Oakley707

So, I've come to the conclusion that Ericsson markets won't let the Nexus 5 onto Band 41, at least with a Sprint SIM installed. Maybe it's the B41 equipment vendor that's at fault here, but when I put my T-Mobile SIM in my N5 and do a network scan (not allowed on the print SIM) I can see "CLEAR" as one of the networks. I also see 311-870 (Boost Mobile!?!) in Austin. I'll post screenshots later. But of course I can't connect while the T-Mobile SIM is in, and with the Sprint SIM in the phone it ignores the sites even in LTE only mode, with bands 26 and 41 enabled in ##DATA#, with zero signal on band 25 (there's a place in a parking lot near the office where this is the case) and perfect band 41 signal (I know where the site is and I'm a hundred or two yards away with nothing in between).

 

Point being, I can detect the presence of band 41 (and whatever the "Boost Mobile" MCC-MNC is; maybe new-NEXTEL? Or band 26?) with my Nexus 5, but not with my Sprint SIM installed. So I have to use my MiFi for that.

 

Speaking of the MiFi, it wasn't connecting to LTE for several days for no reason. Now it is. Which is good timing, because I want to catch some B41 or maybe B26 here in the West Palm Beach area.

That's very interesting... I have the same experience in my Columbus network.  Have a co-located site with Clear and Sprint with the NV upgrades not done on the Sprint side, but the B41 confirmed to be working from the one member in our market that has a G2.  I haven't checked with a T-Mobile SIM, I might have to snag one of those.  Even with LTE only mode and restarting I cannot find the site.

They're installing RRUs at the High Street location in Lancaster. Talked to one of the guys. He's putting up 4 panels today and said this site would be up and running in 3-4 days. But I've been told that before only to be disappointed. But both main sites in Lancaster are getting RRUs.

 

I also asked the guy why there would be 4 cabinets at the other Lancaster site and he said they must be putting more than 4 panels up.

 

Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk

Could be high capacity?

"Up and Running" is the problem.  From their standpoint, it most likely is up and running when it is complete on their side.  The problem is Sprint verifying its completion and then the cluster launch nature of NV.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but continue to be hesitant.  This tower will most likely not be live this week.  I'd love to be wrong though.

This site has had 2 sets of new cabinets for a while.

 

Just started using tapatalk and this is my first photo! How do I get to the spreadsheet message board?

 

Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk

EDI: Coz beat me to it.

What phones are Spark active, not Spark ready, out of the box today?

Spark Active - Samsung Galaxy Mega, Samsung Galaxy S4T, Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, HTC One Max.

Spark Ready - LG G2, LG N5

I may be missing a couple...

Read other posts on this thread, but the bottom line is, yes of course our phone is "spark" capable (Tri-band) And the fact that people are able to connect to it is by sheer luck more than anything else, and most report not staying connected very long. Unlike other official "spark" devices, those have no issues with connectivity.

But just in case you do want to know what band you are connected to, here's an app that can help you with that, 

 

http://tinyurl.com/k2n8o34

(you will need Root access for this app to modify your band priority)

Or you can download Signal Check Pro from the Play store.  The most recent update should work for showing Band information.

Ok, cool, thank you.  It's definitely 41 at the Gahanna/New Albany/Blacklick cluster but it sounds like you already had that, lol.

 

And yes, texts definitely are stuck, at least inside a building but will try more later.  Also gps just stays searching and will not work but that might be from being inside as well.  I'll find out more in a few hours.

It depends on what part of town.  Phones calls now go through with a G2 in its special mode in much of the west, not so yesterday in the very east.  Otherwise callers sent straight to voice mail, which may take a while to notify you.  G2 settings easily reversible if needed..

