How to Spot Sprint Antennas and RRUs (Alcatel-Lucent)

[lilotimz]

Here are the Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) Network Vision equipment for Sprint. Their equipment consists of 2x base stations, 6 or 9 Remote Radio Unit (RRU) setups, and 1 standard NV antenna of with connectors on the bottom (4x PCS, 2x SMR). 

Below are images of Alcatel-Lucent equipment. In these images, you will find Alcatel-Lucent base stations, Sprint Network Vision antennas, PCS 1900 & SMR 800 RRUs, and their configurations.

Alcatel-Lucent 4x40w 25 MHz PCS 1900 B25 RRUs (Panasonic) [old]

Alcatel-Lucent  4x45w 1900 MHz B25 RRU 

ALU 2x50w B26 800 MHz RRU [KMW Communications]

Older Panasonic Setup [4x40w 25 MHz B25]

Standard Alcatel-Lucent Setup 

Utilizes 2x50w 800 MHz B26 RRU and 4x45w 1900 MHz B25 RRU and compatible antennas. 

Closer Look at the connectors on the bottom of the antennas

Special Case Mexican IBEZ Setup

Note the lack of 800 MHz RRUs though the antennas are capable of 800 MHz. 

High Capacity Setup

High Capacity no SMR 800 IBEZ setup

* Credits go to those whom took the images of these equipment. You know who you are."

[MacinJosh]

Shouldn't this be pinned like the other 2 spotting threads? Thanks to the moderator who pins it.

 

Great job lilotimz! Excellent setup!

[bakedc4]

http://db.tt/YPV29Lzo a bunch of pictures of ALU equipment in the shentel area. Free to use.

 

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[lilotimz]

http://db.tt/YPV29Lzo a bunch of pictures of ALU equipment in the shentel area. Free to use.

 

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

Much thanks for the pics of the older style setups. OP has been updated accordingly.

[S4GRU]

That bottom pic of the base station cabinets are legacy. New ALU cabinets look different.

 

Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[lilotimz]

That bottom pic of the base station cabinets are legacy. New ALU cabinets look different.

 

Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

Swapped out the image for another. It's kinda surprising at how little pictures of ALU NV base stations there are considering they're in same of the biggest markets.

[ericdabbs]

Wow that Mexican IBEZ boundary is so large.  It practically almost covers Los Angeles. Hopefully Sprint and the Mexican government can work something out so that Tucson and San Diego can get 800 MHz support at some point.

 

Also does anyone know how long ago did Alcatel Lucent switched over from the older RRU setups to the newer RRU setups?  

[lilotimz]

 

Also does anyone know how long ago did Alcatel Lucent switched over from the older RRU setups to the newer RRU setups?  

 

Began with the third round markets iirc.

[digiblur]

What was the older ones?

 

Sent from my little Note2

 

 

[MacinJosh]

What was the older ones?

 

Sent from my little Note2

 

 

Before AlcaLu was using 2 RRU's for PCS, one 1x/EVDO and 1 LTE.

 

 

Sent from Josh's iPhone 5 using Tapatalk 2

[digiblur]

What was the older ones?

 

 

 

Sent from my little Note2

 

 

 

 

Before AlcaLu was using 2 RRU's for PCS, one 1x/EVDO and 1 LTE.

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from Josh's iPhone 5 using Tapatalk 2

Ericsson is still doing this on some sites even with the dual use RRU but I don't mind it since it offers much more flexibility down the road.

 

Sent from my little Note2

 

 

[MacinJosh]

Ericsson is still doing this on some sites even with the dual use RRU but I don't mind it since it offers much more flexibility down the road.

 

Sent from my little Note2

 

And in Vegas AlcaLu is only doing it to a small handful of sites. Hopefully they are all dual-mode RRU's and not single mode, but then again, it really wouldn't matter too much for the fact it'll provide the same capacity regardless of what modes.

 

 

Sent from Josh's iPhone 5 using Tapatalk 2

[digiblur]

And in Vegas AlcaLu is only doing it to a small handful of sites. Hopefully they are all dual-mode RRU's and not single mode, but then again, it really wouldn't matter too much for the fact it'll provide the same capacity regardless of what modes.

 

 

Sent from Josh's iPhone 5 using Tapatalk 2

 

Actually no they will have the ability to use more spectrum capacity without having to climb the site.

[kvnjcby]

Swapped out the image for another. It's kinda surprising at how little pictures of ALU NV base stations there are considering they're in same of the biggest markets.

