Slim Tries the HiBoost RV Cell Phone Booster 

Slim I work in the cell phone industry for a major carrier. I am an RF Engineer. The main difference is the antenna on the pole is an Omni. To maximize gain you need a directional antenna that you can point toward the nearest cell site that you get your service from. You can turn the pipe to improve the signal strength by watching your phone

NOTE FROM SLIM: Ok, one correction! I said the signal was 4G "lite", when in fact it was 4G "LTE" which means "Long Term Evolution". Thanks for pointing that out. This video is my thoughts without any modifications to the original setup. I will of course do some tweaking later and report my results. I will also include some speed tests. I also should have mentioned that the HiBoost has alarms if the antennas are too close together (excessive signal). In these tests, all was normal. Thanks! SP

H Slim I had the same problem with the charger chord wearing out and fraying and the solution I came up with worked fantastically, it's a preventative measure. Get an old ballpoint pen and pull it apart to get the spring inside then twist it onto your chord kinda the way you put a new key onto a ring then tape it in place right at the top were the fraying happens. Hope this helps. From KiwiJane :0)

Always a Good Morning when Slim Potatohead posts an entertaining and informative video.

3 years ago, I purchased a booster made by SureCall, it was $250. It worked well, but I wanted to update to a better antenna, so I purchased a better, unidirectional 5g from them. It really works well, with a 42 db gain on both 4g and 5g signals and the best thing was when I called them up for some information about the upgrade, they were more than happy to help me and he was located in the US. I am very happy with it.

Thanks Slim, for the review. It was a lot of work to present it. I appreciate it. A good walk is a cure all

Your down to earth reviews are very informative. It is good that you are money conscious, as for some, money doesn’t grow on trees! I am looking forward to your cabin repairs. What a wonderful place to live!😊🙂

Hi Slim, I love your videos and lately also the repair of your new cabin. Hope we get more videos like that!!!

Your reviews are always very well done. Looking forward to the update in the future. Greetings from Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Enjoyed hearing the Towhee! He should be making his way up to the Tennessee Blue Ridge next month. Happy travels, Slim! 🌞

Hi slim potatoes head! Loved you doing the live stream and thank you for giving Columbus Indiana a shout out! We love you! 💘

Hey Slim, long-time wireless pro here so hopefully I can offer some useful advice. As someone in the comments below already mentioned those boosters are subject to feedback loops. The internal and external antennas need to be as far apart as possible to mitigate that. The closest analogy to that feedback loop is an electric guitar too close to it's amp or a mic too close to it's PA speaker. And while [depending on your musical preferences] guitar feedback may be sweet music to your ears, such is not the case with RF linear amplifiers such as a cell booster. I suspect that your trailer being fiberglass and the use of a generic omnidirectional antenna could be a a big contributing factor and that you may have a pretty mean feedback loop going on which means you have a lot of useless RF signal noise defeating the boosters purpose. So let me propose a no-cost, low-tech test for that theory. Temporarily setup that kit in your jeep. Still use your mast and get that antenna as far up and away from the interior antenna as you can, just like in the trailer and see if your results improve some. If so then you know you have something worthwhile to improve on. Why does fiberglass make a difference? In general, for mobile antennas to perform optimally they need a ground plane and typically that will be the metallic roof of the vehicle and fiberglass ain't metal. You probably could fashion a somewhat useable ground plane for the included antenna but your time and money will be better spent purchasing a specialty antenna. You'll need to study some antennal theory before rolling your own so if you decide to experiment please know that so you can avoid making things worse. There are directional antennas available for these boosters that also include a ground plane and generally a directional is a better choice for your use case. Good ones are a little pricey but it could be the last antenna you ever need to buy. Also, don't go too crazy on db gain of said antenna. 6-12db gain on a directional should be plenty for general use. Go any higher and you often risk oveshooting a tower that is nearer to you and that would certainly degrade service further. Higher gain antennas are meant for non-boosted fixed installs like a cabin in the woods and those installations require some surveying with special equipment to figure out the best match so something like a 24db gain antenna is certainly not a good fit for your use. For a general purpose mobile kit, a little lower gain is actually better and besides, you're feeding that signal into a booster. Lastly, once you decide on a permanent solution you may want to consider building a custom coax cable to go between the antenna and the booster. Some online retailers can do that for you. Longer cable equates to greater signal attenuation, they often can be the root cause of low performance and traditionally the cables included in the kits are of mediocre quality which means they can induce loss and are usually far too long. That's just the manufacturer trying to cover a lot of install scenarios though. Ask a manufacturer's tech support and they will also probably tell the same thing. You should also avoid any in-line couplers or adapters on the cable run as those will introduce up to 3db of loss per break in the cable. I would at least consider shortening the included coax once you have finalized things. Sorry for the long comment but I hope it helps. Happy signal-hunting and happy camping!

