Trip

My wife is using the public release.  I run the beta, but my G8X reports as 310120/310260 rather than 311490, so I can't test it myself.

- Trip

Mike,

I pulled data off my wife's phone yesterday (LG G7) and found that almost none of the notes are showing up because the phone is reporting everything as 311490, and it's treating that as Sprint-equivalent even though most of the sites she connects to are T-Mobile.

I tried the alternate PLMN method and that just made everything come back as 310120, even the T-Mobile sites.

Not sure there's anything to be done since this will probably all be resolved in six months, but figured I'd at least flag it. 

- Trip

2 hours ago, mikejeep said:

Another SCP update for the Beta Crew is rolling out now! All of the file operations have been overhauled, including import/export/backup routines as well as many things behind the scenes. Each user needs to click on Logs > Select Log Folder to configure their default folder for exported log files to reside in. It can be changed at any time, and this folder will not be deleted if you uninstall the app. Most existing users will probably be content with selecting the /SignalCheck folder  from previous versions, but it's completely up to the user now.

A new option has also been added for non-beta users to export data files to be manually processed on the mapping site. This is a temporary band-aid until beta testing of the mapping feature is complete (and I get password authentication working from within the app). Beta users do not have this option, as the much simpler Upload option replaces it.

Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!

Just updated, then did the configuration, exported, and reimported on my G8X.  All seemed to work.  Thanks so much!    I'll let you know if I encounter any problems.

By the way, I sent a Christmas gift your way on PayPal yesterday; hopefully you received it.  Thanks again for all you do!

- Trip

As an FYI for anyone who has not downloaded the latest betas yet, I'm currently experiencing an issue where I am unable to import log database files on my LG G8X (Android 9).  I assume the import function works fine, but I simply cannot locate any files from the SCP file picker.  I've separately notified Mike via PM, but wanted to make sure others knew before potentially getting stuck. 

- Trip

Weird.  They told you the antennas hadn't been put up yet, but I see the bottom rack antennas have QR codes on the side like Dish antennas typically do.

- Trip

44 minutes ago, dkyeager said:

Pictures moved to imgur

I can now see the pics in the first post, but not the second one.  Very interesting thus far.

- Trip

I found this article to be fascinating.

https://wirelessestimator.com/articles/2021/rf-signage-placement-row-heads-to-nj-court-after-landlord-refuses-t-mobile-site-access/

Building on which T-Mobile is located refusing to allow T-Mobile to upgrade its equipment unless both violates FCC rules and removes required signs, and otherwise does things not required in the lease.

- Trip

59 minutes ago, mikejeep said:

Most of the native API methods were added in Android 10, but not every manufacturer takes advantage of them immediately. Your report showed there was no cell info at all being reported by the standard methods at the time of your report. You should've seen NR signal strength because the app appeared to be catching that through a different method.

Yep, got signal strength, but nothing useful to ID the cell.

- Trip

Mike,

I sent you diagnostics today from my Moto One 5G Ace, which is on Tello service so I could do 5G-NR with it.  It suddenly started picking up 5G stand-alone, but it appears the API is not providing any detailed information.

Since sending it this morning, I've concluded the problem is likely that this device is still stuck on Android 10, and that Android 11 is needed for full information.  If so, I'm at Motorola's mercy, waiting for them to release an update.  Does that sound right to you?

- Trip

So far as I know, all three carriers are co-located on all the sites all around there, except T-Mobile has an extra site at the church at 6817 Dean Dr.

Sounds like a new tower is needed.

- Trip

Yes, they're broadcasting 312250.  What I'm saying is that they've not done anything more than that--in other areas, we've seen keep sites being converted to T-Mobile equipment.  That hasn't begun in the Shentel region.  And on my phone, at least, it seems to prefer the T-Mobile native over 312250, sometimes connecting to 5x5 T-Mobile 700 when 10x10 Shentel PCS should be available, for example.

- Trip

1 hour ago, dkyeager said:

There are Sprint sites which have been upgraded with T-Mobile antennas and Massive Mimo, yet are only broadcasting b25, b26, and CDMA and thus are invisible to older T-Mobile phones. They are used by T-Mobile customers with 5g phones.

I've seen a handful those as well, but only in Sprint territory, not yet in Shentel territory.  (And they're B25/41 only, no 26.)  I'll be passing one of them this coming weekend and was told it was supposed to be shifted to T-Mobile in early November, so we'll see.

- Trip

T-Mobile's non-Shentel coverage is so sparse that there are large dead zones between sites in some areas.  In many places, most or all T-Mobile sites that aren't on power lines now have 600 on them.

But they've not started touching Shentel sites as far as I know.  Just T-Mobile's own sites in Shentel territory, which won't be enough.

- Trip

Using the Hagerstown-Chambersburg area as a proxy, they've done a handful of upgrades to pre-existing T-Mobile sites, not including the Chambersburg smokestack itself, but haven't touched Shentel sites at all.  They've flagged almost every non-co-located Shentel site with 312250 though, so they should theoretically be available to T-Mobile customers, but YMMV.

I'm going to stick with the Sprint SIM as long as I can, and then make a decision between staying with T-Mobile or joining Verizon.

