Sprint LTE Coverage Maps via Sensorly

[digiblur]

Yeah, OpenSignal is a crowd sourced signal mapper just like Sensorly. I stopped using it and went to Sensorly because it seemed like more users used Sensorly. Unfortunately, the OSM maps in Sensorly are useless, so unless they decided to go back to Google Maps, I am done using it.

I checked it out but the maps showing strong Sprint 4g signal in places where they don't even have a site is troubling. No thanks.

[SWMich4G]

I checked it out but the maps showing strong Sprint 4g signal in places where they don't even have a site is troubling. No thanks.

I just checked OpenSignal out and in my area it's basically backwards.  There's absolutely nothing mapped around all the 4G towers near me, yet it's showing strong 4G in farmland and highway areas where the towers aren't broadcasting LTE at all.  Half of the mapped 4G is actually in Sprint dead zones for 3G and voice. 

 

EDIT: I should say 1900 MHz dead zones since I haven't been to those areas since 800 went live. 

[mc_gusto]

I like the original as well, the new app may use a non google map, because once your app uses a certain number of hits google starts to charge you

In the beta sensorly thread the developer says google is actually cheaper but that they like that these maps don't have colors so you can see tracks better. I hope their recent silence means they are working to appease the lot of us.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 4

 

 

[sdiamond85]

Personally I think if google is cheaper they should stay with google, it is the standard. 

[SWMich4G]

In the beta sensorly thread the developer says google is actually cheaper but that they like that these maps don't have colors so you can see tracks better. I hope their recent silence means they are working to appease the lot of us.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 4

If some people are complaining about not seeing the coverage overlay (not me - I see it just fine), give them the option of decreasing the transparency of the overlay.   With the new maps, you can't see the MAP, which is kind of important.  Even without the coverage overlay, those new maps are hard to use and apparently incomplete/inaccurate. 

[The Dave]

Yeah, I refuse to map in Sensorly anymore because it shows me driving in random empty places with no roads, doesn't show roads that I know are there and small towns don't even appear as if they don't exist. Not to mention even on a strong 38 mbps wifi connection, it is painfully slow to navigate the maps. I figure any mapping I do would just be inaccurate and mess up the true coverage area. Plus, any wimax I map might show up as the generic 4G and confuse the LTE maps.

[tampaflusa]

I noticed the maps take longer to update now. I mapped yesterday, it hasn't shown up yet.

[Nickel]

Yeah, I refuse to map in Sensorly anymore because it shows me driving in random empty places with no roads, doesn't show roads that I know are there and small towns don't even appear as if they don't exist. Not to mention even on a strong 38 mbps wifi connection, it is painfully slow to navigate the maps. I figure any mapping I do would just be inaccurate and mess up the true coverage area. Plus, any wimax I map might show up as the generic 4G and confuse the LTE maps.

I've never had an issue with viewing/navigating the maps, what browser are you using?

[Dkoellerwx]

I've never had an issue with viewing/navigating the maps, what browser are you using?

The new app, not the browser version.

[The Dave]

I meant I tried to give Sensorly a chance with a fast wifi connection instead of over 3G to see if the maps loading slowly was from my end or the app itself, but it was just as slow and unresponsive over wifi to navigate the maps. I hate to say it, but the app is just truly bad now and unfortnately it is mostly do to OSM. It looks like a map program created for kindergarteners  and it's about as useful as such.

[thensley1983]

I noticed the maps take longer to update now. I mapped yesterday, it hasn't shown up yet.

 

 was  wondering if it was just me 

[thewezgrays]

There is a bunch of LTE 4G showing leading out of Charlotte NC on I77 then down I26 toward I95 then I95 south to Savannah GA that is false (I am guessing someones phone was messed up and said there was LTE when there wasn't)... Anything we can do to fix this on there?  I love to map new sites ASAP but all of I95 from I26 to GA are ruined for me.  I PMed the Sensorly username on here but got no response...

