VERY disappointed with NV 800 Voice

[IamMrFamous07]

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

 

22097

[tongboy]

 

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

 

 

22097

That is the same PRL my company has. It operates the exact same way as Iphones work. PCS is prioritized over SMR. I have not found a way to force SMR.

 

Sent from my EVO LTE

 

 

[digiblur]

That is the same PRL my company has. It operates the exact same way as Iphones work. PCS is prioritized over SMR. I have not found a way to force SMR.

 

Sent from my EVO LTE

 

Correct, 22097 is setup just as you stated.

[prophead]

To prioritize 800 you need to:

 

1. Get your MSL # (If you do not have this you will need to call Sprint to get it)

2. Install QPST on your computer.

3. Download a PRL that prioritizes 800 or make your own PRL. (I use PRL 21086x downloaded from this site)

4. Use QPST to flash the PRL to your phone.

 

Anytime Sprint pushes a PRL you will need to do this again unless the new PRL functions as you wish.

[chamb]

POSSIBLE ISSUE with 800

Looking for comments on this.

I am in an area that is heavily completed on the 800 upgrade.

I can use 800 almost everywhere in my area. (Shentel)

However, I have had several dropped calls if I venture out of the area that is 800 upgraded and venture into a legacy area that is only 1900.

As I travel away from the 800 served area, I see the signal level go lower and lower but instead of the call eventually transferring to the nearby legacy 1900 site with a strong signal, the call just drops.

Is anybody else seeing the call drop issue when traveling form a 800 area into a legacy 1900 area?

I realize this is not going to happen after all sites are upgraded with 800 capability. But for the next 6 months or so, people will find themselves trying to hand-off from 800 to 1900 in some situations.  Is the calls going to drop all of the time or most of the time?

 

When I am in a legacy 1900 area and make a call, the call will stay on 1900 even though I go back into a 800 served area.

 

I am also curious about what happens to people with I-phones or other phones that are normally on 1900 because of the PRL.

What happens to them when they are on a 1900 call and suddenly find the signal going bad.   Will the call transfer to 800 or drop??

[Boosted20V]

POSSIBLE ISSUE with 800

Looking for comments on this.

I am in an area that is heavily completed on the 800 upgrade.

I can use 800 almost everywhere in my area. (Shentel)

However, I have had several dropped calls if I venture out of the area that is 800 upgraded and venture into a legacy area that is only 1900.

As I travel away from the 800 served area, I see the signal level go lower and lower but instead of the call eventually transferring to the nearby legacy 1900 site with a strong signal, the call just drops.

Is anybody else seeing the call drop issue when traveling form a 800 area into a legacy 1900 area?

I realize this is not going to happen after all sites are upgraded with 800 capability. But for the next 6 months or so, people will find themselves trying to hand-off from 800 to 1900 in some situations.  Is the calls going to drop all of the time or most of the time?

 

When I am in a legacy 1900 area and make a call, the call will stay on 1900 even though I go back into a 800 served area.

 

I am also curious about what happens to people with I-phones or other phones that are normally on 1900 because of the PRL.

What happens to them when they are on a 1900 call and suddenly find the signal going bad.   Will the call transfer to 800 or drop??

 

I've seen people question what would happen with a hard inter-frequency handoff but haven't tested one myself. Tomorrow I'll be traveling out of the Harrisburg area and will try to test this.

[halcyoncmdr]

Inter frequency handoffs are always hard abs rub a risk of dropping the call. No way around this. You can mitigate it some, but legacy equipment may potentially be to blame compared to the new stuff.

[IamMrFamous07]

To prioritize 800 you need to:

 

1. Get your MSL # (If you do not have this you will need to call Sprint to get it)

2. Install QPST on your computer.

3. Download a PRL that prioritizes 800 or make your own PRL. (I use PRL 21086x downloaded from this site)

4. Use QPST to flash the PRL to your phone.

 

Anytime Sprint pushes a PRL you will need to do this again unless the new PRL functions as you wish.