Thank you for your honest review. But I did not expect anything less than honesty from you. You are a very well trusted friend.

Been watching your videos for about a year. Thank you. Entertaining and educational.

Thank you as always for another great video. One thing I always appreciate is that when you show a product, if it doesn't work the way you're expecting you do not just put it back in the Box. You will try and figure out if there is a solution to make it work better or improve on the function somehow. I hope you find a solution that works better for you.

I wouldn't care much about the dB value alone. Just do a before and after speed test. Pretty much every site you go to will be different signal wise.

That’s Great review. I will stand by for an update as you use it more. Thanks Slim

Hello Slim , thank you for doing this review. I was wondering just how good these worked. Thumbs UP to you!

Thanks for the honest review Slim. I have often thought about these boosters and whether I really have a need for one. My personal situation for me finally said no thanks to any of it. I like being in wilderness areas too and the downtime from the info-world, even though there is much on YT and the internet I enjoy, is actually good for me. Hiking, bird watching, exploring, reading and just doing nothing hanging around is ok with me. Soon enough I will be back again in some area of good reception so no worries here. I once spent about ten days hiking in back country Adirondaks with absolutely no coverage. After a few days I didn’t miss any of it.

Slim, I recently got Starlink Internet for my RV and ran my Starlink Ethernet cable through the same as you did. The outside shower that we NEVER use, and then into the camper. Works great!!

Good to see you again. I was beginning to think that you had quit vlogging. You are looking much happier than the last time I saw you. It could be because it's much warmer now.

Hi Slim, I'm not a camper or an RVer but enjoy your adventures and your product reviews and homemade modifications to your trailer. BTW I also like your Mr. Roger's approach to vlogging.

Thanks Slim, I'm actually in the market for a booster. I'll be looking forward to your follow up

Just watching for fun, as I find troubleshooting interesting. Had to say, loved the Mr. Rogers-esque closing of the video! 😊

Squeaky Slim, your videos always give me a boost! Thank you!

Thanks, Slim. I saved this for future reference, when I actually enter my upcoming van life. I hope you find time for a follow-up, to let us know how it worked in the long-run (or a review of what you wind up using if this current product proves unsatisfactory).

Thanks for your testing and I await your next report. Seems easy to set up.

I have an "anycall" booster with the same specs as yours, even looks the same. I found that the indoor antenna works better further away from the booster. Outdoor antenna on one end of my rig but close to the booster, then the indoor antenna at the opposite corner of the rig, up near the ceiling. I get the best signal if my phone is in the direct path between the inner antenna and the booster (don't understand why). Nearby cell traffic does affect the performance. Thanks Slim!

As always a nice review. For our small 18' we use a weBoost Drive X (475021) Vehicle Cell Phone Signal Booster. Comes with a slim/flat antenna for our interior and a large omni-directional for exterior. We installed the boost on the underside of our small dinette table. Hooked both the internal and external cables and put the internal antenna at a location between where my wife and I would sit at the dinette. The external antenna is ran into our front storage box. When we park, I connect the actual external antenna to the cable and by way of a strong suction cup mount, mount the antenna to the side of our trailer as close to the top as possible. This system has worked great. We have the same system for our TV. Putting our iphones into Field Test mode allows me to see my actual strength gain. But as the manual says, you have to have some signal in order to boost your signal. You should try using your directional antenna and see what your gain is. safe travels

Thanks for going through all the trouble to make this review. I’ve been thinking about getting a booster but haven’t convinced myself it’s worth the money yet. I’m still not convinced.

I've been looking into a booster lately. Great timing for this video. Thanks. Please give us an update when u have one.