[Dkoellerwx]

There is a bunch of LTE 4G showing leading out of Charlotte NC on I77 then down I26 toward I95 then I95 south to Savannah GA that is false (I am guessing someones phone was messed up and said there was LTE when there wasn't)... Anything we can do to fix this on there?  I love to map new sites ASAP but all of I95 from I26 to GA are ruined for me.  I PMed the Sensorly username on here but got no response...

 

I have no idea why you would say that those areas are false...

 

There are sites that have been upgraded to LTE in all of those areas. 

[lordsutch]

I meant I tried to give Sensorly a chance with a fast wifi connection instead of over 3G to see if the maps loading slowly was from my end or the app itself, but it was just as slow and unresponsive over wifi to navigate the maps. I hate to say it, but the app is just truly bad now and unfortnately it is mostly do to OSM. It looks like a map program created for kindergarteners and it's about as useful as such.

As an OSMer myself I'm disappointed in this attitude. Personally I think Sensorly might have chosen a better tileset like Mapquest Open, but ultimately the map itself is as good as the community makes it, and if there's something missing or wrong you can report it or (better yet) help fix it at www.OpenStreetMap.org.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

[thewezgrays]

I have no idea why you would say that those areas are false...

 

There are sites that have been upgraded to LTE in all of those areas. 

 

It is in areas where there is no LTE at all yet... It digs through parts of Rock Hill SC that have not lit up yet... and makes dark solid purple lines many many miles long through areas that are not even 3G updated yet... Two days after this showed up I carefully drove through that area and reset my connection at times to make sure that there wasn't 20 or 30 sites suddenly opened up to 4G and there was nothing (other than around the 4G site in Hardeeville SC and another one that opened up around 40 miles north of there Yemmessee area)... It is definitely a case of one persons phone on their way to or from FL or GA messing up and reporting a phantom signal...

 

EDIT: The way it mapped it was either actually on 3G or MAYBE on Verizon 4G...

[Dkoellerwx]

It is in areas where there is no LTE at all yet... It digs through parts of Rock Hill SC that have not lit up yet... and makes dark solid purple lines many many miles long through areas that are not even 3G updated yet... Two days after this showed up I carefully drove through that area and reset my connection at times to make sure that there wasn't 20 or 30 sites suddenly opened up to 4G and there was nothing (other than around the 4G site in Hardeeville SC and another one that opened up around 40 miles north of there Yemmessee area)... It is definitely a case of one persons phone on their way to or from FL or GA messing up and reporting a phantom signal...

 

EDIT: The way it mapped it was either actually on 3G or MAYBE on Verizon 4G...

 

It certainly looks like whatever was mapping was reporting a real signal, whether it was Sprint LTE, don't know. The coverage pattern does seem to reflect Sprint site spacing. I doubt there will be a way to erase it now that it's there, other than mapping over it once LTE is live.

[thewezgrays]

It certainly looks like whatever was mapping was reporting a real signal, whether it was Sprint LTE, don't know. The coverage pattern does seem to reflect Sprint site spacing. I doubt there will be a way to erase it now that its' there, other than mapping over it once LTE is live.

Yeah, that sucks

 

My guess is that the culprit had some kind of custom ROM that reported a 3G signal as a 4G signal.... It really matches up with what I get along that route in 3G... including the small gaps in that persons mapping... but it was definitely not sprint 4G (other than maybe some small amounts in the above cities, around Orangeburg and Columbia maybe)...

[The Dave]

As an OSMer myself I'm disappointed in this attitude. Personally I think Sensorly might have chosen a better tileset like Mapquest Open, but ultimately the map itself is as good as the community makes it, and if there's something missing or wrong you can report it or (better yet) help fix it at www.OpenStreetMap.org.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

It is no dig against anyone who contributes to this map. This is my first run in with OSM, but a program like Sensorly needs a fully complete map to serve as an accurate basis of displaying accurate signal coverage. There are so many missing streets, neighborhoods and towns and the map unfortunately doesn't look very professional. The last nail in the coffin is the fact that with Sensorly, it is so slow at rendering that it is unusable. Maybe it's just me or my Evo 3D just might be too old to use it now. But I no longer use Sensorly because of OSM.

