halcyoncmdr

Why would you need force force discharge an SiO+ battery? For that matter why would not need to do so with a Li-Ion battery. Everything I've ever read from reputable sources states specifically NOT to do that because it is pointless and wastes (portions of) charge cycles.

I'll see what I can do today. I live in the area, and will be around the area most of the day.

Arizona is an incumbent state, same lagacy and NV vendor. The eCSFB issue does not affect the entire state. Sensorly does not show current coverage, it shows what was available on the device that mapped it at the time it was mapped. Since Phoenix is not an officially launched market, there is no guaranteed coverage. The towers may have been active and then turned off for some reason, we don't know. It is common for LTE towers to appear and disappear randomly in unlaunched markets.

I highly doubt it will be chameleon or even that the codename is chameleon. Chameleon is already used for the initial OTA HFA scheme Sprint uses that preloads all carrier data at initial device activation. I.E. If your phone does not activate correctly, your "network" will still show as Chameleon, Sprint apps will likely not work, or even be installed. This same system is used for all Sprint devices, MVNO, and prepaid devices like Virgin or Boost. This allows for a single hardware design and software load out of the box for all the phones, then at initial activation the phone gets setup for the proper network setup for whatever "carrier" it is for. I doubt they'd codename a phone after the same system used to HFA and push the correct carrier files to handsets network-wide. That doesn't mean it isn't the codename, just I doubt that part is true. It likely is a miscommunication or a misunderstanding by someone along the way rather than the actual name.

The network still requires both the UICC and phone MEID to be setup correctly. Yuo cannot simply swap your UICC card from one device to another. However, you can quickly activate phones at www.sprint.com/activate, from within the Sprint Zone app on the phone you want to activate, or by going to the Activate This Phone link in your Android phone's settings (old phones won't have this link). None of these methods require talking to a representative or chat, unless your account is setup in a weird fashion or you have an obscure discount methodology for your employer (theoretically, never seen this in reality).

The day that site went live I was able to get a signal at 1st and River, then it started dropping out. The day after when it was still active at night I was able to get a signal near River and La Canada from it. It is entirely plausible in my mind that the 1st/Glenn site, in the middle of the night, would be able to throw a signal that far with no one using it. Remember, at this point there are not nearly as many LTE devices active as 3G devices, there are a LOT of users that don't care about 4G or that just use old phones because they don't care about the latest and greatest.

Not true. You are not in contract with One Up, so there is no ETF if you choose to leave Sprint. You simply either give your phone back, or finish paying it off. When upgrading you do not have to pay full retail price for a device, you simply pay the taxes at time of purchase (and perhaps a deposit in the future, currently waived right now) You get a $15 credit off your monthly plan cost, offsetting much of the purchase price of your device. Don't forget about this part (that's $360 over a 2 year period). If you simply paid full retail price for a device, your plan is still the full price per month, therefore you pay an additional $360 in 2 years that you didn't need to. There is absolutely no reason for you NOT to choose One Up instead of paying full retail.

Here are the simple facts related to Sprint directly: The majority of Sprint customers subscribe to TEP (~80%). There are some that just have ESRP or ERP (~2%). The rest (~18%) do not have any phone protection through Sprint. Of these, only about half (~9%) are still within the manufacturers warranty at any given time. The cost to Sprint to have a third-party vendor repair/refurbish/etc. a device is a fixed cost per device contracted between Sprint and this vendor (VTO in Sprint's case). The manufacturers do notdirectly refurbish most Sprint replacement devices (there are a few exceptions like Blackberries and iPhones). These replacement devices all cost Sprint money (ranging from ~$50-$300 depending on model), often much more than it would be if the part fixed is field-repairable. Surprisingly, most parts on phones are NOT field-repairable. An earpiece speaker on the Samsung Epic for instance can be replaced in the field, however the Epic Touch on the other hand has very few field-repairable parts, the earpiece is not one of them). The Galaxy S3 on the other hand has quite a few field-repairable parts, and the S4 has even more than that. The more that can be fixed in the field, the less Sprint has to pay for refurbished device replacements, it's the main reason the S&R stores are still around. All of the competitors did away with field repair, and thus their replacement costs skyrocketed upwards, despite not having to pay for technicians anymore, their repair/replacement costs are almost double what they were before, and they usually don't replace anything that would be even partially outside the warranty guidelines. On the other hand, the cost of these newer devices for Sprint to refurbish (~$50-$300 remember?), are much higher than they were a few years ago, not to mention back 5 years ago when I started. The TEP/ESRP plans pay for the entire Service and Repair program that Sprint offers, and then some. All technicians, all field-repair parts, all refurbishment costs, it is all funded solely by TEP/ESRP nationwide. This is why I don't see S&R going away any time soon, or Sprint changing the structure of the replacements/warranty guidelines. As it is, for 82% of customers they are covered without any sort of payment out of pocket, because they are enrolled in one of the protection plans. Another 9% are covered by the manufacturer. That leaves just 9% without any coverage, and a nominal $75 charge to repair or replace the phone, because they are out of warranty and chose not to get protection on their device.

