mikejeep

Toggling airplane mode will NOT force a band re-scan. Initiating a PRL update will. On any device. And don't forget that if you use .15, you are susceptible to issues with telephone calls while on LTE. Don't bother with a profile update, the PRL update is all that is necessary for this "trick", because all you are trying to do is force a band re-scan. -Mike

If you are asking why you're not maintaining a 1xRTT connection when connecting to LTE with an LG G2, that's because tri-band devices only have one radio, and only maintain one path at a time. Information about that is all over the site, it has been discussed many many times. -Mike

Since your area is lacking NV acceptances, the best metric for you to be judging right now is signal strength. -44 to -75 dB is excellent. NV upgrades don't typically change your PCS signal strength significantly; they might tweak some downtilt or add a new site, but in general, those are not the main focuses of the project. The poor speeds are indicative of either pre-NV backhaul still in place, or other nearby site(s) being offline (hopefully due to NV work), therefore overloading the sector you were on. Don't consider pre-NV speeds when you're trying to predict future performance. Apples and oranges. -Mike

I'm willing to bet that NV upgrades did start in your area; just because you don't see any acceptances on the map doesn't mean that nothing has been done. I recall reading a thread recently where someone who was actually with the crew working on-site for a day didn't see that site go live for several weeks. And preparations are required before they start any work that would be noticeable from afar (on top of the valid reasons you stated). My closest site is a tower is on top of a hill that is basically straight out my dining room window.. I'm also on top of a hill, and it's a nice scenic view with a valley in between. I can see radomes and panels on the tower with the naked eye. I look out that window a lot because of the view.. but not once have I ever seen any indication of work at the site. But it's NV1.0-complete, and I'm sure other companies have worked on the same tower at some point.. you just don't always notice it. -Mike

Great point, I hadn't thought of that! From what I read, Google was able to target that OTA to only push out if a Verizon SIM was active. So that shouldn't be a hurdle for the Sprint update. -Mike

Like many other things in life, it all depends on who you talk to.. I have also spoken with some very knowledgeable Sprint folks in chat and on the phone. But I saw a question posted on Sprint's message board about a Google-purchased Nexus 5 tonight.. the response from the Sprint rep was that it cannot be activated on Sprint's network because it is a GSM phone. I could understand the confusion when the N5 was first released, but this was posted 2 days ago.. -Mike

My bad.. you're right! I had only looked under "Sprint" and saw a 3G or 4G option; now I see the separate "Sprint WiMAX" with a 4G option. On the previous apps, "Sprint" had 3G/LTE/WiMAX options. In any case, I can't find any WiMAX speed tests anywhere; I tried looking around Boston, NYC, Chicago, Kansas City, and San Francisco.. plenty of signal mapped out, but zero speed tests. The ability to map those has only been in the app for a few months; perhaps no WiMAX folks have utilized it? Otherwise, you'll have to ask Sensorly. They had someone on here for awhile who was rather helpful, but it doesn't appear that account has logged in since October. -Mike

Were you using the mobile app, or the website? No speed tests for any networks appear on the website, and I don't see an option to view a Sprint WiMAX layer in the latest version of the Android mobile app. -Mike

The base station location (BSL) address you see for the 1X connection is based on the latitude and longitude that the site is broadcasting. There is no site database included with SignalCheck; that would be over 100,000 entries for Sprint alone. In some markets, the coordinates are offset a short distance from the site, representing the direction a sector is covering--that's likely what you are experiencing. See the FAQ entry here for more information, and check out the app thread here for tons of discussion about it. Thanks for the support! -Mike

Yeah, ummmmmm... that's not an update. That's the same thing that Sprint has been saying since the Nexus 5 was released. There are dozens of posts just like that all over that site. I wish I read JosefTor's post before I jumped out of my chair in excitement! Sprint has been saying that in various ways since it was released just after Halloween. SprintCare gives the same response to anyone who asks on their website or Twitter every day, "It's on its way.. coming soon.. it will be rolled out shortly... early 2014...". I've also seen more than one response from @sprintcare over the past 2 months saying that the update is being rolled out now. That would be great, but it's not. My best guess is that they are thinking anything Spark = coverage question, not software update. I am disappointed that every time someone asks Sprint about the software update, the rep's first response asks for their location. They should be minimally trained to at least realize folks are asking about a device software update, not a coverage issue. Your location does not have any effect on it. I think they just see "Spark" and go straight for the canned responses. I want the update, but I don't have a problem with it not being released yet; the most specific timeframe Sprint has ever given is "early 2014". I interpret that as 1Q2014, so they've got 4 weeks left. I'd rather they wait and get it right instead of releasing something that is going to worsen the experience for everyone. Since it is a Nexus device, I'm curious if it will just be included as part of the next Google OTA, whenever it comes out. Google might not be willing to push out an update that will only be useful for Sprint customers. -Mike

XDA syndrome! I'm guessing it's a placebo. With the Note2 having it's own PRL series for CDMA 800 issues, maybe they re-enabled BC10 and he's somehow seeing an impact with improved 1X signal strength? That's a complete shot-in-the-dark guess on my part, and the only relevant correlation I can come up with. And it seems like a very very long shot at that. -Mike

FWIW, someone in the New England market sponsor thread mentioned that he recently received PRL 2015 on his Note2 and believed it significantly improved his data connections. -Mike

