Customer Reviews

Spotwave z1900 Wireless Cell Phone Signal Booster

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The online reviews, as well as the people I know in the cell phone business, all pointed to Wilson Electronics as the best vendor for this type of solution. I should have listened, but no, I wanted to save a couple of hundred bucks. Turns out this thing doesn't do anywhere near what you might expect.

There's two parts to this set-up: as 'access' box that picks up the cell tower signal (put it where the best signal is) attached by coax to a `broadcasting/repeater' unit from which your cell phone gets a signal (put it where you want signal improvement).

The repeater unit, despite any statements found to the contrary, seems UNI-directional, requires line-of-sight and is incredibly weak. I installed carefully according to directions - with the access unit high in my attic pointing directly into a 5 bar (out of 5) signal. The repeater unit now feeds my phone a signal that hovers about 4 bars at a distance of 4 feet.

Granted that IS a distinct improvement - over the pre-installation 1-2 bars, a signal so weak that my calls were often unintelligible or dropping. But any reasonable consumer would expect, at 4 feet, a signal at least as strong as what the access box is picking up.

If I actually bring the phone right to the repeater unit, the phone will `catch' and hold 5 bars for a short while (at 3 feet), then eventually drifts back to 4 bars. The user's manual actually says NOT to have the cell phone less than 3 feet from the repeater unit, but the truth is that's just about how close you have to be to get any respectable signal improvement at all.

The signal degrades with distance and by 7-8 feet, there's no improvement in signal whatsoever. Directly on the other side of my drywall in the next room, there's no improvement beyond 2 feet. Turning the corner out of the room where the repeater unit is mounted results in zero improvement.

I found two online reviews with virtually identical complaints about near-worthless signal improvement, one at eOpinions and the other at Treonauts. I erroneously ignored those complaints when I bought the thing, instead relying on a number of glowing, positive reviews generated by several media outlets and by a number of professional online reviewers. My bad.

The likely culprit here is the gizmo's 'adaptive technology' - which means it cranks the gain (signal) down substantially whenever it thinks there's the least chance it will generate any oscillation (looping/feedback) that will impact the cell tower's performance. Competing products do not build in such a feature. My weak signal is probably evidence that the manufacturer is a whole lot more concerned about the remote chance that the cell phone company will be peeved or inconvenienced ... than if I actually get the product and service I paid them for.

Another distinct possibility is that earlier production units - and/or the units sent out to reviewers - included a more powerful repeater unit.

That, of course, would lead to glowing reviews early on.

The access unit is nothing less than persnickety. The installation instructions call for a minimum of 10 feet of distance between the two units to avoid any `internal' feedback/looping on its own signal. If the device suspects such looping, it compensates by automatically cutting down it's own gain/signal. The maximum separation, determined by the length of the coax, is 35 feet. I put the two units about 20 feet apart. The access unit has a blue/red light on it that indicates device status/performance, if the units are placed correctly and/or functioning properly. The light (by going solid blue) confirmed "far enough apart.' Then, AFTER I had permanently mounted the units, the light started blinking blue, which means `not far enough apart' (and that the signal was being reduced). Remounting the access unit in a new position, changed by about 1 inch, set the light back to "far enough apart.' When I was remounting, I first checked another position about two inches in another direction and the light turned blinking red, which means it has temporarily shut itself down due to looping/feedback. Before I did the first mounting, I saw nothing but a solid blue light in the entire immediate area.

And while we're at it, the blue/red light that indicates current device status should have been engineered into the REPEATER unit, not the access unit - which is usually going to be installed high up and/or out of the way, where the user is never going to be able to see it. The way it is, I'll have to tromp up to the attic every time I drop a bar or two to see if this thing's still working right. Good thing I didn't go with installing the access unit up at the top of my chimney.

I'm going to try to learn to live with having adequate reception in just one room - which is all I am going to get outa this gizmo. (The product literature promises improvement over 2,500 sq. ft.; I was looking for some improvement over about 1,200 sq. ft.) If I'm lucky, my next phone upgrade will improve my situation somewhat. But my advice to you is to try a Wilson Electronics solution - and take a pass on this pile of plastic.

Really it's a moot point, since it looks like this thing is going out of production anyway. What a surprise.

To be fair, $159 is a good price for what you're getting here ... as compared to what competitors charge for similar devices.

Be sure this thing works with your phone. It broadcasts only the 1900Mhz frequency, which is what T-Mobile and AT&T/Cingular uses in most areas.

UPDATE: FEBRUARY, 2011: There's a better way these days to solve your lousy cell phone reception, using a device called "femtocell." It connects to your Internet cable and then acts just like a miniature cell phone tower, broadcasting a strong signal that connects with your cell phone anywhere in the house ... and it then uses the Internet to communicate your cell phone signals to/from your cellular provider. Accordingly, it works with all cell phones. All you need is an Internet connection in your home.

A femtocell device (currently) will only work with the cellular provider for which it is designed. Example: AT&T's femtocell is called "the AT&T MicroCell" and it only works with AT&T/Cingular celluar service. Verizon and Sprint also now offer similar devices. Alas, my current carrier, T-Mobile, does not. Instead, they are field testing a T-MO branded device like this Spotwave gizmo.

Easy to set up and get running. I use it with a Wireless Mobile Broadband Netbook computer. My home is in a canyon and signal strength for the Netbook connection is often only about 5%. With the Spotwave z1900 external placed in a window pointing in the general direction of the cell tower, I some times get 100%, but almost always 60% or better.