It broadcasts essentially a beacon on 800Mhz so your phone will connect to the Airave even if there is a tower close enough for your phone to see that 800MHz signal. The actual connection made with the Airave is still 1900MHz, but that 800 beacon means the Airave will be prioritized even if another 800 signal is detected (since it will likely be more powerful than the macro signal). This is because some phones prioritize 800 over 1900, and were thus switching back and forth between a macro 800 signal and the Airave 1900 signal causing the exact issues an Airave is designed to avoid.

Those are the SIM/UICC card lock codes in case you manage to lock yourself out, preventing authentication and thus data access (at least) on the phone.

The site at 1st and Glenn was accepted yesterday.

You are also forgetting devices capable of GSM and those not. I do not believe these SIM cards are interchangeable, hence the duplication. Really that's the only thing that causes so many different cards, they are all duplicated because of the GSM-capable devices versus CDMA/LTE only.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm cross-posting this here as well since it is directly related to the G2 currently... Sprint eCSFB Gap Issue Legal Approved Talking Points: eCSFB Gap Talking Points Sprint’s Network Vision Plan (Spectrum) Sprint’s Network Vision plan includes access to three spectrum bands, (1.9, 800 and 2.5), and LTE handsets with a single radio. Access to diverse spectrum assets allows Sprint to maximize capacity and coverage. Current Sprint LTE Devices (2 Radios) Current Sprint LTE devices are Simultaneous Voice and LTE (SVLTE)—using two radios, one for voice and one for LTE data. This allows CDMA calls and LTE to operate at the same time. Dual Radio SVLTE devices can degrade the user’s quality of experience – two antennas may slow throughput at the cell edge and reduce battery life. Future Sprint LTE Devices (1 Radio) CSFB and eCSFB (Circuit Switch Fall Back and enhanced Circuit Switch Fall Back) are features that enable single radio functionality in the handset. eCSFB Benefits:With eCSFB implementation, Sprint will be able to offer fast LTE data speeds and 3G voice supported on single radio devices. This provides a more cost effective option for Sprint’s long-term business plans to support additional spectrum bands. eCSFB is expected to improve handset battery life compared to SVLTE. eCSFB Gap Issue – What you Need to know: Smart devices require eCSFB to “fall back” to 3G to accept a voice call if the user is connected to the LTE network. All markets need to be upgraded with eCSFB capability. eCSFB Gaps are only in non-incumbent markets where a site has 4G LTE and no 3G upgrade. 4G LTE integration with 3G is different by OEM type: Incumbent markets – LTE 4G only sites can communicate with either legacy 3G or NV 3G sites. Non-Incumbent – LTE 4G can only communicate with NV 3G sites; so individual sites need both NV upgrades. LTE devices – Customer Experience When 4G LTE is deployed in a non-incumbent market on sites without upgrade to 3G service, there is a gap.Existing Devices – No Impact eCSFB Devices – Phone becomes 3G only device Non-Launched Markets No coverage visible on Sprint.com maps but different experience for users with existing devices versus new eCSFB devices.Launched Markets Sprint coverage tools will display LTE coverage. For new LTE smart device users this could be confusing since they would expect LTE and 3G coverage with the device they purchased, but would not experience LTE until the 3G network is upgraded.Mitigation plan: New LTE Markets When locking new LTE markets for announcement/ launch, eCSFB deployment status will be a factor in the analysis. New LTE markets will not be announced unless the eCSFB gap risk is low. Complete the build quickly in eCSFB gap impacted markets. Acronyms CSFB – Circuit Switch Fall Back. It allows for single radio devices. (ERC) eCSFB – Enhanced Circuit Switch Fall Back Next generation CSFB. (ALU, STA) SVLTE – Simultaneous Voice & LTE. Allows CDMA calls and LTE to operate simultaneously Incumbent – An incumbent market is one in which the OEM stays the same as before Network Vision Non-incumbent – A market in which the OEM changes as well as all of the equipment. ERC - Ericsson ALU – Alcatel Lucent STA - Samsung NV – Network Vision OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer (ERC, ALU, STA) Gap – 4G LTE on sites without appropriate upgrades to 3G service 1.9 GHz Spectrum - Provides initial capacity and coverage for voice and data services. 800 MHz Spectrum - Improves coverage and in-building penetration for all services. 2.5 GHz Spectrum - Increases data capacity to support higher data demands and more users.

