91 replies to this topic

[Sgt. Slaughter]

Talked to someone with knowledge of the new devices. There is nothing in the docs about SIM cards. Looks like it will use MAC address like Clear did with Wimax.

I win.
Lol

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk

[4ringsnbr]

How do I tell if my phone supports band class 14? (Evo 4G)

I loaded the latest PRL. Let me know what I should look for, other than my phone being unable to connect to anything.

If in doubt, always check the teardown. I never buy a phone without knowing all the chips and gear inside it to know its capabilities. In the case of the OG EVO 4G, it should have no issue with BC 14. Its RTR 6500 transceiver supports BC 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, & 14. I don't know if the baseband firmware (radio ROM) is programmed to accept BC 14, but if the phone runs with this PRL, it must. The Triquint duplexer used for PCS bands in this handset was specified only for BC 0 frequencies, but should also work in BC 14-- it's only 5 extra MHz on each side and analog ICs aren't an exact science.

What you should see if there is no active 1x or EV carrier on channels 1225, 1250, 1275 (standard G block channels) in your area is normal behavior with the stock 60683 PRL-- including 3G "native" roaming in Pioneer areas that was removed in 60685. If, however, your phone finds an active carrier on one of those channels, the roaming indicator will flash like international roaming and you should see a 1x and/or Ev channel in the G block active on your field test. Please note that if you do not have CDMA and data roaming enabled, the phone won't link to the G block carriers-- I set the roaming flag to alert you that you're not in Kansas anymore.

[MacinJosh]

I win.
Lol

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk

You haven't won yet. Once the devices are released we will know for 100% who wins this debate.

[Duffman]

If in doubt, always check the teardown. I never buy a phone without knowing all the chips and gear inside it to know its capabilities.

I buy a phone based upon just playing with it.

You haven't won yet. Once the devices are released we will know for 100% who wins this debate.

True. This guy knows one of the project or implementations managers or whatever. He is usually pretty accurate but could definitely be given incorrect information.

We won't know until we know.

[Duffman]

What you should see if there is no active 1x or EV carrier on channels 1225, 1250, 1275 (standard G block channels) in your area

So is that the "EVDO Ec/Io"?

[4ringsnbr]

So is that the "EVDO Ec/Io"?

It's the ratio of the power received from the carrier channel you're presently synced to for EVDO data versus the overall power received (it gives you an idea of the signal-to-noise ratio, but includes carrier pollution from other carriers with different PN offsets). Yours on that test is pretty good, but -2500 would be optimal; the EV channel you're on probably has neighbors (with different PN offsets of course) that you're getting some signal from or you've got a few competing users on the channel transmitting at the same time-- probably both.

Edited by 4ringsnbr, 10 March 2012 - 12:01 PM.

[digiblur]

Talked to someone with knowledge of the new devices. There is nothing in the docs about SIM cards. Looks like it will use MAC address like Clear did with Wimax.

That way they can control us and we can't swap stuff around. Kinda figured that.

[digiblur]

So out of the recent phones which ones do not support it? Epic? Epic Touch? Photon? Curious on the higher end Android smart phones in the past 2 yrs.

[WiWavelength]

FYI, with both 60683X and 60684X on my EVO, I am not seeing any PCS G (1225, 1250, 1275) search activity in Field Trial. Something seems amiss.

AJ

[4ringsnbr]

FYI, with both 60683X and 60684X on my EVO, I am not seeing any PCS G (1225, 1250, 1275) search activity in Field Trial. Something seems amiss.

AJ

I added a 4139 SID G block search as the 1st geo scanned in the PRL-- if it cannot find one, then it will jump to process the PRL normally as before (stock 60683 Sprint PRL). I can create a blank PRL with only BC 14 scanning if you like-- but if you use it, your phone won't work at all unless it finds a G block channel; you'll have to load a stock PRL to use your phone and I don't know if you could even do a PRL update with it (for non-rooted phones) since it would essentially be stuck in a scan loop. The way this PRL work is that it will look for the G block stuff first then proceeds to run normally. Toggling airplane mode should make it rescan. Let me know if you'd like to be a guinea pig for a blank (G block ONLY) PRL-- I'll be happy to make one for you.

[4ringsnbr]

So out of the recent phones which ones do not support it? Epic? Epic Touch? Photon? Curious on the higher end Android smart phones in the past 2 yrs.