I can do this on a basic flip phone like the duraxt

[WiWavelength]

Inter frequency handoffs are always hard abs...

 

Do they take only eight minutes?

 

 

AJ

[halcyoncmdr]

Do they take only eight minutes?

 

 

 

AJ

 

Fraking Auto Correct. I'm not going to post from my phone anymore. lol

[prophead]

I can do this on a basic flip phone like the duraxt

 

Yes indeed. DuraXT is the very phone I have.

[Geekslayer]

Fraking Auto Correct. I'm not going to post from my phone anymore. lol

 

Eye hate auto correct two, sometimes it works, and sometimes knot !

[dontsh00tmesanta]

Is 800mhz giving better data speeds and CDMA signal strength?

[Boosted20V]

Is 800mhz giving better data speeds and CDMA signal strength?

Current 800 MHz deployment is only 1x so data speeds are worthless to look at. Signal strength for 1X, however, is excellent and penetrates buildings well.

[dontsh00tmesanta]

Much better than normal?

 

Like can you give a dB number comparison

[ericdabbs]

Is 800mhz giving better data speeds and CDMA signal strength?

 

800 MHz will be better overall at providing consistent higher data speeds and voice deep indoors than 1900 MHz.  If you are outside, most likely you won't be able to tell since Sprint will try to prioritize 1900 Mhz for voice and 1900/2500 MHz for LTE. 

 

The only way you can tell if you are using 800 MHz is by looking at your engineering screens on your phones or you use an app like SignalCheck to find what frequency your phone is currently connected to.

[digiblur]

 

 

Is 800mhz giving better data speeds and CDMA signal strength?

 

 

800 MHz will be better overall at providing consistent higher data speeds and voice deep indoors than 1900 MHz. If you are outside, most likely you won't be able to tell since Sprint will try to prioritize 1900 Mhz for voice and 1900/2500 MHz for LTE.

 

The only way you can tell if you are using 800 MHz is by looking at your engineering screens on your phones or you use an app like SignalCheck to find what frequency your phone is currently connected to.

Don't think it will provide better speeds until LTE launches and devices for 800 LTE are available.

[Boosted20V]

Much better than normal?

 

Like can you give a dB number comparison

 

As an example, in the building I work in, I have an office on the interior. Previously, on PCS, I would get between -100 and -105 dbm. Now, with 800mhz live, I recieve -91dbm - -93dbm from the same site.

[ericdabbs]

Don't think it will provide better speeds until LTE launches and devices for 800 LTE are available.

 

Yes of course.  

[EXLINE]

I can report very great 800mhz voice signal. all towers around me went live in the past week with 800 and it has raised my signal about -10 dbm to -20dbm in certain areas. Deep inside my work bathroom I would get about a bar or -100dbm now it is around -85dbm which gives me a few bars. At my house I now have full signal which signalcheck is reporting -69dbm which is about a -12dbm to -18dbm increase. Can't wait for that 800 lte. I will report that the past couple weeks were rough with the most dropped calls I have ever had since I've been with Sprint in 10 years.

[chgoguy80]

Digi is the PRL expert here, but it sounds like you have a PRL that does not prioritize 800.

 

In other areas, like Chicago, all android device PRLs prioritize 800, and only moves over to 1900 if it absolutely has to, make the experience much better (hence the lack of complaints about dropped calls lately from Chicago.). iPhone devices on the other hand, prioritize 1900, causing this drop every time you reach the edge of the 1900 coverage area and into 800. Hopefully Shentel (or whoever sets the PRL for your devices) will fix this, and prioritize 800 properly.

 

Dropped calls for me are 5X worse since NV is getting completed (on an S3 btw). Its probably now the worst its ever been, and I've been with Sprint 14+ years. Maybe the new hardware does not hand off to other towers or between 800 and 1900 but its terrible keeping phone calls connected more than 10 minutes here when driving even/especially on the interstates.

