Case Study: Basement Coverage for 3,000 sq.ft
From zero bars to stable coverage with a targeted donor and two indoor antennas.
Site background
Large residential basement with thick concrete slab and pillars; only weak outdoor signal on one side of the building.
Plan
- LPDA outdoor antenna aimed at the best cell sector.
- LMR400 run from roof to booster near stairwell.
- 2‑way splitter feeding two indoor omni ceiling antennas.
Execution
- Surveyed donor spots and aligned LPDA for best SINR.
- Placed indoor omnis at opposite ends to overlap coverage.
- Balanced coax lengths and verified isolation (no oscillation alert).
Result
- Consistent 2–4 bars across most of the basement.
- VoLTE calls reliable; data improved for messaging and browsing.
- No oscillation; booster running at healthy gain.
Lesson: Clean donor + smart indoor placement beats simply increasing booster gain.