I just found you recently. My husband of 42 years passed away a year ago. I take care of my mom who has dementia. I am also disabled with degerative disk disease I was trying to decide what to do about staying put in a regular home or rv. I used to love to live in our fifth wheel when we worked construction. I am terrified to try this by myself and my mom but I think she would in joy it to she used to travel with dad alot in there little trailer as snowbirds. You have given me some courage back thank you. I wish you the best and safest everything. You will always be in my prayers and I will be a faithful RU-vidr to you!! Lol! I get widows benefits and I make anything sewed or crocheted even have a cookbook waiting to be published!! God bless
Sweetie, I have not watched a lot of your videos, but I have watched a few, and you are an amazing lady! When I go back to van life, which I hope will be soon, I will have to sit down and binge watch! That's one of things that I liked about living in my camper van, I had so much time, I made videos, I don't edit but I read and answered all my comments and I watched a lot of other people's videos! Such an easy lifestyle! Well , I'm 67 so I'm retired , I have a lot of time! Thank you so much for these clear and concise videos they're wonderful! 💜 I'm going to do a small build to my 2003 Honda Odyssey! Quite a bit smaller than Tank, but hey!
I have watched two other instructional videos on this subject tonight, then yours, and yours ROCKS! Best one EVER, and I can do this one myself! A huge thank you!
Awesome! Thanks for posting this. So many people try to sell us expensive equipment like we have the money. One thing I worry about is not having a signal and not being able to work when I'm boondocking. I almost felt like I would have to stay in cities just to be able to work, but this makes me feel so much better.
You’re truly very resourceful and methodical in what you’re doing and teaching us about. Crystal clear! You take something that you don’t know much about and not only learn it inside and out but improve on even what the manufacturers installation. You have a knack in figuring things out.
62 y.o.m., have a Ram 3500 dully/32 Jayco 5th com, paid for. With $1,100 to live on. May have to do this as a life style changing moment for reasons that are out of my control. In the very near future. So glad you are putting out these kinds of videos. The more of your hands on infor you share, the more likely we are to meet at some point in our future. And when WE do, I asking your permission to be able to give you the biggest huggs. You will have made it easier. To more forward and stop lookin back :)
Following your RU-vid videos everyday and saving them, I'm from Canada Northern Ontario where we have 9 brutal months of winter, so getting all the hacks I can for Nomad life, Thank you so very much for your honesty, safety is a big issue up here also.
I don't have an RV, but I have TERRIBLE reception in my new home. Then I ran across this video. I learned SO MUCH from this woman. She is amazing. She speaks well and explains things clearly. She is smart. And very thorough. My reception improved by leaps and bounds. Now I am connected. I will watch EVERYTHING she has posted. Thank you for this video! cb
Robin whenever you have the opportunity too, run electronics power off DC first, only use inverter for 120 volt dedicated devices. The reason is it takes way more electricity in waste because your solar panels and batteries are naturally DC. When you use your inverter you are actually converting your battery power to ac then with your ac plug in converter you change it back to DC power again. This is very inefficient, you lose power in all the conversions. I know people that used to do the same until I calculated their exact circumstances and when charging just their phone thru inverter it was approximately 9 times the power needs to do so. Hope this helps you save on amp hours.
Gauvy Wan Konobi good tip. I know this, but I don't have any DC ports in my rig! Plus, I can take the antenna outside using my portable lithium battery and work on a picnic table ☺️
I have a hard time believing that 9x number. A typical modified sine wave inverter gets between 75 and 85% efficiency, and a pure sine wave inverter typically hits 90 to 95%.
That's awesome. I don't get a good wifi signal into my RV, but oddly I get great cell signal. So I may end up using something like this. I've also used command strips. I have a rain tarp I've rigged so I can pull it down over one of my big windows, and it's attached to 3 hooked command strips that are attached to my metal roof. They've withstood high winds and rain. Pretty awesome.
