the same unit and operate the same. Neither needs a ground plane - that is what the radials on them are for.
A car antenna should be magnetic mount, and attachable to the amp. Look at SKU: 301103 on the same page. It will connect directly to the booster.
The Wilson booster for Verizon and Cingular is the one on the referenced link. SKU 811201 http://www.primecellular.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=126
You will need the specific adaptors that go on the end of the 6' cable that comes with the amp and connects that cable to your phone. They will tell you what you need when you call. Or you can find them on their adaptor area of the website.