Great results when the send/receive antenna is very close to the netbook. It does not have much range, though, so while for a fixed location such as my desk, it does not help a lot anywhere else in the house.

I'm with AT&T and iphone.
iphone does not have good reception(especially i4, 3G had better reception)

AT&T use to use both 850Mhz and 1900Mhz.
850 is good for penetration (to wall and doors) but bad for interference from other devices (Cordless phone, router,security camera etc).
1900 is good for interference but bad for penetration.
Now it seems like AT&T is switching most area to 1900Mhz.

I have 4 bars front porch and street(residential area) and 2 bars at back yard.
and 1 bar at anywhere inside of house (it was 2 or 3 bars when I was using i3G)
Main streets few blocks from my house have 5 bars all the way around.

After I install this product, I have 3 to 4 bars most of time and most of area of my house.
my house is single story 1500 sqf house in 3600 sqf property.
I put repeater unit at almost center of house and put receiver in attic area.
I wanted to put it on roof but I was not sure how much waterproof it is.

I have full 5 bars at 3 feet from repeater and 3 bars at bedroom (30 or more feet from unit, and there are kitchen wall and dining wall between unit & Bedroom)
again, I had only 1 bar at anywhere inside of house before.

But sometimes I get only 1 bar even 3 feet from unit.
That is what I don't understand about behavior of this unit.
I got 3 bars at 2 rooms away from unit and 5 bars at right by unit, but sometimes I get only 1 bar anywhere inside of house even right next to unit.
(most of time, it right back up to 3 or 4 bars in few seconds)

I wonder if receiver unit light is flashing when I have only 1 bar but I don't want to go up there again to check the light.
light should be on repeater instead of receiver as other poster wrote.
I think I will(should) go up there and put some aluminum foil in between Receiver and Repeater to prevent "loop" (receiver receive its own signal), someday.

I suggest people who is interesting this unit
* Make sure your carrier is using 1900Mhz
* Do not expect it will dramatically jump to 5 bars from 1 bar everywhere in house.
(increase to 3 from 1 is acceptable to me with this price)
* Keep receiver and repeater apart as far as possible
* choose good location for receiver
(to me, repeater's location doesn't make much difference but maybe I'm wrong)

or, you may have to choose over $350 unit.

If you have AT&T on 1900hz and there is a spot in your house that you can get 2 bars then this is THE thing to get. The most bars I could get OUTSIDE my home was 3 before this little gem came. I have one spot near a window that SOMETIMES would get 2 bars. Barely enough to text. Well after hooking the z1900 up I get 3 bars on a bad day and 4 most days.

For those who have an iPhone with Pandora I can now get Pandora to run with the z1900 installed. That should give you a good idea of how well this device works. Couldn't be much happier.

We live in a valley, just below line-of-sight to towers. We also have wire mesh stucco on our walls. Before installation, our signal strength on the main floor was 1-2 bars with frequent drop-out. In the attic we had five bars. I installed the Z1900 in the attic, hoping to relay the signal to the main floor. It did exactly that. After installing the Z1900, we have a steady five bars on the main floor.

I read a lot of reviews on this product and got differing views. So I took a chance and bought the Spotwave. I installed it as directed and it appears to work fine.

Basically, we had no reception (we flucuated from 0-1 bar) in our house with Sprint. Since I had 30 days to return the phone and switch service providers, I thought I would try this out first. If it did not work I would return it and return the phone. Well, after I installed it, we started getting 1 to 3 bars in rooms that are separated by a wall from the unit and 3-5 bars when not separated by a wall with the unit.

So, I think it works as advertised. Our house is approx. 2100 sqft and 2 stories. The strongest signal was in an upstairs window which is where the receiver unit is located. The transmitter unit is as far away from the receiver unit as the cable and our house design will allow. The 2 are also separated by a wall. I believe this is important since from some of the reviews I read, the receiver can be affected if it receives signals from the transmitter.

I am happy with the Spotwave and I am keeping both it and Sprint service.

I travel all over the country due to my work ,most of the times i stay in a dead zone and i have to get another phone with the company that works in that area. I wish i knew about this gadget before i could save lots of money!!!! My bars went for none or eventually one to a 3 or 4 at all times thanx

After 6 years of low/no cell phone reception on the Sprint Network, I found a product that works. You do need to be close to the unit for the best reception - mine went from 0 to 1 to 5 bars. I generally don't write reviews, but I'm so glad to have my long time problem solved.

The Spotwave Signal booster has made all the difference in my workcenter. Until I purchased the z1900, I had no receiption at work for ATT. I had a ATT Fuze smartphone with no real usage unless I was at home where I didn't need it. When I installed the Spotwave, my signal reception immediately when up and I have since moved on to a Windows Phone 7 device which is AWESOME.

This product works as advertised. You should be very careful about purchasing this as it does not make your signal stronger, rather it repeats a signal picked up by the larger of the two devices. If your house has only 1bar all over, and you put this in your house, you will not receive any benefits.

However, if there is an area where you receive reception much better then the rest of your house or apartment, this can be used to repeat that signal in one of the lower strengh zones. This was my situation, where I had 3 bars in my living room window, and 1 bar or nothing in the rest of the apartment. After setting this up it (most of the time) will give me 2-3 bars in the rest of my living room, and 1-2 bars in the connecting room (up from 0-1). It seems to work better in good weather.