I rarely subscribe, but your vids are sooo helpful! And I LOVE that you speak so quickly and succinctly - you pack a lot in without making me go to sleep like so many presenters do. GREAT presentation! Looking forward to binge-watching, now that I’ve found your channel (which I discovered since I’m hoping to visit the Trona Pinnacles in a few weeks). Thanks!!!!
Just found you about 10 days ago...boy you are a world of RV information. My trailer came with a WiFI booster but I have yet to use it....Im camping (LOL) going to look at the OTR unit. Ok Lady "MacGyver" the painters pole idea was right on ( you will get it down before the storm hits RIGHT?) Where I came from we would call that a "Rube Goldberg" idea (way before the MacGyver era) On my last trailer I use a flat coaxial cable for my portable sat. unit with a metering guage which you could close the window on and it worked great. Keep it coming it s great informaiton.
RF is a fickle thing. Good info. I suggest turning the signal booster box so the coax points straight down. In aircraft, this is called strain relief. You'll damage your coax over time the way it's sitting in the video. You'll also eventually destroy your coax by closing it in the door, even if it is "heavy duty."
This is the principal to boost the performance of any antenna. Not to take away from you since you have the intelligence and drive to have come up with this yourself I say, great job. Thanks for sharing this.
Robin, Thanks for the work you did for all of us on these systems. We all have an incomplete educations in one way or another. Here is what I found out: What is the difference between Mbps and MBps? Mbps means megabits per second. Mb is used in reference to download and upload speeds. It takes 8 bits of data to equal 1 byte. MBps stands for megabytes per second. MB is used in reference to file size, or the amount of data transferred. Keep up the good work... Steve
I think you're on to something and you've given me some ideas to test. The pole you're using is aluminum which is highly conductive. I'm wondering if that's what's amplifying your signal to give you amazing results?
Great vblog. The only things I would point out is, you say mega byte when it is actually mega bit. Massive difference. The other thing is you tested two weboost devices which essentially have the same box but different antennas. You do show how important antennas are. The hack you did is a common hack for military etc. Now keep the same length of cable and get a spare cable as the one you have will ware out as they are designed for permanent connections. Tips to remember. Take a note of the cable connector I think it’s a SMA make. You could have used the pole in reverse and kept the thicker end on the RV for stability and strength. You could have also used the screw top on the pole to mount a head. That you could mount a Wifi antenna on as well
Awesome , I am looking at this model , everyone is saying its to expensive but I disagree . It will pay for its self in a year @ less than 2 $ a day , when I used to smoke cigs I payed over 5$ a day , sodas 1 $ a day , and if on a fixed income just save up its worth it . I used to be in the electronics industry and have some advice , your inverter loses a lot of energy going from 12 Volts to 120 Volts to power a 12 Volt device please run off of 12 Volt battery bank . it is more effeciant , you have given an awesome presentation , good job !
bigdeano7999 thank you! I know!! I actually also run it if a lithium portable power pack, which has 12v too. I didn't want to overwhelm in one video... Question: a12v item won't run on the 12v on my dash unless the car is running, right? Unbelievably, I have no 12v sockets in my RV
@@CreativityRV Easy fix, change the single red wire where it connects, to a source that is hot (powered) with key off. Be sure to fuse it. Love your vids!
Thanks. I like it. I'm in a Toyota Dolphin with my son. I lost my Japanese exchange student business of over 20 years, and my house when Covid hit. We now do construction up and down the west coast. I can use the extension pole for work too! :)
You are truly a “MacGyver” Robyn! That is ingenious, inventive, creative, imaginative, original... Thank you for sharing these great ideas with us my friend! 📡💻📱❣️
There are also Chrome grab handles you can put down the side of your leg to help you get in and out of your RV. And you can put clamps for your cell phone pole. Like Mount the broom clamps on the painters Pole to grab the Chrome bar on your truck. That would also allow you more vertical slide potential
Just to be technical, Mbps = MegaBIT per second, MBps = MegaBYTE per second (1024 bits = 1 byte) 20MBps is along the lines of a cable internet connection, just for reference (more modern cable/fiber speeds are between 100MBps - 200MBps depending on your service.)
