The SureCall Fusion4Home Yagi/Whip Kit is a powerful cell signal booster with an uncomplicated setup and a number of benefits for those with limited connectivity in their home or business. The device works with a few key parts—including an outdoor antenna, a central booster and an indoor antenna—to amplify cell signal in an area up to 3,000 square feet.
Design: Neither stylish nor uncomplicated
This kit comes with a booster, a power supply, an indoor antenna, a pretty large outdoor antenna, and a coax cable. It doesn’t have too many pieces, but overall, it’s neither stylish in appearance nor uncomplicated in terms of configuration. The booster is small but heavy, no doubt because it’s made of a hunk of metal, and it has a panel of dials that users need to learn how to operate, because the device doesn’t self-adjust. The directional outdoor antenna is flag-shaped and plastic, which makes kind of an eyesore.
Setup Process: Labyrinthine and may take time to configure
Setting up this device was certainly not the most difficult, though we had some instances of frustration. The first step of the process was standard procedure—using an iPhone to identify the outside location with the strongest signal in order to determine where to plant the antenna. According to SureCall, the booster requires a minimum cellular signal reading of -100 dB at the location of the outside antenna, and signal between -70 dB and -90 dB is recommended for best performance, which was easy enough to find. For our testing, we didn’t mount the antenna to a pole or a pipe, as SureCall recommended. Rather, we propped it in an area with the best signal and connected one end of the cable to the antenna and the other to the booster. As for the antenna inside, it comes separately, so users have to screw it onto the side of the booster. Then, it’s a simple matter of connecting the power supply to the booster and then to an outlet. We did encounter a snag trying to understand how to configure the knobs on the booster, but detailed instructions in the User Manual helped.
Configuration: Requires some patience
As previously mentioned, on the booster, there are a series of dials with flashing LED indicators, that we, frankly, didn’t know what to do with at first. What we learned from the User Manual is that these dials should always be at maximum level, unless there’s a light flashing red or flashing red-yellow. In either case, users should first increase the distance between the indoor and outdoor antennas and restart the booster. If there’s no change after doing that, SureCall recommends lowering the gain with an attenuator or reducing the booster gain in increments of 5 dB, until the control light in question flashes yellow. Upon seeing a few flashing red lights during our testing process, we managed them by turning the appropriate dials in increments of 5 dB.
Performance: Almost on-par with another SureCall model
Having also reviewed the SureCall Fusion4Home’s competitor, the SureCall Flare, we were able to compare performance accordingly. The signal strength was about the same as that of the Flare, though there were instances where the Flare clearly outperformed it. This is possible because the Fusion4Home uses a directional rather than omni-directional antenna, presumably because the antenna needs to be pointed directly at a cell tower. It’s hard to tell, but if this is the case, then we would say the directional antenna is a hindrance to optimal performance, rather than essential, as SureCall seems to suggest in its descriptions.
Coverage: Decent but surely not impressive
The SureCall Fusion4Home is billed to cover up to 3,000 square feet—decent range considering the hardware, design, and price point. Of course, coverage largely depends on the signal received from the outdoor yagi antenna, which is to be aimed in the direction of a cellular tower up to 30 miles away.
Price: Acceptable but not necessarily a great value
At a price of over $360 MSRP, and taking its design and performance flaws into account, we can’t in good conscience call this a great value. That said, if you need coverage for roughly 3,000 square feet and prefer a directional antenna, then this is perhaps the product for you.
SureCall Fusion4Home v. SureCall Flare
This kit is more expensive, with seemingly less benefits than its main competitor, the SureCall Flare. Having tested both products, we can say that some of the standout features of the Flare are its portability (with so few parts that are all very lightweight), its performance (steady and reliable), and its price point (under $300). The Fusion4Home has about half of the stellar features of the Flare, as it’s neither the most travel-friendly device (the booster resembled a brick in weight and in shape) nor under $300. From a performance perspective, the products are similar, with nuances in the nature of the antennas. We like the omni-directional antenna of the Flare but understand that there are benefits, in some situations, to a directional antenna like that of the Fusion4Home, especially for picking up an already attenuated signal. The SureCall Yagi/Whip package is our go-to pick for a medium-sized home, as it offers, in standard conditions, a satisfactory amount of signal over a pretty extensive area of 3,000 square feet. It offers a mostly hassle-free setup process to begin with and then does a decent job of lessening the amount of dropped calls, pushing text messages through, and loading data-reliant applications.
