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Android cell info

flippineck

Sep 8, 2013
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does anyone happen to know if you can get an android powered cellphone to divulge current carrier frequency information?
 

davenn

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Sep 5, 2009
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3G phones ... regardless of if its android or something else use CDMA ( code division multiple access) which is a form of spread spectrum, so there isn't a specific carrier freq the signal from a given phone is designated a unique code and spread over a specific bandwidth within one of the cellular bands

4G uses a different modulation technology that is somewhat more complex
its called OFDM ... orthogonal frequency division multiplexing

I used to play with this stuff in a previous job haha

so the brief answer to your question ... should be ... no

cheers
Dave
 
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flippineck

Sep 8, 2013
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Found an app that claims to give info on these things;

Using my SIM in a smartphone the app gives:

LTE on 1920-1980 MHz up & 2110 - 2170 MHz down
TDSCDMA 1900-1920 & 2010-2025.. wikipedia says TDSCDMA is a Chinese thing, I'm in UK, what gives there?
WCDMA 1922-1977 & 2112-2167
2G/GSM as "GSM850" using 824-893MHz

My carrier is media-reported to have bought UK licenses for 800MHz & 1800MHz for LTE/4G use (carrier called "Three" UK)

Are those LTE figures reported by the app actually within the definition of "1800 MHz spectrum"?

I made some rooftop antennas for 2100MHz, was about to change them & make ants for either 800 or 1800 MHz depending on what I discovered carrier was using for LTE. But if they are using the above, the 2100MHz antennas I already have up will probably do

Weird thing is, although the smartphone is reporting LTE numbers, it doesn't actually "do" 4G/LTE natively

Am waiting on the missus installing the app on her all singing all dancing 4G phone to see if it reports any different. She's on the same network.
 

davenn

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yes those are the bands, that info is widely available on the net
here's one good list

you originally stated you wanted the carrier freq and I said that cant be done because of the use of spread spectrum
the signal is spread across any one of those bands. its not on a specific freq

cheers
Dave
 

flippineck

Sep 8, 2013
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my bad terminology I think, I just meant carrier as in 'network company'.

no bottom to the complexity of cellphone signals! I'll go google orthogonal frequency division multiplexing

as far as I can tell, saying "3's LTE is on 1800MHz" is just marketing speak then really.. although all the spread spectrum frequencies involved are concentrated around the 19xx thru 21xx area?

if that's right then I will just leave the antennas cut for a specific frequency of 2100 MHz, as they are, and not bother climbing up on the roof etc. I was mainly concerned that if the frequencies were around the 800MHz area, I might get a better signal if I took down the shorter antennas and put up longer ones calculated for say 800MHz.

as it is I'm getting 3 bars where I used to get 1. of course, I've now become obsessed with getting 4 lol
 
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