Cell phones

[mikewazowski]

It is not the cell company rules, it is the FCC rules!

I think you're forgetting which forum you're in :lol:

 

[N_Jay]

I think you're forgetting which forum you're in :lol:

OOps, sorry.

Not sure about Industry Canada rules on the topic. In most regards they are more strict about unlicensed transmitters.

 

[vabiro]

-<snip>-

Regardless, I know that calls are clearer and get dropped less when I am in a normally poor area and using the booster. So what if they turn it down a bit, it is still at five bars so it is better than two. They must not turn it down a lot. Believe me a did a lot of test calls to see if it was actually better than before to make sure I did not get ripped off, to make sure it actually worked, and it did. I use one in the house too otherwise the cell is useless in the basement. I have an external antenna for that one too. Not to argue whether it is against the cell company's rules or not (I pretty much figured I should not dial them up and tell them I was using it) it has been in the house for a year or so and in the car for nearly two and I have not had anybody from either the cell company or IC knocking on the door telling me to unhook it.

We (the carrier I work[ed] for) looked at several of these passive repeater-type devices manufactured by everyone from Andrews Corp to cheap crap built by anonymous Asian manufacturers. We looked at them for a couple of things:

- inexpensive network infill: cost effective alternative to pico cells or other active cells
- consumer product: product to sell in the store to address in-home/in-building coverage problems

The big concern was what impact it would have on the macro network. For example, if you amplify a signal beyond what the cell site has been dimensioned for, the call can end up connecting to an adjacent cell and then handing back and forth between searching for the optimal cell site.

It can also botch up reused channels on distant sites. For example if I am using channel 5 on this site, and reusing it on another site three cells away the amplified channel 5 signal will interfere on the second site. The user on the amplified phone may not even be aware of the problem they are causing. Then again, they may be getting the stronger signal, but the network will keep dumping the call because the control channel is seeing the ESN/IMSI on more than one site (channel 5 could also be a control channel).

In the end, when the amplifiers were installed correctly (i.e. by a network tech in consultation with network engineers) they worked great. In fact there are similar products that were installed in partnership with the carriers by independent companies.

In the case of over the counter, consumer-centric products, the risk of botching up the network was too great. This was especially the case when there was no way to determine in advance where and how they would be installed.

If the JDTek product is working for you, then you may be lucky: the combination of where you are, and where the indoor antenna is, is a working example of how this product should be used.

Then again, the guys at your local carrier may have been trying to track down that evasive intermittent network glitch for the past 2 years...

EDIT: BTW, FCC and/or IC certification is no guarantee that any phone or device will work. This is why there are organisations like the PTCRB and device accreditation programmes run by the carriers.

Cheers
Victor

 

[davidmc36]

The signal strength indicator on phones are basically useless. Basically they tell you whether you have signal or you don't. To really tell signal strength, you need to place your phone into field test mode.


Sticking an external antenna on your cellphone is not illegal. What do you think all those onglass antennas people stick on their cars were for?

Actually the point I was making was that I was not running over to tell them about the booster, I was not worried about telling them about an antenna.

 

[davidmc36]

The signal strength indicator on phones are basically useless. Basically they tell you whether you have signal or you don't. To really tell signal strength, you need to place your phone into field test mode.

I think I will have to try that today.

 

[davidmc36]

Nope!

The bars are driven by the phones processor and programming to use a large number of parameters to provide an indication consistent with the carriers desires. (Yes, the programming is different by carrier)

It can use RSSI, C/I or Signal Quality, neighbor cell strength, etc. to decide what to show.

The measurement way be integrated over a period of time, or may use a peak or "dip" following algorithm. (Or any creative solution in between.)



It is not the cell company rules, it is the FCC rules!

So what is the signal indicator on your phone telling you? The strength of the Recieved signal, right, not the transmitted? So I am recieving the signal better. If they turned it automatically down a lot then should I not see the signal go up from two to five and then back down to two once the system detected I was getting too strong a signal? That does not happen, it stays at five. Regardless, I know that calls are clearer and get dropped less when I am in a normally poor area and using the booster. So what if they turn it down a bit, it is still at five bars so it is better than two. They must not turn it down a lot. Believe me a did a lot of test calls to see if it was actually better than before to make sure I did not get ripped off, to make sure it actually worked, and it did. I use one in the house too otherwise the cell is useless in the basement. I have an external antenna for that one too. Not to argue whether it is against the cell company's rules or not (I pretty much figured I should not dial them up and tell them I was using it) it has been in the house for a year or so and in the car for nearly two and I have not had anybody from either the cell company or IC knocking on the door telling me to unhook it.

I realize the "meter" on the phone is not much of a scientific indicator, but the point I was making was it is an idication of recieve NOT transmitt, right???

 

[davidmc36]

I think you're forgetting which forum you're in :lol:

You are right. This will be the last post from this camp. They can have my cell booster when they pry it from my cold dead hands. If you are allowed to use phones that transmit 2watts, I don't see how boosting a .5watt phone up to 2watts will cause the system any grief. Now I will get lots of couterpoint on how my phone is not designed to be at 2watts and am breaking all kinds of laws etc. and how the system will cut my signal etc. Somebody said about being on two sites at once and having the call drop because conflicting ESN or something to that effect. I get fewer dropped calls in fringe and none in good coverage areas. If my home one was an issue I am sure they would have tracked me down by now. It has been there for a year.

I'm felling a little veclempt, talk amongst yourselves.

 

[N_Jay]

I realize the "meter" on the phone is not much of a scientific indicator, but the point I was making was it is an idication of recieve NOT transmitt, right???

somewhat