brockeb1
-
Posts
52 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Content Type
Profiles
Blogs
Articles
Media Demo
Gallery
Downloads
Events
Forums
Everything posted by brockeb1
-
Pumpkin Pie Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
-
Yes, that is a HUGE problem on the Westside. I am actually going to take him to that VZW site on Skyline and the VZW site up behind AAMCO as those both would be PERFECT locations and would fill existing issues. I think that Skyline site would really cover the westside fairly well. I am also going to show him the highrise by the hospital and the site at Golden West off from Deadwood Ave as that is a weak area as well. I actually think they should strike a deal with the hospital and put the gear there. The hospital is currently in the middle of a 200 million dollar expansion and they may be able to strike a deal with equipment and providing service. I had a friend that worked there until recently, and he said they are unhappy with VZW and have potentially 700-800 lines to move. I talked to T-Mobile about it but we all agree, until the holes are fixed, it's a dead horse. Then we are off to the Hills. I am taking him everywhere and have advised that I would like a whole day so that we can make detailed notes. The engineering team isn't on the ground here and doesn't seem to understand topography for some reason. They seem to claim that west Rapid City should have excellent coverage..........cough, cough, cough....
-
One more thing of note, all the TV Stations above channel 37 in the Rapid City SD BEA/PEA have been notified of the fact that they have to go lower on the dial to make way for 600mhz. The latest date for them to be moved is listed as the 16MAR18 to begin testing by T-Mobile. This will clear the way for 600mhz in the Black Hills area. I have already been advised that any further coverage in this area will be done using 600mhz, not 700mhz. This means that Lead/Deadwood, Spearfish, Whitewood and all new sites will have 600mhz on them and we should hopefully be seeing it fairly swiftly as T-Mobile tends to move quickly. Also, in Wyoming, the sites in and around Gillette, Wright, Newcastle are completed, however, channels in Sundance, Gillette, and Pringle all are in the process of moving before they can light anything up. First date on testing is 04FEB18 and the latest 16MAR18-Pringle station, so I should be getting a bit busy around here. This also explains the misfire on Gillette a couple of weeks back.
-
Just checking in real quick. Site at Spring Creek is silent or VZW. Need to walk back to it, however, it's on private property and there are 2 houses not far away and visible from the site. Just need to get up enough guts and a bit warmer temps to do it. I do wear my T-Mobile gear when I am out tracking stuff, however, just in case somebody approaches. I will let you know what I find. On another note, the TPR here has been complaining about dead zones to T-Mobile and T-Mobile is finally listening. When the T-Mobile Sales and Ops manager for the TPR's is up here from Denver next month, I am going to drive him around Rapid City and the Black Hills so that he can actually see the weak/non-existent spots in this area. That is a plus and another reason why it's great to make friends with your local T-Mobile and let them know how much you really know about wireless. S8 Active looks like a great phone and, of course, the S9 and S9+ will both have BAND 71 active on it. I am certain we will also be seeing some more mid/lower range phones with Band 71 very soon.
-
Now that you say that, yes, that is right. WOW. Tomorrow I am going to check the site at Spring Creek. Additional radio's got added to that rack recently so it looks like Band 12 and Band 4 at that site. No T-Mobile signal from there yet, but those radio's have been there about the same amount of time as Pactola. Another note is that they have been adding Band 4 to all the Band 12 only sites in western SD for the past couple of months. This install would line up with that and that site IS a microwave backhaul site. I will be most curious to see the results and will report in when I get them. Fingers crossed!! Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
-
GOD BLESS AMERICA!! FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY, the tower at Pactola, SD is finally fired up. 700mhz only. You have to understand, radio's and base station have been there since at least November of 2016 or possibly even longer. They had a permit last March to do a microwave backhaul to that site and that's what I thought was taking so long. On a whim, I drove up there today and voila the tower is LIVE and NO microwave backhaul-must have ended up with fiber. Couldn't figure out why they would need microwave backhaul as Verizon, who's on that tower, has fiber backhaul to the site. Either way, it's running now. Also, they have added Band 4 to the site at Custer Peak and re-engineered the signal on that site so that I was able to get a signal from just south of the lake on hwy 385 all the way to Strawberry Hill, all on T-Mobile. There are some weak stretches, but strong enough to keep a call active. I still think they need to be at Merritt Rd and hwy 385 on that ATT pine tree. Would give them a much better signal on that middle portion where the other 2 towers cross each other. Hopefully, I will be more active in reporting as I have it on good authority that much more work is coming very soon in this area, including the west side of Rapid City, Spearfish, Lead/Deadwood, Whitewood and more. Stay tuned............... PS-mapped on both CellMapper and Sensorly
-
Okay, so now that I am over it, I will post about it...................Went to Gillette last weekend to map and test out Band 71 on my LG V30. Get all the way to Gillette and you can only guess..............................NO SIGNAL. Yes, 160 miles just to find out NOTHING! Was not happy at all and took to Twitter to message both Neville and John Legere. Received a reply back from T-Mobile Help, which is nice, but they can't help with turning on towers now can they.................I just would prefer honesty when they are making announcements and making believe they have all this wonderful 600mhz coverage when they really don't. Will NOT be going back until I see it LIVE on the coverage map on T-Mobile's site. #DISAPPOINTED
-
Don't have any info on phones, as of yet, but as soon as I do I will be posting it.
