Network Vision/LTE - Shentel Market (Shenandoah Valley/Hagerstown/Harrisburg)

[leozno1]

You're making me jealous!  Still nothing in the Harrisburg area. 

 

Lol sorry man. It should be getting up and running in Harrisburg at any moment now. It's been less than a week since I first spotted B26 and now I see B26 on my phone as often if not more often than B25 on my phone in and around York. It's definitely gonna be moving very quickly. And I'm getting into the habit of mapping on Sensorly again to update the maps with the greatly improved LTE signal strength.

[Galaxyguy]

Has anyone seen any small cells deployed in the Shentel area? I believe I may have found an area where one is, but it's a little different than I expected. As I was driving through an area with traditionally low signal, I noticed a couple days ago that I had a really strong 1x1900 signal and equally strong ehrpd signal. Last night, as I was driving through the same area, I had a roughly -95 1x800 signal but a -45 ehrpd signal. I then transitioned back to weak LTE signal a few seconds after I noticed it.

 

If this is a small cell, it is apparently only broadcasting a non-LTE PCS only signal.

 

Just wondering if I stumbled upon something unique or if there may be others out there. I didn't have time to try to locate where it was coming from but I was passing a Shentel switching station for their landline telephone service and I'm suspecting it was coming from there. I'll try to look for the antenna if I get some time this week.

 

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[The_Chemist]

Have you guys down in York noticed better In-building signals on 800 LTE?

 

I'd be interested in knowing what kind of differences you are getting on 800 LTE vs 1900 LTE.

 

My GF works in a basement office in Harrisburg. When she had Verizon, she got a weak LTE signal. Now that she switched to Sprint, the only signal she gets is 1 800. No EV - DO or eHRPD on 1900. I'm hoping that when Shentel switches on 800 LTE in Hbg, she'll at least get a weak LTE signal. 

[Vince]

Have you guys down in York noticed better In-building signals on 800 LTE?

 

I'd be interested in knowing what kind of differences you are getting on 800 LTE vs 1900 LTE.

 

My GF works in a basement office in Harrisburg. When she had Verizon, she got a weak LTE signal. Now that she switched to Sprint, the only signal she gets is 1 800. No EV - DO or eHRPD on 1900. I'm hoping that when Shentel switches on 800 LTE in Hbg, she'll at least get a weak LTE signal.

There's way too many variables in place to give a definitive yes or no. How far is the nearest tower?

[The_Chemist]

There's way too many variables in place to give a definitive yes or no. How far is the nearest tower?

She's pretty much triangulated by towers up behind the old Bishop McDevitt High School,  17th street and 28th street. The farthest being probably about 0.75 miles. 

 

I'm really hoping that 800 MHz will be the answer for her since the Verizon towers were much further away. 

 

I'm kind of skeptical though since 1x800 only comes in at -98 dBm.   Add to that a fragile LTE signal....

[Dkoellerwx]

She's pretty much triangulated by towers up behind the old Bishop McDevitt High School,  17th street and 28th street. The farthest being probably about 0.75 miles. 

 

I'm really hoping that 800 MHz will be the answer for her since the Verizon towers were much further away. 

 

I'm kind of skeptical though since 1x800 only comes in at -98 dBm.   Add to that a fragile LTE signal....

It also depends on the device. If you are getting a -98dBm RSSI signal on 1x800, it's unlikely you'll see a usable LTE signal in that location. LTE is usable down to about -95dBm RSSI. If you do see an LTE signal, it'll likely be very, very weak. However, with time, 3G should improve as more and more people switch to LTE devices. It certainly won't be enough for streaming video or anything like that, but it should be a usable data connection.

[nexgencpu]

It also depends on the device. If you are getting a -98dBm RSSI signal on 1x800, it's unlikely you'll see a usable LTE signal in that location. LTE is usable down to about -95dBm RSSI. If you do see an LTE signal, it'll likely be very, very weak. However, with time, 3G should improve as more and more people switch to LTE devices. It certainly won't be enough for streaming video or anything like that, but it should be a usable data connection.

