Everything 800mhz (1xA, LTE, coverage, timeline, etc)

[Dkoellerwx]

Recently, my GS3 has been voluntarily moving from 1900 to 800 even when I don't do a forced PRL update and even when it's already on 1900 and even when I know 1900 is readily available. This is in northwest Chicagoland, where 800 SMR is now pretty much everywhere.

Once the majority of a market is covered with 800, the PRL is supposed to change to favor 800 over 1900 on LTE devices. Perhaps that has started happening.

[digiblur]

Recently, my GS3 has been voluntarily moving from 1900 to 800 even when I don't do a forced PRL update and even when it's already on 1900 and even when I know 1900 is readily available. This is in northwest Chicagoland, where 800 SMR is now pretty much everywhere.

Probably dropping signal making it rescan as they haven't set a high priority to the band yet nor do I think they will for a long time.

[WiWavelength]

Recently, my GS3 has been voluntarily moving from 1900 to 800 even when I don't do a forced PRL update and even when it's already on 1900 and even when I know 1900 is readily available.

Maybe your Galaxy S3 is just freaky deaky.  It has developed a taste for those longer 800 MHz wavelengths.  Once you go long, you can never go wrong.

 

AJ

[tommym65]

Probably dropping signal making it rescan as they haven't set a high priority to the band yet nor do I think they will for a long time.

Not likely that the 1900 signal is dropping, this is in an area where sites are dense. And the PRL is 25016, so nothing new there. But I think 800 SMR in the Chicago market is as dense or denser than any market, and the phone seems predisposed to jump onto 800. I know, this doesn't make sense given how the PRL works, but it is what I have observed recently, and it seems to happen more readily now than even a couple of weeks ago.

[digiblur]

Not likely that the 1900 signal is dropping, this is in an area where sites are dense. And the PRL is 25016, so nothing new there. But I think 800 SMR in the Chicago market is as dense or denser than any market, and the phone seems predisposed to jump onto 800. I know, this doesn't make sense given how the PRL works, but it is what I have observed recently, and it seems to happen more readily now than even a couple of weeks ago.

 

It could be too quick for you to see...

 

Geo Area:12

---------------------

GEO LTE Enable: 310/FFF Roam:None

SID:22439 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Chicago IL; Fort Wayne IN; Gary IN; Kenosha WI; South Bend IN

1X: S/476 S/487 S/526

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:22406 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Buffalo NY

1X: S/476 S/487 S/526

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:22410 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Cridersville OH; Detroit MI; Grand Rapids MI; Toledo OH

1X: S/476 S/487 S/526

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:22418 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Burlington WI; Milwaukee WI; Sheboygan WI; Wausau WI

1X: S/476 S/487 S/526

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/75 P/325 P/475

 

SID:22427 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Altoona PA; Pittsburgh PA; Wheeling WV

1X: S/476 S/487 S/526

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:22441 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Cleveland OH

1X: S/476 S/487 S/526

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:22442 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Erie PA; Chillicothe OH; Columbus OH

1X: S/476 S/487 S/526

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:4107 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Buffalo Rochester NY

1X: P/50 P/75 P/100 P/175 P/200 P/250 P/25

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:4153 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Milwaukee WI

1X: P/50 P/75 P/100 P/175 P/200 P/250 P/25

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/75 P/325 P/475

 

SID:4171 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Pittsburgh PA

1X: P/50 P/75 P/100 P/175 P/200 P/250 P/25

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:4126 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Detroit MI

1X: P/450 P/500 P/575 P/475 P/600 P/650 P/675 P/425 P/625 P/175

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:4396 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Cleveland OH

1X: P/350 P/375 P/500 P/650 P/675 P/750 P/575 P/625 P/725 P/775

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:4384 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - CHICAGO IL

1X: P/350 P/375 P/500 P/650 P/675 P/750 P/575 P/625 P/725 P/775

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:4418 Prio:1 Roam:None Area:Sprint - Columbus OH

1X: P/350 P/375 P/500 P/650 P/675 P/750 P/575 P/625 P/725 P/775

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

 

SID:4112 Prio:2 Roam:US Area:US Cellular - Chicago IL

1X: P/425 P/450 P/475 P/500 P/525 P/550 P/575

EV: Sprint(0084:0AC0) Prio:1 P/150 P/225 P/325 P/550 P/625 P/75 P/475 P/600 P/50 P/675

[anthony.spina97]

Maybe your Galaxy S3 is just freaky deaky.  It has developed a taste for those longer 800 MHz wavelengths.  Once you go long, you can never go wrong.

