| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
dondrm
EVDO User
Joined: 06 Sep 2007
Posts: 64
|
 Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:47 am Post subject: Ebay Novatel V620 as an Antenna-test Modem? |
 |
|
I'm in a Verizon EVDO coverage area but got a sub-100 signal when I started the fist time and cancelled after a week. I'm trying to cover all the signal-enhancing bases (also to give the new modems time to prove themselves and to become antenna- and router-ready) before trying again. But:
I doubt that the old Verizon phone I'm using for antenna testing is telling me everything; it isn't EVDO-enabled and so I assume might be not be showing me entirely relevant signal strength. I can get a Novatel V620 for about $25 on Ebay, which is considerably less $ than I might waste by starting service again without a workable setup from the start, and I'm wondering if there's any reason not to go ahead with such an idea--perhaps it wouldn't be current and I couldn't update the PRL if it's not activated, or...?
Anyone have any comments--or a current-old (Mac compatible) card that you'd like to unload? :-) |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Walter
EVDO Junkie
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 307
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I have a V620 card I'd be happy to sell along with a booster antenna and cable. PM me
_________________
Reach, Connect, Celebrate, Grow, Serve. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Species8472
EVDO Heavy User
Joined: 30 Jun 2007
Posts: 114
Location: 29.09373N 82.410825W
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 4:09 am Post subject: |
|
|
The 620 is OK. Have one and am not using it anymore. Signal pull is poor. I have a U720 now and the signal is significantly better. You could get a VZ 727 or a U720 from 3G and you have 30 days to try/play with it.
Just my 2 cents |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Species8472
EVDO Heavy User
Joined: 30 Jun 2007
Posts: 114
Location: 29.09373N 82.410825W
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 4:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Of course the V620 is not Rev-A. But for testing purposes it will do.... should have an external antenna due to the reason above or you may get frustrated even though the signal is there. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dondrm
EVDO User
Joined: 06 Sep 2007
Posts: 64
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Walter wrote: | | I have a V620 card I'd be happy to sell along with a booster antenna and cable. PM me |
Hey Walter,
Darn! I looked at the thread yesterday afternoon and no one had responded yet, so I figured I'd just plunge ahead with the 'best offer' thing I found on eBay and see what happened--and the seller accepted. So....javascript:emoticon(' ') Thanks anyway. (When I went to PM you an error message said that because I had less than 10 posts, I couldn't do that yet--though I think this one might be about the 10th!)
Hey Species,
Yeah, I thought I'd get one of those $16 magnetic based 5dB antenna+adapter combos like this one on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200129612761 that I could use later on the cartop. It should do nicely in a corner reflector for finding the best tower/direction and for trying out different kinds of reflector/concentrators, etc.
The Verizon tech I spoke to insisted that these towers would be using both the 850 and 1900 bands for EVDO, which is why I'm going for a dual band antenna for testing. Maybe he's mistaken. 99% of the time the phone shows channel 384, which I interpret from info in other threads to be in the 850 band, but on occasion it's shown a bunch of multiples of 25 in rapid succession and given a P for 'Mode'--so that could be the elusive 1900 EVDO signal peaking through I guess....
Anyway I'll let everybody know what happens. Thanks again. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Walter
EVDO Junkie
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 307
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
No problem dondrm. Good luck with your testing. And who knows, maybe I'll get full price for my V620 back from Verizon after everything is worked out with their settlement with the NY AG. 
_________________
Reach, Connect, Celebrate, Grow, Serve. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dondrm
EVDO User
Joined: 06 Sep 2007
Posts: 64
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
Well! Looks like this is turning out to be another of my brilliant solutions: 
From the About VZAccess Manager window:
PRL version: 50460 (from Dec. 2005)
SID: 2004 (about 900 miles from here)
Signal: 0 dBm
I'd thought/hoped there would be some way of updating the card without its being activated, which I assume is the issue here, but I haven't come up with anything in my searches so far. If anyone has any suggestions or comments of any sort, I'd love to hear from you.
BTW Walter, please let us know what happens with that settlement.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
