Sensorly Shows Where the 4G Really Is (3G too)!

[milominderbinde]

Sensorly shows unannounced Los Angeles Coverage​

Summary: The updated Sensorly app tells you:

• Do you actually have 4G and just don't know it?
• Who offers the best 3G coverage in your area?
• How accurate are the coverage maps?​

Android|Central members are reporting 4G coverage in announced and many unannounced markets. San Fransisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Jacksonville, Nashville, Manhattan, St Louis, Chicago, Richmond, Denver, Delaware, New York, and other markets have reported coverage in areas not on Sprint's maps. Some aren't even on the notification list.

There have been other apps like Antennas that can find 3G towers but how do you know where your 4G (and 3G) coverage really is?

The Sensorly Map Viewer can answer all of these questions. Sensorly users have been quietly mapping the real 4G coverage all across the US for weeks now. Sensorly automatically charts your coverage while you drive. This lets Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and international users keep their carriers honest with real 3G coverage charts on the Sensorly website. The maps on your phone are much higher resolution, to within 50 feet.

Version 1.2.9 is still free and brings a number of nice upgrades but the best is that in addition to showing 4G service in green, areas tested without 4G are now in blue. Has your area been tested? Just turn on the app as you drive and your results will automatically be compiled to the maps in a few hours. Sensorly will show you who really has the best coverage in your area and proves where the dead-spots really are, even block-by-block.

Note that the HTC EVO reports 3G signal levels but only shows 4G as "On" or "Off." Also, as Sprint continues to test towers, you can expect unannounced cells to be off at times. Just search on "Sensorly" in the Android marketplace or download from AppBrain or the Sensorly website.

Some suggested settings: Menu → More → Settings
• Turn screen on while scanning ON - otherwise it will not scan!
• Show legend and status ON - so you can see if you are collecting data.
• Scan WiFi networks OFF - unless you have public WiFi networks you want to scan
• Allow passive scanning OFF - when you are done so that Sensorly does not run when it is off.
• Also Menu → Map in background - to be able to keep mapping while using the phone for other things.

Go forth and chart the uncharted lands!

 

[dekcufi]

i searched for it but it comes up empty

 

[joek1971]

great app, show spots in brooklyn ny

 

[dekcufi]

yay it comes up now i am gonna go try it out

 

[milominderbinde]

great app, show spots in brooklyn ny

Turn it on and let it map everywhere you go. So far it has been really accurate in finding the deadzone holes in 3G coverage as well. If you are on a call you can see if you are about to lose someone.

The app was just updated to show where users are finding that there is NO 4G.

 

[milominderbinde]

yay it comes up now i am gonna go try it out

What results have you seen so far?

Remember it can take a few hours for your new readings to be compiled into the maps.

 

[McPlot]

I would not call this exact, it says my house has no 3G, when I have 5 bars. I am close to some open space that humans are not allowed in so it may just be thinking that area is not 3g as no one mapped it. But still pretty cool. I will have to go up to Denver and try the 4G

 

[milominderbinde]

I would not call this exact, it says my house has no 3G, when I have 5 bars. I am close to some open space that humans are not allowed in so it may just be thinking that area is not 3g as no one mapped it. But still pretty cool. I will have to go up to Denver and try the 4G

It can take overnight for your new data to show up. It them averages it with other data it has gotten. For instance there are some Android phones that have notoriously bad signal that may have been in the area. Over time your good signals will balance it out.

 

[acme64]

i spent the whole day in Baltimore yesterday and the 4G would just read "connecting to sprint" and never did. Fail :/

 

[milominderbinde]

i spent the whole day in Baltimore yesterday and the 4G would just read "connecting to sprint" and never did. Fail :/

Did you run Sensorly so that it could be mapped?

 

[dekcufi]

i spent the whole day in Baltimore yesterday and the 4G would just read "connecting to sprint" and never did. Fail :/

i read somewhere that sprint only has 41 4g towers up and running and thats not very many considering that the list of 4g cities is what 30 something
i had sensorly and used it for a few days let itrun freely in backround and map but it never updated my area

 

[milominderbinde]

i read somewhere that sprint only has 41 4g towers up and running and thats not very many considering that the list of 4g cities is what 30 something
i had sensorly and used it for a few days let itrun freely in backround and map but it never updated my area

It has to be at least 80 towers looking at the concentration of signal maps. But still it is hardly coverage. Fortunately it seems that they are constantly adding new 4G towers.

 

[Qazme]

One thing about this app to keep in mind, it runs in the background and uses your data connection as well as your GPS for you battery conscious people.

 

[acme64]

looking at the map the harbor is covered

 

[bpmurr]

I got coverage 4G coverage in the Canton area of Baltimore City during the weekend.

 

[Qazme]

Sounds like they are really ramping up 4G, can't wait till Verizon starts rolling out LTE in full strength. Going to be nice. What kind of true speeds are you guys with the EVO getting in 4G areas? And does the amount of signal you are getting affect the speeds at all?

 

[dwhitman]

Seems useful. No data in my area, so I'm letting it run to try and fill in the map.

Weird thing. On Appbrain, it comes up fine when you search for "Sensorly". Installed it, and couldn't find it in the launcher. Turns out it's called "Map Viewer" when installed.

 

[milominderbinde]

Seems useful. No data in my area, so I'm letting it run to try and fill in the map.

Weird thing. On Appbrain, it comes up fine when you search for "Sensorly". Installed it, and couldn't find it in the launcher. Turns out it's called "Map Viewer" when installed.

I will add that to the opening post

 

[Menno]

This is a fun program, but last time I installed it, it killed my battery even though I told it not to run once I dropped below 90%. Was this fixed? If so, I'll reinstall.

 

[Lorak]

Still running it now and then. Guess I am the only one in my area, since the only mapped area is where I drive. But is cool to see that it is filling in.