Ever wondered how to get better phone reception out in the bush or in remote areas? If you're sick of driving 15mins up the road just to get a bar of signal, we understand just how frustrating this can be. To solve this problem, we put the Cel Fi Go Telstra phone reception booster to the test and were absolutely stoked with the results. The way this works is the unit uses an internal antenna and an external antenna to send and receive signals. The internal antenna is small and compact and is used to send and receive signals to your mobile device boosting the signal for a short range generally inside the cab of car or caravan. The external antenna is generally mounted on the cab of a vehicle or bullbar and is shaped like a UHF antenna but sends and receives the higher frequencies that mobile phones use. You will need both for the Ce Fi Go to work, so here at Outback Equipment, we've made it easy by kitting together the compatible hardware. We also have a Cel-Fi Go that does not come with an external antenna, if you already have the compatible antenna on your rig. If this sounds like something you need, check out the range of Cel Fi Go's we have available for most providers.
After installing the Cel Fi Go for Telstra in a Prado we drove out to the Condamine River to see if this little device is really worth it. If this kind of device is news to you, then put simply it’s basically a mobile repeater that not only improves the mobile reception in your vehicle, but also improves voice quality and battery life on any mobile device.
It works by receiving the network signal, boosting it and then re-transmitting inside the RV, 4X4 or motorhome. It works in multiple vehicles and the best part is that your phone obtains the amplified signal from the Cel Fi Go reception booster. The outback is a big place and reception bars are sometimes few and far between. We understand that this device in not just potentially lifesaving, but critical for remote workers, bush bashers and truckies. At just the fraction of the cost of a satellite phone the Cel Fi Go phone reception booster is an essential addition to those vehicles that like to get away from just about anyone and everything, whilst still maintaining communication with loved ones.
It’s important to note that the Cel Fi go is carrier specific, so double check your provider before purchasing one. Each Cel Fi Go contains extremely delicate technology and is coded specifically for each provider's cell towers, so price does vary for the intended carriers' network depending on the availability of towers. Before you set off on your long journey through the outback you will also need to register the device with the carrier using the Cel Fi Go smartphone app.
When unpacking the unit you will find:
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Cel Fi Go unit
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An internal antenna
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An externally mounted antenna
After we installed the Cel Fi Go reception booster in the Prado we head out to test just how much of a difference this thing really made. We knew cell reception dropped out around the river crossings at the Condamine River so that’s where we decided to test it. Although we didn’t get a chance to install a switch that is able to turn the Cel Fi Go on and off, as it is hard-wired to turn on with the car, we do recommend installing this with an auto electrician to really get the most functionality out of the product. This prevents it from draining the battery unnecessarily and it means you can still make calls without having to leave the car idling.
After testing a few spots and making some crystal-clear calls back to HQ, we could clearly tell when compared to another phone in the same car just a week earlier, the reception was increased by at least 2-3 bars. In summary, it works! Increase your mobile reception and internet speed on a 3G/4G network with a device that has proven to be 30x more powerful than a standard antenna. Mobile phones use a lot more energy when in poor signal areas, so to compensate for this the phone has to work harder to change its output power to attempt to boost the poor signal. We returned home with a nearly full battery so we can safely say we are sold on this one. It's important to remember that this product only BOOSTS cell phone reception, it doesn't make reception appear out of thin air in very remote areas so if you do plan on heading to the middle of nowhere. Bring a satellite phone for emergencies!
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