Experiencing trouble with your zboost setup? Please note the following important factors in determining zboost performance: 1. Vertical Separation: At least 15 vertical feet is needed between the External Antenna (receives the outside signal) and the Indoor Antenna (rebroadcasts the signal indoors). Separation less than 15 vertical feet will result in decreased performance. Generally, increasing this distance (up to 40 feet) will increase the performance and decreasing the distance will limit zboost performance. Note: Does not apply to zboost CONNECT products. 2. Proximity of metal or wireless access points: The External Antenna must remain at least 3 feet above any metal objects such as pipes, metal siding, A/C unit etc. The Base Unit must remain at least 3 feet away from metal objects and other electronic devices. Installation Tips Determine Outdoor Signal Strength /Setting Performance Expectations Before placing a zboost in your home, make sure that you can place calls on the outside of your home, in the attic, at roof level or wherever you plan to place the external antenna. zboost can only bring signal into your home when signal reaches the External Antenna. If there is no signal, the zboost will not work for you. Using your cell phone, place a call from an outdoor location to confirm that enough signal is present to complete the call. If a weak signal is available at ground level, check the signal strength in your attic or at roof level location where the signal will likely be stronger and where the External Antenna can be placed for best performance. If you can reliably make and receive calls outside your home, then zboost can bring the signal into your home. If only one signal bar is displayed on your cell phone outside, indoor coverage will be limited to one small room. We recommend placing the External Antenna outside and/or purchasing an upgrade External Antenna for increased coverage. Antenna Separation At least 15 vertical feet is needed between the External Antenna (receives the outside signal) and the Indoor Antenna (rebroadcasts the signal indoors). Separation less than 15 vertical feet will result in decreased performance. Generally, increasing this distance (up to 40 feet) will increase the performance and decreasing the distance will limit zboost performance.
Installing and Aiming Directional Antennas The location of the Directional External Antenna determines the performance and area of improved signal. Choose a location using your cell phone to determine the area of strongest signal - typically found outside, above the roofline or in an attic. Keep in mind that if your best signal is one bar, your coverage will be limited to one small room. The antenna must remain at least 3 feet above any metal objects such as pipes, metal siding, A/C unit etc. Maximum performance will be achieved when the antenna is aimed at the strongest signal from your wireless provider. If you know the direction of your provider s tower, simply point the antenna in that direction. If you are unsure of the location of the nearest tower, loosely secure the antenna to the mounting surface or mast to allow adjustment or rotation around mast. To get the maximum benefit, you will want to take special care to point the antenna in the direction of the best signal for your wireless service provider. 1. Place your cell phone on a non-metal surface which is 6-8 feet from the Indoor Antenna. 2. Turn the signal booster on and wait 30 seconds. Note the number of signal bars displayed on your cell phone. For best results, you want your phone to display in the middle of the signal meter range or less so that it can go up as you rotate the External Antenna to the optimum direction. If it is reading too high, move the phone farther from the Indoor Antenna. 3. Record the number of signal bars (or range) (A) on your cell phone. Leave the phone in the same place and pointing in the same direction for the following steps. Note the direction of the antenna starting position. 4. Rotate the antenna mast 90 degrees and then record the phone signal bars (B). 5. Continue to rotate the antenna mast another 90 degrees in the same direction and record the phone signal bars (C). 6. Again, rotate the antenna mast another 90 degrees in the same direction and again record the phone signal bars (D). 7. Look for the highest reading above. Set the antenna to that position and tighten the antenna mast. 8. If you desire to optimize further, then look for the two highest signal bar readings above and move the antenna between these two points to find the highest signal bars reading. 9. Once you have determined the highest reading position tighten the antenna bracket hardware. Coax Cable Use only the cable provided with your zboost system (or the type specified for that model) Don't split or share the cable with another system Do not exceed the specified length of cable. For RG-6, do not exceed 65 feet. If longer cable is needed, use RG-11 up to 150 feet When connecting the cable to the antenna, run the cable straight down from the antenna. Avoid draping the coax near the antenna
