What Comes in the CVDW Kit Before You Start

Open the box on a clean seat before running any cable. The standard CVDW kit contains the booster chassis, the magnetic-mount omni-directional 5 dBi external aerial, the 3 dBi interior whip, the 5 metre low-loss coaxial lead, the 5V DC cigarette-lighter power adapter and the mounting hardware supplied for non-magnetic roof panels. The chassis measures 150 by 100 by 28 millimetres, about the size of a thick paperback, and weighs roughly 380 grams; it runs from minus ten to plus fifty-five degrees Celsius, carries automatic gain control that balances the field as handsets move between seats, and is supplied with a 365-day money-back guarantee and lifetime technical support. No drilling, crimping or soldering is required for the core three-stage install, and the whole fit-up takes under fifteen minutes on a steel-roofed vehicle.

Checks before the aerial leaves the box

Confirm the phone already reads one or two bars outside the vehicle on the target EE, BT, ASDA, Virgin, O2, Vodafone or Three SIM; the repeater amplifies an existing weak donor and cannot manufacture a block where the handset reads zero bars. Check the roof material: a steel skin accepts the neodymium magnet directly, while aluminium, composite and fibreglass roofs need the adhesive pad or screw bracket supplied in the mounting hardware. Note the cabin base and lead length: the fixed 5 m lead reaches the cab in a saloon, SUV, van and motorhome, while a long-wheelbase HGV, horsebox compartment or separate trailer caravan may need a seller-supplied extension coax rather than a parked splice, which adds loss and water risk. Automatic gain control inside the chassis balances the level as the vehicle moves between masts, and the chassis should be secured with a cable clip or strap rather than left loose on a moving seat.

Step 1: Mount the Magnetic Omni Aerial on the Highest Roof Point

The CVDW donor aerial is an omni-directional 5 dBi unit, so it receives from every roadside mast rather than needing a precise aim like a directional Yagi; even so, the highest clean point on the roof gives the clearest view over the bonnet, roof rails, roof box, ladder and roof rack. The omni works best on a continuous steel ground plane: a flat, clean steel roof lets the magnet seat fully and gives the antenna a stable radio reference. On a saloon the rear roof edge or centre roof panel is usually the best compromise between height and cable reach; on an SUV or 4x4 the roof centre or top-back panel clears the high bonnet and roof rails; on a panel van the roof centre or front slope keeps the lead away from the rear doors; on an HGV the cab roof centre or fairing gives the clearest line over the trailer; on a motorhome the roof centre or front roof panel keeps the lead away from the habitation door and awning rail.

Best roof position by vehicle type

Steel, aluminium and fibreglass roof fixes

On a steel roof, wipe the skin free of grit, wax and polish, press the magnetic base flat and give the housing a gentle twist to seat the neodymium magnet across the full contact area. On an aluminium roof, which is non-magnetic, peel the backing from the supplied adhesive pad and press the aerial base onto the cleaned panel for a firm bond before dressing the lead; for a permanent tradesman van fit-up, use the supplied screw bracket through the reinforced base points. On a fibreglass camper shell or composite roof, use the screw bracket with the supplied sealant washer to keep rain out, and avoid drilling through roof ribs or the habitation compartment below. The mount is rated to UK motorway speeds of 70 mph when seated on a clean, flat panel; a loose magnet on a curved or dirty skin can slide at speed, so check the base after the first motorway run and re-seat it if it has shifted.

Motorway speed stability and lead dressing

Once the omni is seated, dress the 5 m coax back along the roof in a gentle arc rather than letting it flutter across the paint; use the supplied cable clips and ties to hold the lead to the roof rail, gutter edge or body seam, and leave a short service loop at the base so the aerial can be lifted without pulling the connector. Tuck the lead away from the windscreen wiper path, the bonnet hinge and any exhaust heat shield, and avoid routing it across a sharp roof edge that could chafe the insulation over a long journey. At 70 mph the omni housing should sit flat with no lift or vibration; if the base chatters on the roof, the magnet is not fully seated or the panel is non-magnetic, and the vehicle should be stopped and the mount re-checked before continuing.

