Internet service while dry camping

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Monarch4me

Monarch4me

Well-known member
Joined
May 30, 2019
Posts
67
Location
Manteca Calif
So we love dry camping on the coast, unfortunately when we get to our campsite or phone says no service, To get Internet service we have to drive 4 miles to the next campsite how does everyone get Internet service when you?re dry camping I have AT&T and I get this message every time :AT&T Free Msg: You used 75% of your high-speed data for this bill period. If you use it all, your data speed will be lower (128kbps) until 09/14/2020.
 
Have you considered satellite internet service? Not cheap, but many of us used that for years while dry camping. I had HughesNet/Direcway service and used a manually aligned dish, initially on a tripod and subsequently mounted on the roof of the coach (thanks to forum Member Terry Brewer). Some folks use an auto-aligned system such as DataStorm on the roof.

It's all a function of how badly you need service and how much you want to pay.
 
Great Horned Owl said:
The OP did say that there was no phone signal.
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Might be service on another carrier. Or, use a booster like Sarge does with an antenna attached to his ladder on a mast.

To the OP, where on which coast are you camping?
 
Lynx0849 said:
Might be service on another carrier. Or, use a booster like Sarge does with an antenna attached to his ladder on a mast.

To the OP, where on which coast are you camping?
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Northern California 6 miles north of bodega bay, called wrights beach, it?s right on the ocean front just a beautiful site, right above us there is lines of houses so I?m wondering if a booster antenna mite work?
 
On my coverage map, Sprint seems to be the only one extending to the water. My map doesn?t zoom in enough to be sure though. Verizon & AT&T were about the same as each other and T-mobile.
 
You might want to download the free "Open Signal" app. It will tell you where the various providers' cell towers are, and give you their signal strength. There may be a carrier that provides service in that area that you can hit with some additional technology. (I.e. cost)

We frequently boondock in areas without service, and this is how I dealt with it. http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,123048.0/all.html  It doesn't always pull in a signal, but usually it does. Just remember, if there really is no signal present, a booster won't help, because a booster can't create something out of nothing. They need some kind of signal to work.

Don't rely on your cell phone's bars as to whether or not a signal is present. We're often able to pull in a signal after we raise our antenna mast, even though our phones may be showing, "No Signal."

Kev
 
For several years I've used one of the best deep fringe cell signal amplifier/repeaters in the business, but recently I switched to a directional MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) pair of antennas that I mounted above our little used batwing OTA TV antenna. The overall increase in performance has been impressive, and at a much lower cost than the amplifier/repeaters.
 

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Sounds like you are in the shadow of a cliff at that location. If so, raising an antenna on a mast would like get you some signal. Doesn't need to be fancy - a section of tow of PVC pipe clamped to the rear ladder or side of RV will get an antenna 20 ft into the air.  For around $500-$600 you can get a cell signal booster amp and antenna.

https://www.weboost.com/boosters/vehicle-rv
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
raising an antenna on a mast would like get you some signal.
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My buddy that full times says sometimes he puts his phone in a small food container and elevates it on a painter pole as high as he can get it.  The phone is set up as a wifi hotspot so through that he can then access the internet inside the RV.  The food container keeps it from getting dirty or wet if it's up there a while.  Sounded like a clever solution to me.

Around here when there's no bars, you're pretty much done.  I can usually contact someone, somewhere with my ham radio if I have to but being unreachable by phone is usually a nice change of pace.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Mark_K5LXP said:
My buddy that full times says sometimes he puts his phone in a small food container and elevates it on a painter pole as high as he can get it.  The phone is set up as a wifi hotspot so through that he can then access the internet inside the RV.  The food container keeps it from getting dirty or wet if it's up there a while.  Sounded like a clever solution to me.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
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LOL. I love it!  :)
 
Quotes from Allstays reviews, WRIGHTS BEACH CAMPGROUND - SONOMA COAST STATE BEACH..........

Feb 2020, Spots 1-10 are right at the ocean/beach. Amazing view and beach access. No cell coverage period. Can be very windy. Spots on inside offer more protection. 2 pull trough spots only. Some spots will barely accommodate a 20ft rig

April 2014 OLD REVIEW Unbelievable access to a beach right from the campground. The spots on the beach book early! No hookups. Not in the Verizon 3G network so no phone calls or internet. Definitely worthy of a stay!

Reported cell phone signal for various providers on this Campendium page https://www.campendium.com/wrights-beach-campground



Website, no cell phone info listed, https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=451




 
Mark_K5LXP said:
My buddy that full times says sometimes he puts his phone in a small food container and elevates it on a painter pole as high as he can get it. 

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
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Maybe this is your buddies camper?
 

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No guarantees but you can improve your position.  I have the WeBoost amp, an omnidirectional antenna and a directional antenna.  Three things can help ... amplify the signal via the amp, pull in the signal with a directional antenna and raise the antenna.  I?ve used PVC pipe (schedule 40) to erect an antenna ... I stabilized it via suction cup handles attached to the RV.  I?ve pulled in a signal from as far away as 15 miles.
 
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