Slim, thanks for reviewing this booster. When our cargo trailer is converted we’ll need to make this decision too. Reading the reviews on Amazon, people either say it’s great or doesn’t work at all. 🤷‍♀️

I use the High boost Dot in my RV and put my hotspot right next to the indoor antenna. That setup works for me

I hope you get it working a little better. One of your viewers may have the perfect tip for you. Nice to see you in a t-shirt - folks up by your new cabin are still in winter wear! :D Happy Southern Spring.

Interesting video. Like Mr. Bowling I think that an unidirectional antenna will help greatly. I guess we'll find out in the next video. Keep the good stuff coming buddy.

Great video, needed by many campers. Thank goodness I don't need it, my head is spinning. I sold my camper this year.

It’s great you’re staying on top of things with the camper

As with any antenna Height is might. I can tell the difference with my Weboost when I have it at lower heights. It definitely performs better when extended to the 24' max height of my painters pole. Nice review as always !!

looking good slim. thanks for sharing.

I have been thinking of purchasing a signal booster. Thank you for the great info

Yes!!! I am #1 to like your video...lol I have been feeling your VIBE all morning. Just happened to be holding my phone in my hand Haven't watched it yet I'm sure it will be great

I have pulled apart one and fixed it so I have broken three 🙃 not very careful on the cradles and I think it is a weak point on that design. I glad to see you on the move in the 🇺🇸

Hey Slim - The benefit from a directional antenna is twofold as it helps isolate the two signals from each other. This is one of the problems with adjacent radios and why a tethered amp is better.

Very timely video for me. I will be hitting the road full time in June, and will need to work from the road so having a signal will be required. Maybe a booster will keep me out of wifi mooching spots more! Thanks for the info.

Great video. I appreciate being informed and not sold something. I don't travel near as much, nor use cell data near as much as you. I'm still on a 2 gig plan with Verizon like a dinosaur🦕🦖... Hopefully, I can get to the point where I can film, edit, and publish from the camper. All in good time. Thanks for the tips. I remember your other videos on this topic, too. Very informative 👏

This is good to know. I think I will look for one for my house. Thanks!

Enjoyed the video. I installed the Auto version of this same product. Same booster, different antennas. First, though I admit I don't fully understand the relationship, the gain advertised 50 dB is limited by our FCC and is not the same as dBm as measured on our phones. dB is unitless and dBm is referenced to 1 milliwatt. My interpretation is that the 50 dB simply refers to what is amplified between the input and output. As someone else mentioned dBm is logarithmic and makes it all more mysterious. My second point is that I found HiBoost technical help pretty helpful, and they even sent me a different antenna at no cost to try to get better results.

Thank you for the review as I'm looking into a booster/ router for my travels.

I just love your videos. Thanks for sharing. If you are ever in the southwest US let me know. I'm in NM and I travel a lot like you but much lighter. I sleep under the stars and only travel with Ragnar, my 4Runner of 24 years. Would love to have a beer with you along your path. All the best to you Slim. Until that time...

Love your vids and style! Increase vertical distance on outside antenna if possible. You could be getting some feedback/oscillation from inside to outside. Shorten cable lengths to only what you need. Actual throughput tests tell more of the story than dB gain alone.

Electrical engineer here. The booster must adjust its gain to get as much signal to the small antenna without going into oscillation. If the main antenna starts picking up too much signal from the small antenna then it will oscillate. This is like a public address system when someone gets a microphone too close to a speaker. If you had a metal sheathed trailer the booster could run at higher gains because there would be more isolation between input antenna and output antenna. A directional antenna would be an improvement only if it is compatible with the booster system. Talk with the manufacturer about a directional antenna. As far as the phone working better sitting on the small antenna, Yup, that how those things work. That is why your old booster had a shoe that your cell phone sat in. The shoe also increased the isolation between input and output antennas which allowed the booster to run at a higher gain. Have fun.

I've had several boosters, all of them really only work good if I hold the antenna on the back of the phone. You also want to make sure your outside antenna and inside aren't too close together. They are a game changer if you are in an area on the edge of signal, and only get signal off and on with 1 bar.

What a great review. Time and effort A+.

As someone who has built cell sites since 1986, I can confirm what you said could be contributing factors for speed and signal strength. Trees, buildings, others using the system, distance from antennas, terrain between user and tower and the strength at which the carrier has set the site to operate.

Haven’t seen the past few videos. I’ve just been too busy. I love to wind down with some slim potato head videos at the end of the day. Still got some quickbook work to do, keep me go and slim!