Connecting Power Plug in zboost Base Unit only after coax cable and antennas are connected and tightened. LED Base Unit Indicators For zboost SOHO, TRIO and REACH models beginning with ZB During Initial Power Up Light Mode Status Solution Cycle RED, GREEN, ORANGE System is powering up. Please allow up to 30 seconds. N/A Flashing GREEN There is an issue with the installation. BASE UNIT will flash GREEN once for every 2 db less than optimal signal gain. Coverage decreases more with each flash. 1. Unplug the BASE UNIT power supply. 2. Relocate the EXTERNAL ANTENNA to pick up the strongest signal from your wireless carrier. 3. Increase the height difference between the EXTERNAL ANTENNA and INDOOR ANTENNA as much as possible. The antennas require a minimum 15 ft. of vertical separation (height difference). 4. Plug the BASE UNIT power supply back in. 5. Wait 30 secs. for the BASE UNIT to power cycle on. After Initial Power Up Light Mode Status Solution SOLID GREEN zboost is ready. N/A Flashing GREEN zboost is detecting signal from your phone. Normal operation. If no phones are turned on and light still flashes, the booster could be picking up noise. Move booster away from any
electronic devices until light goes solid GREEN. SOLID ORANGE EXTERNAL ANTENNA and INDOOR ANTENNA are too close together. And/Or BASE UNIT is receiving too strong of a signal from a phone or nearby electronic device. 1. Unplug the BASE UNIT power supply. 2. Relocate the EXTERNAL ANTENNA to pick up the strongest signal from your wireless carrier. 3. Increase the height difference between the EXTERNAL ANTENNA and INDOOR ANTENNA as much as possible. The antennas require a minimum 15 ft. of vertical separation (height difference). 4. Plug the BASE UNIT power supply back in. 5. Wait 30 secs. for the BASE UNIT to power cycle on. 6. If ORANGE light persists, increase distance between the booster and your phone or any other electronic devices. SOLID RED Signal from the carrier s cell tower is too strong for the BASE UNIT to operate properly. 1. Unplug the BASE UNIT power supply. 2. Relocate the EXTERNAL ANTENNA to another spot. 3. If you have a directional antenna reaim it to reduce carrier signal strength. 4. Plug the BASE UNIT power supply back in. 5. Wait 30 secs. for the BASE UNIT to power cycle on. Flashing RED Excessive electronic noise in the system the BASE UNIT will not operate. 1. Unplug the BASE UNIT power supply. 2. Check all COAX and ANTENNA connections to ensure they are tight. 3. Increase the height difference between the EXTERNAL ANTENNA and INDOOR ANTENNA as much as possible. The antennas require a minimum 15 ft. of vertical separation (height difference).
4. Move ANTENNAS away from any metal surfaces or objects. 5. Increase distance between BASE UNIT and any phones or other electronic devices. 6. Plug the BASE UNIT power supply back in. 7. Wait 30 secs. for the BASE UNIT to power cycle on. For zboost SOHO, Metro and Commercial Models beginning with YX At Initial Power Up Only Solid GREEN Normal condition at power up. Slowly Alternating RED and GREEN zboost is working, but at reduced performance and coverage due to non-ideal setup. Solution: Increase the distance between External Antennas and Indoor Antenna to achieve maximum performance and coverage. Fast Flashing RED Indicates insufficient distance between the External Antennas and the Indoor Antenna. The amplifier is operating at significantly reduced coverage. Solution: Increase distance between Indoor Antenna and External Antennas. Solid RED System is receiving signal from either the mobile device or the base station transceiver that is too strong for proper operation. Solutions: (1) Move away from receiving antenna with your cell phone. (2) Move antenna away from other devices. Fast Alternating RED and GREEN followed by no light The amplifier is disabled. Solution: Unplug and start over. After Initial Power Up Solid GREEN Normal condition.
At Initial Power Up Only Blinking GREEN Inconsistent power source power supply may need to be replaced. Contact technical support. System is receiving signals from either the mobile device or the base station transceiver which are too strong for proper operation. Solid RED Solution: Please unplug your system. Re-orient your External Antenna and/or Indoor Antenna to reduce the excessive signal source. Plug your system back in. If still solid red, call customer support 1-866- 294-1660. Setup overview: Everything you need is included: amplifier base unit, indoor antenna, power supply, 35 ft. and 15 ft. of RG-6 cable, window-entry cable, high-gain external antenna, and mounting hardware.