There's a bunch of variables to take into account (capacity, obstruction etc..) I have been on both side of the spectrum (no pun intended) In north jersey once clocking in over 20mb/sec with a -115dBm signal on B25 vs barely 1meg here in NYC with a -60dBm signal. 

 

So a B26 signal of just over -100dBm, might work with the right combination of other sites and bands to offload to.

 

In a perfect scenario of course..

[Dkoellerwx]

There's a bunch of variables to take into account (capacity, obstruction etc..) I have been on both side of the spectrum (no pun intended) In north jersey once clocking in over 20mb/sec with a -115dBm signal on B25 vs barely 1meg here in NYC with a -60dBm signal. 

 

So a B26 signal of just over -100dBm, might work with the right combination of other sites and bands to offload to.

 

In a perfect scenario of course..

You're not comparing the same scale. I was talking RSSI, you're talking RSRP.

 

A -95dBm RSSI 1x signal is roughly equivalent to a -120 to -125dBm RSRP LTE signal. So no, it's not likely one will see a usable LTE signal in that location if the signal strength stays the same.

[nexgencpu]

You're not comparing the same scale. I was talking RSSI, you're talking RSRP.

 

A -95dBm RSSI 1x signal is roughly equivalent to a -120 to -125dBm RSRP LTE signal. So no, it's not likely one will see a usable LTE signal in that location if the signal strength stays the same.

Right...I was thinking EVDO vs 800 LTE, which are closer in signal strength (with a slight edge to B26)

[The_Chemist]

You're not comparing the same scale. I was talking RSSI, you're talking RSRP.A -95dBm RSSI 1x signal is roughly equivalent to a -120 to -125dBm RSRP LTE signal. So no, it's not likely one will see a usable LTE signal in that location if the signal strength stays the same.

I am very eager to experience 800 LTE myself. In the last few months, signal strength and speed have been down in the Harrisburg area. I don't know whether this is due to system overload on band 25 or not. Possibly Shentel is just balancing loads on their towers, but it's not impressive at all.

 

Most places now, I get around -100 dBm.RSRP or less on band 25. Hopefully Shentel will step up their game to give us better signal levels than Verizon and AT&T in the same areas on the forthcoming band 26.

[bakedc4]

Good news is band 26 is active in Stephens City and Front Royal. Bad news is I still haven't ran into it here in Winchester.

 

Sent from my HTC ONE M8

[The_Chemist]

Good news is band 26 is active in Stephens City and Front Royal. Bad news is I still haven't ran into it here in Winchester.

 

Sent from my HTC ONE M8

Oh I feel so forsaken by Shentel up north here! 

[Galaxyguy]

Has anyone seen any small cells deployed in the Shentel area? I believe I may have found an area where one is, but it's a little different than I expected. As I was driving through an area with traditionally low signal, I noticed a couple days ago that I had a really strong 1x1900 signal and equally strong ehrpd signal. Last night, as I was driving through the same area, I had a roughly -95 1x800 signal but a -45 ehrpd signal. I then transitioned back to weak LTE signal a few seconds after I noticed it.

 

If this is a small cell, it is apparently only broadcasting a non-LTE PCS only signal.

 

Just wondering if I stumbled upon something unique or if there may be others out there. I didn't have time to try to locate where it was coming from but I was passing a Shentel switching station for their landline telephone service and I'm suspecting it was coming from there. I'll try to look for the antenna if I get some time this week.

 

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

Finally found what referenced in my previous post. Has anyone ever seen one of these? As I said above, it's broadcasting 1x1900 and ehrpd 3G.

 

I found it on Rt 11 (Main St) in Toms Brook, VA on top of a power pole.

