# Do cell phone boosters actually work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cell-phone-boosters-actually-work/407299>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 8, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cell-phone-boosters-actually-work/407299 "2007-06-08T19:51:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cell-phone-boosters-actually-work/407299/1 "2007-06-08T19:51:00Z")

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My cell phone tends to get spotty reception in my house and neighbourhood, so I was thinking of getting a cell phone booster, such as the ones you stick to the back of the phone. Anyone ever tried these and do they work?

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**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cell-phone-boosters-actually-work/407299/2 "2007-06-08T20:06:44Z")

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Huh. I’ll be curious to see what the response is to this one. I’ve never tried one personally, but I was tempted. My recollection is that advertisements for these boosters were all over the place a couple of years ago. I haven’t heard about them since, however.

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**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cell-phone-boosters-actually-work/407299/3 "2007-06-08T21:51:31Z")

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Speaking as an ex-SprintPCS employee I can say that if they did work, the cell phone companies would install them in the phones when they made them.

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**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cell-phone-boosters-actually-work/407299/4 "2007-06-08T22:28:53Z")

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I tried one once, out of desperation. If anything, the reception got worse.

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**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cell-phone-boosters-actually-work/407299/5 "2007-06-09T05:54:13Z")

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Here are some responses from the Infomercial Scams website regarding the antenna boosters. Hope it helps!  
[http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/antenna\_booster](http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/antenna_booster)

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**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-cell-phone-boosters-actually-work/407299/6 "2007-06-10T02:01:02Z")

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Good link, thank you!