Before installing, please note the following important factors in determining your zboost performance: At least 15 vertical feet is needed between the External Antenna (receives the outside signal) and the Indoor Antenna (rebroadcasts the signal indoors). Separation less than 15 vertical feet will result in decreased performance. See illustration below. Keep the External Antenna at least 3 feet above any metal. STEP 1: Mount the External Antenna. Choose a location for the antenna using your cell phone to determine the area of strongest signal. The coverage your zboost booster provides is largely determined by the strength of signal received by the External Antenna. To get the maximum benefit, you will want to take special care in pointing the External Antenna in the direction of best signal for your wireless service provider. If you are unsure of the direction of your provider's closest network tower, see the Antenna Aiming section of the User Manual or you may wish to use a YX699 RF signal meter to help during this process. Once you have determined the optimum location and angle, connect the L-bracket to the antenna and secure the antenna bracket to a mast (not provided) using the provided antenna hardware. STEP 2: Place the zboost Base Unit where you want to create a Cell Zone. Connect the Indoor Antenna to the Base Unit and place it where you need signal. For the widest possible signal area, position the Base Unit near the middle of a room. You may also mount it on an interior wall by first removing the bracket, screwing the bracket to a wall (screws not included), then snapping the Base Unit back in place keeping the Indoor Antenna vertical. The Base Unit uses an omni-directional Indoor Antenna that delivers signal in a circular pattern around the antenna. The zboost TRIO SOHO Xtreme requires at least 15 feet of vertical separation between the Base Unit and the External Antenna. Generally, increasing this distance (up to 40 feet) will increase the performance and decreasing the distance will limit the performance. Keep the Base Unit off the floor and at least 2 feet away from other cords, metal objects or other wireless devices such as wireless routers or wireless access points. The zboost TRIO SOHO
Xtreme performs best when there are no obstructions between the zboost Base Unit and your mobile device. STEP 3: Run the provided coaxial cable between the Base Unit and External Antenna. Connect the two provided RG-6 coax cables (35 ft. & 15 ft.) using the provided window-entry cable. Use the attached cables to connect the Base Unit and External Antenna through a window, positioning the window-entry cable at the window closing. See other cable setup options in the User Manual. Should additional cable length be needed, 15 ft. extensions (Part YX030-15w) are available. Note: Cable runs longer than 75 ft. are not recommended, unless upgraded to RG-11. RG-11 can be run up to 120 ft. STEP 4: Connect the zboost Base Unit to the provided power supply and plug into a power outlet. When your zboost system is in place and fully connected, walk throughout your home and verify that you are able to reliably place calls. If the signal strength has improved, your zboost is working. Remember, coverage varies based on outdoor signal level, building construction, and antenna placement. Coverage in adjoining rooms will be reduced by walls and ceiling/floors. Upon initial power up, the LED will cycle RED, GREEN and ORANGE for 30 seconds. After, a series of GREEN flashes will indicate the quality of your setup. Following this, a solid GREEN light indicates normal conditions. If it is not solid GREEN, follow the instructions in the Base Unit LED Indicators section. Adjustments may be needed to optimize performance. If you find the increased signal coverage is acceptable, however, no additional adjustments are needed. See the LED chart on the installation tips page for more information. Should you desire to improve coverage, you may: Relocate the External Antenna in order to capture a better signal higher is usually better. Increase the distance between the Base Unit and the External Antenna. Purchase an upgrade indoor antenna. Product Specifications: ZB575X-A PCS Frequency System Gain PCS Bands Supported Networks 1850 to 1990 MHz 77 db A, D, B, E, F, C CDMA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, EVDO, 1xRTT, UMTS, HSPA, 3G Cellular
Frequency System Gain 824 to 894 MHz 69 db Cellular Bands Supported A, B, A, B Networks CDMA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, EVDO, 1xRTT, UMTS, HSPA, 3G AT&T LTE Frequency System Gain 704 to 746 MHz 68 db Band Supported 17 Networks LTE (AT&T) General Power Consumption Wall Supply Input; Voltage System Certifications Base Unit Size and Weight 3W standby; 7W max signal - 2.5A Max 100-240VAC 50-60 Hz; 5.0VDC FCC Parts 15 & 20, Industry Canada 5 x 7 x 1.25 9 oz. Operating Conditions Indoor Use Only (40-105 F) Coverage (Open Areas) up to 5,500 sq. ft.