-
More news from T-Mobile today. 600mhz now LIVE in 586 cities, and heard that maybe 150 more went live this afternoon/evening. Be sure to read the whole story. Will be heading into Wyoming to map Gillette-Wright-Newcastle on CellMapper and Sensorly. https://newsroom.t-mobile.com/news-and-blogs/number-1-customer-satisfaction-2017.htm Additional info here-click on the list to see the actual list of cities that are LIVE. You must have a phone that supports Band 71 to receive any benefits from this....currently only the LG V30 and Samsung S8 Active are available, however, it looks like more than a dozen new phones coming in 2018 that support it. Also talks about the I-Wireless deal being completed as of yesterday. https://www.tmonews.com/2018/01/t-mobile-600mhz-lte-586-cities-confirms-completion-iowa-wireless-deal/
-
Unfortunately, my insights are only local at this time. If you let me know the area you are inquiring on, however, I can do a check on tower movement in your area. Let me know.
-
Band 12 is on all existing sites in Western South Dakota. 90% of those sites were Band 12 only. They are now coming back in and adding Band 4 to all those Band 12 only sites. Problem starts when they didn't put any towers up in Deadwood/Lead or Spearfish. They expected the tower at Terry Peak to handle all that. Not possible as ATT has 2 towers in Deadwood, 1 in Lead, and 2 in Spearfish, as well as being on Terry Peak. This should have told them something. I am aware of conversations with both the T-Mobile engineering and tower tech teams and that is how I know that they are looking at Band 71 in those places, as opposed to Band 12. Why? I am not certain, but it may have to do with propagation in those hilly areas. Of course, Wyoming has no 700mhz licenses until they finalize what they are picking up in Western and Southwestern Wyoming from Silver Star. http://maps.spectrumgateway.com/t-mobile-700-mhz-spectrum.html Also, here is the 600mhz info to date. This is interactive, and you have seen it already, but it gives some information on what is happening. http://maps.spectrumgateway.com/t-mobile-600-mhz-band-71-deployment.html
-
Hey everyone. Not sure if anyone else here is from the Dakota's/Nebraska/Wyoming/MT, but I wanted to report that there is quite a bit of action in Wyoming. There are currently 10 sites in progress around the Gillette area (I know they want to get a store in there ASAP) as well as 2-5 sites in each of these locations-Newcastle, Torrington, Lusk, and Lingle. All of these sites have a minimum of Band 71 and several are actually Band 2/4/71. Found that very interesting. Will be checking additional cities when I get time to stop back into the store. If you have a T-Mobile location near you they have the same coverage map as the website, however, it also shows any MODERNIZATION IN PROGRESS and will give the details of what they are doing at each site. It is a great tool and I suggest making friends with your local T-Mobile store so you are up on the happenings in your area. In regards to the Spearfish/Lead/Deadwood situation, and lack of towers, I don't expect to see anything happening until after the 1st of the year. There is a low power PBS station that broadcasts over the border in Sundance WY and they have been advised they have to be moved by the 4th of February 2018. They are going to be using Band 71 instead of Band 12 in the northern hills so they can't light up until then, but I am sure they will have equipment up and ready by then. As soon as I hear, I will report. One last thing that Robert will find rather funny.....both kinds of funny-funny haha and funny hmmmm. The site at Pactola (hwy 44 and 385) has been pushed back 3 times over the past month. They are finally adding the microwave dish for the backhaul, which was permitted last March. Worse yet, the radio's and base station have been there since before Robert moved away from here last year. In fact, I actually believe they may have been there since March or April of 2016-Robert may be able to confirm. Believe me, I will probably get out of my car and dance in circles when that sucker finally goes live. Out for now, take care and keep up the great tracking and info sharing.
-
Glad to see the USCC thing is finally coming to pass. That will really help things out in quite a few areas. I was in the T-Mobile store today, in Rapid City SD, with a list of zip codes checking for new and/or upgrades to existing sites in western South Dakota. We looked at over 77 zip codes and found out that T-Mobile has come back in and is upgrading all the Band 12 only sites by adding Band 4. This is great news as it should help not only with speeds but also with coverage at those sites. Sites that show completed or completed soon are Custer Peak, Wall, Wasta, New Underwood, Farmingdale, and Piedmont, with Kadoka and Belvidere coming in November. It also seems like I saw Kennebec, Murdo, and the site north of Vivian in there. They are mostly rural and don't need capacity, however, they do need larger coverage areas. They have started along I-90 and are working west, much like they did originally. Also, I did learn a while back that the launch here in Rapid City was so successful that a 2-year roll out of additional coverage has now been pushed up to a 6-8 month timeframe. This is REALLY GREAT news as we certainly do need it - IE-Spearfish/Whitewood and Lead/Deadwod plus west Rapid City. They are fully aware and have both an engineering team assigned as well as 3 tower techs staying in the area to work on locations and getting permits rolling etc. All good news. Also heard that Sioux Falls SD store launch may actually be coming soon. Stay tuned for that. Originally looked like it was pushed back, but it may not be pushed back as far as originally thought. Also, for the guy out of Denver that is checking 600mhz around Cheyenne, I will take the northern part of Wyoming and will check the I-90 corridor from Rapid City into Montana and will report what I find. I heard that there is possibly a 600 mhz site near the Montana border and will be checking that in the next couple of weeks and will report. Keep the info coming as it's great to see things rolling along so quickly for T-Mobile.
