8 Genius DIY Cell Phone Signal Boosters

If you're looking for ways to improve your mobile reception, these DIY projects can help you save hundreds of dollars.

Tired of having to stick to one corner of your living room just to use your phone because cellular reception is practically non-existent? Love hiking but can’t afford to stay disconnected while you’re out chasing waterfalls and sunsets? If your answer is yes to either of the questions, then a cell phone signal booster is just what you need.

A signal booster identifies and amplifies the nearest signal, improving your phone’s reception. But most cost anywhere from $400 and above, which makes creating your own a good way to cut costs. Here are eight genius DIY cell phone signal booster ideas for inspiration.

1. Cheap and Simple GSM Signal Booster

You don’t need a huge budget or complicated items to make a cell phone booster. Just get any copper wire you have lying around, a magnetic GSM antenna, and then follow the step-by-step guide illustrated in the video above to create your signal booster.

The result? A highly effective booster for 2G, 3G, 4G to LTE cell phone signals, so you never have to deal with dropped calls regardless of where you might be.

2. Homemade Portable 4G LTE Signal Booster

Only need a 4G signal booster? Well, making one is no rocket science. And you won’t need complicated items either. You’ll use easy-to-find items for the project, such as an iron wire, a magnet to confirm that it’s indeed an iron wire, a screwdriver, a scale to take measurements, and a TV cable wire.

Start by straightening the wire, bending it at 45 degrees, and following the step-by-step YouTube tutorial steps above.

3. Iron Hanger Signal Booster

Did you know you can make a signal booster out of an iron hanger? If not, now you do. And the process is pretty straightforward.

Simply straighten the iron hanger, peel off its insulation using a razor blade, bend it to form a rhombus, and then complete the process as shown in the YouTube tutorial.

And if that didn't kill enough of your time, check out these other simple DIY projects you can work on to beat the weekend boredom.

4. Cell Phone Signal Booster Using PCB

If you’re sick of lousy cell phone reception and have a knack for technical projects, this PCB cellphone booster is perfect for you. It’ll take a little more time to complete than other projects on our list, but once you’re done, you’ll have a signal booster capable of amplifying 2G to 4G network signals.

It’s undoubtedly worth the effort, plus the tutorial is pretty straightforward and even includes links to more detailed tutorials, so you can have an easy time creating yours. You can check out how to solder wires and electronics to make this project easier.

5. Multiuse Signal Booster

Got multiple cell phones that need signal boosting? Make this multiuse signal booster, and skip the costs of buying an expensive multiuse repeater. For this project, you’ll need copper coils, a transistor, a 30pf variable capacitor, a pair of 200k, 2.2K, and 100ohm resistors, a 27pf capacitor, 20MHz crystal oscillator, an LED to indicate when it’s working, and a PCB board to put it all together.

The supplies shouldn’t cost you much, plus it’s way cheaper than commercial options. The best part? Once you create the copper coils (by winding them on a screwdriver), all you need to do is mount everything, and your multiuse signal booster will be ready to use.

6. Aluminium Foil Signal Booster

Iron hanger signal boosters are easy to make but what’s even easier is an aluminum foil booster. All you need to do is wrap a piece of copper wire, chop a 3.5mm RCA jack, tape one end to the wire in the foil, and connect the end with a jack to your phone to boost the signal.

It’s simple to make and highly portable, meaning you can bring it on your camping trips. Most importantly, it’s highly effective because the aluminum foil concentrates signals towards your phone, conversely increasing signal range and performance. Besides signal boosting, this easy-to-make signal booster also protects you from hackers since the foil only concentrates signals towards a single direction: your phone.

7. Homemade Phone Antenna Using a Copper Cable

For this project, you’ll need to peel half a meter of copper cable to remove the insulation and then use it to create a circuit, as illustrated in the video above. Once complete, stick the circuit to a large enough piece of tape, ensure you cover the other end in tape too, attach it to the back of your phone, and voila!

You now have a discreet cell phone signal booster you can bring with you wherever you go, so you never have to complain about poor network and Wi-Fi signals again.

8. Mobile Signal Booster Using a Can

If you're still weighing your options, this can signal booster might tickle your fancy. And it’s one of the easiest to make too. Simply remove the bottom of your last soda can, cut out the body as illustrated in the video, place a piece of aluminum foil inside, and then place your phone to boost the signal.

Again, it works because the foil pushes signals towards your phone, which improves the strength of Wi-Fi and network signals.

Perks of DIY-ing A Cell Phone Signal Booster

Besides zero dead zones, here are some more perks of making your own cell phone signal booster at home:

It Cuts Costs

Commercial signal boosters do an excellent job eliminating dead zones but come with quite the price tag. Most of them cost anywhere from $400 to $800 but making your own cuts the cost significantly. In some instances, such as the can technique and the aluminum foil option above, you’ll not spend even a dime, yet you get to enjoy improved signals.

Longer Battery Run Times

Nothing sucks your phone’s battery life faster than poor network reception. When the signal is poor, your phone tries to make up for it by amplifying its signal reception. This only speeds up battery drain and affects your phone’s ability to hold the charge for longer since you’ll need to recharge often. Making one of the easy DIY cell phone boosters above helps you eliminate the problem.

Make a Cell Phone Signal Booster Today

As shown in most of the projects above, a cell phone signal booster is one of the easiest DIY projects you’ll ever take on. You can opt for a simple and portable one like the four-minute phone signal booster antenna above, or if you love challenges, make one using a PCB. Whatever floats your boat, we hope you enjoy actualizing the projects above.