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Last Update: 07/27/2010 09:12 AM

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Last Update: 07/27/2010 09:13 AM


My Wireless Providers

Current Service Previous Service

AT&T (PAYG)

ekit (us/uk)

Nextel (Boost Mobile)

o2.uk (Mobal Global)

Sprint PCS (Virgin Mobile)

T-Mobile (T-Mobile To Go)

TruPhone (us/uk)

U.S. Cellular (TracFone)

Verizon (PagePlus)

Verizon

AT&T TDMA

AT&T (AirVoice)

AT&T (Net10)

AT&T Blue GSM (GoPhone)

AT&T Blue TDMA (CallPlus)

Beeline.ru

Cingular GSM (GoPhone)

Cingular GSM (SpeakOut Wireless)

Cingular GSM (TracFone) x4

Cingular TDMA (CallPlus)

Megafon

MetroPCS

Sprint PCS

Suncom TDMA

SwissCom EasyRoam

T-Mobile (T-Mobile To Go)

Túyo Mobile

U.S. Cellular TDMA

U.S. Cellular CDMA (TracFone)

Verizon (CPS Wireless)

Verizon (Page Plus) x7

Verizon Pay As You Go

Verizon (TracFone) x2

Verizon (usa1RATE) x2


My Wireless Phones

Active Family

Blackberry 9530 (Storm1)

Blackberry 9630 (Tour)

HTC myTouch 3g (Magic)

Kyocera M1000

LG 290c x2

Motorola mb810 (Droid X)

Motorola i465

Motorola v3xx

Motorola e815

Nokia e71

Siemens s56

LG VX-3280

Samsung SCH-U750 (Alias 2) x2

Motorola RAZR maxx Ve

Motorola w376

Inactive

Kyocera s1300

Motorola a855 (Droid)

 Motorola 7868

Motorola w376 x2


My Previous Wireless Phones
(no longer have these)


Blackberry 8703e

Kyocera M2000

Kyocera se47

LG 600G

LG VX-9900 (env)

Nokia 1100b

Nokia 2115

Nokia 2126 x2

Nokia 2600 x4

Nokia 3589i

Nokia 6102

Nokia 6120

 Nokia 6160

Nokia 6185

Nokia 6190

Nokia 6230b

Nokia 7190

Motorola DPC550

Motorola 1000+

Motorola i335

Motorola i425

Motorola i776

Motorola i95cl

Motorola T720

Motorola P8767

Motorola RAZR v3

Motorola v170

Motorola v60ic

Motorola v60it

Motorola v635

Samsung SCH-U740 (Alias) x2

Samsung SCH-U750 (Alias 2)

Siemens s56

UTStarcom CDM-1450


My Wireless Signals (at home)

I have active service I am able to dial 611 for testing I can't access the network
Provider Technology Frequency Band Signal (10=exc,1=poor)
Verizon EVDO 850 MHz
1900 MHz
CELL B
PCS F
7
3
Verizon CDMA 850 MHz CELL B 7
U.S. Cellular EVDO 850 MHz CELL A 7
U.S. Cellular CDMA 850 MHz CELL A 7
Nextel iDen 800 MHz ESMR 5
T-Mobile EGSM 1900 MHz PCS D
PCS E
5
5
T-Mobile WCDMA 1700 MHz AWS 5
MetroPCS CDMA 1700 MHz AWS 4
AT&T WCDMA 1900 MHz PCS A 3
AT&T EGSM 1900 MHz PCS A 3
Sprint PCS EVDO 1900 MHz PCS B 3
Sprint PCS CDMA 1900 MHz PCS B 3
Verizon (Unicel) EGSM 1900 MHz PCS F 1
Verizon CDMA 1900 MHz PCS C INACTIVE
AT&T EGSM 1900 MHz PCS C INACTIVE
U.S. Cellular AMPS
(shutdown 2/10/2009)
850 MHz CELL A SHUT DOWN
U.S. Cellular TDMA
(shutdown 2/10/2009)
850 MHz CELL A SHUT DOWN
Verizon AMPS 850 MHz CELL B SHUT DOWN
AT&T TDMA 1900 MHz PCS A SHUT DOWN
Unicel TDMA 1900 MHz PCS F SHUT DOWN



RF Performance

Which phone has the best RF performance?  I can only speak for the phones that I have. There is a trend of putting the antenna in the bottom section of the phone (especially smart phones) which really REALLY negatively affects performance. I assume this is to reduce the radiation levels to your head. You can improve reception by not holding the phone at the bottom (but then the phone is not secured and is more likely to be dropped). It's good to be aware of this fact if you are in a low signal area. Use the speakerphone in that case.