 

Makes for dangerous driving how often calls drop (having to wait to redial and apologize for Sprint (often talk to other Sprint customers in Chicago area so they understand since they have been dealing with here as well), literally 4 drops in a 30 minute drive on interstates between closer burbs and the city is typical. I55/I290/I90/even Lake Shore Drive and main streets in the city. I just have no clue what they are doing. If you are standing still reception is much better as well as less totally dead data zones but you should be able to hold a call on the interstate in a major metro area at least. Right?

 

If anyone has any suggestions what to do.improve things, please let me know. Unfortunately, can't really look at the engineering screens while driving, any app that will record signal level and track tower/frequency attempted handoffs/failures? Love my S3 (except having to charge it twice a day even when not using it much) just wish I could not drop calls while driving.

[S4GRU]

 

 

Digi is the PRL expert here, but it sounds like you have a PRL that does not prioritize 800.

 

 

In other areas, like Chicago, all android device PRLs prioritize 800, and only moves over to 1900 if it absolutely has to, make the experience much better (hence the lack of complaints about dropped calls lately from Chicago.). iPhone devices on the other hand, prioritize 1900, causing this drop every time you reach the edge of the 1900 coverage area and into 800. Hopefully Shentel (or whoever sets the PRL for your devices) will fix this, and prioritize 800 properly.

 

 

Dropped calls for me are 5X worse since NV is getting completed (on an S3 btw). Its probably now the worst its ever been, and I've been with Sprint 14+ years. Maybe the new hardware does not hand off to other towers or between 800 and 1900 but its terrible keeping phone calls connected more than 10 minutes here when driving even/especially on the interstates.

 

Makes for dangerous driving how often calls drop (having to wait to redial and apologize for Sprint (often talk to other Sprint customers in Chicago area so they understand since they have been dealing with here as well), literally 4 drops in a 30 minute drive on interstates between closer burbs and the city is typical. I55/I290/I90/even Lake Shore Drive and main streets in the city. I just have no clue what they are doing. If you are standing still reception is much better as well as less totally dead data zones but you should be able to hold a call on the interstate in a major metro area at least. Right?

 

If anyone has any suggestions what to do.improve things, please let me know. Unfortunately, can't really look at the engineering screens while driving, any app that will record signal level and track tower/frequency attempted handoffs/failures? Love my S3 (except having to charge it twice a day even when not using it much) just wish I could not drop calls while driving.

 

The problems seem to be transferring between 800 and 1900. If you went to a 1900 only PRL, you would likely see a dramatic call drop improvement.

 

Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[digiblur]

I hate when people are too busy texting and talking while driving.

[tommym65]

Dropped calls for me are 5X worse since NV is getting completed (on an S3 btw). Its probably now the worst its ever been, and I've been with Sprint 14+ years. Maybe the new hardware does not hand off to other towers or between 800 and 1900 but its terrible keeping phone calls connected more than 10 minutes here when driving even/especially on the interstates.

 

Makes for dangerous driving how often calls drop (having to wait to redial and apologize for Sprint (often talk to other Sprint customers in Chicago area so they understand since they have been dealing with here as well), literally 4 drops in a 30 minute drive on interstates between closer burbs and the city is typical. I55/I290/I90/even Lake Shore Drive and main streets in the city. I just have no clue what they are doing. If you are standing still reception is much better as well as less totally dead data zones but you should be able to hold a call on the interstate in a major metro area at least. Right?

 

If anyone has any suggestions what to do.improve things, please let me know. Unfortunately, can't really look at the engineering screens while driving, any app that will record signal level and track tower/frequency attempted handoffs/failures? Love my S3 (except having to charge it twice a day even when not using it much) just wish I could not drop calls while driving.

Actually, the Android PRL's don't prioritize 800 over 1900, rather they treat them at the same level. Thus, once you are locked on 1900, you tend to stay there, even if an equal or stronger 800 signal is present.

 

Secondly, if you can believe the map, much of Chicago doesn't have 800 SMR yet. This is problematic, however, as Robert's sources apparently aren't sending him a lot of the 800 acceptances in Chicagoland. Out where I live, many towers marked 3G and 3G/4G actually do have 800 also. I can't speak for further in, and the map shows a lot of 800 gaps along the Kennedy and Northwest Tollway (or whatever they call it now), south of US 20, and south of the Eisenhower.

