Hey guys, wondering if anyone has any tips could concerning cell signal boosters. We have one on board and I’m pretty sure it just took a dump. The crew is going to chip in for a new one so cost is a slight factor.
We’ve had luck with a Wilson booster on our ship. Worth the money - we’ve been hiding behind mountains in SE AK and still got a signal when we ordinarily wouldn’t have any bars. Only downside of the type we got is that you have to place your cell phone in a cradle for it to work and we can’t figure out how to splice it into our internet / email interface, but that’s probably user error. 
We have a Wilson made booster on my boat that I bought last year. It works good, without it you’d almost never have cell coverage inside. Ours doesn’t have a cradle, so you can just use your phone normally.
I have two wilson units. One installed on my boat and one in my car. The car one ( a wilson Mobile Pro) came with a cigarette lighter and a small magnetic antenna and requires that you use a cradle. It usually gives me an extra bar of reception. The one on the boat (The Wilson SOHO) is hooked up to a nice, purpose built, fiberglass whip antenna plus another antenna inside the boat so I don’t have to use a cradle… and it usually gets me an extra 2 bars.
The problem with the older units I own is that they only boost the signal for one phone at a time, which is ok for my use, but not for sharing the signal amongst the crew. They also don’t always work with data connections. The one to get for data and sharing signal (and for boosting the latest LTE and 4G signals) is the[B][I] Wilson AG Pro Quint[/I][/B]… it’s a bit expensive but is the best unit on the market and will meet all your (and your crew’s) needs.
I’ve also heard good things about Shakespear’s new units but I haven’t tested them myself.
Ben Ellison over at Panbo has been writing about them for several years now. Don’t be dissuaded by his orientation towards yachting, he is fairly through and knows his stuff. Panbo usually has a lively and informative dialog in the comments too.
Thanks for the tips guys
I also would like to say about wilson amplifiers: we’ve bought one a few months ago here http://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/
Works really well! So i also advice you to buy wilson