Man you are fast.. thanks! So, just to be clear, I'm looking for what's in this Huawei thread or this Samsung TDD thread? Might it already be installed for WiMAX, and just awaiting a software (and/or backhaul) upgrade? EDIT: @lilotimz just identified the existing RRH at one of the sites as a Samsung WiMAX-only unit. -Mike

I might be overthinking this, but these two posts have me confused. Boston is an ALU market, and I have been keeping an eye on a couple of local WiMAX Phase 2A sites (Clear-only, no Sprint at the same location) hoping to see some upgrades. Should I be looking for Samsung TDD-LTE equipment, or ALU? Thanks, -Mike

The actual "transition" from legacy to NV for end-users is not rough at all; while they are working on a site, you might have unstable connections for a couple of days while NV equipment is brought online and tested. The rough part is right now, waiting for that day to come. I just took a peek at the map, and your area...... yikes. Check out the Colorado thread in the Sponsors section, looks like there are a lot of folks in your area keeping track of equipment installs that haven't been accepted yet, so hopefully it's getting close. Visit the market threads for those other areas as well if you're curious about progress there, but honestly, in a year, everything will be different. Sprint should have most of the upgrades wrapped up by then, except for band 41 additions in areas that didn't have previously have WiMAX. -Mike

I've got plenty of testers at the moment, but I appreciate the offer. You might have an update to play with tomorrow anyway.. Oh no apology necessary -- the app is behaving like crap! I have been hearing from dozens of people, don't worry. The new version should not have any freezing/crashing issues, even if a specific site is causing the problem. -Mike

It has zero relevance to the current status of the Boulder area, but in my area (suburban Boston), I've had ~90% LTE coverage for several months and it's awesome. We're lucky to be one of the markets that got started near the beginning and continued with steady progress. I haven't found any band 26 (800 MHz, better building penetration) or 41 (2500/2600 MHz, ridiculous speeds) yet, but the good old band 25 has worked very well here. I never roam unless I drift too far off the highway in NH where there is no native Sprint coverage. Just keep this in mind: think of Sprint's network like a brand new house under construction, and you're considering moving in early. Trying to live there while they are working on it will bring up some inconveniences. Some of the rooms are unfinished, and you might get dirty. Not everyone can tolerate living like that. But when they are finally done (and if you've seen the maps here, you know there has been great progress over the past 18 months), it will be awesome. -Mike

Yep, well aware.. it's been driving me crazy for almost 2 months! It's not specifically triggered by CSFB issues, but those could exacerbate it. Good news though.. I think I finally tracked down the root cause of the problems! A new version went into testing earlier this week, and it is going well. I anticipate releasing an update with that fix and a few other goodies very soon.. very very soon.. keep an eye on the thread and website in my signature for details. -Mike

I'm not well versed on the PRL stuff, but looking at the full analysis of 55017 and 25018 from your site, it doesn't appear that the 800 tidbits changed, at least not for Boston and the other markets I looked at near the top of the list. Or does the full analysis report not reflect that either? Or does the placement in the overall list relate to a prioritization? Just curious if your analysis did confirm that the 800 scan priority did change from *17 to *18, and if it's something we could pick out on our own by looking at your data. I will sleep better tonight knowing your avatar is back. I didn't trust the ghost of digiblur. -Mike

^ This. It's a non-issue.. you only notice it if you are in a dark room and specifically looking for it. It's an awesome device that is well-built with great components under the hood. And I will repeat it for the zillionth time: the RF performance is ridiculous. -Mike

JSS15Q is an update for the Nexus 7 tablet from August 2013. Any mentions of it on another device must be a glitch with Sprint Zone. -Mike

Not a bad idea. But then how would you then prefer to see LTE band info? Seems like around here we refer to the band more than the frequency, but I'm thinking of ways to keep it consistent regardless of network type.. LTE 800 LTE 1900 LTE 2500/2600 is ugly but technically correct What about.. "Band Class: 10 (800 MHz)" or "Band: 25 (1900 MHz)" etc. ..and if I got the actual frequency somehow (like on the HTCs), replace the default marker with that. I'd I don't have enough info to display it accurately, nothing extra appears. I realize we could all debate this in circles forever, and in the end it doesn't matter too much as long as the info shows up somewhere that makes sense. I just enjoy going around the room and getting feedback. My wife does not enjoy participating in any discussions related to the app unless it directly correlates to me becoming a billionaire, so my fun is limited to on here. -Mike

Oh yes I couldn't think of anything better!!!! ROFL.. actually I caught wind of a method to convert text to a graphic on the fly. I don't think it works because of the way icons have to be coded, but I'm going to try it out anyway. An overhaul of all the status bar icons is next on the agenda after I finish the logging bits. -Mike

Similar to what I was starting to think of.. but like I previously mentioned (pay attention!! ), there is no mechanism to get the band/frequency for any connection. Any band display in the app is a result of evaluating other data. As I discover different providers' structures, I can add it. But it's not as simple and straightforward as I wish it was. -Mike

I love My Choice, but if you track a package without logging in and it doesn't have an ETA yet, signing up for My Choice won't change that. Most likely a label has been created but it hasn't been scanned into UPS' system yet, so they can't project transport time. -Mike