VERY disappointed with NV 800 Voice

[bmattox79]

kinda on topic..will the iphone5 PRL remain as it is after IDEN is shut down and 800smr is active every where or will they change it so the iphone 5 will if not prioritize 800 have it be equal so that if u have a good 800 signal the iphone wont still continue to search for a 1900.  I have no problem nor do i care if my phone uses 1900 or 800 if both signals are strong, Sprint has always had great call quality, but i dont want my phone to lose 1900 grab 800 but burn my battery constantly searching to go back to 800.

Thoughts???

[Deval]

I guess that confirms for me that xxx97 scans for 1900 first, while xxx15 scans for 800 first. Not a PRL expert, just speculating. Makes me wonder if the DuraXT (like the iPhone 5) needs to scan for 1900 first for some reason...

 

The DuraXT is an SDC phone, maybe that's why?

[briank86]

kinda on topic..will the iphone5 PRL remain as it is after IDEN is shut down and 800smr is active every where or will they change it so the iphone 5 will if not prioritize 800 have it be equal so that if u have a good 800 signal the iphone wont still continue to search for a 1900.  I have no problem nor do i care if my phone uses 1900 or 800 if both signals are strong, Sprint has always had great call quality, but i dont want my phone to lose 1900 grab 800 but burn my battery constantly searching to go back to 800.

Thoughts???

 

Read here http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-338-what-is-a-prl/ and here http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-348-what-is-a-prl-part-2-evdo/. The short answer is that the iphone will stop looking for another connection once it acquires a good signal on either 1900 or 800.

[Moropo]

Read here http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-338-what-is-a-prl/ and here http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-348-what-is-a-prl-part-2-evdo/. The short answer is that the iphone will stop looking for another connection once it acquires a good signal on either 1900 or 800.

Didnt digiblur say that all Android phones have 800 and 1900 with the same priority which would indicate the behavior you mention BUT that iphones do not have 800 and 1900 in the same priority and that they actually prioritize 1900 over 800 which means that even if they acquire a good signal on 800 they will always be searching for a 1900 to switch to?

 

Just confirming what I thought to be the case.

[WiWavelength]

I didn't work on the network side of things, but it was right after Cingular bought AT&T mobile in California. We had to divest all of the 1900 MHz spectrum and tmobile had bought it. Whenever a customer would go from 850 to 1900 it would drop. No real problems switch between 850 towers though.

 

To ease approval of its merger with AT&TWS, Cingular sold off the entire former Pac Bell GSM 1900 network to T-Mobile.  But Cingular did not divest all of that PCS 1900 MHz spectrum in California.  Instead, Cingular did retain a fair amount for itself, while T-Mobile got the rest of it.  Then, during the transition period, Cingular subs had to choose between Cingular "Orange" (Pac Bell network) and Cingular "Blue" (AT&TWS network), if I recall correctly.

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

I have no problem nor do i care if my phone uses 1900 or 800 if both signals are strong, Sprint has always had great call quality, but i dont want my phone to lose 1900 grab 800 but burn my battery constantly searching to go back to 800.

Thoughts???

 

I think you mean "constantly searching to go back to 1900."  And it would not affect your battery life to any great degree because it would not be a constant search.  It would be a periodic scan.

 

AJ

[utiz4321]

To ease approval of its merger with AT&TWS, Cingular sold off the entire former Pac Bell GSM 1900 network to T-Mobile. But Cingular did not divest all of that PCS 1900 MHz spectrum in California. Instead, Cingular did retain a fair amount for itself, while T-Mobile got the rest of it. Then, during the transition period, Cingular subs had to choose between Cingular "Orange" (Pac Bell network) and Cingular "Blue" (AT&TWS network), if I recall correctly.

 

AJ

That is not exactly correct. Everyone had to go to 850. We signed a roaming agreement with tmobile that gave us access to the 1900 MHz for a number of years so that customer with 1900 only handset wouldnt be left out in the cold and we would have time to fill in 850, but Cingular converted people like crazy to the 850 network. There was no choice given, when a customer got new equient they went on the new network. If Cingular kept any 1900 MHz (at least in Northern California where I worked) I don't know what they are or did do with it as their network doesn't use 1900 there, to the best of my knowledge any way.

