Tower/signal question

[nova46]

So here's a question... There's this Sprint "tower" that's really a water tower with antennas and radios mounted on it. It's maybe a few hundred feet from this intersection. When I'm sitting at the light where the blue dot is, I get full signal, 6 bars. When I'm sitting at either yellow dots which is maybe 30 ft from the blue dot, I get literally 2 out of 6 bars. When I cross the intersection coming from the yellow to the blue dot, it immediately jumps from 2 to 6 bars. Are Sprint's towers that bad or what's the deal here? I'd figure there would be a gradual increase in signal, especially when it's directly in my line of sight and it should be much higher considering how close I am to it. The picture I took of the tower itself is when I was across the intersection, with 2 bars.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2012 by S4GRU
S4GRU has authorized the use of this screenshot

[S4GRU]

You need to get an app like Net Monitor, your device could be changing "towers". The lower signal is likely a site farther away. I know in my personal experience, that is the case when this anomaly occurs.

 

Robert

[WiWavelength]

I would say that it is a conspiracy wrought by that T-Mobile store down the block.

 

Or it could just be a transition between two sectors on the water tower site.

 

AJ

[nova46]

But why would my device be connected to a tower much further away with much lower signal? Isn't the whole point to connect to the tower with the best reception? Just sitting at the light for a few minutes, it still sits on 2 bars until I cross the center of the intersection, then it switches.

[S4GRU]

I would say that it is a conspiracy wrought by that T-Mobile store down the block.

 

Or it could just be a transition between two sectors on the water tower site.

 

AJ

 

Yes, being between two sectors could do that too. Net Monitor will help him to establish that also. Each sector will likely have its own BSID.

 

Robert

[S4GRU]

But why would my device be connected to a tower much further away with much lower signal? Isn't the whole point to connect to the tower with the best reception? Just sitting at the light for a few minutes, it still sits on 2 bars until I cross the center of the intersection, then it switches.

 

Not the closest tower, the tower with the least amount of traffic that is within range. The network is designed to balance the load. Your device looks for the site within range with the lowest Ec/Io ratio.

 

Robert

[WiWavelength]

Your device looks for the site within range with the lowest Ec/Io ratio.

 

Yes, on all CDMA1X devices, PN selection, re-selection, and handoff are all internally based on Ec/Io. "Signal bars" (both a term and concept that I hate) may instead be based on RSSI.

 

AJ

[pii100]

Good, if technical explanation of why Ec/Io determines which tower you use.

 

http://www.telecomha...o-and-ebno.aspx