-
Love my LG V30 with one exception, the second screen. I really miss it and I don't like the floating toolbar thing. Other than that, it's a GREAT phone and I highly recommend it. Will also be using for signal tracking as 600mhz spreads out in Wyoming/Southeastern Montana as well as Western North and South Dakota. I am located in Rapid City, SD, so I am right at the front door.
-
Here is some great news for Montana and Northern Wyoming. We knew this already, but we now have the number of sites. http://missoulian.com/news/local/blackfoot-teaming-with-t-mobile-to-build-cell-sites-in/article_e5eb4cd9-07e0-5ab3-b36c-ab4fa7f1fff5.html
-
Alright everyone, Lincoln NE store opens on the 6th of October in downtown Lincoln next to Qdoba. If you are in the area, stop in to see them. Mobile Magenta is there from Colorado and they are offering the 20% off for life with new activations. Omaha, you are next!!
-
Get ready Omaha and Lincoln, T-Mobile is coming for you! T-Mobile Mobile Magenta truck will be in Omaha and Lincoln from October 3rd - October 14th. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your co-workers. I will post a schedule of times and locations once I receive it.
-
Hey everyone, just wanted to give an update on stores. Lincoln NE and Omaha NE are on the verge of going LIVE with T-Mobile store fronts. They are in the hiring process and I would expect to see them up within the next 30 days. GREAT!! news for Eastern Nebraska. This combined with them buying out Iowa Wireless, shows that they are serious about expansion. This will also fill that hole in Iowa and Eastern Nebraska. So, things are coming together nicely................now we wait and see if they announce the BIG DEAL and if it will really be allowed to happen......................... PS-store #3 will open in Rapid City SD on October 6th.
-
Agreed, particularly since it's rumored that LG is actually making the Pixel 2 XL version of that line. Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
-
Will be getting this phone so that I can track the ramp up in Wyoming, Western North Dakota, and here around the Black Hills. Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
-
Thanks. I won it on Twitter. It is his 4 million followers shirt that he had made when he passed 4 million followers on Facebook. He said only 100 were made and he used them for giveaways. I won for sending in a picture of my #magentaswag. Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
-
Okay, have to brag a bit. Here is me cutting the ribbon on the first T-Mobile store in South Dakota at the Rushmore Mall in Rapid City. 2nd pic is me with the corporate T-Mobile group that flew in for the event. Now, we are working on getting Jon Freier and John Legere here for a marketing event. Stay tuned.......... Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
-
Hey guys, I think that this answers our question about the phone that will have band 71 active. This looks an awful lot like an LG to me. This is the phone that they used to make the call and test the speed. https://newsroom.t-mobile.com/video_display.cfm?video_id=15892
-
Greetings from Rapid City SD. Just wanted to chime in here to let you know what is happening around here with T-Mobile. T-Mobile has been lit up here since about September of 2015 and has been continuing to add coverage. They are currently in the process of opening 3 stores in Rapid City, the first of which will open this Friday, August 25th, and are working on a possible 4th location as well. They actually brought the T-Mobile Mobile Magenta truck up here from Denver, for the past 5 days, and set a record for the number of sign-ups on any truck they have operating. This is actually fairly amazing as they have trucks in LA, New York, Orlando, Dallas....you get the picture. It really is the fact that people around here are hungry for something new and more reasonable than VZW and ATT. I have met the person that is here to set up the stores and have had several conversations with him. He told me he was having a meeting with the engineering team today and I advised him to remember 3 words....Lead, Deadwood, Spearfish. He obviously took me seriously as he sent me a text today asking me "what's those cities again", just to confirm. That is great news as we may actually get that hole filled as that leaves out about 15-20k people in this area. Also, they told me that T-Mobile currently is permitting 365 sites in Minnesota, North/South Dakota and Wyoming over the next 6-10 months. The process has already begun, they stated. If anyone knows any additional information about this or can confirm, that would be great. I will keep you posted when and if I find out additional information for the area. PS-they also advised that Sioux Falls, SD is slated for stores in October/November timeframe and that they are getting ready for Omaha, NE. If anyone is curious about another city in this area, please let me know and I will be happy to ask. Great to have a contact on the inside, so to speak.
-
Okay, so I am coming here with this as I see that Rapid City SD is talked about here. I am getting rumblings of Sprint coming here. I highly doubt it as they just seem to be hanging on until whatever might happen with whoever takes place, if you get my drift. Robert, do you know anything? I have had 2 people contact me in the past 3 days regarding this as they know I am a T-Mobile whore, which I partially blame on you. hahahahahahaha Any information you or anyone on this board may have would be most helpful.
