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From: dave@westmark.westmark.com (Dave Levenson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Signal Propagation Characteristics?
Message-ID: <72173@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Date: 13 Jan 91 01:44:36 GMT
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In article <15965@accuvax.nwu.edu>, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John
R. Levine) writes:

> >OK - shall we have a "largest cell" contest?  

> [Moderator's Note: ...
> the southwestern-most point for Chicago area service. When HOME kicked
> in on my unit, a nearby highway sign said we were 70 miles from
> Morris. All that on a .6 watt handheld ... see why I don't concern
> myself with the exact specifics of the antenna I use? Admittedly, I
> had the 'standard' antenna for a handheld, not the little 1/8 wave
> loaded stub I installed a month or so ago.  PAT]

It has been my experience that the HOME or ROAM indication (i.e.
something other than NO SERVICE) means only that the mobile or
portable cellular telephone is receiving the setup channel from a
cell.  It doesn't necessarily mean that the cell would receive your
signal if you tried to SEND.  At 70 miles range, you may well be able
to receive the setup channel which is transmitting at a hundred watts
or more.  Moreover, if you are receiving it 'most of the time' with a
lot of fading, you'll still probably display an in-service indication.
But try to initiate a call with your 0.6-watt hand-held with its
1/8th-wave antenna when the cell's access channel receiver is 70 miles
away!  The cell may not hear you.  You may also have a signal too weak
or intermittent for conversation. 


Dave Levenson		Internet: dave@westmark.com 
Westmark, Inc.		UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Warren, NJ, USA		AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave 
Voice: 908 647 0900     Fax: 908 647 6857


[Moderator's Note: My question is why would there be such an extreme
difference in output from the cell versus my output? What point is
there in having the cell talking to a unit which can't get back to it?
Wouldn't it make better sense to tone down the cell just a little so a
more realistic range *in both directions* could be observed?  I've
done the same thing with my cordless phones in the past: Mounted the
base antenna on the roof and peaked up the base output a little so I
could hear it on the remote unit two or three city blocks away ... but
to what avail if I can't make the trip back?   PAT]