[WiWavelength]

That is not exactly correct. Everyone had to go to 850. We signed a roaming agreement with tmobile that gave us access to the 1900 MHz for a number of years so that customer with 1900 only handset wouldnt be left out in the cold and we would have time to fill in 850, but Cingular converted people like crazy to the 850 network. There was no choice given, when a customer got new equient they went on the new network. If Cingular kept any 1900 MHz (at least in Northern California where I worked) I don't know what they are or did do with it as their network doesn't use 1900 there, to the best of my knowledge any way.

 

No, I am correct.  I say this half jokingly, half seriously, but there may not be another person on the planet who has a more encyclopedic knowledge of FCC spectrum licenses than I do -- especially on the PCS 1900 MHz side of things.  It may be a trivial title, but one that I wear proudly.

 

The former Pac Bell PCS B block 30 MHz license for the San Francisco MTA got partitioned and disaggregated about as much as I have ever seen of any PCS license.  But Cingular did retain quite a bit of PCS spectrum in Northern California.  In fact, Cingular retained the original PCS license call sign.  See what I have pulled from the FCC ULS to prove my assertion:

 

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/licenseMarketSum.jsp?licKey=8886

 

Furthermore, at FCC auction in 1997, AT&TWS had already obtained its own PCS D/E block 10 MHz licenses across its Cellular 850 MHz markets.  So, AT&TWS also brought to the table its own PCS 1900 spectrum.  Again, see below the San Francisco BTA license that I have pulled from the FCC ULS:

 

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/licenseMarketSum.jsp?licKey=9928

 

So, to say that it was all Cellular 850 MHz is incorrect.  AT&TWS was already operating a dual band, dual mode network -- both Cellular 850 MHz and PCS 1900 MHz, both IS-136 TDMA and GSM.

 

As for Cingular "Orange" and Cingular "Blue," check the HowardForums archives.  Unless my memory is truly failing me, those Cingular subs who had unacceptable coverage on "Blue" (AT&TWS network) could be homed to "Orange" (Pac Bell network sold to T-Mobile) during the transition period.

 

AJ

[Boosted20V]

I'm in a Shentel market and have been seeing strange behavior on 800mhz. If I leave my market to a Sprint corporate one with no 800mhz, it will drop back to 1900mhz (obviously). What is strange is upon returning to Shentel territory, the phone won't immediately pick up 800. Even after cycling airplane mode/restarts, it always takes a few hours to almost a day for it to regain 800mhz connectivity. I have NO idea why this would be the case seeing as the PRL prioritizes 800mhz.

[tommym65]

I'm in a Shentel market and have been seeing strange behavior on 800mhz. If I leave my market to a Sprint corporate one with no 800mhz, it will drop back to 1900mhz (obviously). What is strange is upon returning to Shentel territory, the phone won't immediately pick up 800. Even after cycling airplane mode/restarts, it always takes a few hours to almost a day for it to regain 800mhz connectivity. I have NO idea why this would be the case seeing as the PRL prioritizes 800mhz.

Nope, it doesn't. The frequencies are at the same priority, so once the phone locks on 1900, it will tend to stay there until the signal degrades for some reason AND there is a stronger 800 signal available.

[Boosted20V]

Nope, it doesn't. The frequencies are at the same priority, so once the phone locks on 1900, it will tend to stay there until the signal degrades for some reason AND there is a stronger 800 signal available.

Really? I didn't realize that. Wouldn't one need to be a higher priority though... just based on the logic involved. If I cycle airplane mode, it would have to check EITHER 800 OR 1900, right? Can't do both at the same time?

[tommym65]

Really? I didn't realize that. Wouldn't one need to be a higher priority though... just based on the logic involved. If I cycle airplane mode, it would have to check EITHER 800 OR 1900, right? Can't do both at the same time?

If you haven't, you should read digiblur's Wall articles on PRL's. He has also posted (don't remember exact link) a listing of 25015, which shows that 800 & 1900 share the same priority on Androids in all but 4 markets.

