Cell phone now working 50 miles out

That is impressive. I loose phone 8 miles out and text 10-15 miles out zone. Did the boat you were on have some super duper booster?

Since cell phones work off towers not satellites I'd guess it was an atmospheric anomaly, but the devices today are connected to satellites for GPS and internet plus they're continually adding new, taller and more advanced towers and 5G so you may have a sweet spot between Florida and the Bahamas. The 10/12mile limit has been the standard for decades now. It make sense that it's expanding.

When I was doing my due diligence on Wi-Fi and cell boosters I spoke with manufacturers, retailers/installers and users. I was informed that cell towers aren’t aimed offshore so boats are picking up fringe signals. So it helps to be offshore a populous area covered by numerous towers. Florida certainly is, explaining why coverage can extend out to 12 miles. Here in the Pacific Northwest, and particularly the central coast in Canada, that’s not the case. I wish! My selected system is being installed now. Can’t wait to test it and learn whether the money was well spent.

Where was that?

If I understand your question correctly, the manufacturer I spoke with was referring to cell towers generally, though he specifically referenced getting cell coverage 14 miles offshore Florida. Lots of towers and flat topography.

Not like our mountainous BC coastline with deep bays and inlets. Tucked into one of them on the hook cell coverage is non-existent. We have to run out to open water in the tender with our cells to pick up a signal, then collect texts, voice messages, and make any necessary calls.

Hoping my new equipment will reduce the need to do that.

My experience to date has been with a cell booster that (obviously) proved ineffective. New stuff is a significant upgrade. One for voice and another for data. Hoping to stay out longer (4 weeks) go further (300 nm north) and still work remotely when business requires it.

Without the expense of going to satellite.

It'll be interesting to hear how that works out GPO. Hard to imagine cell signals getting out of that topography.

Indeed. Google "Desolation Sound" and "Broughton Archipelago" to see what we're dealing with up here.

Can't imagine working remotely off shore without satellite. As to boosters, we've found them effective but not a cure all and in terrains without the obstacles you face.

I know but I’ll give it a try this cruising season.

Satellite orbits at the equator and I’m told we’re at a 23-26 degree angle in the Pacific Nothwest. On the hook in an inlet with high topography surrounding us even satellite reception can be challenging. Not ideal in all circumstances either.

So boosters are a compromise, for sure. Hope to pick up cell towers located in communities scattered along the coast. Iridium sat phone works well - for essential voice communication. Minutes are expensive, so prefer using cell whenever possible.

Some day (the timeline is the subject of much speculation) Starlink may provide the solution at a reasonable cost. Holding off investing in satellite hardware until then. We’ll see.

We used Satellite when we were in the PNW, from Portland to Kodiak and had no issues. Phone, Internet and Television.

That’s impressive, my AT&T phone barely gets 3 bars in Brickell section of Miami.

Understood. In open areas of the inside passage satellite reception works well.

We have several favourite spots where we anchor and stern tie close to shore for several days at a time. Use the tender for fishing, prawning and visiting friends on their boats similarly positioned in the area. In some of these locations satellite reception can be lost. Still have to tender out for cell reception. Not far, mind you, so I’m hoping upgraded boosters will work.

I’m having a new mast installed that will accommodate two domes (dummies for now). If I have to I’ll step up to satellite receivers.

Wonder if the NASA people like to have a signal when they are fishing out there and put a nice repeater on the VAB. If anyone can solder one together from stuff laying around the shop they can. And I suspect they have blanket FCC licenses.

Same problem here near the Buster Island in Ontario. Anchor and stern tie to rock. Let us know what system your going to try. Im looking at the commercial Wilson booster.

I have a Wilson cell booster. Last season I was rafted with another boat and stern tied in Desolation Sound, The other boat had a Shakespeare Super Halo 3G 4G LTE booster. This presented an opportunity to do a comparison test. The other boat had a cell signal. I didn't. Further due diligence turned up other favourable reviews. Among them, the yard that commissions new Flemings arriving on the west coast installs only the Shakespeare booster, based on their own experience. I'm removing the Wilson and installing the Shakespeare with the external antenna mounted high on a new mast on my flybridge roof. That, I hope, will take care of voice.

Data is another matter. To address this I'm installing an additional system designed for data only.