Rating of cellular amplifiers and repeaters in 2020

Poor quality of cellular communication is the problem that almost every modern person has faced.
It has a solution, but how to understand all the richness of proposals? How to choose a repeater so that it really strengthens the connection?
We offer a rating of cellular amplifiers available on the market, which will help you figure out how to choose a cellular signal amplifier and solve the problem of a weak signal.

As it turned out, not all products are capable of doing this. We have considered 5 models of cellular signal amplifiers. The VEGATEL VT-900E-KIT (LED) was the unconditional winner. But first things first. Let's start our rating with less successful models.

5th place - STRONGCALL SET "CONTACT 2G COTTAGE"

Price: 9700 rubles

Coverage area: within 1 meter of indoor antenna

Advantages:

• Absent

Disadvantages:

• Repeater supports up to 7 subscribers
  Tablets, netbooks, laptops, and even just neighbors behind the wall can "connect" to your repeater and you will not get amplification.
• Repeater with 75 Ohm impedance
  75 ohm devices are not designed to operate at cellular frequencies. No self-respecting manufacturer of radio transmission equipment uses 75 ohms. 75 Ohm is used to transmit a television signal.
• HF cable 75 Ohm
  The 75 ohm coaxial cable is not designed to handle the high-power RF signal used for cellular communications, as it is simply shielded. Using such a cable to transmit a cellular signal results in high losses and a high susceptibility to noise from various devices operating around. This will lead to signal distortion, due to which the sound quality deteriorates, the Internet speed decreases and the range of the repeater is significantly narrowed.
• For whom?
  In the city, the frequency of 900 MHz is usually used by cellular operators, only outside the city. If you want to use this repeater in an apartment or office, then it will not amplify anything at all.
• Weak gain
  For rural areas, the level of the cellular signal is often small (1-3 divisions on the phone), not only in the house, but also on the street. In such a situation, the repeater gain of 40 dB is extremely small. If this repeater works, then the connection will strengthen only within a radius of 1-2 meters from it.
• Lack of any settings and adjustments, indicators
  A very primitive repeater, which cannot be configured if necessary. It remains to simply throw it away.
• High price. Devices similar in characteristics can be easily found in any Chinese online store for about 2,500 - 3,000 rubles. However, it is worth remembering that a cellular signal booster is not a scarf, slippers or a stirring mug. This is a high-tech electronic device, for the production of which expensive components are used. By reducing the cost of a cellular signal amplifier, Chinese manufacturers exclude the necessary components from it, which leads to poor-quality amplification - poor sound quality (words cannot be distinguished), minimum coverage, communication interference when other devices are turned on (microwave oven, wi-fi router, etc.).and a short service life (several months), which leads to a low place in the rating.

4th place - KIT FOR AMPLIFICATION OF THE CELLULAR SIGNAL "NO NAME"

Price: 2500 rubles

Coverage area: within 2-5 meters of indoor antenna

Advantages:

• Low price
  Perhaps suitable for school lab work. Or as a toy for a teenage radio amateur.

Disadvantages:

• No automatic gain control
  If the cellular signal outside the room where the repeater operates is strong (it may be another operator that you do not need to amplify), then the repeater is overloaded with its own signal and creates internal noises. A person who tries to use this repeater will not be able to talk to the subscriber - the voice will be severely distorted, words will disappear, and the connection will take a long time.
• No manual gain control
  Sometimes, for example, if you have a small country house, you need to reduce the amplification of the repeater, otherwise the signal will "loop" between the external and internal antenna. In this case, it will not be possible to talk, and the repeater itself may fail from working in this mode. In some repeaters, instead of manual gain control, an automatic one is built in, which in most cases replaces it.
• Narrow signal level indication range
  80% -1 division, 95% - 5 divisions. It is impossible to tune an outdoor antenna with this scale. It only shows something when the incoming signal is very strong. If the signal is not very strong, then the scale is empty and does not show anything. She's useless.
• Large internal noises during operation
  If the signal on the street is average or above average, then the repeater cannot cope with it and begins to create very strong interference, this is expressed in the fact that the subscribers cease to understand each other, words and sounds are distorted. In addition, interference to the base station of cellular operators is created. In this case, the base station operator may send RF service representatives to you. If the equipment is certified, then it is asked to turn off or reconfigure, and if it is not certified, then they can impose a fine of up to 40,000 rubles.
• Severe signal distortion to who you are calling
  The signal coming from you is distorted much more than the signal coming to you. It was not possible to ensure that the person you are calling to understand your words, even with a good signal outside.

We do not recommend stopping your choice on this cellular signal amplifier.