Positioning toward the serving mast

Because the omni receives in all directions, a precise mast aim is not required; the strongest roadside cell will still be the one the chassis amplifies. On a long-haul route where the donor is weak, walk around the parked vehicle with the phone and note which roof edge reads the strongest EE, O2, Vodafone or Three signal, then seat the omni on that side of the roof. In a mixed-carrier cab, an EE-family driver and an O2 or Three passenger share the same omni: Band 3 picks up the EE 1800 MHz layer and Band 1 picks up the all-network 2100 MHz 3G layer through the same aerial element, so the aim point must suit the combined bearing rather than one host alone.

Step 2: Route the 5 m Coax Through the Seal or Boot Without Drilling

The fixed 5 m low-loss lead links the roof omni to the chassis, and the drill-free route runs through the rubber door seal, the boot seal or the bonnet seal rather than through a drilled hole in the body panel. Lift the edge of the rubber door seal with a plastic trim tool or a flat blade wrapped in cloth, feed the coax down between seal and body, and bring the lead through the footwell trim, the centre console channel or the boot carpet; leave a short drip loop at the exterior exit so rain runs away from the cabin rather than tracking down the wire. Keep the lead clear of the brake pedal, clutch pedal, steering column and seat runners, and secure it under the sill trim so it cannot catch on a passenger's foot.

Seal, boot and bonnet routing paths

For a saloon or hatchback, the rear boot seal is the cleanest route: drop the lead over the rear sill, through the boot carpet and forward under the rear seat to the dash-mounted chassis. For an SUV or 4x4, the rear tailgate seal or a side door seal gives a straight run to the centre console. For a panel van, the front door seal brings the lead straight to the dash or under-seat chassis; for an HGV, the cab door seal routes the lead from the cab roof to the driver's side dash. For a motorhome, the habitation door seal or the front cab seal keeps the lead away from the awning rail and water inlet. On every route, keep the coax away from the exhaust heat shield, the engine bay wiring loom and any sharp body edge, and dress it with clips so it cannot rattle over a long journey.

When the 5 m lead falls short

The fixed 5 m lead reaches the cab in a saloon, SUV, van and motorhome. A long-wheelbase HGV, horsebox compartment, coachbuilt motorhome rear lounge or separate trailer caravan may need a seller-supplied low-loss extension coax rather than a parked splice; a poorly joined extension adds signal loss and a water-entry point, so use a matched connector and seal the joint. Extending the lead adds loss at both ends of the chain, so the extension should be the shortest run that reaches the chassis, and the extra interior whip for a rear sleeping cabin should be fed from the MS side of the chassis rather than from the donor lead.

Step 3: Chassis Placement and the BS versus MS Ports

The chassis has two clearly labelled coax sockets: the BS donor port receives the roof omni lead, the outside-to-chassis side; the MS server port receives the interior whip lead, the chassis-to-phone side. Swapping the two lets the interior field feed straight back into the donor aerial and loops the stage into oscillation, so match the labels before applying power and never swap leads while the unit is live. Place the chassis in a ventilated spot away from direct sun on the dash, the heater vent, the engine bulkhead and any metal shelf that could shield the interior whip: under the passenger seat, in the centre console cubby, on the rear parcel shelf or behind the cab trim are common positions. Secure the chassis with a strap or clip so it cannot slide under the pedals on a corner, and leave a small air gap around the vents for the automatic gain control and cooling to work.

Interior antenna spacing to stop feedback

The interior whip and the roof omni must be separated so the amplified cabin field does not feed straight back into the donor aerial. In a normal car the dash or rear parcel shelf position gives roughly three metres of physical separation from the roof omni; in a van or HGV, place the whip on the rear bulkhead or passenger side of the cab to keep the maximum distance from the roof lead. Keep the whip upright, away from metal roof lining, metal shelving and the seat frame, and do not tuck it inside a closed glove box or under a carpet, which masks the re-radiated field. If the LED flickers or the field cuts in and out after install, the most common cause is the whip sitting too close to the roof aerial or the two ports being reversed.

Where the chassis sits in each vehicle

Step 4: 5V Power and the Power-On Sequence

The CVDW runs from a 5V DC cigarette-lighter adapter included in the kit; the same chassis accepts the optional 240V AC adapter for a static caravan mains hookup and works from a compatible mobile power bank when the vehicle socket is switched off. Apply power only after both aerials are connected and the leads are dressed: a chassis powered with the MS port open or the whip disconnected can latch oscillation into the stage. The correct order is to seat the roof omni, route the donor lead to the BS port, seat the interior whip and lead to the MS port, check both connectors finger-tight, then plug the 5V adapter into the vehicle socket and switch the accessory circuit on. Leave the unit running for two to three minutes while the automatic gain control settles against the roadside donor; do not unplug and replug the adapter repeatedly during the settling period.