Sprint eCSFB Gap Issue Legal Approved Talking Points: eCSFB Gap Talking Points Sprint’s Network Vision Plan (Spectrum) Sprint’s Network Vision plan includes access to three spectrum bands, (1.9, 800 and 2.5), and LTE handsets with a single radio. Access to diverse spectrum assets allows Sprint to maximize capacity and coverage. Current Sprint LTE Devices (2 Radios) Current Sprint LTE devices are Simultaneous Voice and LTE (SVLTE)—using two radios, one for voice and one for LTE data. This allows CDMA calls and LTE to operate at the same time. Dual Radio SVLTE devices can degrade the user’s quality of experience – two antennas may slow throughput at the cell edge and reduce battery life. Future Sprint LTE Devices (1 Radio) CSFB and eCSFB (Circuit Switch Fall Back and enhanced Circuit Switch Fall Back) are features that enable single radio functionality in the handset. eCSFB Benefits:With eCSFB implementation, Sprint will be able to offer fast LTE data speeds and 3G voice supported on single radio devices. This provides a more cost effective option for Sprint’s long-term business plans to support additional spectrum bands. eCSFB is expected to improve handset battery life compared to SVLTE. eCSFB Gap Issue – What you Need to know: Smart devices require eCSFB to “fall back” to 3G to accept a voice call if the user is connected to the LTE network. All markets need to be upgraded with eCSFB capability. eCSFB Gaps are only in non-incumbent markets where a site has 4G LTE and no 3G upgrade. 4G LTE integration with 3G is different by OEM type: Incumbent markets – LTE 4G only sites can communicate with either legacy 3G or NV 3G sites. Non-Incumbent – LTE 4G can only communicate with NV 3G sites; so individual sites need both NV upgrades. LTE devices – Customer Experience When 4G LTE is deployed in a non-incumbent market on sites without upgrade to 3G service, there is a gap.Existing Devices – No Impact eCSFB Devices – Phone becomes 3G only device Non-Launched Markets No coverage visible on Sprint.com maps but different experience for users with existing devices versus new eCSFB devices.Launched Markets Sprint coverage tools will display LTE coverage. For new LTE smart device users this could be confusing since they would expect LTE and 3G coverage with the device they purchased, but would not experience LTE until the 3G network is upgraded.Mitigation plan: New LTE Markets When locking new LTE markets for announcement/ launch, eCSFB deployment status will be a factor in the analysis. New LTE markets will not be announced unless the eCSFB gap risk is low. Complete the build quickly in eCSFB gap impacted markets. Acronyms CSFB – Circuit Switch Fall Back. It allows for single radio devices. (ERC) eCSFB – Enhanced Circuit Switch Fall Back Next generation CSFB. (ALU, STA) SVLTE – Simultaneous Voice & LTE. Allows CDMA calls and LTE to operate simultaneously Incumbent – An incumbent market is one in which the OEM stays the same as before Network Vision Non-incumbent – A market in which the OEM changes as well as all of the equipment. ERC - Ericsson ALU – Alcatel Lucent STA - Samsung NV – Network Vision OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer (ERC, ALU, STA) Gap – 4G LTE on sites without appropriate upgrades to 3G service 1.9 GHz Spectrum - Provides initial capacity and coverage for voice and data services. 800 MHz Spectrum - Improves coverage and in-building penetration for all services. 2.5 GHz Spectrum - Increases data capacity to support higher data demands and more users.

I'll post the legal approved eCSFB Gap talking points in that thread when I have a chance tonight since it is likely the root cause of it.

I don't have specific info like that, but my guess based in what I've read is that it operates something like that, and I'd venture most, if not all, LTE devices going forward week utilize eCSFB as well as it allows for better battery life and network performance (according to my documentation).

In markets where the NV vendor is different from the legacy equipment vendor, the circuit switch fallback systems may be incompatible with each other. Single radio devices (essentially non-svLTE) need eCSFB to fallback to 3G to accept a call. Going forward, eCSFB deployment status will factor into analysis on market launches, new markets will only be launched if the gap risk is low. They will also complete the builds quickly in impacted markets to mitigate impact as much as possible. I can upload the legal-approved talking points later as well.

Park and 18th24th and I-10 Cardinal south of Valencia Harrison just south of Broadway The Glenn and 1st site that we know is broadcasting (albeit at slow speeds comparatively) is still showing as scheduled within the next 3 months.

Not being able to access 4G is related to the G2 being an eCSFB device. In markets being deployed with non-incumbent NV equipment these new devices operate differently due to the enhanced circuit switch fallback support being added with NV. I can give more detailed info later if you all want. It isn't a device issue, there is no hardware problem. It's an incompatibility with the legacy and NV towers and technologies that requires eCSFB capable devices to stay on the old system.

It was not a usable signal unfortunately, it is a fringe signal that comes and goes randomly as the winds change, but I wanted to get the ID of the tower I was connected to.

Or you know.. actually fix the issue. Directly from Sprint's own public support pages... Go into the Visual Voicemail application and compose a Visual Voicemail message by selecting Menu and then Compose. Make sure your message is longer than 15 seconds and send to activate@vvm.sprint.com.99% of the time this corrects the issue. If it does not, try clearing data from the visual voicemail app in settings, this will trigger the VVM activation again the next time you open the app.

Just got this at River and La Canada...

I went through there today a couple of times and didn't pick up any signal between Broadway and Grant on Wilmot. I picked this one up earlier today as well, wasn't driving though so I couldn't try and find out where it was coming from, and the signal dissipated quickly so I must have been moving away.

I'm fairly certain that's a plian old Sprint 3G 1FF GSM SIM card. Not related to LTE or anything released within the last 3 years. That's for The old school Blackberries and Windows phones that were world mode capable like the BB 8830 and Touch Pro 2

Perhaps we can't multitask that well... I also just realized I have an S3 and can run multiple apps simultaneously on screen thereby negating this restriction... damn.