 

A couple of questions (and I don't mean to be condescending, but I can't find the answers in your post): First, do you know if you are on 800 or 1900 at any given time? If you don't, I suggest using Mikejeep's Signal Check or Signal Check Pro from the Play Store. It will tell you what your 800/1900 and EV-DO/LTE statuses are at any time.

 

Second, have you tried forcing your GS3 into 800 mode? As I mentioned above, if your phone is locked onto 1900, it will tend to stay there. To force it, try going to Settings, System Update, Update PRL. If your PRL is not current, it will update it. If your PRL IS current, this apparently resets your connection and starts down the PRL list, 800 is first (even though it's at the same priority as 1900, which is second). Toggling airplane mode, by the way, doesn't reset the 800/1900 status, so don't try that.

 

My experience is that 800 calls are clearer and tend not to drop, but I haven't driven in to the near suburbs and the city lately, except for a trip Monday to O'Hare, where I didn't make or receive any calls, and I neglected to check my connection with Signal Pro. I can verify that in Southern California, where I am right now, and where there is no Sprint 800, call quality generally sucks and availability ain't that great in many places.

 

As for the battery thing, try a juice pack (Mophie [$$$] gets good reviews, but I happily use a Gorilla Gadgets version [only $] and easily get 15-18 hours.

[chgoguy80]

Actually, the Android PRL's don't prioritize 800 over 1900, rather they treat them at the same level. Thus, once you are locked on 1900, you tend to stay there, even if an equal or stronger 800 signal is present.

 

Secondly, if you can believe the map, much of Chicago doesn't have 800 SMR yet. This is problematic, however, as Robert's sources apparently aren't sending him a lot of the 800 acceptances in Chicagoland. Out where I live, many towers marked 3G and 3G/4G actually do have 800 also. I can't speak for further in, and the map shows a lot of 800 gaps along the Kennedy and Northwest Tollway (or whatever they call it now), south of US 20, and south of the Eisenhower.

 

A couple of questions (and I don't mean to be condescending, but I can't find the answers in your post): First, do you know if you are on 800 or 1900 at any given time? If you don't, I suggest using Mikejeep's Signal Check or Signal Check Pro from the Play Store. It will tell you what your 800/1900 and EV-DO/LTE statuses are at any time.

 

Second, have you tried forcing your GS3 into 800 mode? As I mentioned above, if your phone is locked onto 1900, it will tend to stay there. To force it, try going to Settings, System Update, Update PRL. If your PRL is not current, it will update it. If your PRL IS current, this apparently resets your connection and starts down the PRL list, 800 is first (even though it's at the same priority as 1900, which is second). Toggling airplane mode, by the way, doesn't reset the 800/1900 status, so don't try that.

 

My experience is that 800 calls are clearer and tend not to drop, but I haven't driven in to the near suburbs and the city lately, except for a trip Monday to O'Hare, where I didn't make or receive any calls, and I neglected to check my connection with Signal Pro. I can verify that in Southern California, where I am right now, and where there is no Sprint 800, call quality generally sucks and availability ain't that great in many places.

 

As for the battery thing, try a juice pack (Mophie [$$$] gets good reviews, but I happily use a Gorilla Gadgets version [only $] and easily get 15-18 hours.

 

 

I check fairly often from the debug screen, just downloaded signal check, for some reason I thought initially did not work on S3 but seems to now. Unfortunately when you are driving its not really possible to look at the phone, that whole driving thing . I guess prioritize is the wrong word, look for 1st instead is what I meant. I did not know a PRL update even if up to date will force a new check.

 

I have looked briefly at Mophie yeah $$$$, I'll have to see I always use my phone without a case, why have a nice light phone that becomes a paperweight with a case. You know? With my old flipphone I'd just keep the extra little battery in my back pocket, unfortunately not as quick to switch the S3 battery all the time plus wear and tear on the backplate pins.