Digiblur can say this much more eloquently, but dkyeager is correct.  When in LTE only mode, you are able to theoretically send text messages thru LTE by using CSFB.  However, the Columbus market is plagued with CSFB issues which is why it makes sense that the part of town you are in affects if you can or not.  In other words, you will most likely NOT be able to use SMS or talk when in LTE only mode unless the site you connected to is CSFB upgraded (which is somewhat rare for our market).  Hopefully that didn't confuse anyone.  Feel free to ask more questions, by no means am I the expert.

Not only do they work, but if you have any sort of decent signal, they will transmit extremely fast.

They work extremely well for normal LTE sites when you are connected to them.  When in LTE only mode that is a different story.

Oh, sorry, i was spazzing out there, plus I just got a 23 up inside the building.  Anyway, let me calm down, lol.  I disabled band 26.  I forgot to check what band I am on so will do that now (I think I remember how to find that).  I set priority of 25 to 0 and 41 to 1.  Then went into the hidden menu and put the force on my phone to only receive LTE.  I see some issues with what I did, but I am getting very decent LTE inside a building in Gahanna close to Blacklick so to me it's worth any issues that might pop up.  Not sure if the phone or texting will even work, lol, but will try those now.

Yea, that is the main reason why it is NOT setup this way to begin with.  In LTE only mode, I do not believe you will receive any phone calls or text messages... However, with sms tunneling thru SMS is it possible to receive those?

There's an old Wimax tower right off Taylor.  Unfortunately, it's on a property of some construction company and it's fenced off, so I can't get close to take picture of the base station, but I can snap a picture of the top of the tower, if interested.

Typically, the more pictures the merrier.  However, for B41 it is a software only upgrade so we won't see any difference between original and NV upgraded sites.

Thanks for the thought.

Hi, that would make sense, I bet it's just the B41.  I have a G2 and have enabled all 3 bands a few weeks ago, but have done nothing else (no rooting or anything).  I'm pretty sure I have the latest signal Check Pro, but it's weird when this lte kicks on everything shows up blank.  Where it normally says 1xRTT or 800, it's blank.  eHRPD, blank, LTE, blank.  Wi-Fi will show if I am connected to one.  I'll try to get a screen shot but have just been excited when it chimes and since it only lasts 5 to 10 seconds I never had time for it.  I'm guessing it's B41 and for some reason the last few days my phone has been trying to grab it.

Okay, that is what I was figuring.  Good news to hear that someone else's G2 is grabbing some B41.  You and Dyeager should talk together about how to help out with the B41 sightings.  He has confirmed a TON by himself.  You would be pretty excited to see the B41 progress in our market.  Maybe you can become a sponsor and you would at least be able to see the sponsor maps.  B41 is premiere level information, but it is a great start.

Feel free to keep posting any questions that you may have.

I have no clue why but phone acting strange again in Rburg known dead zones.  Signal Check Pro chimes for LTE in notorious bad 3g spots like the Kroger parking lot at Main and Taylor.  So I look, it says LTE in the top right, then I open Signal Check and it's completely blank???  I guess what I mean is all 4 categories show nothing.  But this only lasts for about 5 or 10 seconds and then it's gone and back to picking up a tower.  It's been doing this a lot since around 1/2 or 1/3, far east side of rburg by Licking County border.  I tried leaving Sensorly on all day yesterday and it clicked over to this phantom lte several times for a few seconds but Sensoryly never picked up any of the LTE feeds.  Anyone else ever get these phantom lte signals that last a short period?

What phone do you have?  Do you have the latest signal check pro update?  It should show you the most recently connected to LTE site.  I'm wondering if you are somehow connecting to B41 and then being disconnected... Main and Taylor would DEFINITELY be in range for that and would somewhat make sense.  The only other explanation is one of the sites on Main is in testing mode.

The cabinet's are under the beecher's but I can get pictures of the panel's. I think that there are AT&T panels too so I will take pictures of both and let you see

That sounds great. Thanks.

Does anyone know if they are upgrading the trower at Coffman high school? Voice works but data is very slow when it works. It has been that way for a week.

