Cell coverage maps
Does anyone have access to anything that might indicate what sort of cell coverage there is extending offshore in the Golden Gate area and along the nearby shores up and down. A field strength map or something like it would be ideal but even footprint maps would work. thanks.
February 3rd, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Not an answer, sorry, but another thought - this page mentions other options for communication besides a cell phone:
http://www.geocities.com/bill_dietrich/Radio.html
Did the boat have any of these other radio types?
February 3rd, 2007 at 1:51 pm
You wil lneed someone on the inside the cell companie’s engineering department to get anything usefull. The companies do not release accurate coverage maps to the public. I installed cellphone equipment in maritime applications and we were never able to obtain them. The general footprint maps in circulation are not useful to you. They do not accurately represent the coverage over the ocean waters. While in general, line of site over the water lends itself to extended signal distance, particuarily for network syncs, the geography and directional orientation of cell antennas on coastal hills can create odd areas of signal loss. In most cases in the area from Santa Cruz up through the Northwest cell companies do not orient their antennas in directions covering the coastal waters. There are few coast communities or coastal bays that require antenna orintation facing out to sea. Some towers in SF do, but geography often limits their reach offshore. This makes for spotty coverage in many areas even though you may have line of site to a tower. Perticuarily in waters from Marin North and Pacifica South. Nor have the cell companies done good analysis of signal strength offshore in in N CA, Oregon.
On the other hand it is not uncommon to aquire a signal in various small localised areas far offshore. Often not enough for even a voice call, but enough for a network sync.
February 6th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Cellular WarSailing..
There is always the option of sailing up/down the coast with a cellphone, laptop, spectrum analyzer, GPS, etc..
If a package could be put together that could be sent out with the CG, fishermen, etc.. (I don’t know if the pilot boats go out that far.) this info could be gathered over time, and might be useful in future searches.
February 7th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
A vessel equipped with a TEMS kit would be able to accurately map out the coverage area along the coastline. Myself and my employer, LCC International has the capability to perform this type of work. Approximate maximum coverage range for a GSM telephone would be about 44 miles ( if double time slots are allocated) 22 mile if single time slots are used. due to time delays in the syncing process. Does Mr Gray have an amateur (ham) radio license?
I can be reached at 414-350-5421