Cell-Fi Go

Submitted: Saturday, Mar 21, 2020 at 20:33
ThreadID: 139822 Views:18926 Replies:5 FollowUps:4
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Howdy

Anyone running 1 of these?

If so, what is your set up and how have you found the user experience?

Thanks

Lyndon
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Place faith not in tomorrow
For the clock may then be still

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Reply By: Kazza055 - Saturday, Mar 21, 2020 at 21:33

Saturday, Mar 21, 2020 at 21:33
I use the Cel-Fi PRO Telstra 3G/4G Repeater with External Antenna at home because our house has metal roof and Sisalation in the walls which stop the signal from coming in.

We originally had 1 bar on the phone and sometimes I would get a message to say I had missed a call but the phone was right in front of me.

Once the installation was done we received 5 bars so they definitely work but cost a bomb, our was $1,600.

To the best of my knowledge Cel-Fi is the only one that are legal.
AnswerID: 630624

Reply By: Member - Boobook - Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 at 10:11

Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 at 10:11
Lyndon, the effectiveness depends on what you want to do with it.

If you want to have reception while at the fringe of reception when not moving they are fantastic. Eg in a caravan park on the edge of a small town.

If you want to extend the range while driving into and out of towns to extend coverage, you will extend phone calls but by a couple of minutes at best. Is that worth $1000?

If you want to improve reception at home, and you have WiFi and a Telstra network and service then just turn on VoWiFI on your phone if it's less than about 4 years old and on Telstra or Boost AND was supplied by Telstra. This allows normal phone calls from a Wifi router or hot spot.





AnswerID: 630639

Follow Up By: Frank P (NSW) - Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 at 16:08

Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 at 16:08
Telstra calls it WiFi Calling. That's how it shows up on my phone's menu.

BTW my phone is an import, a Samsung S7 originally with Taiwanese firmware. It had no VoLTE nor WiFi Calling, despite having the required hardware. I reflashed it with Telstra firmware (freely and legitimately available at Sammobile). This gave me the VoLTE and WiFi Calling. For all intents and purposes it is now a Telstra phone and has undergone two standard Over The Air updates with no problems.

Another BTW: I cannot get any support from Samsung Australia, even if paying retail service fees, eg for a proposed screen replacement. They always check serial numbers and IMEIs and from that instantly determine that it was not bought in Australia and equally instantly become disinterested in the conversation, almost to the point of rudeness.

Telstra is more helpful.
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 at 21:10

Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 at 21:10
Frank, it's a piece of cake to replace a broken LCD screen on the Samsung.

All the components are just simply screwed and clipped together - if you can change a tyre, you can do it.

I've smashed the screen on both my earlier Note 3 and current Note 4. In the case of the Note 3, I made the mistake of buying a knock-off Chinese screen for it (from eBay).
While it fitted perfectly, the screen colours were washed out, as compared to the original genuine screen.

I sold the rebuilt Note 3 on eBay, and then bought a new Note 4 off eBay (Australian model).
After a few months, I managed to break the screen on that, too (despite a solid clip-on cover - they always manage to land face-down on sharp stones set in bitumen!)

For this repair, I purchased a genuine Samsung screen off eBay from a seller in Germany.
This screen performs like the original. There's only 9 screws and a heap of clipped-on components, to replace the screen, they're just so simple, designed for easy production line assembly.

Have a search of YouTube, there's plenty of instructive videos there.

The only thing I found, was that tiny screws and tiny components need good light, great care with all tiny screws and parts, and sometimes, a magnifying glass to see what you're doing.

If I was 50 yrs younger, I wouldn't even need glasses!

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: Dusta - Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 at 23:42

Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 at 23:42
they are definately worth the money 100% . i have one in my car for work and can get reception basically in the area from paynes find east to leinster and down to kalgoorlie. The cel-fi paired with a cdq2197 rfi antenna i was able to call southern cross hospital while out neat the mt manning range. You obviously need some kind of signal but with the right antenna and right conditions you can get a huge range from an antenna.


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Follow Up By: Member - lyndon NT - Saturday, Mar 28, 2020 at 08:50

Saturday, Mar 28, 2020 at 08:50
Thanks Tony

We are looking for improved signal whilst in the car. In a Troopy, so wouldn't bother to try to talk on the fly, but stop and make calls. Also after Data when parked up and signal is week.

Cheers
Lyndon
Now is the only time you own
Decide now what you will,
Place faith not in tomorrow
For the clock may then be still

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Reply By: rumpig - Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 at 10:56

Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 at 10:56
A mate has a Telstra Cel Fi Go set up in his 4wd with the antennae on his roof rack (folds down when not in use), we just did a trip from Brisbane out to St George, Hebel, Lightning Ridge, Bourke, Cobar, Wilcannia, Broken Hill, Wentworth, Mildura, Mt Gambier to Portland Sand Dunes and back home to Brisbane again....had phone reception pretty much the entire journey and could surf the net for the majority (but not all) of that journey also. On a few occasions during a phone call (mate is a director of his business and taking and making work calls along the way) the phone did drop out during the call, it would lose reception but regain it about 5 -10 seconds later, and you’d need to redial and continue your call....we put this down to when it changed towers it was running off along the way. The set up simply boosts the signal but needs a signal to start with, walk 5 metres away from the vehicle and you’ll notice the phone signal drop out in many locations, they work but aren’t cheap.
AnswerID: 630642

Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Monday, Mar 23, 2020 at 09:15

Monday, Mar 23, 2020 at 09:15
I bought one prior to a 10K km trip through SA, WA deserts & NT. You need the best phone aerial available to compliment the unit, I’ve found.

They will service up to 7 devices at once, handy if you are a small group touring, and are good for tablets/iPads that don’t have an external aerial connection. I paid about $900 for mine with cheap aerial, think Telstra sells them, sans aerial, for under $800.

A mate had recently had one fitted to his ute. He can get phone signal all the way from Townsville to Winton now.

Bob
Seen it all, Done it all.
Can't remember most of it.

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AnswerID: 630666

Reply By: The Original JohnR (Vic) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2020 at 10:01

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2020 at 10:01
Yes, I have a CelFi with a broomstick antenna on the bullbar of the tow 4by truck or just the magnetic antenna on the back of the 4by wagon. It can hold my phone going with three to five bars where reception is normally doubtful and one bar flicks in and out.

The proviso I would have however is that the CelFi itself needs to be kept cool, so a quality air flow stream is needed as it generates heat too. It will stop if it overheats.

I don't go into doubtful reception areas without it or if I do, the satphone under the seat
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