JiWire > Reviews > Spotwave Zen Z1900 Wireless Coverage System > Product Summary

Spotwave Zen Z1900 Wireless Coverage System

Product Summary

Turn a two-bar cell signal into five with this plug-and-play 1900MHz PCS band booster antenna. Improves voice quality and throughput.

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Product Summary | JiWire's Review

By Becky Waring (Updated 11/3/06)

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JiWire's Quick Take

Likes
Boosts feeble cell signals to five bars in the house, dramatically improves voice quality and data throughput, doesn't interfere with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or cordless phones.

Dislikes
Only works with 1900MHz PCS band, wall mount and cable can be hard to locate, pricey.

Good for
Cell phone users frustrated with poor coverage in their home or office who use the 1900MHz PCS band. (Check the Spotwave site for supported carriers in your zip code.)

Bad for
Those who can't get a signal at home at all (you must have at least one or two bars in some part of your house for it to work), and those with non-1900MHz PCS service plans.

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More online reviews

CNET "The Spotwave Zen Z1900 signal booster delivers on its promise to boost cell phone signals and improve data speeds. It also doesn't interfere with existing networks and other household electronics. [But it] only works with phones that run on the 1900MHz band, leaving many 850MHz phones out of the picture. You also have to run a long coaxial cable across a room, which can be cumbersome."

Detroit Free Press "I then borrowed a Sprint phone from a friend. With the device powered off, there were two bars of signal strength. The moment of truth arrived -- I turned the phone off and the device on. Then I powered up the Sprint phone again. Voila! Five bars. I wandered all over my house. In the lower level, where Sprint barely worked before, it dropped down to three bars. But everywhere else, even on my back deck, I got a solid four or five bars. Just as advertised. I'm impressed."

Basic Specs

WIRELESS
Frequency Bands	PCS Uplink: 1850-1910MHz; PCS Downlink: 1930-1990MHz

Networks Supported	TDMA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, IS-95, CDMA, ixRTT, 1xEVDO, HSDPA, IS-136

Typical Coverage Area	Up to 2,500 square feet

System Gain	Up to 63dB

Downlink Operating Range	-95 to -40dBm

PHYSICAL
Coax cable length	35 ft.
Weight	Network access unit: 2 lbs.; coverage unit: .5 lbs.

Dimensions	Network access unit: 7x7x2.5 ins.; coverage unit: 2.75x6x1.25 ins.