Kevin Reiter I so love Love the muppets!!! Monster is one of my favorites...in my opinion, it’s so important to be kind, helpful and supportive. God Bless you and Stay Safe on the Road...👍🤔🔑🙏💕🌟
OK! Took your advice straight up and just took delivery of a Wilson Electronics weboost Drive 4G-X OTR cellular booster system. Snowing outside right now, but looking forward to installing it and testing its performance! Everything seems well made. Good tip! Thanks!
This is a game changer! One of the number thing that is stopping me is having internet which equate to work. Now I feel confident with this hack. Thanks for sharing.
Brilliant! We have a 2017 Unity FX and just came back from Alaska with our group of LTV motorhomes (LTV Southwest Roadrunners Travel Club). We have a Weboost cellular booster as well as a CampPro wifi booster and I have struggled trying to find a simple way to attach these antennas on either side of the RV. I'm going to give this a try and will let you know. Thanks. Greg & Marsha Locke
Thanks so much!! I ordered the one you have to point at a satellite, but am just at the beginning of my van build and haven't tried it yet. I had seen in a video how someone put their booster on a pole, but couldn't think of what I could use besides a flag pole! lol So, thanks for all this information! God bless you!
Jann Webb glad it helped. I just got to a new spot where NOBODY has a signal, and I'm streaming music. I just offered my cell to a ranger cause he couldn't make a call on his 😉
That cinches it. I'm returning the one I got and will wait to buy the OTR one. I'm waiting for my house to sell to do the major expensive parts of my build
Jann Webb please let me know how it goes and if you have any questions! Did you see the video I did last week on how to find free camping w a cell signal? That info might help too. Good speed in the build! I'm excited for you
I never returned the one direction one. But, when the house sells and I have the money, I'm going to order the one you recommend in the video. It won't hurt to have both. I also am getting the cheap internet with different providers that Bob and Jim just talked about on a recent video.
OMG this is so good!! This is a problem I have when I am on the road. My kids get upset if they can't reach me. For safety I need my cell service!! Thank You so much!!
You're welcome! With a lady right now who saw this video, got the antenna and an extension pole, and clamps it like I did but to her 5th wheel ladder. Works great!
Love your video. Would have loved it if you did a 360 with the camera after mounting the pole to let us see your environment. I can see what appears to be desert hills in the background, but still, would love it if you shared the view. Also, it would have been nice if you did live speed tests before and after during this video... test before you hook up the antenna and then after you come back in from demoing the pole setup outside. Just a few ideas. Anyway, I LOVE IT! Thanks!!!
Thanks for the informative video Robin, I watched this with interest last year when you originally posted it but just logged it away. Now I too am getting a booster (the OTR like you) so I watched it again with much more attention to detail. I have to thank you also for making me laugh. You mentioned your pole was sooo high "about 50 ft", then while you were putting the pole up I could see the 3 sections where a bit taller than you. You're words "I'm short" thats when I realized that pole can't be much over 18 ft. It just gave me a really good laugh, my wife estimates length and distance the same way! ; ))
Great video. An app you may want to try is Network Cell Info Light. This will give you an accurate reading on your actual LTE/cell reception. We're using the wiboost 4g x rv.
It is an investment, you work from your van so I understand, me I go by a wing and a prayer lol. That’s why I’m not a you tuber. Thank you for the great information though.
This is great! I watched another video with a nice man who totally confused me as to what the heck he was doing. Your presentation is short and sweet and easily understandable. Awesome!
Great video, thanks for sharing your experience with different products. A little FYI, Mbps stands for Megabits per second, not Megabytes per second which would be MBps. Though Mbps is used pretty much exclusively for download and upload speeds and MB for file size. There are 8 bits in a byte, so 8Mbps would equal 1MBps. I just learned this myself so I thought I'd pass it on.