3rd place - KIT FOR AMPLIFICATION OF THE CELLULAR SIGNAL ITONE GSM-10B

Price: 4000 rub.

Coverage area: within 1 room
• Place in the rating of cellular signal amplifiers - 3

Advantages:

• Low cost for a kit that really amplifies the cellular signal
  By installing such a kit, you will solve the problem with poor cellular communication. You will hear the subscriber, and the subscriber will hear you. And all this without extraneous noise, gurgling and other communication defects for relatively little money.
• Original appearance, small size of the repeater
  This repeater is very different in appearance from analogs on the market, and resembles a well-known brand of phones.
• Unlimited number of subscribers
  If neighbors are gathering at your door to talk on the phone, don't worry - there is enough communication for everyone!
• Manual gain control
  The gain of the repeater can be reduced if it is very strong, but it is not possible to remove the external and internal antennas well from each other.

Disadvantages:

• Small coverage area
  When the signal outside is uncertain, this kit will provide cell signal amplification within the same room.
• No automatic gain control, antenna decoupling indication, LED display
  All this is built into more expensive repeater models.
  If you do not know which repeater to choose at the lowest price, we can recommend the iTone GSM-10B, as it meets the minimum requirements for a high-quality communication amplifier.

2nd place - TITAN-900 SET

Price: 12500 rub.

Coverage area: up to 500 sq.m (full coverage of a country house or small cottage)

Advantages:

• The area of ​​action in rooms up to 500 sq. m.
  The amplification of this set of 77 dB makes it possible to use it to amplify the cellular signal not only in a country house, but also in a small cottage.
• Powerful antennas are included.
  The kit includes some of the most powerful household antennas. The gain of the external antenna “fin” is 8 dB, the gain of the internal antenna “panel” is 9 dB.
• High quality cables, antennas and other accessories.
  The kit includes a 5D-FB cable for high-quality signal transmission with minimal attenuation.
• “Shielding between antennas” indicator.
  It signals that the external and internal antennas are too close to each other. If this indicator is on, then the external antenna must be further removed from the internal one. Thanks to this indicator, the installation of the cellular signal amplifier becomes simple and understandable for any buyer.
• Automatic gain control
  It allows the repeater to adapt optimally to the existing environment without requiring user attention.
  • Unlimited number of subscribers
  Gather a large company at the dacha, call your neighbors - there will be enough communication for everyone
• Low price for a kit with such functionality
  Powerful, inexpensive, reliable kit that is very easy to install and configure thanks to the Shielding Between Antennas indicator and automatic gain control. This is the solution for those who want to get more coverage for an optimal budget.

Disadvantages:

• No manual gain control and LED display
• All this is built into more advanced repeater models.
• The TITAN-900 cellular amplifier kit is one of the best on the market in terms of price / quality ratio.

1st place - VEGATEL VT-900E-KIT (LED)

Price: 14000 rub.

Coverage area: in rooms up to 350 sq. m. (in suburban areas 1-3 rooms)

Advantages:

• Operating area up to 350 square meters
  Strengthens the signal in the country, in a wooden house or in various suburban premises, consisting of 1-3 rooms (up to 350 square meters)
• Has a screen for displaying signal strength
  Using the signal strength indicator, you can make
• Powerful 12dB directional all-weather antenna
  The kit with the repeater includes a powerful external antenna, which, in case of poor reception, can be tuned towards the base station of the cellular operator and significantly improve the performance of the kit.
• Equipped with manual (30 to 60 dB) and automatic gain control
  The repeater included in this kit has an automatic gain control that adjusts the repeater based on the level of the external signal. In difficult cases, for example, when the signal is very strong outside the premises for another operator, manual gain adjustment is required, which this repeater is also equipped with.
• Has a shielding indicator
  It will light up if it is necessary to move the external and internal antenna apart from each other.
• Equipped with “ALARM” overload indicator
  In case the repeater works in a strong signal outside, it informs the user about it. In this case, it is necessary to slightly reduce its gain.
• Equipped with automatic overload shutdown function.
  This prevents interference to the base station and repeater damage if the equipment is installed incorrectly.
• Has no restrictions on the number of simultaneously talking subscribers.
• Certified by the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of Russia.
• 2 years warranty
  The manufacturer is confident in the quality of its equipment.

Disadvantages:

• Price

This kit is more expensive than the repeaters listed here. However, having paid several thousand more, the buyer gets the best GSM repeater in the kit, equipped with all the necessary adjustments and indicators, having a certificate from the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications and a 2-year warranty with service and technical support in Russia.

As you can see, not all cellular signal amplifiers on the market are the same. I hope our rating has helped you understand this issue. Happy choice!