Nice review, Slim! I’m going with the WeBoost with 25 ft pole with directional antenna. This review was helpful.

It is a good day when I can watch a new Slim video.

Thank you I listened closely and appreciate your presentation and fairness. But my takeaway is not for me as you say not as presented by Hi BOOST. Nice to get real-world opinion and yes not biased. Side note you are the ONLY one I follow on RU-vid to present the full story as all others are getting something in return, biased. Safe travels thanks so much for thinking outside the box and the Truth.

I wanna be like you when I grow up. Thanks for sharing the tip!

Looks like the phone needs an upgrade/replacement also. Once again, another excellent video.

The discussion on Ground Plane is accurate. Your camper is a fiberglass shell. Adding the metal surface will make difference for sure. Your inside antenna is not simple stick or cylindrical coil. Experimenting with orientation of the antenna and ground plane to the phone along with the phone's angle and direction to the antenna will also make a difference. Antenna's are all a fractional wave variety. They are physically much shorter than the actual wave length. Thus, they are a coil that creates some mathematical relationship between wave length and antenna length. Moving around for distance and orientation to the antenna will find a sweet spot. Oh, language such as "Maximum of" or "up to" are all bovine organic fertilizer. That means one guy on top of a bald hill complete line of site and at a sweet spot distance that was a perfect multiple of the wave length of the signal hit a magic number briefly and only once. In other words. There is one place in the world where 50 db happened. Finally, DB is not an absolute number. It is a logrhymic measurement of change... not of actual power. It's science. It's math. It's weird. Sorry for being so long winded. I live on a boat and have to deal with Marina Wifi all the time.... It's the same thing. Stay healthy and young. (I'm 68 and still working because I love what I do and my ex wife took my retirement. But, I still love what I do anyway.

Slim, with regards to your endeavors to better the cell signal here is some information that hopefully is useful. "A clean signal is always better than a strong signal". There is a lot you can do with a *clean* signal even if it is weak. A strong signal that contains interference, however, will only get worse when amplified. Your booster device is most likely amplifying at the advertised levels. But by the time the affected signal gets to the metering app on your phone, because your phone is taking into consideration factors such as signal-to-noise ratio, you won't notice much difference. And your phone *is* indeed telling you the truth because the usable signal, even if amplified, is effectively less than what the booster device is amplifying. You can take steps to mitigate interference: - use a more "lossless" antenna cable such as RG-8, keeping in mind that the impedance of the cable should match the impedance of your booster device. - use shorter cabling runs. - The booster device should be powered by "clean" electricity. For example directly plugged into DC battery power with no transformers on the same power. - Reduce or eliminate the usage of any DC motors on the same power. Finally, reducing the RF input gain on the booster device, although it may sound paradoxical, may in fact produce a "cleaner" effective signal. Perhaps your booster device is *too* powerful. Bigger is not always better. Much Regards.

This kind of thing is always good to know and best when tested in the field.

Cable attenuation -- the longer the cable from antenna to booster, the more signal loss -- in other words, shorten your outside 50 Ohm cable to the length you need. Makes a difference by those high frequencies.

Thanks for this! I travel and work a lot and was wondering how they perform.

32 is awesome! if it makes the difference between unfunctional to functional working conditions, it's a win for me! Thank you for the review.

As others have said, this is usually the Auto Gain Control (AGC) circuit kicking in to stop what is called Oscillation. This is why cell companies do have issues with commercial boosters or BDA's as if it is too strong it can "Loop" the signal to the carrier and cause problems. So, there may be some things to help increase the effectiveness of the unit. One thing is on the coax, don't coil it. That can create an "RF Choke" and signal gets lost due to the impedance mismatch on the cable. The way you have it should be okay, just don't coil it. Good luck!!

Slim putting on his shoes while talking reminded me of Mr. Rogers

I enjoy your sense of humor and your ingenuity. I just purchased one of these boosters so I was very pleased to see you reviewing it. This particular package is really made for larger RV's, and In watching a youtube video that hi boost sent me, they recommend placing the outside antenna at least 12' away from the inside one. I'm wondering even though you extended your antenna if it was not far enough away to give you a better signal. I'm considering putting my outside antenna near the front of my car.

great stuff Slim thanks

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor..... 🤣🤣🤣 Love the Mr. Rogers shoe part!!! 😅😅😂😂🤣🤣

Yes try a different antenna both inside and outside. In my experience they have more impact then what you think. I have had systems like this in my previous home cos of living in a bassment. And to be honest it was the same experience like you had. But after changing over to different antennas i still had issues with distance from the indoor antenna but it got better then before. Outdoor antenna was not that important. So good luck. Looking forward to see your finale veridct.

