Sprint is doing a live tour of the cell site

[feteru]

Actually they use their AWS (1700mhz) for HSPA+, and are migrating it to 1900mhz to support the iPhone.

Thanks, and I looked on wikipedia, seems as though they have nationwide 1900mhz, and then large areas of 1700mhz and 2100mhz. Anyone else think that that seems a little rough to be rolling out nationwide LTE on, which they would have to do eventually, just to stay competitive? Without any lower spectrum, it seems as though they can't really get the coverage practically.

[Deval]

Sprint is going to do pretty well using 1900mhz, because it will on each cell site, so in theory, it will be like for like coverage.

[ericdabbs]

Thanks, and I looked on wikipedia, seems as though they have nationwide 1900mhz, and then large areas of 1700mhz and 2100mhz. Anyone else think that that seems a little rough to be rolling out nationwide LTE on, which they would have to do eventually, just to stay competitive? Without any lower spectrum, it seems as though they can't really get the coverage practically.

 

I don't know about HSPA+ but wasn't part of the AT&T/Tmobile break up deal include a roaming agreement with AT&T? So I at least for voice, Tmobile voice should be enhanced with AT&T roaming for coverage. I am sure HSPA+ was part of the deal as well. I mean if you think about it, if Sprint can benefit from 1x and EVDO roaming on Verizon why can't Tmobile do the same thing with GSM and HSPA+ on AT&T.

[feteru]

I don't know about HSPA+ but wasn't part of the AT&T/Tmobile break up deal include a roaming agreement with AT&T? So I at least for voice, Tmobile voice should be enhanced with AT&T roaming for coverage. I am sure HSPA+ was part of the deal as well. I mean if you think about it, if Sprint can benefit from 1x and EVDO roaming on Verizon why can't Tmobile do the same thing with GSM and HSPA+ on AT&T.

Sprint is going to do pretty well using 1900mhz, because it will on each cell site, so in theory, it will be like for like coverage.

 

I think Sprint is doing pretty well with 1900mhz, but they do have a long term goal to more effectively use their 800mhz spectrum, for when their roaming deal on Verizon runs out, which will allow them to have much better coverage throughout the nation which T-Mobile will then not be able to compete with. The question is, does T-Mobile have any plans beyond their roaming agreement with AT&T, in terms of widespread coverage?

[LookInToMyEyes]

The website still hasn't updated -_- OMG I want to see the video!! lol........

[digiblur]

 

So, is this thing inside a panel? In all the NV pics I have seen to date, there are manual threaded rods that can be used to adjust the downtilt of the panel mechanically. However, if there is some sort of physical antenna manipulation inside the panel, then this is something I have not been aware of.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

 

It looks like it is mounted to the bottom of the panel. Same thing from what I can tell from the install docs and that they can be daisy chained. Guess it's kinda like a bus type addressing.

 

Go to this thread and scroll down to the Google plus link that benchase posted

 

http://www.s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1620-LTE-Tower-pictures.

 

There are pictures of this device attached to the panel.

 

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

[S4GRU]

It looks like it is mounted to the bottom of the panel. Same thing from what I can tell from the install docs and that they can be daisy chained. Guess it's kinda like a bus type addressing.

 

Go to this thread and scroll down to the Google plus link that benchase posted

 

http://www.s4gru.com...Tower-pictures.

 

There are pictures of this device attached to the panel.

 

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

 

That third unit at the bottom is just a third RRU.

 

 

In this pic you can see that this bottom unit does not attach to the panel in a way that could adjust the downtilt. In fact, you can see a mechanical hinge arm between the top and bottom RRU's that allow for the panel to mechanically tilt out. There is a threaded rod at the top that will push out the top and the hinge at the bottom allows it to move.

 

I do not see anything here that looks like it can remote control adjust mechanical downtilt.

 

 

In this picture you can see that the bottom unit is just another RRU. Most NV sites have three RRU's. Some only have two. And a few have four or five.

 

Robert

[digiblur]

Guess I am an antenna need from previous work. I made my own ACU back in the day when I worked offshore.. I got tired of climbing up the derrick to aim a yagi to one point. I ended up building a pivot plate with two motors and two proximity sensors. The prox sensors would send pulses based on if the plate was moving. And I would just apply voltage to the motors 150+ feet up and watch my little lights blink.. With two sensors I could see the direction it was turning... Another motor was attached to a solenoid that would apply pressure to the plate to help prevent the wind from turning it. No climbing and I could point anywhere I wanted based on the location as it changed. The coonass acu!

 

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

[digiblur]

In this picture you can see that the bottom unit is just another RRU. Most NV sites have three RRU's. Some only have two. And a few have four or five.

 

Robert

 

I know what the RRU's look like. Look at this picture:

 

 

I assume the panel setup has a coarse adjustment to get them in the range they want. Then this unit allows them to fine tune it inside the panel itself.

[digiblur]

Check this brochure out that talks about the ACU. Even shows an X over the tower guy having to manually adjust the panel.

