decoy

There is not a problem with Virgin Mobile persay, but as far as we know, Virgin and Boost and other MVNOs will not have access to the 800mhz band and the 2600mhz band. Sprint users will get Tri Band and MVNOs will be stuck on band 1900. As far as putting it in a window....that might work but im not going to guarantee that.

So due to this I am hoping that this should indicate that the tower that they are working on 4G LTE also has the 3G being worked on so then if that is the case then maybe I can reach the 4G LTE possibly. And as for the 800Mhz spectrum if it is for the phones case then it should support it. As the phone I am looking at it says 800 as well as the other spectrum.

 

Is it something virgin mobile and boost are specifically just blocking support for it for some reason? Or is it that since it is a prepaid service sprint isn't going to let them have access to everything like having faster speeds like the contract users get. Seems like all away around companies are just not really caring about people that can't get a good credit score or can't afford something that isn't worth it.

I can report that I've connected to 1x800 on my Virgin Mobile phone in northern Indiana and in California.  We'll see if I get 800Mhz LTE whenever it comes out.  Either way, $35 a month for unlimited 4G LTE is pretty good in my book.

If you're looking for a home internet connection, however, VM does NOT have an LTE hotspot yet, only WiMax.  And I don't think any of their 4G phones have a tethering plan.  You would have to buy a 4G phone,  root it, and hope someone has figured out how to tether it.  Of course that would break your terms of service. 

Some findings as I detoured past some cell sites on my way to work this morning:

The site at I-55/70/270 northwest of Troy IL seems to be in donut mode.  Got brief glimpses of SCIDs 262 and 431 as I drove by.  Hopefully it will be accepted soon.  Ear of corn is still laying at the base of the tower.

Grabbed the SCIDs for the Girl Scout Road & Meridian site in Glen Carbon IL:  21 - 190 - 359.  I think I may have mis-remembered those when I posted yesterday.

OK, I'm back from my little hiatus.  Looks like a lot of stuff going on in the last 2 weeks. 

I drove the "Sensorly Loop" around the IL Rt4 and I-70 site in Marine IL this morning.  SCIDs: 138 - 307 - 476.  Same as Riverview & 270.  Thought that looked familiar.

I think I caught SCID 52 driving past the Girl Scout Road site in Glen Carbon.  I'll try to confirm that and the other two SCIDs soon.

I'll also try to check out the Ellis Road site in St. Jacob the next time I have to go to Highland. 

Ah ok. Is Waffle House still any good? I haven't been to one in like 7 years

It's been about 15 years for me.  Although I do have a free waffle coupon here on my desk that expires on Friday.  Maybe this is the week...

Do you work out there?? Just curious.

"The little bomb factory across from the Waffle House"  or thereabouts...

Grabbed the 3 digits from 370 & 94 (Little Hills Expressway) yesterday:  151 - 320 - 489

 

Mapped some points, too, but they don't seem to be showing up.

Did you get a speed test?

Just got this:

Ping:102ms  Download: 7492kpbs  Upload: 3106kbps

That's sitting inside with a -108dB signal.

Drove by the site at I-55/70 and US40 this morning.  Confirmed that it is now NOT in donut mode after being accepted over the weekend.

Also drove by the I-55/I-70/I-270 site (2347 Tramore).  NV antennas and RRUs are up.  No visible cabinets, but there is a shelter on the site so they're probably in there.  There was no work at the site when I drove by just last week.

Looks like they left some "equipment" behind:

. 

Grabbed the 3 digits from 370 & 94 (Little Hills Expressway) yesterday:  151 - 320 - 489

Mapped some points, too, but they don't seem to be showing up.

Is anything going on at the site near 270 and 55/70?

Nope.  Swung by there after checking out the donut.  Nuthin.

There is a handoff there. The problem is when you get handed off to the donut site LTE drops off because you got too far away from the broadcasting site and too close to the donut site. Even though there maybe another site that you could hand off too that was working. If you get greater than -95db then you will drop and it won't handoff to the next site.

You can stay connected to the donut site if you are continuously using the connection.  I use 'ping google.com' in Terminal Emulator.  At the I-55/70 & US 40 site, I was even able to switch sectors and stay connected.  Of course this is purely academic, as one wouldn't want to use this method on a regular basis.  But it helps when investigating these sites.

The site at I-55/70 and US 40, southwest of Troy, IL  looks to be active in donut mode.  Got SCID's 157-326-495.  (I think those are a repeat of another site over in Lemay.)

Worst thing is that donut mode is preventing connection in places where we should be able to get a decent signal from another tower.  But I suppose that's why they call it donut mode.  I'm guessing most of the sites are going donut to test them out before they're accepted, then they switch it on for the rest of us.

Anyway, got some pics of the antennas/RRUs:

Confirmed donut, I don't understand the point. Also got 05610101 again on the clark bridge/367 til 94.

 

Did you have any trouble connecting / keeping connected / re-connecting?  I'm just curious if your experience with the site was anything like mine...

Picked up SCID 102 this morning as I was approaching 367 and Chambers from the north.  Signal strength got as high as -70ish.  Grabbed a quick screenshot.  I figured the site on top of the apartment building there was active.  I thought I'd just swing around the building, confirm that the SCID changes appropriately, and log another active site.  However, my signal went away, never to return.  Maybe it's in "donut mode."  Or maybe they just saw me coming as switched it off.