Robin - I've been following you channel for about a year, good stuff - thanks! I have started part timing as a Digital Nomad. The digital is extremely important to me as I work in IT and I must have reliable connectivity. I followed your and others advice on the cellular amplifier. I love the painter pole extension that you recommended, perfect, cheap and TALL. MY real question is whether you could start posting in the comment of each video whether there was reasonable cellular connectivity at that location(s). I would appreciate it!
New sub!!! Just subbed ya today and this is awesome! I’m not out yet but I sure as heck am praying to be soon. I’m so desperately looking for a life of peace but I worry about staying connected because of health issues. Knowing that there is equipment that’ll help me do that is AWESOME!! Thanks for taking the time to share what you’re learning. I wish I could express how much it helps. Safe travels. ~Lisa
What kind of solar panels did you use? Out of all the You Tubers on Nomadic rv life...I find you to be the most informational and practical one.. Thank you Thank you!! My SHERO!!!
good for you; great review. I'll probably mount my WeBoost on a tall pole once my farmstead gets more complete and I know where to put things permanently.
INTERESTING Robyn. Where I live is remote and somewhat off-the-grid with no phone signal - however if I drive half a mile or so to a nearby quarry I can make and receive my calls. It's all very patchy in my area - and living in a valley I think compounds the problem. I have satellite internet. Wondering how I can apply this fix. And also it may mean I would have to have my phone plugged in to a static spot?? Noticed once that a breakdown service truck visiting a neighbour had a signal. He also had an enormous ariel. Hmm - you've given me food for thought. Though a friend visited once with some kind of enormous ariel with a signal finder and told me I needed a 25 foot ariel. But I am inspired that your gadget gets you reception in all those canyons n valleys - and it's not 25 foot high!.
Thank you so much for your video/info. I purchased this and installed. I went from 0.25 to 45 MPS! I would make a couple of recommendations. I spent a bit of time trying to figure out how to "log into it" before realizing it just works as long as your device is close to the inside antenna. I also wanted to note that you can snake the line through your slide. One other thing is that if your using this on a travel trailer you will need a 12 volt power source.
Great ideas with the painter pole and broom holder. I haven't been as fortunate with Command products. Maybe adding Gorilla Glue will help. I may make a cheap booster but so far just having a ATT Mobley @ $20 a month found service in all places I've stayed. I do check Freecampite for info on cell service. I am not a digital nomad but the norm for me is to have RU-vid on streaming movies and music 24/7. If I don't have noise I cannot sleep.
HAH! Are you kidding me! That is unbelievable. I love it! Thanks so much for figuring this out. I will be teaching via internet and I have to have good internet. I can hardly wait to get this set up on my travel trailer. :D Thanks again...love your channel.
JoycesRVLegacy: I'm wondering now that your post is 2 yrs out. How did this work for you to have a wifi hotspot for teaching. I'm wanting to do some professional work via RV. Is it reliable with adequate bandwidth?
i have the wilson "sleek", what is now called the 'drive', it has worked well for me, but I think, NOT as wel as the OTR with the antenna raised into the air what i did for my sleek was get an old steel serving tray, and screw it to the inside top of a front overhead cabinet, and stick the antenna there place my phone or hotspot in the cradle and wifi to my laptop and tablet thanks for the info on the 'broom' holder, i have a bunch of 3M command hooks for various things, and use the command velcro for holding the ends of the front drapes closed against the walls behind the seats
Mbps stands for: Mega bits per second. MBps is Mega Bytes per second. Sorry, that's just the geek in me. Glad you got a better signal and the holder and extension paint pole is a great idea!
Wonderful!!! I was in the UP a few weeks back and couldn't get any coverage! Ugh! I knew then I was going to have to figure something out. Thanks again for such great info!!!
Rocky Mtn Uber Camper girl thanks! I'm glad it helps. I'm in a national Forest right now. There is no data reception when my antenna is off and 3 bars when it's on! I love it
Just discovered you this past week. You have helped me so much and I have only seen 4 or 5 of your videos so far. Thanks for the time and effort you put into the videos.😊
Great video! Thanks so much! I do think $500 is a bit expensive for me to boost a cell signal. I usually stay in RV camps where they have WiFi or go to the local McDonalds to download. I am not however running a business online. Thanks!