[Dkoellerwx]

It is no dig against anyone who contributes to this map. This is my first run in with OSM, but a program like Sensorly needs a fully complete map to serve as an accurate basis of displaying accurate signal coverage. There are so many missing streets, neighborhoods and towns and the map unfortunately doesn't look very professional. The last nail in the coffin is the fact that with Sensorly, it is so slow at rendering that it is unusable. Maybe it's just me or my Evo 3D just might be too old to use it now. But I no longer use Sensorly because of OSM.

 

Got an update from Sensorly this morning, and they have heard you. They are working to reverse the map changes as well as some other design issues. I will say this, the Sensorly crew has been very responsive, it just takes time to implement the changes. 

[The Dave]

That is exciting. I miss Sensorly and it left me very conflicted when I decided it was time to retire it, especially since once I get my G2, I was excited to map out LTE in my area.

[jarobusa]

Got an update from Sensorly this morning, and they have heard you. They are working to reverse the map changes as well as some other design issues. I will say this, the Sensorly crew has been very responsive, it just takes time to implement the changes. 

 

Thats great to hear.  I tried out OpenSignal and it crashes all the time.  Looking forward to getting the Google Maps back.

[SWMich4G]

It is in areas where there is no LTE at all yet... It digs through parts of Rock Hill SC that have not lit up yet... and makes dark solid purple lines many many miles long through areas that are not even 3G updated yet... Two days after this showed up I carefully drove through that area and reset my connection at times to make sure that there wasn't 20 or 30 sites suddenly opened up to 4G and there was nothing (other than around the 4G site in Hardeeville SC and another one that opened up around 40 miles north of there Yemmessee area)... It is definitely a case of one persons phone on their way to or from FL or GA messing up and reporting a phantom signal...

 

EDIT: The way it mapped it was either actually on 3G or MAYBE on Verizon 4G...

 

Or someone just drove by when they were testing towers that weren't up when you drove by.  Based on the gaps, I think you can rule out it being Verizon since they don't currently and probably haven't had big gaps there for quite a while like the Sprint map shows.  Verizon also appears to have a weak spot around I-95 and 462, where the map shows dark purple on Sprint.  Sprint has a tower right there (probably testing or not publicly broadcasting 4G), and I assume Verizon does not.

 

For the most part it follows the tower placement of Sprint.  The gap around Walterboro means it wouldn't be 3G unless the mapper turned off sensorly for just that stretch since Sprint has strong 3G around there.

[thewezgrays]

Or someone just drove by when they were testing towers that weren't up when you drove by.  Based on the gaps, I think you can rule out it being Verizon since they don't currently and probably haven't had big gaps there for quite a while like the Sprint map shows.  Verizon also appears to have a weak spot around I-95 and 462, where the map shows dark purple on Sprint.  Sprint has a tower right there (probably testing or not publicly broadcasting 4G), and I assume Verizon does not.

 

For the most part it follows the tower placement of Sprint.  The gap around Walterboro means it wouldn't be 3G unless the mapper turned off sensorly for just that stretch since Sprint has strong 3G around there.

It just couldn't have been testing, too many miles and too many large stretches between sites... I dropped out of data (3G or 1x) several times and it seems that it was probably a "fake" connection that was actually 3G or something.

[Yuhfhrh]

That is exciting. I miss Sensorly and it left me very conflicted when I decided it was time to retire it, especially since once I get my G2, I was excited to map out LTE in my area.

 

Meanwhile...

 

Here is the old Sensorly apk from my phone for anyone wanting to downgrade:

 

https://db.tt/tjq6fWRr

 

 

Just download and install the old app over the new one, and map away...

[SWMich4G]

It just couldn't have been testing, too many miles and too many large stretches between sites... I dropped out of data (3G or 1x) several times and it seems that it was probably a "fake" connection that was actually 3G or something.

Believe what you want.