 

Toggling airplane mode doesn't seem to affect 800 vs. 1900, but a "forced PRL update" may force 800 where it is available.

[Boosted20V]

If you haven't, you should read digiblur's Wall articles on PRL's. He has also posted (don't remember exact link) a listing of 25015, which shows that 800 & 1900 share the same priority on Androids in all but 4 markets.

 

Toggling airplane mode doesn't seem to affect 800 vs. 1900, but a "forced PRL update" may force 800 where it is available.

 

Just reread the article. Makes sense, and the order listed in the PRL is the order it will scan. So if PCS is listed first, it will pick up PCS if it's available and only drop to 800 when signal degrades. Generally then, I will stay on 800 until I leave the areas with active SMR. I'll have to do some testing with handoffs from 1900 to 800 and see if they are working for me.

[Deval]

That is not exactly correct. Everyone had to go to 850. We signed a roaming agreement with tmobile that gave us access to the 1900 MHz for a number of years so that customer with 1900 only handset wouldnt be left out in the cold and we would have time to fill in 850, but Cingular converted people like crazy to the 850 network. There was no choice given, when a customer got new equient they went on the new network. If Cingular kept any 1900 MHz (at least in Northern California where I worked) I don't know what they are or did do with it as their network doesn't use 1900 there, to the best of my knowledge any way.

 

I remember in the NY/NJ market, when Cingular wanted to purchase AT&T WS, they still had their fledgling GSM network on PCS (1900mhz), and their legacy TDMA network on Cellular (800mhz), and customers were forced to switch to Cingular's PCS (1900mhz) GSM network, which had a ton of coverage gaps.

[Mobilesolutions]

there may not be another person on the planet who has a more encyclopedic knowledge of FCC spectrum licenses than I do -- especially on the PCS 1900 MHz side of things.  It may be a trivial title, but one that I wear proudly.

 

 

 

AJ

When is the next training session master AJ-WWAN?

[WiWavelength]

When is the next training session master AJ-WWAN?

Ask Qui-Gon Robert when the next S4GRU Council meeting will take place.

 

AJ

[bmattox79]

I think you mean "constantly searching to go back to 1900."  And it would not affect your battery life to any great degree because it would not be a constant search.  It would be a periodic scan.

 

AJ

yes thats what i meant..LOL

[bmattox79]

Didnt digiblur say that all Android phones have 800 and 1900 with the same priority which would indicate the behavior you mention BUT that iphones do not have 800 and 1900 in the same priority and that they actually prioritize 1900 over 800 which means that even if they acquire a good signal on 800 they will always be searching for a 1900 to switch to?

 

Just confirming what I thought to be the case.

this is what i thought i read and why i was asking.  in the same post i thought i remembered reading that there was some issue with the 800 and that Sprint changed the iphone PRL to prioritize 1900.

[dmaxx67]

Im assuming that soon after IDEN shuts down there will be a PRL update to prioritize 800.

[digiblur]

Im assuming that soon after IDEN shuts down there will be a PRL update to prioritize 800.

I doubt it.

[dmaxx67]

Now I thought Sprint wanted to offload voice and 1x data to the 800SMR side and leave heavy data usage on 1900 LTE. Maybe I digested all this information wrong so please correct me as to why Sprint would not want to do exactly that.

[IamMrFamous07]

How can I get the duraxt on the 800mhz band? I'm in a 800mhz Shentel area (hagerstown)

[tongboy]

How can I get the duraxt on the 800mhz band? I'm in a 800mhz Shentel area (hagerstown)

What PRL is your phone using?

 

Sent from my EVO LTE

 

 

[IamMrFamous07]

What PRL is your phone using?

 

Sent from my EVO LTE

 

How do I check the PRL on the duraxt?

[tongboy]

 

What PRL is your phone using?

 

 

Sent from my EVO LTE

 

 

How do I check the PRL on the duraxt?

Menu - settings - phone info - phone #/user ID. Scroll down and you will see an entry PRL Version. What is the number under it (ie 22097)

 

Sent from my EVO LTE