Omni and Directional Antenna use

[Huntfun]

Has anyone tried using an omni or directional antenna to help boost cell reception? Boosting cell reception has a lot of benefits. What is your experience? Do you get a meaningful reception boost that makes them worth the extra cost? What brand/model do you recommend?

Herd 360 has done some testing with them and he shows using a quality antenna does boost reception and going with a quality one far out perfoms some of the cheap options out there. Obvioudsly, the area must have cell service to work.

I have ordered one of each offered by Ridgetec to try on my new Ridgetec Lookouts to see if it helps. One of the benefits of Ridgetec Lookout is they come with both Verizon and AT&T sim cards, which allows you to set the cam up with both sims and then swap out cards to use the carrier with best signal in area you plan to use your cell cam. In MI Verizon is the dominant carrier but where my hunting land is AT&T beats out Verizon. Even when using the best carrier for the area, a cam may need help getting better reception so things work the best they can.

 

[Next Ridge]

I haven’t used one on trail cams but set them up at a few remote residences for family/home devices. A good directional antenna will generally outperform an Omni antenna but you have to look at the antenna gain chart or spec to know for sure, some manufacturers provide them some don’t.
also you should know exactly where the cell tower providing service for your area is located to really use a directional antenna. A directional antenna pointed in the wrong direction can be worse than the Omni.

 

[SquirrelyDan]

Have 4 lookouts and they get great signal so far. But better signal is always something I strive for. Better signal really equates to better battery life. I have a cheap omni and it was not much better than stock. I would go directional if I had a real low signal. The lowest I have seen my cams go was around 60 for signal. Even then it still was very fast to transmit. Good choice going with the Lookout, best cam on the market.

 

[Huntfun]

SquirrelyDan...are you saying when you turn on your lookouts you get a 60 signal number on the screen? Do you get different signal numbers from one Lookout to another in same location? I notice this when setting mine up. One would get 24 and then another 13 and so on...and I set all 7 of them up sitting in the same place. I swas in my basement...and I know I do not have good signal in my house and basement even worse. I get from 2 to 3 bars on my cell phone, which is verizon. I set my lookouts up with the AT&T sim card since they are far better then verizon up north at my hunting land.

I did look up cell tower locations so I can point the directional correctly. I'm goging to add the cell tower locations to my OnX so I qucikly know where they are when in the field.

Today I'm goging to play around with the directional and omni and see what kind of impact I get at my home. I watched a youtube video by Herd 360 where he use one of the cheap omni (that I guess are around $15 and talked a lot about on some online forums) and the Ridgetech Omni and the Ridgetec blew away the cheap on. In fact the cheap one had virtually no postive imrovemnt. That was where ever he live...understand location plays big role.