 

 

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[Dkoellerwx]

Finally found what referenced in my previous post. Has anyone ever seen one of these? As I said above, it's broadcasting 1x1900 and ehrpd 3G.

 

I found it on Rt 11 (Main St) in Toms Brook, VA on top of a power pole.

 

 

 

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May be a repeater of some sort. There are a number of locations where repeaters are utilized rather than deploy a full macro site. You're certain signal from there?

[Galaxyguy]

May be a repeater of some sort. There are a number of locations where repeaters are utilized rather than deploy a full macro site. You're certain signal from there?

It had to be from there. I had around -45 signal on both 1x and 3G. The closest tower is on the other side of a hill about a mile away. People used to drop calls there a lot so I'm sure that's why it's there. I just have never seen anything like that before.

 

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[Dkoellerwx]

It had to be from there. I had around -45 signal on both 1x and 3G. The closest tower is on the other side of a hill about a mile away. People used to drop calls there a lot so I'm sure that's why it's there. I just have never seen anything like that before.

 

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It appears to be an omnidirectional antenna rather than the directional antennas with sectors that we are used to seeing. 

[bakedc4]

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qzpm655x1qlxgyn/AACxNZf759_CaxF0XgF_lK_ya I posted this a few months ago but no one ever replied to it. This is here in Winchester.

 

Sent from my HTC ONE M8

[Galaxyguy]

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qzpm655x1qlxgyn/AACxNZf759_CaxF0XgF_lK_ya I posted this a few months ago but no one ever replied to it. This is here in Winchester.

 

Sent from my HTC ONE M8

I must have missed that post. I guess Shentel is using them to fill in dead spots.

 

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[Dkoellerwx]

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qzpm655x1qlxgyn/AACxNZf759_CaxF0XgF_lK_ya I posted this a few months ago but no one ever replied to it. This is here in Winchester.

 

Sent from my HTC ONE M8

 

Never saw that, sorry.

[bakedc4]

It may have been in another thread, it's been to long to remember.

 

There is a wooden pole in Front Royal with two directional panels on it that they just built a new monopole with 3 sectors to replace. Hopefully they do that for all the abnormal sites

 

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[burnout8488]

Is anyone here from the Carlisle, PA area? I'll be there all weekend for a car show and will report back any B26 sightings, unless it's already been discovered and I just missed it. Excited to see how good the completed Shentel market is. 

[The_Chemist]

Is anyone here from the Carlisle, PA area? I'll be there all weekend for a car show and will report back any B26 sightings, unless it's already been discovered and I just missed it. Excited to see how good the completed Shentel market is.

 

I'd be interested in your findings. As of last Friday night we still didn't have band 26 in the Harrisburg area. I would imaging that Shentel is working their way north.

[Galaxyguy]

Good news is band 26 is active in Stephens City and Front Royal. Bad news is I still haven't ran into it here in Winchester.

 

Sent from my HTC ONE M8

Add Woodstock to the list. I'm picking it up at my house in town now. Most of Shenandoah County is now covered in B26.

 

Strasburg, Toms Brook, Maurertown, Woodstock, and Edinburg are all covered. I did also pick it up near the Forestville area but it was only briefly. I don't travel through the south end of the county as much as the north end but when I do, I'll post back.

 

I also picked it up in Middletown and Stephens City earlier this week in Frederick County.

 

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[burnout8488]

Doesn't seem to be any in the Carlisle or Harrisburg area that I saw on the highway today. Hungout at the fairgrounds for a few hours and it was strictly B25 indoors and out. So yeah, they're definitely moving North but not here quite yet. 

[The_Chemist]

Doesn't seem to be any in the Carlisle or Harrisburg area that I saw on the highway today. Hungout at the fairgrounds for a few hours and it was strictly B25 indoors and out. So yeah, they're definitely moving North but not here quite yet.

 

Thanks for reporting back. We'll just have to be patient here in the Harrisburg area until Shentel throws the switch!