# Cell Phone Antenna Boosters - Fact Or Fraud? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-antenna-boosters-fact-or-fraud/129010 "2002-09-21T18:24:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-antenna-boosters-fact-or-fraud/129010/1 "2002-09-21T18:24:39Z")
So what’s the scoop? Do cell phone antenna boosters actually work, or are they just another gimmick to take your money? (21st Century snake oil?) (If unsure of what I am talking about [check out this random ad I found](http://www.antennabooster.net/). ) ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-antenna-boosters-fact-or-fraud/129010/2 "2002-09-21T20:13:40Z")
Fraud. It they worked, they’d already be designed into the cell phone from the start. Same goes for those radiation blockers that are supposed to prevent the cell phone from giving you brain cancer. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-antenna-boosters-fact-or-fraud/129010/3 "2002-09-21T20:17:33Z")
My daughter, the gadget freak, got one. Fraud, she say’s. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Fernmeldetruppe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@Fernmeldetruppe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fernmeldetruppe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-antenna-boosters-fact-or-fraud/129010/4 "2002-09-22T13:14:25Z")
Fraud. We tested one and found no advantage. We also found one that was interfering with good reception. ---
**Author:** ![PosterChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e274bd/32.png) [@PosterChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PosterChild)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-antenna-boosters-fact-or-fraud/129010/5 "2002-09-22T15:22:55Z")
Those are definitely snake oil, but is there a way to increase reception? Instead of an antenna that lights up or beeps, can you get one with better reception? PC ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-antenna-boosters-fact-or-fraud/129010/6 "2002-09-22T16:42:02Z")
It’s amazing the crap people will buy. “It’s on TV, it has to be real!” I should buy a case of plain white stickers and hire some quack to go on television and tell people if they stick them on their nether regions it may improve circulation to the genitals. Guaranteed to sell like hotcakes. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-antenna-boosters-fact-or-fraud/129010/7 "2002-09-22T17:15:24Z")
I wonder what kind of disclaimer that package has on it to prevent people from returning the thing to the store in droves. Must be something like “may not work as advertised”. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-antenna-boosters-fact-or-fraud/129010/8 "2002-09-22T17:42:00Z")
Good point. I’ll be needing a shady lawyer as well to draft 40 pages of jargon releasing me from liability if the sticker doesn’t work, makes their diddly turn black, etc. ---
**Author:** ![PosterChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e274bd/32.png) [@PosterChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PosterChild)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-antenna-boosters-fact-or-fraud/129010/9 "2002-09-22T17:59:51Z")
The funny thing is that reception is so variable that there are a lot of people who say it works great for them. 🙂