Remote camp, voice coverage quit when analog changed to digital -- Wilson amplifier/antenna fail; would text possibly work

Our frequent summer mountain family camp had excellent cell service from the old analog towers.

Since those went replaced by digital cells we get one bar but no voice connection.

We are line of sight to half a dozen cell towers, all of them over 20 miles distant line of sight -- Northern Lake and Mendocino County area.

I know we are line of sight with the towers; we can see the aircraft beacons at night and have driven up to the various tower locations on ridges to verify that they are Verizon cell sites.

A few years ago we tried a Wilson external cellular amplifier and directional antenna on a pole.

That gets a stronger signal, 2 or 3 bars, but still failed to connect voice calls.

Asking if anything has changed before going through the trouble of setting that all up again for winter camping this year.

We don't have data or text connection either.

I'm told that all cell towers have a setting meant to reject signals from "too far away" -- assuming another tower must be closer.

The coverage map shows our site -- and everything for a mile or so around -- should have contact.

I'm assuming that's just going by line of sight not by signal strength or distance?

Is there any way to improve on this situation?

Accepted answers

Verizon_Support

Hi Hankering,

Thanks for the details! We want you to have the best signal at all times. 20 miles from the nearest cell towers would give variable coverage. If your device roaming is turned on, then you would receive the best signal that we offer in the area or in an extended coverage area. A network extender would not be able to boost the signal from 20 miles away.

PamelaF_VZW

Tweet us @vzwsupport

All comments

Verizon_Support

hankering,

We're sorry tohear your signal is troublesome at your camping location. What is the zip code at this location? Are you able to retrieve high speed internet here? If so, you can consider a hooking up a Verizon Wireless Network Extender to boost your signal; http://vz.to/IHRT6h. Please let us know if you have any questions.

TrevorC_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

hankering

The ZIP code is 95469

The site is shown on the Verizon access map as red -- should be ok -- it's at almost 5000' elevation on a mountain.

The device I have is a cell phone, and I've tried what I described, a Wilson amplifier and directional antenna.

As I said the phone gets one bar but never connects.

There is no Internet, no landline phone, no electricity, no gas, no pavement, no building.

This is a not a "campground" -- not a RV park.

It's an old hunting campsite -- it has trees, road, and tent sites.

hankering

Let me try to make this simpler:

The closest cell towers are more than 20 miles away.

We get one bar on the phone but it never connects.

Is there any way to boost the signal so a cell tower more than 20 miles away will accept it?

Is there any way to have a reachable cell tower set to accept signals from more than 20 miles away?

Verizon_Support