Boosting mobile/ cellphone signal?

Heedtheadvice

Hopefully someone with technical experience in this field can give some advice.

Hopefully enough explanation below but can possibly add more.

The issue. 

I am in a rural area ( on the edge of a village rather than put in the wilds) so my property does not get a good 4G mobile signal. It is down around -100dB but fluctuates to -90 to -110, ie weak depending upon specific location and weather and not a lot of SNR

Whilst it is generally just usable for voice comms ( but patchy l) it could be better. Phones already set to use best network WAN signal. I am getting a smart meter soon and the signal is no better within my garage where the meter is located.

The questions.

Are any of the cheaper retransmission kits any good? 

I hope for a 10dB level increase and better SNR. There are just two local cell antennas so may need to be omni directional antenna to it but more likely one with some gain could be employed to just one mast. There would need to be several metres between external ( likely end of house gable mounting) to the internal antenna towards the other end of the house to link best reception location to the worst area, approx 15m+, can provide my own rf cable extension so probably not a problem. Mains power not an issue.

Would I need a service providers permission? A 'silly' Utube video suggests yes but I take those amateurish vids with a pinch of salt!!

I expect the smart meter might have similar problems and do not have a lot of confidence that a good solution would be part of that install. ( I think it is 4G too , linked to a specific network? )  I have not been able to get info as to wheather an extended or external antenna could or will be provided. Could a booster signal be used by the smart meter or are there complications/ restrictions if not from the mast directly? I wish to use TOU tarrifs so need to at least to get transmissions of the stored 30minute data back to the utility provider.

The best reception is from a Vodafone mast others have poorer coverage specifically at the property. 

I do not know if any other close by properties have successful smart meter installations.

I use wireless broadband connection for my phone too so mostly no great concern. Can smart meters use that too even if not common.

Any input appreciated

sheenas

They are boosters and like any boost the issue being that if you have a bad signal then you are  boosting the noise and the signal, therefore benefits are marginal improvement. They will work better if you have an area with a good signal and then use a cable & booster to a poor signal area.

Grey_Critic

SMART Meters do not use the mobile netword or Broadband in many areas. Where I live they transmit a radio signal to Emley Moor mast. In other areas they have fitted receivers to council waste vehicles and they are read from them. Refuse vehicles basically cover every road/street so are ideal. Some of the houses in my area have walls 3/4 feet thick and the meters have to be physically read.

Frozen_up_north

Heedtheadvice said:

Are any of the cheaper retransmission kits any good? 

In a word no... mobile networks operate on multiple frequency bands, unlike several years ago when you had analogue mobiles that operated in the region of 700 to 800 MHz.

The answer is WiFi calling, basically using your home broadband to make and receive calls on your mobile. It is of no help with smart meters.

The smart meter system is a total shambles, whoever came up with the idea that a little unit close to ground level, often inside the walls of a house, could somehow communicate over several miles on UHF, wasn't in the real world. They also made the mistake of trying to use the mobile phone networks that are built primarily to communicate with mobile phones that have moved on from ancient 2G to 5G, yet the smart meters in the south of the country are mostly stuck on 2G and apparently are being replaced with 4G meters.

We have a "not so smart" meter that doesn't communicate, the meter has been replaced 2 or 3 times. When I asked the fitter why they didn't replace it with one that used the mobile network, he said they weren't allowed to fit them in the north of England and the meter would never work in the village!

I had hoped that the Octopus home mini hub, that allows you to see your usage on a mobile phone and connects via WiFi, would send the meter data to the DCC (the central control point for all smart meters) via your home broadband... sadly it doesn't.

Vitor

Best option IMHO is Wi-Fi calling for your phones, let the supplier resolve the smart meter connectivity problem like an external aerial mounted outside the building.

Years ago (10+) I had a signal booster, which was illegal of course. Yagi aerial mounted externally pointed at my operators closest cell tower with RF amp and whip aerial installed in airing cupboard. It did work for 2G/3G

Newcad

@Heedtheadvice whereabouts in the country are you?

As already mentioned not all smart meters use the mobile phone system.

As a rough guide draw a line from the Mersey to the Humber estuaries - South of that snart meters use the phone signal network, North of that they connect by Long Range Radio.

At least that's how it is at the moment (it's all to do with big business contracts) but things are changing and in a year or two "Dual Coms" smart meters will be commonly available to use whichever is best for a particular spot anywhere in the country.

There are currently DIY solutions for either signal type that can help boost a poor smart meter connection. They are 'unofficial' but most are not actually unlawful. ie. As long as it works without messing up anyone else then it's fine.

I suggest that you ask on the OVO forum - you don't need to be a OVO customer - there are some very knowledgeable people there who discuss these kinds of problems.

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/

Heedtheadvice

Thanks all and yes well North of the line in S Scotland

tafelmoneysaver

Have you asked neighbours if they have a smart meter and their connection experience ? 

Heedtheadvice

Yes, non in the Immediate vicinity.

JSmithy45AD

Vitor said:

Best option IMHO is Wi-Fi calling for your phones, let the supplier resolve the smart meter connectivity problem like an external aerial mounted outside the building.

Years ago (10+) I had a signal booster, which was illegal of course. Yagi aerial mounted externally pointed at my operators closest cell tower with RF amp and whip aerial installed in airing cupboard. It did work for 2G/3G

100% and the OP seems to indicate that that is what they use for the mobile phone.

The smart meter for gas/electric is the suppliers problem, it either works or it doesn't. They'll occasionally send out a meter reader and perhaps ask the homeowner to supply figures which takes a minute or two monthly.

Frozen_up_north

JSmithy45AD said:

The smart meter for gas/electric is the suppliers problem, it either works or it doesn't

Unfortunately it can be our problem too, some of the suppliers offer cheap electricity when there is surplus available... unless your meter is able to send readings every 30 minutes you cannot make use of that lower rate, which was one of the original ideas for the whole smart meter setup.

Until the electricity supply industry wake up and smell the coffee, many of us will be stuck with useless smart meters that we are all paying for through increased bills.