If a phone is crossed out below it means I no longer have that phone

Best CDMA 850
   1st is the e815
   2nd is the 3589i
   3rd is the P8767
   4th is the 8703e
   5th is the 9530 Storm1 (antenna in the bottom)
   6th is the a855 Droid (antenna in the bottom)
   7th is the 7868
   8th is the 2126
   9th is the env (VX-9900)
   10th is the RAZR maxx Ve (antenna in the bottom?)
   11th is the T720c 

Best CDMA 1900
   1st is the P8767
   2nd is the e815  
   3rd is the 7868
   4th is the 2126
   5th is the M1000
   6th is the RAZR maxx Ve (antenna in the bottom?)
   7th is the 2115
   8th is the CDM-1450
   9th is the T720c

Best GSM 850
   1st is the v635
   2nd is the v3xx
   3rd is the 6230b
   4th is the s56
   5th is the myTouch3g
   6th is the e71 (antenna in the bottom)

Best GSM 1900
   1st is the 7190
   2nd is the 6230b
   3rd is the v3xx
   4th is the v635
   5th is the s56
   6th is the myTouch3g
   7th is the e71 (antenna in the bottom)
   8th is the 6190

Best iDEN
   i95cl
   i1000+
   i776
   i465
   i335
   i450 (down 5 dBm)

Best Analog (OBE as analog is shut down): 
    1st is the DPC550 (full 600mw output)
    2nd is a tie between the 6120 and the 6160 (good)
    3rd is the P8767 (good)
    4th is the 7868 (fair)
    5th is the 3589i (fair)
    6th is the 2126 (fair)
    The rest have poor analog performance (T720c, v60it, 6185)

Best TDMA 850 (OBE as TDMA is shut down)
   1st is a tie between the 6120 and the 6160
   3rd is the v60it (significantly worse than the Nokias)

Best TDMA 1900 (OBE as TDMA is shut down)
   1st is the 6160
   2nd is the v60it


Most of my phones are capable of being placed into field test mode, which display lots of useful information such as System ID, band, channel, tower IDs and signal strength.  Some of the phones have hundreds of screens of information. Each phone below is currently on the screen that displays signal strength. Just about all TDMA & CDMA phones have some sort of field test capability. GSM phones either do not have the ability for field test, or its difficult to enable it.


RIM Blackberry 9530 (Storm 1) & Motorola a855 (Droid) (taken 3/28/2010). The 9530's signal was quite a bit lower (~5dBm) less than my 8703e. In real-life low-signal areas it did better than expected (trying to keep away from the antenna at the bottom).  I have not had the a855 in a low signal area yet.

Storm1 & Droid I

Storm1 & Droid II

Motorola i465 (iDEN) and Samsung SCH-U750 (Alias 2 CDMA) (taken 3/28/2010)

SCH-U750 & i465

 

Nokia e71: EGSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 850/1900, HSDPA (taken 3/8/2009)

 

Blackberry Storm: CDMA 850/1900 EV/DO Rev.A, EGSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 2100, HSDPA (taken 3/8/2009)


 

Boost i776: 800 MHz iDEN (taken 3/8/2009)

 

Here are my Motorola phones lined up.  From left to right, maxx ve, e815, v3xx, v635 (taken 12/14/2007)


The Motorola RAZR maxx Ve and LG VX-9900 (env). Both are RF disappointments, down 8 to 10 dBm from the e815 and 10 to 12 dBm down from the 3589i. In actual testing the Nokia 2126 beat the RAZR maxx Ve by a landslide. I have heard the RAZR2 restores the excellent Motorola RF performance. (taken 6/19/2007)





Blackberry 8703e on Verizon. It has the best "phone" on any of the PDAs out there. Good sound, good RF. It can't compete to the pull-up antenna of the 3589i or the e815, but no phone comes with them anymore. (taken 3/24/2007)




The Motorola e815 (CDMA 850/1900) and the Motorola v635 (GSM 850/900/1800/1900)
Of the two, the e815 has better sound and the software interface is much faster.  (taken 3/9/2006):


         

My Nokia 6230b (GSM 850/1800/1900) and the Nokia 3589i (CDMA 850/1900 & AMPS 850). (taken 2/5/2005):




More of my collection.  From left to right:  Motorola i95cl on Boost Mobile (Nextel Network), Motorola v60it on CallPlus (AT&T TDMA network), Kyocera SE47 V5 Slider on Virgin Mobile (Sprint PCS network) and Siemens S56 on EasySpeak (T-Mobile network).  (taken 12/19/2003):




Some of my other phones (taken 2/18/2003):



Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to [Cellguru].