Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001 Cross Polarised 4G Omni LTE Antenna

Product Information

Not a lot really. (That’s what I’ve found anyway). There are products on the market that promise to boost the signal strength but I couldn’t find one that I thought was worth buying. Most seemed to promise more than they could actually deliver. Even if they did improve the signal, you would still need to go outside of your campervan to get the benefits.

After a lot of research, I’ve now got a much better understanding of the problem. This has led me to what I believe is the ideal solution for us and our issue. I know that we can’t be the only ones who have a problem getting internet in a campervan, so I’ve decided to share what I’ve learned.

Standard Warranty: 1-Year

This reveals the battery compartment, full-size SIM card slot and microSD card slot. Inserting a microSD card (optional) enables the user to store and share data on the card.

It’s a common misconception that the higher the gain the better. High gain antennas are usually directional. Generally, radio waves can’t pass through solid objects, if there are obstacles in the way (between the mast and the antenna) then the signal will bounce off them, scattering the signal. So when the signal reaches the antenna its highly likely that it will be coming from multiple directions. As a high gain directional antenna has a limited angle of coverage (around 30 degrees), the directional antenna is unable to collect any signal outside this area. In fact, high gain antennas can make things worse. Omni-directional antenna: Once you’ve successfully connected to the WIFI network you should then see ‘Wi-Fi’ (as opposed to 2G, 3G or 4G) and the networks SSID on the home screen. I've been fiddling around with antenna/no antenna on GiffGaff (O2), Three, and Vodafone and I've found that Three can give up to 42Mbps with the antenna and about 15Mbps without so it works significantly better with Three (different band perhaps?). I've noticed that Three's upload speed is pretty crap compared to any other network and maxes out at ~8Mbps whereas others can be 14Mbps. If your mobile provider doesn’t offer coverage then you could always swap the sim in your phone for another provider who does offer coverage, but I guess not many people will want to do this. So using a MiFi device like the Huawei E5577C will make it simpler to swap sim cards. Like me, you could buy an EE PAYG data sim (EE currently offer the best UK 4G coverage) or find out who offers the best coverage in the area you’re staying in, and buy that mobile provider’s data sim. However, I did run a couple of tests so I could compare my MiFi equipment to just using a mobile phone, and the results were very surprising.The antenna complies with the relevant CE, EN, CSA and RoHS standards. The antenna is also rated for temperatures from -40°C to 70°C and will survive winds of up to 160 km/h with a rating of IK10 impact resistance. Mounting Options

For best operation this antenna should be mounted outdoors or on a window which has clear line of sight to the transmitter mast. The purpose of this antenna is to negate the signal loss due to the walls of the building by placing the antenna OUTSIDE. Optimum results will be obtained by placing the antenna outside, as high as possible and with the best line of sight to the mast. Trying to use this antenna inside will probably not help your signal.The most obvious way of getting online is by using a smartphone. However, if the signal in your area is poor or your mobile provider doesn’t cover the area you’re in, then the connection is likely to be patchy and unreliable at best – especially when inside a campervan. (Being in what is basically a metal box, is not the best place to be to get a good mobile signal; the signals strength is dramatically reduced, as most of the signal will be bouncing off the bodywork of the campervan.) What can be done to improve the mobile signal? The XPOL-1-5G antenna also offers a variety of mounting options to ease the installation process. The antenna can be wall or pole mounted to be used as an outdoor antenna or the antenna can be window mounted with the help of suction cups to be used as an indoor antenna. For simplistic implementation, this antenna can be mounted on a window, internally, and still provide excellent performance. The 4G-XPOL-A0001 is a low gain antenna so is designed for areas where there is an existing mobile signal – which according to EE is 99% of the country. (If you need a high gain directional antenna and are prepared to splash out a few more quid, then the Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0002 would make an ideal choice.) straight away the signal went from 3G to a 2 bar 4G signal. I tried repositioning the antenna several times but couldn’t improve upon the 2 bar 4G signal. Located on the front of the device is a small display screen (approx 33mm x 33mm) and also the power on button.