- Trip

They still aren't running any towers of their own with customers on them, so far as I'm aware.  They've got a lot of gear popping up though, so construction does appear to be in progress, and I've seen permits in several areas.

- Trip

Got what I hope is a minor issue.  I will note I am on the previous beta, not the current one, but your description above didn't make it sound like this had been addressed, so...

https://imgur.com/a/kFsHZdI

Two of my phones ended up like the above after uploading data.  With the Close button cut off, I was unable to dismiss the dialog except by killing SCP and restarting.  The back button doesn't close it, and I can't figure out any other way to do it.

- Trip

That's a great idea.  I hope they're able to stick to it and get some towers built in places where only power line towers exist today.

- Trip

2 hours ago, thisischuck01 said:

"[Dave Mayo] said work in coastal cities like New York and Los Angeles will start later because the company plans to use rooftop sites, due to local regulations, that may require different equipment configurations."

Source.

Yeah, I saw that.  Doesn't really explain why they don't have permits for the poles in Fairfax County, for example.

- Trip

I've been looking for permits for Dish and have found there seem to be more of them in outlying areas than I can find in areas around major cities.  For example, I've found none in Fairfax County VA, and fewer than a dozen in Montgomery County MD, but more than a dozen in Washington County MD (near Hagerstown) and others in places like Chesterfield County VA (near Richmond) but not in Hagerstown or Richmond.

- Trip

Mike, a few questions/comments:

1) Is there any way to disable the in-app update prompt?  On some of my phones, literally every time I switched away and back to SCP, it popped up to ask.  Really irritating since I wanted to do it on wifi.

2) PLMN 313690 popped up as T-Mobile when it appeared in my log, but it should probably be listed as either "Shentel" or "Beam", the latter being the brand name for the former's fixed LTE service.  I had a single-hit log of one of their sites and it shows as "T-Mobile B41" when it has nothing to do with T-Mobile. 

3) Any idea yet when a new public release might go out so that the database formats line up again? 

4) A friendly reminder that I'd love to have the ability to append to the names of the output files so I don't have to rename each one as I copy it to my computer.

Thanks again for all you do!

- Trip

I've been seeing T-Mobile Band 2 connecting when Band 25 is selected for literally years at this point.  If I lock one of my T-Mobile phones to Band 25, it will connect just fine, though it prefers Band 2 if I don't lock it. 

Can't speak to CA, though.

- Trip

Over the weekend, I drove a route through Albemarle/Nelson Counties and Charlottesville that took me past every site I had yet to see.  Essentially all that are not colocated are running 312250 at this time.

One puzzler though; a native T-Mobile site with GCI 074AFF (for B12/71; no other bands were observed), appears to be very new and somewhere near the tower near the Amtrak station.  Is it on that tower, or is it on one of the buildings across the street to the west?  My observations suggest the latter, especially since 312250 is running on the Amtrak tower, but I can't find any permits to back it up either way. 

- Trip

Updates on MULTOCN.  Went to Rennfest this weekend, and can report on it a bit.

Contrary to what I had read, it prefers T-Mobile a lot rather than evenly splitting T-Mobile and Sprint, though 312250 sites appear as frequently (when available) as T-Mobile sites.  However, when I was actually at Rennfest, where the service was bogged down, it did try to load balance over to Sprint sites.  Neither T-Mobile nor Sprint was functioning with more than a trickle of data, so it bounced back and forth draining the battery without much to show for it.

On Saturday I'll be in Shentel land again, and we'll see how it does there.

- Trip

1 hour ago, comintel said:

Are you seeing a benefit from MOCN? 

Is it true that MOCN is highly biased to using T-Mobile towers? 

Should everyone with a non-5G phone ask for MOCN?

I had the impression it was supposed to be automatic now, perhaps even without being entered explicitly.  Is this not the case? 

I realize that it may take some time to draw conclusions so if you do not know yet that is fine.

Thanks!

Haven't gone anywhere yet, so I can't speak to benefits.  My issue was that I was out on Monday morning and it appears that T-Mobile has turned off several Sprint towers near me.  I was sitting in a parking lot near Landmark Mall on -118 dBm Band 25 because two of the sites I used to connect to there were apparently not running, so data would barely move.  This is in addition to my home site which has been off for several weeks, but that wasn't an issue because I don't use wireless data at home.  But if they're starting to turn off Sprint sites and leave holes, then there's really no alternative.

So far, I've only seen T-Mobile, but that makes sense since I've only been home and my home site is gone on Sprint, so the site I had been connecting to was a lot weaker.  I'll have to see when I'm out and about, possibly this weekend.

When ROAMAHOME came out, I had that removed and blocked from my account since T-Mobile's network is so lousy, so my lines were not automatically pushed to MULTOCN.  I had to have the block removed and then MULTOCN manually added.  That's probably not typical.

- Trip

Another hour chat this evening but my lines are finally on MULTOCN.  I actually had to argue with the person on the chat who didn't seem to know what it did and thought it would have no benefit for me.  That was after she suggested it required a T-Mobile SIM and I had to show her that one of my lines already had it with a Sprint SIM...

- Trip