Roaming on SprintPCS ended?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

I remember that I used to be able to get on Sprint PCS 1900 MHz signal last
year. However, as I am trying today, it is no longer possible. I forced LG
4400 into PCS mode in Houston TX, and it always displayed "Searching for
Service". While watching the field test screen, I noticed a few channels
having non-zero values for AC State and Ec/Io: Channels 350, 325, 725.
However, the phone could not lock onto any channel. Any possible reasons?
I've only tested for 30 minutes at the time of posting, btw.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

P T Wang <news1003@paultwang.com> wrote:
> I remember that I used to be able to get on Sprint PCS 1900 MHz signal last
> year. However, as I am trying today, it is no longer possible. I forced LG
> 4400 into PCS mode in Houston TX, and it always displayed "Searching for
> Service". While watching the field test screen, I noticed a few channels
> having non-zero values for AC State and Ec/Io: Channels 350, 325, 725.
> However, the phone could not lock onto any channel. Any possible reasons?
> I've only tested for 30 minutes at the time of posting, btw.

Verizon has removed Sprint PCS roaming in other areas before...


--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / sjsobol@JustThe.net
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Yeah, and since GTE Mobilenet sold Lufkin and Nacogdoches, you either
get AT&T analog (*constantly overloaded*) or, well, nothing. Generally
takes 5-10 minutes to make an outgoing call between 8am and midnight.

Oh how I wish I wouldn't have updated my PRL. My life would be simpler.

Personally I reprogrammed NAM2 for my vzw phone# but the local Sprint
SID as its "home SID". Works great, and I haven't been charged roaming
*yet*. I'm guessing the day my pre-sprint-breakup contract runs out
that status will change.

The day I lose this service may be the day I attempt to do an area-wide
Cingular/Dobson/AT&T passive repeater. Yuck.

JS


P T Wang wrote:
> I remember that I used to be able to get on Sprint PCS 1900 MHz signal last
> year. However, as I am trying today, it is no longer possible. I forced LG
> 4400 into PCS mode in Houston TX, and it always displayed "Searching for
> Service". While watching the field test screen, I noticed a few channels
> having non-zero values for AC State and Ec/Io: Channels 350, 325, 725.
> However, the phone could not lock onto any channel. Any possible reasons?
> I've only tested for 30 minutes at the time of posting, btw.
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Steven J Sobol" <sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote in message
news:l72dnWJ4aMeiAWzdRVn-jg@lmi.net...
> P T Wang <news1003@paultwang.com> wrote:
> > I remember that I used to be able to get on Sprint PCS 1900 MHz signal
last
> > year. However, as I am trying today, it is no longer possible. I forced
LG
> > 4400 into PCS mode in Houston TX, and it always displayed "Searching for
> > Service". While watching the field test screen, I noticed a few channels
> > having non-zero values for AC State and Ec/Io: Channels 350, 325, 725.
> > However, the phone could not lock onto any channel. Any possible
reasons?
> > I've only tested for 30 minutes at the time of posting, btw.
>
> Verizon has removed Sprint PCS roaming in other areas before...

Shouldn't roaming continue to work as long as the roaming partner's SID is
not blocked in PRL?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 20:14:13 GMT, "P T Wang" <news1003@paultwang.com>
wrote:

>> Verizon has removed Sprint PCS roaming in other areas before...
>
>Shouldn't roaming continue to work as long as the roaming partner's SID is
>not blocked in PRL?

Not for NYC area (SID 4162). I've read here before that Sprint will
NOT let you make a call on their network, regardless if the SID is
still on a VZW phone's PRL.

I was in NYC over the Fourth of July weekend and tried to use Sprint
just to see what would happen. I got a recording that said that if you
were a Sprint customer to call CS, and if not, call your own carrier's
CS.

On other Sprint SIDS, they still allow you to use their network. My
home area Sprint's SIDs (SID 4195/4982) still allow me to make a call
on their network, though I have to force my phone to use their
network.

Dave

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Diamond Dave <dmine45.NOSPAM@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Not for NYC area (SID 4162). I've read here before that Sprint will
> NOT let you make a call on their network, regardless if the SID is
> still on a VZW phone's PRL.

Probably because Sprint has enough capacity problems in NYC without
allowing VZW customers to roam. As I understand it, they are experiencing
difficulty keeping people connected out there. Maybe they'll remove the
restriction once the problems are fixed.

Verizon should have plenty of capacity on their own NYC network.

> On other Sprint SIDS, they still allow you to use their network. My
> home area Sprint's SIDs (SID 4195/4982) still allow me to make a call
> on their network, though I have to force my phone to use their
> network.

Well, some Sprint SIDs are Extended Network for Verizon users...

Probably not as many as there once were, however.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / sjsobol@JustThe.net
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 17:22:32 -0500, Steven J Sobol
<sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote:

>Probably because Sprint has enough capacity problems in NYC without
>allowing VZW customers to roam. As I understand it, they are experiencing
>difficulty keeping people connected out there. Maybe they'll remove the
>restriction once the problems are fixed.

I highly doubt it We are talking Sprint you know!

>Verizon should have plenty of capacity on their own NYC network.

I'm sure you've read other messages to the contrary - though while I
was on Long Island my calls went through just fine.

>Well, some Sprint SIDs are Extended Network for Verizon users...

Was SID 4162 (NYC metro) ever in Extended Network?

SIDs 4982 (Richmond, VA) and 4195 (DC/Baltimore) were at one time, but
were removed over a year ago.

I've tried to roam onto other carrier's networks and sometimes you can
roam, sometimes you can't. It just all depends.

And sometimes you can roam without roaming fees, and other times you
get charged roaming. Usually a SID that was once in the PRL is still
charged as Extended Network. If a SID was never in the PRL, then
you'll be charged roaming (makes sense).

