Field Test Mode - Signal Strength to aim Yagi Antenna

[Tom Snyder]

Which sub menu in field test will show signal strength?

And can any point to a hyperlink which could explain all the sub menus on 920 in field test mode?

 

[Laura Knotek]

I'm not sure if this thread will help or not, but you might want to check it out.

 

[Tom Snyder]

No I've already been there.

Field test is working on my AT&T 920, but under which sub title is signal strength, trying to aim yagi antenna, I don't know which heading RSS is in.

 

[Laura Knotek]

No I've already been there.

Field test is working on my AT&T 920, but under which sub title is signal strength, trying to aim yagi antenna, I don't know which heading RSS is in.

What is a yagi antenna?

 

[Tom Snyder]

That's what we have to use when cell phone signal is real weak in rural areas, you mount it on the tallest mast you can get usually at least 20' , then it connects to a wireless signal booster which connects to your inside booster antennae which boost the signal inside, so you can get good cell phone service inside your home or building. But you have to aim the antennae where you get the strongest signal, the bars are not as a good reading as the raw RSS strength which will be in numbers.

-87 will let you talk on your phone, you have to get in -80 and down or more to transmit and receive data or use your phone for a wireless hot spot.

 

[Tom Snyder]

Any that can answer this question.

 

[mxyztplk]

In a rural area, you would probably have few, perhaps only one, cell towers that serve you. The nearest one is likely to be the one that is providing you with the best signal. You can determine the direction of your nearest cell tower in various ways, perhaps the simplest being to study a coverage map and determine the center of the nearest area having a strong signal.

Taking those coordinates, you can calculate the direction of the signal from your home, and position your yagi correspondingly.

This may not be perfect, but it would be a good starting point. You can verify the strength of the signal from there, and make minor adjustments.

 

[tofnow]

RSS is not a heading. It is signal strength in dBm.

The only way you can determine heading is to shield the phone from the transmitter and determine heading by seeing when RSS goes down.

You would need something made of steel probably. If you watch RSS and move the large steel object around the phone slowly, RSS will go down when you are blocking the transmitter. Maybe.

Try a frying pan.

You probably shouldn't be using a Yagi antenna if you can't work this out yourself.

It's my impression that what OP is trying to find out is the best received signal strength observed while rotating/manipulating the antenna position. He wants to look at numbers as opposed to bar indicators as I understand it. Back in the last century we used to have to do this by one guy on the roof moving the antenna and one guy shouting about the amount of "snow" on the TV screen. :smile:

 

[Tom Snyder]

It's my impression that what OP is trying to find out is the best received signal strength observed while rotating/manipulating the antenna position. He wants to look at numbers as opposed to bar indicators as I understand it. Back in the last century we used to have to do this by one guy on the roof moving the antenna and one guy shouting about the amount of "snow" on the TV screen. :smile:

You know exactly what I'm trying to do,I was just trying to find out under which sub menu in field test the RSS signal strength was, at least you know what I'm try to do. It's easy to find the RSS on some phones in field test but I haven't found it on my 920 yet, the bars are not really that good for aiming a anttena.

 

[Tom Snyder]

That is not what I,m even talking about, I've been using Wilson products for years, just got a bigger booster, trying to aim my antenna better. Don't even need or have a idea of the frying pan your talking about unless you think I'm shield my system from modulation.

 

[Tom Snyder]

RSS is not a heading. It is signal strength in dBm.

The only way you can determine heading is to shield the phone from the transmitter and determine heading by seeing when RSS goes down.

You would need something made of steel probably. If you watch RSS and move the large steel object around the phone slowly, RSS will go down when you are blocking the transmitter. Maybe.

Try a frying pan.

You probably shouldn't be using a Yagi antenna if you can't work this out yourself.

That is not what I,m even talking about, I've been using Wilson products for years, just got a bigger booster, trying to aim my antenna better. Don't even need or have a idea of the frying pan your talking about unless you think I'm shield my system from modulation.