I'd have to look up the teardown of each one and then check the RF gear in question. Everything is available out there if you google it. As far as the E4GT (that name is too long!), its Avago AFCM-7325 Quadplexer is designed for band classes 0,1,10, & 14. Again, I'm not sure what the baseband firmware (radio ROM) will accept.

[Duffman]

It's the ratio of the power received from the carrier channel you're presently synced to for EVDO data versus the overall power received (it gives you an idea of the signal-to-noise ratio, but includes carrier pollution from other carriers with different PN offsets).

So it has nothing to do with the G channels? How would I tell? Channel Number in Debug?

FYI, with both 60683X and 60684X on my EVO, I am not seeing any PCS G (1225, 1250, 1275) search activity in Field Trial. Something seems amiss.

I am using CDMA Field Test. Is there a better app?

Sure wish someone would set up a primer on this stuff. I would like to be able to tell when they update towers in DFW.

[WiWavelength]

Yes, a "blank" PCS G block PRL would be ideal. When I do my drive testing in Kansas City, I am more concerned about actively searching channels 1225, 1250, and 1275 than about having phone functionality. Furthermore, I have all sorts of other Sprint, VZW, and Alltel PRLs stored on my SD card, so I can load another PRL that will restore operation at any time.

Thanks...

AJ

[4ringsnbr]

So it has nothing to do with the G channels? How would I tell? Channel Number in Debug?




I am using CDMA Field Test. Is there a better app?

Sure wish someone would set up a primer on this stuff. I would like to be able to tell when they update towers in DFW.

No-- the Ec/Io ratio is just for the channel you're on whatever channel that is. The only way I know of to find out which channel you're on is the EPST (built-in) field test (##DEBUG#) screen. You should see the channel scanning on the 1x engineering screen when your phone is in idle slotted mode.

[Duffman]

Ah. Channel 450.

[WiWavelength]

Ah. Channel 450.

Yes, in the Dallas-Fort Worth MTA, Sprint holds the PCS B block 30 MHz license. PCS B block CDMA1X/EV-DO standard channel assignments are 0425, 0450, 0475, 0500, 0525, 0550, 0575, 0600, 0625, 0650, 0675. Absent PCS G block, everyone of your Sprint channels in DFW will be one of those 11.

AJ

[WiWavelength]

Unfortunately, still no luck with 60000 nor 60001. My EVO never scans 1225, 1250, and 1275; it immediately goes off PRL and scans channel assignments (e.g. PCS A block 0050, 0075, 0200; Cellular A-side 0283, etc.) stored in memory, apparently, and on which it has previously located service.

Though the EVO should be band class 14 capable, all recent experience seems to indicate that firmware locks out that capability.

AJ

[4ringsnbr]

Unfortunately, still no luck with 60000 nor 60001. My EVO never scans 1225, 1250, and 1275; it immediately goes off PRL and scans channel assignments (e.g. PCS A block 0050, 0075, 0200; Cellular A-side 0283, etc.) stored in memory, apparently, and on which it has previously located service.

Though the EVO should be band class 14 capable, all recent experience seems to indicate that firmware locks out that capability.

AJ

Yeah-- the EVO has the hardware to do it, but it's likely the Radio ROM (baseband firmware) doesn't allow it. It's a software not a hardware problem. The phone was probably only tested and FCC approved for band class 0 & 1, so all other bands are probably blocked out via firmware. Obviously the extra 5 MHz in BC 14 shouldn't be an interference issue or anything, but if FCC doesn't approve it, the phone won't be allowed to do it. It's likely the testers' phones are using a custom firmware for the testing and likely operate under an FCC temporary facilities / testing waiver. It was worth a shot-- and there may be other phones in service whose firmware may not have been so restricted.

[digiblur]

I'd have to look up the teardown of each one and then check the RF gear in question. Everything is available out there if you google it. As far as the E4GT (that name is too long!), its Avago AFCM-7325 Quadplexer is designed for band classes 0,1,10, & 14. Again, I'm not sure what the baseband firmware (radio ROM) will accept.

Yeah, I don't think it would matter for the Epic anyways. It won't even roam over to use PCS band. It only roams on the cellular band. If I am in a vzw pcs only area I don't get no service when I am not within sprints area. In the rare occasion I am in an area with vzw pcs only I had to load a straight vzw prl to get signal.

Kinda sucks that Sprint neutered the Epic in roaming.

[MacinJosh]

My phone is showing Channel 25 and BC 1. Is that all PCS A block?