That site, believe it or not has not been checked once by any member here.  If you are able to get a picture of the site, even from a distance and post here we may be able to help.  Just for the record, it is not a matter of IF the tower is being upgraded, but when.  Feel free to let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks again.

Google works on the updates for the N5 and it being a globally universal device makes it a bit more difficult to push out a specific carrier enhancement. On 4.4.3, it should have Spark but I assume it'll come after the G2.

 

Sent from my LG-G2

Thanks for the quick reply, oh well.  I was hoping the pure Google device was going to help me here.  I understand how this is a pretty unique situation though.

Not magnetic but is big enough that the phone doesn't have an issue staying on top of it. Has rubber on both sides to help it stay in place.

I was going to hold out for another TYLT, but when you can buy two and still save money that's a tough sell to the wife.

Thanks for pointing it out!

Craigslist. Found 2 of them for $275 and got this guy down to $250.

Nice work.  I cannot believe how bad the Evo LTE's radio was.  I wonder if I'll ever buy another HTC.  Certainly won't buy one with AJ checking the RF...

I have been using this wireless charger for a week without any issue. Seems to work great. No overheating and its on sale at the moment.

 

 

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/accessory.chargers-nokia-black-wireless-charging-plate-sku6290260.html#fbid=7eO2ocGKGx9

Does the charger create a decent magnetic grip with the phone?  Just curious, might snag a couple of these for the price...

Yup! Current modem is M8974AAAAANLYD0034.

 

 

Sent from my LG-G2

Any chance you know / have heard about the N5?  I'm hopeful it's similar to this update (fingers crossed)...

When LTE 800 is ready to go I'll be ready to upgrade. But like you said the other day, if the 1900 works well it may not be a huge deal. Plus I'll wait until the tri bands can handle voice and data simultaneously. I had to get rid of the Evo. It wasn't cutting it and moto x users have been very pleased.

How'd you get the Moto X for $250 if you don't mind me asking.  That's a great price for a great phone.  It gets great reviews.  I was thinking about it or the N5 and went for Triband.  I'm a sucker when it comes to new technology...

Anyone having problems with apps crashing?

 

My Nexus 5 lately has been app crashing a lot :/

yes, G+ / Youtube have been pretty common lately for me.

Nothing here, but I'm on ART.

Thanks! I'll start taking screen shots and posting when I'm connected to LTE so we can see what tower the signal is coming from

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Yea, that's definitely a start.  I saw that Coz posted a little while back trying to get some members to create a spreadsheet / market map.  It's INCREDIBLY helpful.

Just wanted to drop a friendly note to this market, I'm originally from Stow / Kent but moved to Columbus after college.  If you are able to download Signal Check Lite (free) or Pro it would be extremely helpful for your LTE confirmations.  I noticed that Mrick has done some sensorly updates, but it is difficult to tell where the LTE is coming from because it is so weak.  With the Signal Check App it recovers unique site information that allows you to confirm where the LTE is coming from.  Please note that the 1X signal is NOT always where the LTE is coming from.  For example, you could be on a 1X site 1/2 mile away but be receiving LTE from 2-3 miles away.  This happens quite frequently.  I've attached a screenshot to show you what I mean.  Feel free to ask me any questions or let the Columbus market know if we can help.  We are lucky enough to have a pretty strong group of people that know what they are doing.  Good luck and happy hunting!

EDIT: Also, when I was home from Christmas I was able to drive past the Newcomer Rd. tower at the Stow Bus Garage and noticed no NV work.  At least in regards to the RRHs, I wasn't able to drive up to see if any cabinets were there.

So, the only phone that works with band 41 is the G2? The Nexus 5 doesn't work yet but should, correct?

 

So if I'm due for a new phone I'm thinking just wait for the Samsung Galaxy S 5?...