Correct power-on order

First the roof aerial, then the donor lead to BS, then the interior whip to MS, then the power adapter last. This sequence keeps the donor and server stages matched before the amplifier stage is energised. On a vehicle with a switched accessory socket, the chassis powers up with the ignition; on a permanent live socket, unplug the adapter when the vehicle is parked for a long period so the chassis does not keep drawing from the battery overnight.

LED states after setup

Flexible power and standby habit

The cigarette-lighter adapter suits daily driving and long-haul routes; the optional 240V AC adapter keeps the chassis running from a campsite mains hookup in a static caravan or lodge, and a compatible power bank can feed the 5V socket during a weekend trip where the vehicle battery should be preserved. In cold weather the chassis starts normally from minus ten degrees Celsius; in hot summer sun, avoid leaving the chassis on a dark dash where direct heat can raise the internal temperature above the plus fifty-five degree ceiling. When the vehicle changes hands or moves between cars, unplug the adapter, lift the omni, release the clips and transfer the whole kit in under fifteen minutes; the magnetic base leaves no drilled holes behind.

Vehicle-Specific Layout: Commute, HGV, Motorhome, Taxi and Van Fleet

The core single-whip layout covers the driving cab and front passenger seats in a saloon, SUV, taxi or minibus. For a crew van with a load-area work crew, a second interior whip on the rear bulkhead spreads the field to the back seats; for a motorhome with a rear lounge and sleeping cabin, a second whip in the habitation section keeps the living area covered; for an HGV sleeper cab, a second whip behind the bunk reaches the rest area. Every expansion follows the same rule: add the extra interior whip, a two-way splitter and extension coax only when the outside donor is strong, because each split and extra lead adds loss that a weak donor cannot absorb. The required expansion note applies verbatim: Expandable coverage by adding indoor antenna, splitter, cable if the outside signal is strong.

Extending into a larger motorhome, HGV sleeper or multi-compartment van

For a large motorhome, coachbuilt camper, horsebox, HGV sleeper or multi-compartment delivery van, fit the main whip in the cab and feed a two-way splitter from the MS port to a second whip in the rear lounge, bunk or cargo compartment. Run the extension coax under the floor trim or along the roof channel, keep the second whip upright and clear of metal shelving, and check that both zones read the boosted field before relying on the rear whip for a work call. If the rear zone remains weak after the splitter, the donor is likely too weak to support a split; move the roof omni to the strongest bearing and remove the second whip rather than overloading the chassis. In a static caravan on a campsite, swap the cigarette-lighter adapter for the optional 240V AC mains adapter and seat the omni on the roof or side bracket facing the nearest mast; the chassis then covers the lounge and bedroom through the same single-whip or split layout.

The 15-User Test: Data and Calls Across the Vehicle

The CVDW supports up to 15 simultaneous handsets sharing the amplified field, which covers driver, passengers, hotspot tablets and a crew van work group. Run the test before relying on the unit on a long route: place the EE, BT, ASDA or Virgin SIM in the driver's phone and place a voice call to a landline while parked at the strongest donor spot; then move to the O2, Vodafone or Three passenger phone and open a browser session, a maps session and a voice call on the 3G layer. Walk through every seat, check bars and call quality at each position, and repeat the test after ten minutes of driving so the automatic gain control has settled on the moving donor.

How to run the test before relying on it on the road

Start with the vehicle parked at the strongest roadside bearing, run the EE-family voice call on Band 3, confirm the O2, Vodafone or Three 3G data session on Band 1, then drive a short loop that crosses two or three roadside cells and watch the LED settle after each handover. Record any seat that still reads weak, any call that drops when the vehicle enters a cutting or tunnel, and any hotspot that stalls under load; these observations point to donor weakness, whip placement or a needed second whip rather than a chassis fault. The 15-user figure is a simultaneous capacity ceiling, not a guarantee that every seat reads full bars in a zero-bar donor area.

