SiteFinder Mobile phone database - to be made secret?

SiteFinder Mobile phone database - to be made secret?

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tsutton

Sep 20 2006, 11:40

Post #1

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Just spotted in my local newspaper...

Outrage at phone mast secrecy bid

What are your thoughts? Should it be kept public? Or locked away?

Discuss!

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- Tony Sutton
- My Ford Focus ST170 car
- Using MDA Vario III with 6GB MicroSD card
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Confucious

Sep 20 2006, 12:47

Post #2

Peanut Brain
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I'd never heard of this site - it seems quite useful !

Shame if they get rid of it now I've found it!

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He who asks a question looks foolish for 5 minutes. He who doesn't ask a question remains foolish forever.

tsutton

Sep 20 2006, 13:35

Post #3

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Heh... use it before it's gone if they have their way!

For others who are wondering, it's at http://www.sitefinder.radio.gov.uk - obviously for UK!

--------------------

- Tony Sutton
- My Ford Focus ST170 car
- Using MDA Vario III with 6GB MicroSD card
- Got Phone, GPS and WiFi together? Sign up & Make Money with Navizon!

richard_d

Sep 20 2006, 15:07

Post #4

Addict

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QUOTE(tsutton @ Sep 20 2006, 13:35)

Heh... use it before it's gone if they have their way!

For others who are wondering, it's at http://www.sitefinder.radio.gov.uk - obviously for UK!

Interesting but not that useful from a user point of view. It's a bit like the operator coverage maps. According to the Orange coverage map I should get excellent reception where I live and looking at this map Orange seem to have more local transmitters than the other providers, yet in reality to get an Orange signal I have to hang out of an open window.

Richard

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Richard
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Previous phone - Nokia 6630, Previous Mobile Windows Device - IBM z50 !

Dr Who

Sep 21 2006, 07:24

Post #5

Timelord

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QUOTE(richard_d @ Sep 20 2006, 15:07)

Interesting but not that useful from a user point of view. It's a bit like the operator coverage maps. According to the Orange coverage map I should get excellent reception where I live and looking at this map Orange seem to have more local transmitters than the other providers, yet in reality to get an Orange signal I have to hang out of an open window.

Richard

Same, same. Orange have a broadcast and UMTS mast cranked up to max power about 30 metres from my flat (apparently) and I could never get a 3G signal in my flat. TMob mast is a goodly distance away, is the only one in the postcode search (500m?) and is on low power and I get a perfect signal.

chucky.egg

Sep 21 2006, 16:04

Post #6

Did I say that out loud?
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It's not really about coverage, it's just so people can find the masts.

Bit rubbish anyway because you can only see the mast locations at certain zoom levels, and then you can't see much area so it's hard to put into context.

No great loss if they hide it IMO

Samsonite

Sep 21 2006, 19:50

Post #7

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now i know about this site, it will be a massive benefit to me in my work!

I work in Industrial Data Comms and i sometimes have to do a GSM site survey for installations to do with the water companies, electricity and many other applications. Although i agree that it may not give specific signal levels available, it at least would allow me to correlate data for the survey.

Currently, I use Yagi antennae and a software tool to sniff out base stations of all available networks and this information would give me approximate distances to the relevant masts.

the argument that it allows competing networks to find holes is laughable! its still a level playing field isnt it? no one network has an unfair advantage over the others so wheres the problem?

i cant see it affecting things like house prices but it still gives information to the public - that shouldnt be stifled due to a commercial wrangle.

Swampie

Sep 22 2006, 14:34

Post #8

Diehard

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QUOTE(dr who @ Sep 21 2006, 07:24)

Same, same. Orange have a broadcast and UMTS mast cranked up to max power about 30 metres from my flat (apparently) and I could never get a 3G signal in my flat. TMob mast is a goodly distance away, is the only one in the postcode search (500m?) and is on low power and I get a perfect signal.

That's easy to explain. As you're so close to the mast, and it's at high power, all the little electrons are flying past you too fast for your phone to grab hold of - thus no signal.

The further away from the mast, the slower the electrons and the easier it is for your phone to lock onto them.

Samsonite

Sep 22 2006, 22:22

Post #9

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QUOTE(Swampie @ Sep 22 2006, 14:34)

That's easy to explain. As you're so close to the mast, and it's at high power, all the little electrons are flying past you too fast for your phone to grab hold of - thus no signal.

The further away from the mast, the slower the electrons and the easier it is for your phone to lock onto them.

kinda, but not quite...

an antenna has a propogation pattern that is determined by its shape and physical design. Its more likly that the frontal lobe of the antennea is missing your house because it is too close and the angle of propogation means that its in a dead spot.

The electrons dont get slower the further away from the base station, its just thats there is less of the signal ones mingling with all the others.

now if you meant your post tongue in cheek, then dont i look the donut!!!

sporkguy

Sep 23 2006, 11:59

Post #10

iSpork

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When I worked for the local Orange Shop, I used this site to my advantage.
Mainly to coax customers from Voda locally. See, in my city Voda's signal is pap - infact anywhere other than a mile radius of the town centre has shoddy signal.
I used to site to show their customers who came into the Shop that Voda had indeed installed a booster on top of their own shop just down the road... so when customers came in to complain about their lack of signal they wouldnt be able to prove it when in the shop or anywhere around town.

Clever Voda, very clever

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pd.ryder

Oct 29 2006, 04:06

Post #11

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QUOTE(Swampie @ Sep 22 2006, 14:34)

That's easy to explain. As you're so close to the mast, and it's at high power, all the little electrons are flying past you too fast for your phone to grab hold of - thus no signal.

The further away from the mast, the slower the electrons and the easier it is for your phone to lock onto them.

Doh

When I did physics, frequency = velocity x wavelength. Now if velocity wasn't a constant, that would give us something to think about...

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He gets taller" - Jesse Duke, Hazzard County

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