How to Spot Sprint Antennas and RRUs (Samsung)

[Mobilesolutions]

So, any news on how to spot these panels : Gangnam style?

[digiblur]

The first rule is to stop calling them panels.  They are antennas.  A panel is what you find a breaker or other junctions in.

[S4GRU]

The first rule is to stop calling them panels. They are antennas. A panel is what you find a breaker or other junctions in.

 

It is perfectly fine to call them panels. A panel is the whole assembly housing. There are multiple antennas within the panel. It depends how you use it whether it is right or wrong.

 

It would be proper to say, "I see a panel up there." It would be improper to say, "The panel broadcasts a signal."

 

It would be improper to say, "I see an antenna up there." But it would be proper to say, "I received the signal from the antenna."

 

It's pretty semantical in many ways. It's not like the tower/site argument. Because not every site is on a tower. But every Sprint antenna is inside a panel.

 

Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[digiblur]

You won't find me calling them panels anymore.  Maybe panel antennas but that's about it.  After it was explained to me a while back I then felt like an idiot calling them panels.

[Luuminator]

Lilotimz ill try to get some more in the IBEZ zone

[NGeorge]

Lilotimz ill try to get some more in the IBEZ zone

 

That'd be great... It looks like we have a number of panels with 4 wire connections here in Western Washington -- sometimes it is hard to see the number of wires from far away, so can usually only guess based on the size of panel--it looks like around here they are doing 1900-only north of Centralia, WA (Centralia I saw 6 wires for sure) -- when you take Vancouver Island in Canada into account, it chews up a LOT of area around here that can't be used for SMR

 

What is disappointing here is that they actually have a 1900-only model antenna... I originally thought that they would ALL be capable of 800, and once the agreements were worked out, they would go and physically hook up the 800 antenna ports. If they are installing 1900-only antennas with no SMR antenna, it shows to me that Sprint thinks it will be a LONG time before SMR is cleared up around the borders -- to me that would seem a lot longer than the 2014-2015 time frame that is floating around...

 

Also does anyone have a link to the IBEZ map again? I remember seeing it and can't find it again.

 

Nat

[S4GRU]

Now if someone would just make an AlcaLu thread!  *wink, wink*

 

Robert

[pokefan02]

Would it be more accurate to call them antenna array's?

[lilotimz]

OP has been updated with additional images. 

[ericdabbs]

Anyone have a graphic of the Canadian IBEZ boundary?

[aliensporebomb]

I see you used some shots I took - cool!  OK I have a question - it sure seems to be that there are different sized cabinets for NV.  Are there also different sized legacy cabinets?  I see a couple cabinets locally that may be one or the other  - usually it's easier to tell because the legacy stuff is dingier and dirtier but ....

[lilotimz]

I see you used some shots I took - cool!  OK I have a question - it sure seems to be that there are different sized cabinets for NV.  Are there also different sized legacy cabinets?  I see a couple cabinets locally that may be one or the other  - usually it's easier to tell because the legacy stuff is dingier and dirtier but ....

 

The Samsung cabinets are all the same two 70" tall cabinets. Every vendor has their own cabinet style but they do the same thing regardless. Legacy wise, there have been dozens of vendors used over the years by Sprint corporate and the affiliates they've acquired so one cannot summarize all legacy equipment in a few pictures like you can with the new network vision gear. 

[COZisBack]

Am I correct in saying that one Samsung 1900 RRU can handle the job of 2 Ericsson 1900 RRUs? So that we should only be looking for one RRU and two if 800 is present?

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[digiblur]

Am I correct in saying that one Samsung 1900 RRU can handle the job of 2 Ericsson 1900 RRUs? So that we should only be looking for one RRU and two if 800 is present?

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

Not technically.  Actually Ericsson's RRUs are FCC certified for dual use of CDMA and LTE at the same time but they are still installing 3 or 4 RRUs (depending on capacity).  The odd thing about Samsung I find is they install two antennas when they need an additional RRU instead of just using an RF combiner.  I prefer the more RRUs has that's more hardware in the air for more flexibility for the future.

[bmoses]

here are some pics i took of ground mount RRUs from a GMO site, feel free to add them if you want.

 

http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/bradmoses/Sprint%20Towers/IMG_5229CR2.jpg

 

http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/bradmoses/Sprint%20Towers/IMG_5228CR2.jpg

 

http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/bradmoses/Sprint%20Towers/IMG_5227CR2.jpg

 

http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/bradmoses/Sprint%20Towers/IMG_5225CR2.jpg

 

http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/bradmoses/Sprint%20Towers/IMG_5224CR2.jpg

[COZisBack]

Sprint gave Engadget a close tour of their Samsung roof top site. Great pictures: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/12/sprint-testing-lte-cell-sites-in-san-francisco-we-go-hands-on/

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 

[digiblur]

Great pictures on that article!!!  Thanks for sharing!

 

EDIT:  So who's going to set them straight??  "That antenna is 1900/800/1900mhz.  No 2.5ghz at all.  Those are Remote Radio Heads, not RF amplifiers."

[COZisBack]

Hopefully Sprint sends them an FYI to update their information.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[digiblur]

Hopefully Sprint sends them an FYI to update their information.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

Doubt it.

[Rukin1]

Someone should get pictures of the insidee lol

[leerage]

Someone should get pictures of the insidee lol

 

http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/12/sprint-testing-lte-cell-sites-in-san-francisco-we-go-hands-on/

[ragweed03]

What is Canadian IBEZ (NO SMR) and why is there a "Special Case PCS Only Setup for Canadian IBEZ?"

[COZisBack]

What is Canadian IBEZ (NO SMR) and why is there a "Special Case PCS Only Setup for Canadian IBEZ?"

 

This is a complete guess, but we can't throw a 800mhz signal across the border due to whatever federal restrictions there are, but the 1900 is okay.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[bosox801]

Is this a Samsung panel? Its on a roof so its hard for me to tell?


Sent from my rooted G Note 2 Using TapaTalk 4 Beta
 

[COZisBack]

Is this a Samsung panel? Its on a roof so its hard for me to tell?

 

 

 

Sent from my rooted G Note 2 Using TapaTalk 4 Beta

 

My guess is that it's a Ericsson RRU behind those panels. So I'd have to say no and I believe the Panels/Antennas used on Samsung setups are made by PowerWave.