 

AJ

There are so many ways that someone can interpret this...

[TyrellCorpse]

So I've been hearing from Chicago users that even though on 800Mhz and get great signal anywhere, they are dropping more calls than ever, probably due to 800<>1900 handoff issues.  Is this true?  Sprint could be in big trouble if this isn't fixed immediately.  Even if resolved with Spark phones, they'll need to fix it with the millions of older phones too.  What's the scoop on this?

[tongboy]

So I've been hearing from Chicago users that even though on 800Mhz and get great signal anywhere, they are dropping more calls than ever, probably due to 8001900 handoff issues. Is this true? Sprint could be in big trouble if this isn't fixed immediately. Even if resolved with Spark phones, they'll need to fix it with the millions of older phones too. What's the scoop on this?

I live in the Chicago area and haven't dropped a call in months. Are they located near one of the very few legacy sites left or something? What phones do they have?

 

Once the phone is on a band it will stick with that band until it loses the signal, especially if a call is in progress.

[runagun]

On my G my phone is always connected to 1x800 in the City all over the burbs too. That's how it's suppose to be.

[tongboy]

On my G my phone is always connected to 1x800 in the City all over the burbs too. That's how it's suppose to be.

Depends on the phone, but yes you are right.

[SpenceSouth]

On my G my phone is always connected to 1x800 in the City all over the burbs too. That's how it's suppose to be.

 

How would you describe the difference in coverage before and after 800mhz came online?

[tommym65]

How would you describe the difference in coverage before and after 800mhz came online?

 

I will echo tongboy & runagun, I am almost always on 800 voice now. I haven't dropped a call in forever, and there are virtually no dead spots. Even in the center of Crystal Lake (the town, not the lake), where 1900 voice and LTE are practically non-existent, since 800 fired up, voice & text have been unbreakable. And that's with 1 of CL's 4 towers not having any 800 at all (I think they have been waiting over a year for the $%#@ water tower to be re-painted, and have avoided installing 1900 LTE or 800 SMR until it's done -- they moved the 1900 voice down 75 feet to a wooden pole for the duration). Signal Check says that I frequently connect to 800 sites 5-10 miles away, and the signal strength is excellent even then.

[WiWavelength]

How would you describe the difference in coverage before and after 800mhz came online?

 

About the CDMA1X 800 coverage difference, The Who put it best:

 

I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles...

 

 

AJ

[Vince]

Yes, 1x800 is glorious. Voice is crystal clear and no drops in Chicago. Signal is almost always full, even in some smaller buildings. If that's any kind of indicator for 800 LTE, we're in for one heck of a good network.

[bucdenny]

Chicago would probably be one of the first cities getting 800Mhz LTE.  Most likely will see it by the end of this year.

[SWMich4G]

Chicago would probably be one of the first cities getting 800Mhz LTE.  Most likely will see it by the end of this year.

 

I haven't followed all the individual phone threads.  Are all the tri-band phones limited to single-band until 2014?  I know the Nexus 5 is and I thought it was the same for the G2, but dunno about the others.  If that's the case, the iphones would be the only phones that can use 800 LTE before 2014, right?

[SpenceSouth]

I haven't followed all the individual phone threads.  Are all the tri-band phones limited to single-band until 2014?  I know the Nexus 5 is and I thought it was the same for the G2, but dunno about the others.  If that's the case, the iphones would be the only phones that can use 800 LTE before 2014, right?