I was in Chicago about 2 years ago and forced the phone to US Cellular
(old Primeco) in the PCS band. Though USCC is an EN carrier in a lot
of areas, their system did not allow VZW roamers and a recording said
that their system didn't allow roamers to use the system.

But at least that's my experience. YMMV.

Dave

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Diamond Dave <dmine45.NOSPAM@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 17:22:32 -0500, Steven J Sobol
> <sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote:
>
>>Probably because Sprint has enough capacity problems in NYC without
>>allowing VZW customers to roam. As I understand it, they are experiencing
>>difficulty keeping people connected out there. Maybe they'll remove the
>>restriction once the problems are fixed.
>
> I highly doubt it We are talking Sprint you know!

There's no reason to roam on Sprint in New York anyhow. Verizon removed
Sprint and never had Alltel in the PRL for Cleveland, for example. Although
they might have benefited from having their customers roam on Sprint in
certain places around Ashtabula, OH where the VZW signal is weak, there
is really not a whole lot of difference in footprint between the three
networks.

Here, once you leave California on I-40, you're roaming analog on Citizens
Mohave Wireless. I did last year, while my wife's Sprint phone had native
coverage across AZ on 40. (To be fair, it IS extended network and therefore
won't cost extra in many situations.)

>>Verizon should have plenty of capacity on their own NYC network.
>
> I'm sure you've read other messages to the contrary - though while I
> was on Long Island my calls went through just fine.

Well, they just got new licenses from Nextwave, so hopefully that'll help -
I haven't been in NYC since about 1996... so I don't speak from experience.

>>Well, some Sprint SIDs are Extended Network for Verizon users...
>
> Was SID 4162 (NYC metro) ever in Extended Network?

Dunno.

> I was in Chicago about 2 years ago and forced the phone to US Cellular
> (old Primeco) in the PCS band. Though USCC is an EN carrier in a lot
> of areas, their system did not allow VZW roamers and a recording said
> that their system didn't allow roamers to use the system.

No reason to in Chicago, really. My VZW phone worked fine in Park Ridge and
Schiller Park, out by O'Hare, when I was there last December.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / sjsobol@JustThe.net
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

> P T Wang wrote:
> > I forced LG 4400 into PCS mode in Houston TX, and it always
> > displayed "Searching for Service".

"Jacob Suter" <jsuter@intrastar.net> wrote in message
news:BtjIc.15667$ku3.3774@fe17.usenetserver.com...
> Personally I reprogrammed NAM2 for my vzw phone# but the local Sprint
> SID as its "home SID". Works great, and I haven't been charged roaming
> *yet*. I'm guessing the day my pre-sprint-breakup contract runs out
> that status will change.

How do I find out Sprint's or other carrier's SID in my area?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

P T Wang wrote:

>>P T Wang wrote:
>>
>>>I forced LG 4400 into PCS mode in Houston TX, and it always
>>>displayed "Searching for Service".
>
>
> "Jacob Suter" <jsuter@intrastar.net> wrote in message
> news:BtjIc.15667$ku3.3774@fe17.usenetserver.com...
>
>>Personally I reprogrammed NAM2 for my vzw phone# but the local Sprint
>>SID as its "home SID". Works great, and I haven't been charged roaming
>>*yet*. I'm guessing the day my pre-sprint-breakup contract runs out
>>that status will change.
>
>
> How do I find out Sprint's or other carrier's SID in my area?

I knew mine from memory (from the days when resorting to this kind of
anarchy wasn't required). I've found SID lists via google before, ymmv.

JS

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"P T Wang" <news1003@paultwang.com> wrote in message
news:0tkIc.7834$HM3.1879@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com...

>
> How do I find out Sprint's or other carrier's SID in my area?
>

The SID list is no longer maintained by the FCC as of 10/1/2003, it is in
the private sector, and it costs to see it. We have posted the last "free"
list from the FCC at:

http://www.mountainwireless.com/sid.htm


Bill Radio
Click for Western U.S. Wireless Reviews at:
http://www.mountainwireless.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"P T Wang" <news1003@paultwang.com> wrote in message
newschIc.7795$KI2.6397@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Steven J Sobol" <sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote in message
> news:l72dnWJ4aMeiAWzdRVn-jg@lmi.net...
> >
> > Verizon has removed Sprint PCS roaming in other areas before...
>
> Shouldn't roaming continue to work as long as the roaming partner's SID is
> not blocked in PRL?

I have 50175 in NAM1. I just tested with the 50072 PRL in NAM2. It entered
SPCS SID 4622 PCS CH 325 with no problem. Does anyone know how to decipher
PRL files extracted from LG 4400?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Fortunately, the PRL has already be deciphered and posted. One contributor,
at http://www.justalurker.com/, used to make a detailed report on each one,
but quit as of PRL 50152. I don't blame him, I did this once and it takes
HOURS. So, using that list as a reference, we have noted the changes with
each PRL since, at:

http://www.mountainwireless.com/prl.htm


Bill Radio
Click for Western U.S. Wireless Reviews at:
http://www.mountainwireless.com


"P T Wang" <news1003@paultwang.com> wrote in message
news:03mIc.7850$Ek4.3719@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com...
>
>
> I have 50175 in NAM1. I just tested with the 50072 PRL in NAM2. It entered
> SPCS SID 4622 PCS CH 325 with no problem. Does anyone know how to decipher
> PRL files extracted from LG 4400?
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 21:06:16 -0500, Steven J Sobol
<sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote:


>No reason to in Chicago, really. My VZW phone worked fine in Park Ridge and
>Schiller Park, out by O'Hare, when I was there last December.

True, no reason to, as VZW was working just fine in Park Ridge, but it
is always nice to have a backup.

Dave