The cabinets in your new pic look like legacy Motorola cabinets to me, not NV. When I first started tower stalking, I originally thought those cabinets were Network Vision as well since there are so few pics of the new ALU ones here . Here's an album of some pictures I have of NV ALU cabinets: http://imgur.com/E7fLSUW,fjtUrlL,w229fq7,GGhYt7m.

 

I can try to go back and get some clearer shots of the fronts of these cabinets. They seem have a habit of installing them with the fronts facing away from the fence, so it's often hard to get a good view!

[lilotimz]

The cabinets in your new pic look like legacy Motorola cabinets to me, not NV. When I first started tower stalking, I originally thought those cabinets were Network Vision as well since there are so few pics of the new ALU ones here . Here's an album of some pictures I have of NV ALU cabinets: http://imgur.com/E7fLSUW,fjtUrlL,w229fq7,GGhYt7m.

 

I can try to go back and get some clearer shots of the fronts of these cabinets. They seem have a habit of installing them with the fronts facing away from the fence, so it's often hard to get a good view!

At last! Someone offers up images of the ever elusive ALU cabinets! Much thanks! And yes, frontal images of the cabinets would be nice~

[juant87]

Can anyone provide me with the address of an LTE live site in Laredo, Tx? I can swing by tomorrow since i'm off work and take a picture or two..I think there is one right off Mcpherson and Calle del Norte, since i get a few bars in LTE close by..Can anyone confirm?

 

 

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[ericdabbs]

Quick question about the dual mode Alcatel RRUs (this might have been answered before), how many CDMA and LTE carriers is it capable of handling?  I am just trying to figure out how future proof these dual mode RRUs in terms of adding additional capacity.

 

How do the dual mode Alcatel RRUs fare against the other vendors in terms of number of CDMA and LTE carriers those dual  mode RRUs can support?

[bjorn60]

http://db.tt/YPV29Lzo a bunch of pictures of ALU equipment in the shentel area. Free to use.

 

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Thanks for these pictures, it helps a lot to know what to look for.

 

One question in particular that you may be able to answer for me in regards to the stealth site you took pics of; where do they put the LTE panels?  I can clearly see the new NV panels near the top of the "flagpole" but where would they put the LTE RRU's?

[digiblur]

 

 

http://db.tt/YPV29Lzo a bunch of pictures of ALU equipment in the shentel area. Free to use.

 

 

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

Thanks for these pictures, it helps a lot to know what to look for.

 

One question in particular that you may be able to answer for me in regards to the stealth site you took pics of; where do they put the LTE panels? I can clearly see the new NV panels near the top of the "flagpole" but where would they put the LTE RRU's?

Sometimes you can't see the antennas. They put the RRUs wherever they can. Behind something else, on the ground, etc.

[latoso]

im 82 st and northern blvd and the tower is on 80 st and northern blvd, the panel with six cables has been removed is that normal?

[deep]

I have a question about a tower that's closest to my house.  You know how the tower is not circular but triangular shape with the panels on three sides of the triangle?  Now, my the sides of the triangles (panels) are not facing my house directly, instead, the vertex of the triangle is pointing at my house instead.  Does that effect my signal since the panels are not facing my house directly and that I get the vertex of the triangle?

[Deval]

I have a question about a tower that's closest to my house.  You know how the tower is not circular but triangular shape with the panels on three sides of the triangle?  Now, my the sides of the triangles (panels) are not facing my house directly, instead, the vertex of the triangle is pointing at my house instead.  Does that effect my signal since the panels are not facing my house directly and that I get the vertex of the triangle?

 

You should be fine, they are pretty wide-angled inside. 

[ahecht]

My local tower  has had LTE for a while now, but I've had trouble connecting for a few weeks so I took a trek down to the tower. The top panels with all the RUUs are typical ALU NV panels that have been there for a while, but the three smaller panels below them are definitely new. Any idea what they are?

(Sorry for the crappy picture, I will have to get down there with a real camera soon.)

[caspar347]

What on earth are these RFS things labeled as 800 RRHs? There are new 1900 RRHs behind them.

This is a full-build ground mounted flagpole site in the Charlotte market and I can provide more pics if needed.

[digiblur]

What on earth are these RFS things labeled as 800 RRHs? There are new 1900 RRHs behind them.

 

This is a full-build ground mounted flagpole site in the Charlotte market and I can provide more pics if needed.

 

Dual path diplexers used to cut down on the number of feeders up the pole.