Slim...hi...pat here...try ratting every two hours to keep migraines away...i suffered for most of my 66 years until I discovered just a few bites of food and chewing motion prevented the migraines...my dad also had these terrible headaches...good luck...good to see you...

Nice looking trailer!

I'm a trucker and I use the we boost trucker set up. I had the cradle one at first didn't like it. The trucker one works better not stand up and shout better. The main point is that I can be 4 or 5 feet from the inside antenna . If I get much farther than that it loses performance. I can be where I have only one bar and it will take me to 3 sometimes 4 depending on the area.

I bought a rv with a SMOOTH TALK cell booster installed. I'm very impressed! Cell says no signal, booster on it gets a couple bars atleast

I got similar results from my $500 WeBoost RV, closer to the antenna the better the boost. I think your old directional antenna might work better. Others have said that shorting the cable helps but I have yet to try that option myself.

Hiya Slim! We use an older weBoost RV 4G LTE both in our house in Mid-Coast Maine and on the road in our 25' Four Winds Siesta. I know that you had both the Booster and the indoor antenna within inches of each other for the purpose of showing the configuration for the video. Reread the manual as to placement of all the devices! With ours, the outdoor antenna must be at least 20 feet away (horizontally) to the indoor booster. Then the indoor antenna needs to be about 6 feet away from the booster! We just barely make those measurements in our 25 foot Motorhome but it does work great... so do double-check the footage that your device requires. Happy and safe travels!

Thank you for the information. Good to know.

The pole storage is pretty slick

Much better reception since getting my booster. Maybe I’ll be able to receive and transmit 5G after my next booster.

Enjoy your adventures. Your poor phone screen. Looking forward to more cabin renovation.

Look into a compatible 180 degree directional flat panel indoor antenna and mount it on the wall behind your door. That'll give you much better coverage throughout the RV and out in front of your RV. Omni directional is convenient and makes outside setup easy but you'll achieve much higher gain with a directional antenna and once you determine the placement of the indoor antenna it doesn't change unlike the outdoor that will in relation to the cell tower. If you where stationary, using a directional antenna for both could drastically improve the signal but that not really the point with an RV setup. Also check your amplifier output if you can with that unit. It many to reducing output if it detects the two antennas are too close and it's seeing crosstalk. Remember the RV wall isn't very think so you many have to raise it higher or move it further away.

another great production and entertaining ... oldtony

I use the weboost driveX , it has a indoor antenna like this one you have here. outside antenna is like goes on the truck that i put on the roof of my rv, works great and it will make almost no bars of signal to full meter. also does 5g, but yes it is $$ high in price.

Hi Slim, enjoyed your video and I have not had much success with our cell phone booster either. I found the same as you if you have the phone right next to the inside antenna, it works a little. BTW, the bird at the end sounds like the Eastern Towhee to me. I found your channel a few month ago and am becoming an avid fan. Maybe we will run into each other. You were in our area in NC and sounds like we were in central FL about the same time. Safe travels.

The only mega improvement I got with signal boosters was when attached outside antenna to aluminum ladder using an extendible flag pole went from 2 bars of 5G /4G lte to 4 bars. Also on my antique SGH -707 cell phone attached to 20’ magnetic based antenna on metal roof of cabin got 5 bars (turned the entire 25’x50’ roof into a Planar antenna) vs 1 bar climbing up a tree on my lake front property, or using the phone above my head and screaming. Keep up the reviews, can’t climb any more trees now that I’ve hit 70+ just not worth it🤣

Enjoy yourself have a beer enjoy yourself take a hike enjoy yourself thank you for the review

At risk of echoing something someone else may have already said, I'll share my experience with ours.. The RV internal antenna appears to be to be similar to the car version's external antenna.. it also has a magnetic base. we found that placing our internal antenna on a metal tray that is attracted to magnets.. made a decent improvement in signal loss. also rotating the internal antenna would generate hot spots with stronger signals within the van. Shortening the cable made zero difference to us. even the FAQ says only 2DB gain/; loss per 100ft cable. Thanks for sharing. Mat.

