Knowledge Base
Should I buy a 50‑ohm or a 75‑ohm cell signal booster?
An N‑male connector used with 50‑ohm cell signal boosters (left) and an F‑male connector used with 75‑ohm boosters (right).
Cell phone signal boosters are manufactured in 50‑ohm (50 Ω) and 75‑ohm (75 Ω) models.
An Ohm is a measure of electrical resistance. You don’t need to know what Ohms are and how they’re calculated (although you can learn more here
) to make an informed decision about a cell signal booster system.
The differences
- In-building 50‑ohm cell signal boosters use 50‑ohm 400-type coax cable (0.4 in./10.2 mm diameter) with bigger, sturdier N-type connectors (0.8 in./20.3 mm diameter) to hook up the antennas to the booster. Some home systems use thinner, 50‑ohm 200-type coax cable (0.2 in./5.1 mm diameter) with the same N connectors.
- In-building 75‑ohm boosters for small homes use 75‑ohm RG6 coax cable (0.27 in/6.7 mm diameter) with smaller F-type connectors (0.47 in/12 mm diameter). These are the same types of cable and connectors used by cable and satellite TV hookups, so many homeowners are already familiar with them. Booster systems for commercial buildings and large homes often use lower-loss 75‑ohm RG11 coax cable (0.4 in./10.2 mm diameter), also with F connectors.
- Mobile boosters are usually 50‑ohm systems that use thin, flexible 50‑ohm coax cable (RG58, 195, 100, or RG174) with smaller connectors (SMA, FME, or SMB).
Choose a 50‑ohm cell signal booster system when…
- You have a larger home or commercial building and need long runs of coax cable (up to 100 feet), or
- You have a smaller home but want the lower signal loss between your booster and your antennas that 400 coax provides, or
- You want to use sturdier, wider N-type connectors that are less likely to break.
Choose a 75‑ohm cell signal booster system when…
- You have a small home and will use runs of coax cable no longer than 50 feet, or
- You have RG6 coax cable with F connectors already run through your building and want your cell signal booster to be compatible with your existing cable (again, with runs no longer than 50 feet), or
- You want to drill the smallest penetration hole possible to get coax cable from the outside antenna inside the building.
In most cases, Powerful Signal recommends 50‑ohm booster systems. We stock a wide variety of cables and connectors for 50‑ohm systems, and we can use them to customize your cell signal booster solution. We also stock 75‑ohm booster systems prepackaged by manufacturers.
