Today we're talking about dropped calls. Everyone has had at least one run in with the pesky things, am I right? You know how it goes...you're on the phone having a deep conversation about the meaning of life, and all of a sudden, the person on the other end is no longer there. But, have you ever wondered what actually causes dropped calls? Dropped calls can be caused by a variety of things, but here are some factors:

• The phone is too far away from the cell tower
• There are natural or man made obstructions in the way
• You are using your phone inside a car or a buildling
• Inclement weather
• You are in a dreaded "Dead Zone"

For more information about dropped calls and to see how Wilson Electronics can help, check out the video below--

You may get that little beeping noise letting you know your call was dropped, the "Call Failed" message, or you may get no notification at all. Whatever the outcome, it's hard to deny that those dropped calls get old quickly! Thank goodness for Wilson boosters like the Wilson Sleek, that prevent dropped calls, limited range and slow data rates for cell phones and data cards.

What causes your cell phone to drop the call? Leave us a comment below letting us know, or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

In this blog post we will talk about the exciting world of signal boosters and how single-directional signal boosters are evil and why other manufacturers sometimes use them.

Wilson Electronics adheres to a strict policy: we only create bi-directional signal boosters. This essentially means that the signal booster amplifies both the downlink signal from the cell tower and also amplifies the uplink signal to the cell tower.

A lot of times, users assume that the amount of bars on their cell phone signal graph display accurately indicates how well their phone will communicate with the cell tower. Some manufactures take advantage of this premise by creating boosters that only amplify the signal that comes to the phone from the cell tower. The phone will show higher bars or a better signal,  but the better signal is only the one-way signal from the tower to the cell phone. This creates a problem because it can trick the phone into thinking that it has a better signal than it actually has.

Without getting in to the deep theory of how the cell phone system works, basically, the cell tower and the cell phone have a two-way communication that not only transmits the cell phone call, but also transmits information that the cell phone and the cell tower need to be able to keep that call connected. So when a single-directional booster is put into the mix, it can actually mess up this delicate information exchange that takes place during a cell phone call.

Wilson Electronics only creates true bi-directional signal boosters that not only amplify the downlink signal, but also the uplink signal. We use sensitive algorithms and programming in our signal booster products to make sure that the delicate balance between the cell tower and the cell phone is maintained and improved.  This gives users true bi-directional signal boosting and better signal coverage than any other product on the market. So if you are looking for a signal booster product that truly works, say “hello” to Wilson Electronics and say “goodbye” to dropped calls.

So of course it would only be an engineer that would get excited about a subject like this, but have you ever wanted to know a little about the wonderful transmission media of coaxial cables? 

It is an exciting world of intrigue, design, love triangles, deception, murder and mystery.  Well, not all of that is really accurate—(except for the design part).

Imagine a technologically advancing world.  The second industrial revolution was in full bloom, and the first electric streetlight was just installed in Wabash, Indiana, making it the first electrically lit city in the entire world.  Railroads were being mass produced and pushing emerging technology out to the rest of the world.  In 1880, the self-taught electrical engineer and mathematician Oliver Heaviside, (yes, for all of you extreme geeks like me, he is the man responsible for the Heaviside functions of differential equations in calculus), had just patented the first design for the coaxial cable.

Since the beginning, the biggest problem with transmission of any type of coaxial cable was the interference that is introduced into the transmission by external noise and interference. Ollie had noticed that by putting his transmission inside of a “shield”, he was able to get a lot cleaner transmission. And thus, the coaxial cable was born.

The idea behind the coaxial cable, is that by surrounding your transmission medium by a metallic shield that is tied to the ground, you can bleed off most of the atmospheric interference that a usual transmission cable can pick up on its journey from transmission to reception.

This is more or less like using a payphone on a busy street or in a rock concert, (If you still remember what payphones are :-). If you are out in the middle of everyone it will be difficult to hear what the person on the other line is saying. But if you were to stand in a sound-proof payphone booth, then you would be able to carry on a very reliable conversation without going hoarse and screaming “What? I can't hear you! Can you speak up?”  It’s remarkable that the idea for a coaxial cable was developed 130 years ago and we are still using the same design today.

Today, there are over 28 common types of coaxial cable. The most common of which, (thanks to the television and cable TV industry), is the RG-6 cable, which is slowly becoming a second seat to the RG-6Q coaxial cable, (it adds a nifty second shield and foil to the shield). The RG-6Q is even cooler than its predecessor because it allows you to get even faster data over a coaxial cable. It's like a phone booth inside of a phone booth.

So next time you see a coaxial cable, I’d recommend showing a little appreciation for it. It was a genius that created it, and in technology years, it has lasted even longer than the computer, calculator, or even Reebok Pump shoes.