Homes and offices aren't the only places that benefit from PCS/CEL signal boosters. Anyone who has experienced dropped or fading calls in the car can also take advantage of the added reception and voice quality. Signal boosters are also great for use in boats and RVs that may roam far from cell towers. Various antenna options are available to pull in signals, depending on how much power you need.

Once you've pulled in that signal, you can also pair a mobile booster with a mobile Wi-Fi router like the Kyocera KR1 or Top Global MB6800 that accepts broadband cellular PC Cards. This is a great solution for car pools, buses, RVs and other vehicles where multiple passengers want to work and share a broadband connection on the road (or even parked in the campground).

Wireless road warriors may also want to consider the zBoost zP, a compact and low-cost personal signal booster from Wi-Ex that packs up easily for use at home or on the go. The wired version, which uses a cable between the amplifier and your phone, costs $99, and a wireless version with a repeater antenna costs $169. Both are dual-band 850/1900MHz.

Here we look at two dual-band car-mounted signal booster options from Wi-Ex and Wilson. The Wilson model uses a wire between the amplifier and handset, which entails sticking a small patch connector on the back of your phone. iPhone owners and others with sleek smartphones may not appreciate having to use an ugly velcro patch, however. For them, both Wilson and Wi-Ex make wireless in-car models that use a second antenna to repeat the external signal inside your car or RV. The Wi-Ex model is detailed below. Single-band versions are also available at lower cost, including Nextel models.

Wilson SignalBoost Cellular/PCS Amplifier Kit

Wilson SignalBoost Mobile and Home/Office
Cellular/PCS Amplifier Kit 811211

The SignalBoost Kit (about $250) includes a dual-band amplifier, cigarette lighter DC adapter, a 4-inch mini magnet-mount antenna, and a wired connector with stick-on velcro patch for your phone. It can be used in either cars and homes, although home users will likely want a stronger antenna and will also need to buy the optional AC adapter. Ours came with the optional vented carrying case, which lets you keep the amplifier in its travel case under the seat of your car. This makes for easy installation and removal in rental cars and hotel rooms. An amply long cable is included for either dropping between the door and roof in a temporary installation, or snaking under the door seal in a permanent one. The amplifier can go under the passenger seat or dashboard, with the connector cable snaking up to your phone, and power cable to the lighter.

While we didn't really like the idea of sticking anything on our phone, the booster works as advertised, clearly improving signal strength and throughput on our data connections with both Sprint and Verizon. A optional splitter cable lets you connect up to three handsets to the amplifier. Wilson also makes a wireless SignalBooster kit (about $400) with an insider repeater antenna that eliminates the need for patches.

Wi-Ex zBoost YX200 Dual-Band Car Signal Booster

Wi-Ex zBoost YX200 Dual-Band
Car Signal Booster

The zBoost YX200 dual-band Car Signal Booster kit includes an amplifier, an small external magnet-mount antenna with a 15-foot cable, an internal patch antenna with 15-foot cable, and a DC power adapter. As with the Wilson model, you can either drop the external antenna cable between the window and door frame for a quick-and-dirty installation, or lift out the door seal to hide it underneath.

While we didn't have this model to test, at about $250, it's a lot less expensive than the Wilson SignalBoost. Its specs are also less powerful, so it probably can't boost signals quite as much, but for most needs, we'd prefer the convenience of the zBoost's wireless connections.