Expected coverage by cabin type

CVDW Against the Vehicle Range: Which Band Combo Do You Need?

The CVDW is the only vehicle dual-band in the Boost4U range that combines the EE-family voice call and 1800 MHz 4G layer with the 2100 MHz 3G layer across all four hosts. The other vehicle combos trade one service for another: the CVCW carries O2 and Vodafone 4G on 800 MHz plus all-network 3G, with no EE voice and no EE 1800 4G; the CVCD carries EE, O2 and Vodafone 4G on 800 and 1800 MHz, with no 3G layer and no EE voice calls; the CVGW carries general 2G voice on 900 MHz plus 3G, with no EE 1800 4G; the CVGD carries general voice plus EE 4G, with no 3G layer; the CVCG carries O2 and Vodafone 4G on 800 MHz plus 2G voice on 900 MHz, with no 3G and no EE service.

For a driver who uses an EE, BT, ASDA or Virgin SIM for work calls and carries an O2, Vodafone or Three spare phone for data, the CVDW is the matching combo; a driver who only needs O2 or Vodafone 4G data can compare the CVCW, and a fleet that only browses EE, O2 and Vodafone 4G can compare the CVCD. The home DW100 and DW200 fixed-building units are a different product class: they run from a mains adapter with a wall-mounted outdoor aerial and cover a larger fixed room or flat, whereas the CVDW transfers between vehicles in minutes, runs from the 5V cigarette-lighter socket and covers a 100 m² cabin field.

Troubleshooting: Oscillation, Missing EE Voice, Weak 3G and LED States

Most roadside faults trace back to donor strength, whip spacing, port labels or a pinched lead rather than the chassis itself. Work through the sections below before contacting technical support; the kit carries a 365-day money-back guarantee and lifetime support.

No donor bars: the repeater cannot create signal

If the phone reads zero bars outside the vehicle at the roof edge, the chassis has nothing to amplify. Drive toward the nearest settlement or mast bearing, re-check the donor, and do not expect the booster to restore a signal in a cutting, tunnel or deep rural dead zone where the handset alone reads zero. A weak one-bar donor produces a weak interior field; the second whip and splitter should not be added until the outside reading improves.

Oscillation at speed: feedback loop and flickering LED

A fast-cycling or flickering LED, sudden signal collapse on a call, or a whistle of feedback through the cabin speaker means the interior field is feeding back into the roof aerial. Power off, confirm the roof lead is on BS and the whip lead is on MS, move the whip farther from the roof lead and the roof panel, and remove any metal object sitting beside the whip. A whip tucked into a closed glove box or under the carpet can also appear as a weak, unstable field because the chassis tries to drive a masked antenna.

Weak 3G on O2, Vodafone or Three handsets

Band 1 2100 MHz carries the 3G layer for all four hosts, and it travels shorter distances and loses more energy through thick metal, concrete and bodywork than lower bands. A passenger phone that still browses slowly after install usually sits in a weak whip zone; move the whip toward that seat, check the roof omni seat and lead routing, and compare the reading against the handset held outside the window. If the outside 3G reading on that host is already zero, the chassis cannot supply the missing layer.

No EE voice on the EE, BT, ASDA or Virgin phone

Only the Band 3 1800 MHz circuit carries the EE-family voice call; an EE-brand handset that cannot call inside the cabin usually faces one of three causes: the outside 1800 MHz donor is absent at that bearing, the roof omni sits behind a roof box, ladder or spoiler that masks the 1800 MHz layer, or the whip feeds back into the donor loop. Check the outside EE reading beside the roof, move the omni to the cleanest roof edge, verify the BS port and repeat the call after the gain settles. An O2, Vodafone or Three phone has no Band 3 call circuit on this chassis and should be checked on the Band 1 3G layer instead.

LED states, loose leads and cable pinch

A dark LED means the adapter, socket fuse or connector is the likely fault; a slow pulse means weak donor or settling gain; fast flicker means feedback. A cable pinched in a door seal or boot hinge causes intermittent signal that drops when the door moves; inspect the routed lead for crushed insulation or a broken connector, dress it under the trim and secure it away from the hinge line. On an aluminium or fibreglass roof, confirm the adhesive pad or screw bracket holds at road speed rather than relying on the magnet, which cannot grip a non-ferrous panel.

Frequently Asked Questions

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