I think I've confirmed that Chambers & 367 is in donut mode:

Yesterday I tried to retrace my steps from Monday.  But this time, I fired up a terminal emulator and continuously pinged google.com to keep the connection alive (idea from digiblur).  Drove south on 367 toward the site, getting 4G from riverview & 270.  Sure enough, SCID switched to 102 again.  This time it kept the connection all the way to the parking lot of the building that the antennas are on.  -74 dB signal strength.  I drove to the south side of the building, and 4G disappeared, I assume because I tried to change sectors?.  Toggled airplane mode, nothing.  Drove back to the point I got the -74 dB signal just moments before & toggled airplane mode:  Nuthin'.

This morning, I tried from a different direction.  I connected to the Lucas&Hunt/New Hall Ferry site, started pinging again, and drove east on Chambers toward the site in question.  Sure enough, SCID switched to 440 (that's 102+169+169).  Kept the connection until I turned off the ping.  Couldn't reconnect to 4G.  (Even though I should have been able to grab the Lucas&Hunt site.)

I assume they will start allowing connections once the site is accepted.

Anyway, maybe Digiblur can comment.  (If he still comes around here any more.)

Grabbed the 3-digit SCIDs for the IL Rt159/Rt140 site (Jamestown Rd, South of Holiday Shores):  126 - 295 - 464.

Funny thing is, I caught a glimpse of SCID 295 at Rt143 & I-55 last Wednesday, but I convinced myself that I misread it and that it must have been SCID 290 from the St. Jacob site.

Picked up SCID 102 this morning as I was approaching 367 and Chambers from the north.  Signal strength got as high as -70ish.  Grabbed a quick screenshot.  I figured the site on top of the apartment building there was active.  I thought I'd just swing around the building, confirm that the SCID changes appropriately, and log another active site.  However, my signal went away, never to return.  Maybe it's in "donut mode."  Or maybe they just saw me coming as switched it off.

Antennas and RRU's goin' up at 370 & 94 (on Little Hills Expressway).  AMF guys on the tower, but no one on the ground to talk to.  Couldn't see into the fence to look for cabinets.

Noticing a purple spot at the O'Fallon Family Sports Park just a little east of I-64 and 159.

 

Looks like the center fielder was playing pretty deep.

Someone posted that on here while back. I think we all pretty muched assumed it was the St. Jacob site.

That was us at the O'Fallon Splash Pad.  (Free Family Fun, everybody!)

Yes, the SCID confirmed it was the site southwest of St. Jacob.

Confirmed the 3 digit SCIDs from 270& 159 in Edwardsville this morning:  17 - 186 - 355.  I didn't go very far north, though.  Points up to Cottonwood Rd should be on Sensorly soon.

Mapped about 1500 points between Alton, and Troy/St. Jacob. Alton, Glen Carbon, Troy and St. Jacob are all active, Glen Carbon goes all the way to Troy on 55. Then hands off nicely to the Troy site, Took 40 to Troy O'fallon Rd and got the SCID for St. Jacob. My plan was to take Lebanon Rd. home to Collinsville....turns out it is closed so that cost me a good 15-20 minutes.

Drove past the site at I-270 and IL 159 this morning.  Caught 3dig SCID 355 to the southwest of the site.  I'll see if I can encircle the site on the commute home and confirm all the SCIDs.

Well crud....I went out after work to try and get the HEX for St. Jacob. I was wondering why I had 4G at 55/70 and US-40...makes sense now. SCID 056257## is for Troy....I guess I didn't get St. Jacob....fooey.

Yes, that was my first reaction to a new 4G site:  Fooey! 

Do you get it in your house? I mapped it all the way to almost Collinsville/Maryville

Sitting here with a -98 dB signal in the living room.  Down to -115 in the basement (a walkout that faces away from the site).  I'm about 2 miles from the tower as the crow flies.

How long ago did the RRUs go up?

I noticed them Mid-May.  I have no idea how long they were up before that.

The Troy IL site is finally broadcasting LTE!!

Drove around a bit mapping on Sensorly, and got the SCIDs:  60 - 229 - 398

Got this in front of my house, slightly slower inside. 

Caught a glimpse of SCID 132 at I-270 and IL 3 yesterday afternoon.  Didn't see that # in the spreadsheet, so I went exploring south of there this morning...

Turns out the site at IL3 and Rock Road now has active LTE!  I mapped a loop around it in Sensorly and confirmed the 3dig SCIDs:  132 - 301 - 470.

Looks like Illinois is really starting to light up. 

There is a new dark purple strip at 170 and Rock Road.

 

Edit: Also near 270 and 55/70 in Illinois. And all around town in Troy. All light purple and could be the St. Jacob site but you never know.

Those points in IL were me.  They were all from the rural site down farther south on Stevenson road.  All were just fleeting glimpses of 4G. 

Anxiously waiting for the Troy IL site to light up...

...waiting for, like, three months now.

Not sure if anyone ever verified New Halls Ferry and Lucas & Hunt. There was some Sensory around there before, but I think it was from another site. Anyway it's live now. Sensory mapped. SCIDs: 106 - 275 - 444.