LTE Tower - Sherwood, Port Elizabeth

[webdev]

Hi

I've just got hooked up with LTE, I get good reception, but I would like to attempt to point my paddle antennas toward the tower and see if it will increase. Currently without antennas I get:

RSSI (dBm): -73.0
RSRP (dBm): -95.0
RSRQ (dB): -6.0

I stay in Sherwood, Port Elizabeth.

Cheers

 

[Azimuth]

Your RSRP value is the correct metric to observe for LTE. Currently, it indicates you're at the cell edge.

Which antennas are you using? The included "ice cream sticks"? They are useless and can be set aside. Please check here for proper antennas:

The Poynting antenna discussion thread.

 

[MickeyD]

No site in Sherwod yet, will be at - 33. 96214; 25. 48406

Probably picking up Linton Grange tower.

 

[webdev]

No site in Sherwod yet, will be at - 33. 96214; 25. 48406

Probably picking up Linton Grange tower.

Thanks! Now I know where I should direct the antennas.

 

[MickeyD]

Thanks! Now I know where I should direct the antennas.

Sherwood site should be on air in about 2 months' time at those co-ords.

 

[webdev]

Sherwood site should be on air in about 2 months' time at those co-ords.

Great stuff. Do you think I will still need an external antenna once the Sherwood site is on air? I mean, would it help in terms of latency?

 

[MickeyD]

Great stuff. Do you think I will still need an external antenna once the Sherwood site is on air? I mean, would it help in terms of latency?

Won't hurt but I doubt it. How close are you to those co-ords? Anything under 1km and you shouldn't need it.

 

[webdev]

Won't hurt but I doubt it. How close are you to those co-ords? Anything under 1km and you shouldn't need it.

About 1.2km

 

[MickeyD]

This tower will be upgraded (Westmorland Circle):

View attachment 132367

 

[webdev]

This tower will be upgraded (Westmorland Circle):

View attachment 132367

Thank you

 

[MickeyD]

About 1.2km

Should be great on LTE.

 

[Azimuth]

Damn these broken forum attachments!

FYI external antennas did not change my latency, mostly download speed and long-term stability. My link is 1.3km.

 

[Teejaybee]

What should RSRP be at ideally?

Mine is:

Wireless Status
1 PLMN: 65502
2 Service status: Valid service
3 RSSI (dBm): -57.0
4 RSRP (dBm): -84.0
5 RSRQ (dB): -6.0
6 Roaming: No

I have 1 Poynting aerial (the one with the "spikes") connected (I previously had 3G and had 1 aerial) - will connecting the second aerial mounted horizontally help? I don't where the Telkom mast/tower is - how do I find out? I'm in Cape Town - de Tyger (Parow North) area.

Thanks guys.

 

[Azimuth]

Your RSRP value is the correct metric to observe for LTE. Currently, it indicates you're at the cell edge.

Which antennas are you using? The included "ice cream sticks"? They are useless and can be set aside. Please check here for proper antennas:

The Poynting antenna discussion thread.

Visit the Poytning antenna thread for appropriate LTE antennas. You can't mix and match. You could improve your RSRP and speeds drastically with the right antennas.

Your RSRP indicates you are > 1km away, at a guess around 1.4km. RSRP works that same as RSSI for 3G, the closer to 0 the better. You are considered to have a perfect service at around -50dBM. In truth though, I've seen guys with similar RSRPs to yours and they get mega speeds.

Locating your tower is something you will have to do yourself. Hopefully you have a good vantage point from your roof. Climb and and survey the landscape. This takes patience and a keen eye. Once you've identified a few towers, try and drive there to identify the base station. If you're not up for any of this, simply work in quadrants and measure as you go, allowing 1 minute between changes. Once you get the best reading, refine further in that quadrant only.

 

[T-Man]

I can recommend using something like CellMapper on your Android phone.
It does a pretty good job of showing you where the towers are.
Once you have located the tower, go look at the sign on the gate. It usually show the CellID.

Every provider has their own little hut/container.

I have 4 al cheapo phones - one for each provider. I have mapped large parts of JHB/PTA. Unfortunately the al-cheapos aren't LTE.

http://www.cellmapper.net/

On the B683 it can show you the CellID you're connected to. The B593 doesn't have such a feature though.

 

[Teejaybee]

Visit the Poytning antenna thread for appropriate LTE antennas. You can't mix and match. You could improve your RSRP and speeds drastically with the right antennas.

Your RSRP indicates you are > 1km away, at a guess around 1.4km. RSRP works that same as RSSI for 3G, the closer to 0 the better. You are considered to have a perfect service at around -50dBM. In truth though, I've seen guys with similar RSRPs to yours and they get mega speeds.

Locating your tower is something you will have to do yourself. Hopefully you have a good vantage point from your roof. Climb and and survey the landscape. This takes patience and a keen eye. Once you've identified a few towers, try and drive there to identify the base station. If you're not up for any of this, simply work in quadrants and measure as you go, allowing 1 minute between changes. Once you get the best reading, refine further in that quadrant only.

Great reply - thanks. I already have 1 Poynting A-LPDA-0092 aerial (had it when I still had 3G with Vodacom) and I'm probably going to get another one of these. Without this 1 aerial connected I get 2 bars of LTE and when I connect this 1 aerial I get 4 bars LTE. I live in a flat on the ground floor and it's difficult to get an aerial high up although my existing aerial is quite high and pointing in a direction which I do not know if it is Telkom or Vodacom or whatever. The problem with identifying aerials here is that most of them are installed on the roof's of block's of flats and one can't get access to see whose tower it is. I sent a pm to Telkom Mobile on this site and am waiting for their technical guys to contact me to help locate where the closest Telkom mast is.

I contacted the Poynting guys here in CT but it's difficult to get much useful info from them. Will adding the second aerial only help with consistent strong signal - or will it improve speeds - I guess it's difficult to tell - kind of trial and error?

Thanks guys!