 

http://www.rfsworld.com/userfiles/pdf/RT_Brochure.pdf

[S4GRU]

 

I know what the RRU's look like. Look at this picture:

 

I assume the panel setup has a coarse adjustment to get them in the range they want. Then this unit allows them to fine tune it inside the panel itself.

 

Is that picture the connection point at the bottom of the panel? If there is an internal controllable mechanical adjustment, that would be pretty neat. I also would wonder if all three NV vendors have that capability. They all three have different panels, different components all together.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

[S4GRU]

Check this brochure out that talks about the ACU. Even shows an X over the tower guy having to manually adjust the panel.

 

http://www.rfsworld.com/userfiles/pdf/RT_Brochure.pdf

 

That's a great brochure. Thanks for posting.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

[digiblur]

Okay more research. From what I've found so far Ericsson and Alcatel Lucent are both using the same RFS panels. The downtilt bracket mounting package allows for around a 9 degree downtilt adjustment which is hard set during the installation. Then it looks like the ACU can adjust another 10 degree range from there which can be done remotely. Digging for some Samsung stuff but I would assume they are using the same panels with the ACU's as well.

 

Further research even confirms they can adjust the downtilt independently for 800 and 1900. I was wondering how they were going to deal with propgation characteristics differences between 800 and 1900 in the same panel at the same downtilt. The puzzle is complete now!

 

One last thing I'm digging for is why does the pictured panel from the have three ACU's. Hmm... Ahh wait... it hit me as I was typing! The panels are triple band antennas. You can see it in the pictures too...kinda The middle is the 800SMR band. The outer two are the PCS band. One for EVDO. One for LTE. So they have independent remote downtilt controls for all three air interfaces. Duhh..that's why they have 3 RRU's. Very cool stuff!

 

Look in this picture and you can see the ACU's on the bottom of the panels (blue caps on daisy chain port):

 

Now look at this installation sheet Figure 3. It looks like the exact panel in the ACU close up picture except you can read the frequencies. Who needs a 1850-1995 panel? Someone rolling out G Block that will have 2 radios attached to the PCS sides? Wonder who that is? Maybe the same person who requires 806-869? "Yes, Sheldon, that's sarcasm."

 

http://www.google.co...sl4psuw&cad=rja

 

Why do I get this funny feeling people are laughing at me for talking to myself

[digiblur]

I was wrong on the Samsung. It looks like they are using KMW panels. But KMW also has remote controllable downtilt antennas.

[Thomas L.]

They currently have their HSPA+ in AWS spectrum, they're refarming it to their 1900mhz spectrum to allow the use of the iPhone and many other devices, but primarily to free up their AWS spectrum for their impending LTE launch.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent ICS Blue Tapatalk 2

[digiblur]

They currently have their HSPA+ in AWS spectrum, they're refarming it to their 1900mhz spectrum to allow the use of the iPhone and many other devices, but primarily to free up their AWS spectrum for their impending LTE launch.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent ICS Blue Tapatalk 2

 

Quote much?

 

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

[Thomas L.]

 

Quote much?

 

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

 

Wasn't a quote, if it sounded like one.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent ICS Blue Tapatalk 2

[pyroscott]

Wasn't a quote, if it sounded like one.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent ICS Blue Tapatalk 2

 

He was referring to the fact that it had already been said in this forum here

Actually they use their AWS (1700mhz) for HSPA+, and are migrating it to 1900mhz to support the iPhone.

[Thomas L.]

 

He was referring to the fact that it had already been said in this forum here

 

Oh, alright, I just wanted to also say why they're refarming.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent ICS Blue Tapatalk 2

[digiblur]

 

Oh, alright, I just wanted to also say why they're refarming.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent ICS Blue Tapatalk 2

 

No harm... I do the same thing sometimes. I have a thought and reply before reading what others have said and end up saying the same thing.

 

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

[Rasta Cheesehead]

Some video of this event

 

 

 

[Rasta Cheesehead]

More pics on the article . Video was short

 

 

http://tech-snobs.com/#!/entry/exclusive-sprint-4g-lte-baltimore-launch-updated,3666

[digiblur]

Some video of this event

 

 

 

That wasn't the news station though... Unless that was UHF channel 62 covering the event. Did anyone see Stanley?

 

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

[irev210]

Why do I get this funny feeling people are laughing at me for talking to myself

 

When I first posted the downtilt, I was hoping someone that was more educated in the field would take a look, glad you did

 

It's really cool. I wonder how much Sprint is currently messing with downlilt. Will coverage "evolve" as network vision deployment progresses? Will they actively adjust each tower as they upgrade towers around it?

 

Just interesting that this has never been brought up before.

[pyroscott]

When I first posted the downtilt, I was hoping someone that was more educated in the field would take a look, glad you did

 

It's really cool. I wonder how much Sprint is currently messing with downlilt. Will coverage "evolve" as network vision deployment progresses? Will they actively adjust each tower as they upgrade towers around it?

 

Just interesting that this has never been brought up before.

 

One would think that they would start with the least downtilt and adjust it as adjacent sites came online, but it doesn't appear that way.