 

I think that people were able to connect to Band 41 on the G2, but started having issues when they messed around in the settings.  Haven't followed up on that thread so I don't know if that issue cleared up or not. 

[SWMich4G]

I think that people were able to connect to Band 41 on the G2, but started having issues when they messed around in the settings. Haven't followed up on that thread so I don't know if that issue cleared up or not.

I was more concerned about band 26 since there's no band 41 around here (no wimax).

[ThomasM]

I really enjoy reading this thread!  Everyone extolling the virtues of 800MHz.  How do you think I feel being with Nextel for years which was ALL 800MHz and then ending up on 1900 CDMA in July 2012?  HA HA HA!

 

We'll see about NW Chicagoland as the "shopping trip" I mentioned in an earlier post is going to be to Gurnee Mills which is very much in NW Chicagoland.  It will be interesting to see what my non-LTE but 800-capable LG phone thinks of all this.  If it ignores the 800MHz signal, I will try upgrading the PRL.  I have to admit, I never thought of that before.  What if the PRL is already the current one?  Will just telling it to update it anyway make it rescan?

[Dkoellerwx]

I haven't followed all the individual phone threads.  Are all the tri-band phones limited to single-band until 2014?  I know the Nexus 5 is and I thought it was the same for the G2, but dunno about the others.  If that's the case, the iphones would be the only phones that can use 800 LTE before 2014, right?

 

They're limited for the next couple of weeks. The Sprint press release said that the ONE max, GS4 mini and Galaxy Mega would receive updates a couple weeks after launch, and the N5 and G2 would see updates by early 2014. 

 

I don't know if it's confirmed that the iPhone has 800 LTE enabled either, since we don't have any 800 to test. 

[Dkoellerwx]

I really enjoy reading this thread!  Everyone extolling the virtues of 800MHz.  How do you think I feel being with Nextel for years which was ALL 800MHz and then ending up on 1900 CDMA in July 2012?  HA HA HA!

 

We'll see about NW Chicagoland as the "shopping trip" I mentioned in an earlier post is going to be to Gurnee Mills which is very much in NW Chicagoland.  It will be interesting to see what my non-LTE but 800-capable LG phone thinks of all this.  If it ignores the 800MHz signal, I will try upgrading the PRL.  I have to admit, I never thought of that before.  What if the PRL is already the current one?  Will just telling it to update it anyway make it rescan?

 

800 is currently at a lower priority than 1900 for your phone. LTE devices have it set at an equal priority. The only way you'll see 800 is if you completely lose 1900. And then it will be constantly searching for 1900.

[Vince]

800 is currently at a lower priority than 1900 for your phone. LTE devices have it set at an equal priority. The only way you'll see 800 is if you completely lose 1900. And then it will be constantly searching for 1900.

That sucks. I want my iPhone only on 800 once the network goes live. I would think there is some kind of signal deterioration threshold that will make it switch. Not just a loss of 1900 completely. Otherwise, the 800 LTE network has almost zero use in a well blanketed area such as Chicago.

[blackwaterstout]

How would it work in a spark environment where you phone can technically receive 2600, 1900, & 800?

 

I assume your phone will grab on to 2600 first and will only drop it if it gets below a certain dbl level? Then grab the 1900 until it degrades and last 800?

 

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[digiblur]

That sucks. I want my iPhone only on 800 once the network goes live. I would think there is some kind of signal deterioration threshold that will make it switch. Not just a loss of 1900 completely. Otherwise, the 800 LTE network has almost zero use in a well blanketed area such as Chicago.

Just the way it is for that phone. When you get on 800 it looks for 1900 and will switch as soon as it can to free up the spectrum for others.

[Dkoellerwx]

That sucks. I want my iPhone only on 800 once the network goes live. I would think there is some kind of signal deterioration threshold that will make it switch. Not just a loss of 1900 completely. Otherwise, the 800 LTE network has almost zero use in a well blanketed area such as Chicago.

When the 800 network is more complete, they will switch LTE devices to prefer 800, and non-LTE devices will have 800 and 1900 on the same level like LTE devices are currently set up.

 

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