Awesome video i agree i don’t think any do what they say. We got we boost RV with 65db antenna it works but is it what they say who knows. I have to be real close to antenna to make it work. Only thing i can say i was in craggy wash with no service set it up and had 3 bars the we boost works for use is it the best i don’t know. Awesome video buddy 🛠🇨🇦🇨🇦

Hi Slim have a good trip from France 😊

I really enjoyed this episode

my suggestion would be to hear from an engineer at HiBoost or another booster. i suspect that the amount of signal boost applied is complicated. as for the red light not coming on, that could be when the amp thinks oscillations are above a threshold and cannot be managed. the amp may still be dampening but not enough to light the LED. what little i do know is RF and antenna "stuff" is very complicated and very situational

Never had a booster.. thank you thats a good review.. I have ATT. I will keep searching.. Don't think hi boost is for me... great video.

SP: I have heard that the best position for outdoor and indoor antennas is for the outdoor to be up high outside and the indoor antenna to be down low and directly under the outdoor antenna. This positioning will minimize feedback in the received, boosted and rebroadcasted signal. It could be that the booster is cutting back the boost except when your phone is right next to the indoor antenna. Try putting the booster and inside antenna over on the side near your bed by the window and see if things don't improve. Also, I would think that your directional antenna from before also might improve things. It will give you a higher db boost and less of a chance for feedback across the two antennas......

I live in the woods and trees are defently blocking my signal here. I purchased about 5 years ago a we boost, and u was Happy with it until my outdoor antenna broke. I spent back then almost $600.00 for a very similar system as yours. All I need now is another outdoor antenna, but I am not able to just get the outdoor antenna. Stores are trying to force me to buy a whole new system. I refuse to do that sofar. .. I am now learning about antennas and their ranges...I need to come up high enough to get Signal here in my hole...my trees are in the way as well besides living in a dented area. I have two communication towers in my immediate area. One is about three miles as the Crow flies (I see the lights blinking up over the Hill), and the other one is only about 1 mile driving country roads. I see those blinking lights only in the Winter when there are NO leaves on the trees. So with my experience on living in the woods, YES TREES AND LEAVES WILL INTERFERE WITH GETTING A GOOD SIGNAL. It also interferes if you are too close to the towers. The signal skips over your devices. I have a 30' Pole that I can set up to attach the antenna to, but I am looking for an outdoor antenna to bring in the Signal to my metal building! It has to be at least 35 foot Cable, my trees are at least 60 foot in the Air. I also now about the signal loss so more Cable you have attached to your Booster...but I hate being outside in wind and weather to even answer the phone or talk on the phone. I right now pay extra for a Hotspot on my phone and have my phone in the car (my car antenna brings in the Signal good enough), and I use an older version Phone to use the Internet indoors. I can not hear my phone ring inside the car when I am in my House. But it works for me, until I can get a antenna to replace the one that broke. I tell People to Text me and I go to my car three times per day to make sure my phone's battery is still good. And it is at those times when I return calls, texts, and other business related stuff.

There is not much gain to be made with a LTE signal higher than -90. At this level, it is excellent. I would not be surprised that the booster has a kind of automatic gain control to avoid saturation. The outdoor signal is already good. I would recommend to test again in an area with very weak outdoor signal. This is where you should see the advertised gain. Edit: I should watch entirely before commenting!

Omni antennas always give up gain to get their omnidirectional qualities. I know they're more simple and nobody wants to try and steer an antenna all the time when they stop somewhere new, but directional antennas can give you signal boost above omnis when properly aligned. Curious if the bandwidth changed while that is on or off. Instead of just going off signal strength alone, do a speed test on Google with it on/off and see if it changes.

Slim baby, forget the db numbers show us the speed, i feel the need, the need for speed. 3db is a great figure in gain, dont get wrapped up in the details. Good video as usual.

A couple of thoughts: 1. Already mentioned below but worth repeating: Every 3db is a doubling of power. 2. If that indoor antenna has a magnet mount, I'd be curious what happens if you mounted it to the bottom side of your (cold) cast iron skillet or other solid, flat piece of ferrous metal to form a "ground plane" antenna. You might pick up a db or two. There are other more definitive ways to quantify signal quality but just not available in a consumer phone app. . . but it would be nice.