Every so often you start to write an article and you think, well this is going to be a short one. At least in my case, I try to add some context and make an article worth reading. This is one of those cases.
The law actually does have your back here.
According to FCC rules set in 2014, every cell phone signal booster must come with everything needed for a complete system. It’s actually illegal to sell consumer equipment as parts. You have to sell it as a complete kit. This was done so that the FCC could have some trust that people wouldn’t try to build mega-boosters that would take down civilization as we know it. (I’m not sure it would really stop you if you did want to do that. It’s a nice try though.) So this means the answer to this question is really easy.
What cable do you need for an RV cell booster? The one it comes with. Simple as that.
But what if the cable isn’t long enough? What if you lose it? What if there’s some situation the manufacturer didn’t think of? Let’s take a look at what makes those cables special and what you can do if you need more of them.
Regular RG6 cable won’t do
A lot of cell phone signal boosters for home use the same friendly RG6 coaxial cable as cable TV, TV antenna, and satellite television does. This cable is rated at 75 ohm impedance and can handle frequencies up to 3GHz. There are other parts to the RG6 specification but that’s really not important.
What is important is that RG6 cable is generally the wrong cable to use in your RV. You need cable with 50 ohm impedance. (What’s impedance? I’ve tried to explain it but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s impossible to understand.) If the impedance of the cable is wrong, you’ll lose a lot of signal and you don’t want that.
The right cable?
The closest thing you’ll find is generally this Wilson400 Low Loss Cable. It’s designed to be thinner than other 50-ohm cable which is going to make as difference as you try to snag it through the crevices in your RV. However, this cable has N connectors and you’ll probably need a different connector. You’ll usually need an SMA connector.
You can generally get information on the type of connector you have by looking in the manual. Rarely, it’s not SMA but it’s something else.
If you’re not sure, call the experts
If you’re not sure what you need, that’s where we come in. The folks at Solid Signal have a team of technicians ready to answer your questions… all for free. Call us at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, just fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.
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