Great hack! I have used a similar technique twice now: Cellular ladder rack mounted antenna with a spacer, and recently I put a TV antenna with rotor on a 10 foot piece of conduit for my home TV reception. Both work great! The principle is to get the antenna as far away from ground as possible. Thank you so much for including items you used and where to purchase them. It saves so much time, and ensures a great final result. Thanks again
Thank you so much I am so fortunate to have found channel the information you have so thoughtly put together is a valuable education for me thank you again
Hi I have to tell you I love every single one of your videos I think you have an awesome personality and outlook on life I would be so proud to call you my daughter you put a smile on my face no matter what you talk about I love your facial expressions LOL I just think you're fantastic and I am not your typical RU-vidr at all I barely knew how to work my phone and I'm researching camping life I just love your videos please keep them coming and thank you so much you are doing such Justice to Nomad life and videos thank you so much God bless and stay safe hope your mom is doing better
Have you by chance tried your amazing device at Thousand Trails Rancho Oso campground near Santa Barbara? The cell service is really bad there. I would love to buy this antenna, but I’m afraid to spend the money and then it not work. I plan to work inside my just purchased RV 😊 by the start of the new year, so of course, I need my cell phone and data to work. I know you don’t normally stay at TT, so I think I may have to ask the camp host if anyone has tried this type of antenna there. I love your hack! I also love all your informative videos! You were the first person that I subscribed to in this RV life that I’m about to be a part of! Love you Robin!
Fantastic. Thank you for the info! Be sure to let us know if you find one for those nomads on a budget! As in, no budget! That’s a pricey gadget but great set up.
Creativity RV oh, I’d buy one in a heartbeat if I could! So, WiFi has been one of my greatest struggles on the road. It’s certainly moved to the top of my list. This is why I’m editing on my phone still. I have a hotspot on my phone but since replacing my computer battery I’ve never had a strong enough signal for the hotspot. So I just get online when I can with my phone and curse when I can’t.
L Puma That’s a good question! I realized after that I missed a part- what I meant is that since my computer has been in use again, so for about a month and half, I’ve never had a strong enough signal out here on the Arizona BLM for my hotspot.
If you use a metal pole and metal clamps it will increase performance by creating a ground to the RV. And, if you connect a ground spike and copper wire into the earth itself, you'll get even better performance.
That was awesome BUT as much as I’d love to have one it’s a little out of my range price wise. But with you making a living in your RV, I can see that would be most helpful and even a business expense. We are just traveling the country right now for the very first time, but I made not of it, because it is so frustrating not being able to get a decent internet connection. Very valuable info, and thanks for sharing!
Love this video first off your time and energy spent doing this test is awesome!! I use a 160 amazon version.. biggest problem I had was signal feedback.. but it’s very doable!! But at the end of the day your still at the mercy of the cell tower nearby
I'm going to do this and add a non-blinking red tell-light on my dash-board that starts blinking when I turn on the ignition key to remind me to stow the antenna. By the way, the longest telescoping painter's pole on the ordinary market only extends to 20 feet.
I went back and revisited this video and was wondering if this system is still working well for you and if you have made any adjustments? Thank you for all your wonderful information!
I too wondered the same thing since she has moved into a 5th wheel. I have Verizon and am located mainly in the city but having HORRIBLE connections!! Dont have funds to pay $500 right now. Hoping I could get by with something much MUCH cheaper!!
Hi. Great Job! I'm new to your channel, and I adore it! Lots of great ideas and unexpected info. Your download speed is insane. I only get 12mbs from the phone company in my home, 64 would be flying. By summers end I plan to go out on the road, as it's been a lifetime dream. I would like to ask something of you if you can find the time. Please give a tutorial regarding cell phones, getting internet, video streaming, required hookups, etc. Believe it or not, I have never had a cell phone. I don't have the remotest idea how to bring it all together. Thanks in advance.