For now, the story is as follows: HTC One Max, SGS4 Mini and the Galaxy Mega are the only tri-band enabled phones with the Spark update already out.  The LG-G2 and LG-N5 WILL work with band 41, however, we are at the liberty of LG as to when that update will hit and allow our phones to connect to B41.  The current timeframe is "early 2014" for the update, but keep in mind that could be April or it could be tomorrow.

If you are buying the phone on contract, I may recommend holding out for the new S5.  The N5 is a great phone and I LOVE it, but I wouldn't waste my upgrade on it.  Keep in mind it can be had for $350 with no contract (which is how I purchased it).

Hope this helps.

I couldn't agree more.  I get the need for permits, back haul, site owners permission etc.  But the fact is there are dozens of sites in and around Columbus with equipment in place (some since August) which implies approved permits are in hand.  These same sites are next to major roadways or commercial office buildings which implies fiber back haul is available nearby.  Quite a number of these sites have back haul spotted by readers here.  If they had no plans on turning all this new equipment on within a month or two then why waste the technicians time installing it then?  Send those techs down to Ross county back in September not now.  

 

I joined Sprint two months back with my eyes wide open after reading this forum to save money and kick Verizon to the curb.  I still believe this was the correct decision.  My only disappointment is the priorities that Sprint is choosing and their lack of transparency.

 

Now if I can find a way to kick TWC and their ridiculous "equipment rental fee" to the curb then 2014 is shaping up to be a great year. 

We certainly appreciate your patience and your open mind.  Most people come in here complaining without doing any research and it is neither productive / helpful, thank you for not being that person.  You are most definitely correct about multiple sites being installed within the Columbus limits most likely with backhaul already in place.  The key for why these sites are NOT flipped over is because of the legacy handoff issues.  This means that if Sprint launched inner Columbus sites without doing most / clusters at the same time you would have an insane amount of dropped calls.  When I mean insane, please understand that what we are talking about is EVERY time you make a phone call and switch from legacy to NV the call is dropped.  No warning, no message just hard drop.  Sprint can simply NOT afford to allow this to happen.  I'm speculating about this next part, but what we believe they are doing is installing as much as then can and when they have a majority done they will launch all at once.  Or at least major clusters in order to decrease the amount of issues.  I understand, it would seem easier to just have the crews work in Ross counties or other places first and wait, but most of that is based on permits and site availability.  We have to zoom out and realize the coordination / project management that is happening on a macro level, keep in mind the Columbus market has 400 sites in total.

As for TWC, simply buy a modem directly from Amazon Docsis 2.0 http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorola-SURFboard-SB5101U-DOCSIS/dp/B002M3SHXA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388596680&sr=8-1&keywords=docsis+2.0 or Docsis 3.0 http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorola-SB6121-SURFboard-DOCSIS/dp/B004XC6GJ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388596695&sr=8-1&keywords=docsis+3.0 .  Check out TWC's list of approved modems here http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/residential-home/support/topics/internet/buy-your-modem.html

I've heard about the hand off issue and have experienced that myself.

 

I think that in the near future I'll be getting the G2, so I can experience all the goodies. I'm still hesitant about tri band devices due to not being to do data and voice at the same time.

 

I'm being very patient with Sprint, which is why I've been with them for almost 14 years.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

Appreciate your patience and the G2 is an excellent phone with a ton of future proofing.  I'm with you on the SVLTE and SVDO needs, but it is unfortunately not in the cards moving forward.  I may have to snag up a hotspot in order to alleviate this concern.

Thanks again.

Just an FYI, got a TYLT for Christmas and I highly recommend it.  The fact that is it tilted and has a wide range for charging is awesome.  You can set it both horizontally and vertically with ease and the light to confirm it is charging (green) is very subtle and does not blind you or add a bunch of light at night.  It also seems to trickle charge quite effectively at least for my N5.  When I take it off the charger, I'm at >98% or fully charged every time.  Feel free to ask my any questions that you may have.