Cellphone Towers/Transmitters
- Thread starter Shel_B
- Start date
The answer depends on the height of the tower above ground, obstructions, line of sight, and terrain. The range could vary from just a mile to several dozen miles without any obstructions. Out on the open water, my range is limited to a few miles. No idea why it's not more. If you need a greater range get a weBoost which will increase the range by maybe up to 50%.
Last edited:
Shel_B
Site Donor 2023
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2020
- Messages
- 5,167
Thanks!
Here's a hypothetical: Transmitter is atop a 3-4 story building very close to the waters edge, no obstructions as there's only an open ocean to contend with, and the phone, a good quality Android or iPhone, is on a boat. At what approximate distance could one get a good signal? Would being in a similar situation but where the signal is sent over land, such as in a desert environment, change the range versus going out over water?
They don't put out as much power, because there is no need to. More power = more interference for your frequency bands that are in the area.
Generally to get good throughput over cellular you need to be within a 1-1.5 miles from the tower. If there are obstacles, you likely will need to be a lot closer. If you are using C-Band, Mid-band, or higher, you practically need to be able to see the tower and be within 1/4 mile. Some tall rural towers with low frequencies are good for 10+ unobstructed miles.
In perfect, optimal conditions and terrain a 4G signal can go 30 miles before it is completely useless. Normally it's a lot less, though. A 5G signal is under a mile.
Water absorbs radiation in the microwave band (which is why your potato cooks in the microwave) so it has a negative affect on cell transmissions. That is offset by the lack of obstructions, though. Not sure what the maximum distance for a 4G signal is over water. Water front property tends to be pretty restrictive about zoning and cost so I don't think there are a lot of towers on the edge of large bodies of water. It would make more sense that they be set back to give the most bang for the buck.
Water absorbs radiation in the microwave band (which is why your potato cooks in the microwave) so it has a negative affect on cell transmissions. That is offset by the lack of obstructions, though. Not sure what the maximum distance for a 4G signal is over water. Water front property tends to be pretty restrictive about zoning and cost so I don't think there are a lot of towers on the edge of large bodies of water. It would make more sense that they be set back to give the most bang for the buck.
4G or 5G modulation doesn't have anything to do with useable distance, frequency does.
The earth curves about 8 inches per mile. A 3-story building is about 40 feet tall. So 60 miles in theory? I don't think so. Maybe 5 miles.
I would expect some change but presuming a flat desert landscape not a significant difference. I could be completely wrong. Rest assured COMMS fails when you rely on it.
Owen Lucas
$100 Site Donor 2023
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2021
- Messages
- 2,600
Can a cellphone 30 miles away have enough power / range ping this tower?
Don't laugh but I know a few locations along the coastline with very spotty or no cell service where I can get a connection simply by getting up 10 feet higher.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2022
- Messages
- 716
Generally the lower the frequency the farther it travels.
I've been able to get LOS on a tower several times in campgrounds, or even 5 bars with my booster without LOS; but sometimes its also just a capacity issue, last summer in one very large campground during the long weekend I had 5 bars but couldn't get an email out whereas during the rest of the week I could stream video
Now it's our turn. Why did you ask this question? Are you trying to make a call to your caviar-smuggling friend who's trying to arrange a cloak-and-dagger dropoff at a secret cove at midnight?Thanks for all the information. You've shown once again why BITOG is often a better option than Google to ask a question. More info than I'd have thought to ask about.
If it's a mmWave small cell, it's LOS to maybe ~500 feet
If it's a boomer site (rural and tall) with the transmit power maxed out on a low frequency LTE band (B12/13/14/17/71) then 25-50 miles is possible under ideal conditions
If it's a boomer site (rural and tall) with the transmit power maxed out on a low frequency LTE band (B12/13/14/17/71) then 25-50 miles is possible under ideal conditions
Shel_B
Site Donor 2023
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2020
- Messages
- 5,167
I've been invited to go out on a fishing boat and I've had some bad experiences on the water. In addition, I'm not very comfortable in and on the water, although I do like the experience of being on various types of boats. Now that I have a cellphone, and know its capabilities, my comfort level may be raised a notch. I know it's not a panacea for mishaps and issues on the water, but it does raise my comfort level somewhat.Now it's our turn. Why did you ask this question? Are you trying to make a call to your caviar-smuggling friend who's trying to arrange a cloak-and-dagger dropoff at a secret cove at midnight?
MolaKule
Staff member
The boat should have Maritime Radio in case the CG needs to be contacted.
I hope you have a bigger boat. Don't forget to put some Sharktec Time-Release Shark Repellent in your lifevest. And if you do go "swimming" and a shark gets close, punch it on the nose, claw into its gills, and gouge his freaking eyes out. And for Saint Elmo's sake, stay away from the maw.
"Sometimes that shark looks right at ya. Right into your eyes. And the thing about a shark is he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t even seem to be livin’… ’til he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’. The ocean turns red, and despite all your poundin’ and your hollerin’ those sharks come in and… they rip you to pieces."
Excerpt of the monologue attributed to Quint, mostly improvised by Robert Shaw, Jaws (1975),
Last edited:
Sending a signal over open land is easier than open water. The water can act as a reflector and skew the path of the signal.
It depends on the population density near the tower. In a dense urban environment they'll make more towers that are lower to the ground with less power, so the radio frequency can get re-used and handed off more times as the user moves around. And other users share the bandwidth. If you're out in the desert of Nevada they'll put the tower higher up so it can cover more real estate with less maintenance, and no fears of being overloaded.
If you're on a boat off a coast there's a chance you'll see 5-6 cell towers with approximately equal strength. Your phone will negotiate with them until it runs out of options.
The cell company won't set up a "border blaster" tower if it interferes with themselves. RF spectrum is a precious commodity and their engineers make big bucks spreading it around to the greatest benefit.
If you're on a boat off a coast there's a chance you'll see 5-6 cell towers with approximately equal strength. Your phone will negotiate with them until it runs out of options.
The cell company won't set up a "border blaster" tower if it interferes with themselves. RF spectrum is a precious commodity and their engineers make big bucks spreading it around to the greatest benefit.
There is an app you can download that shows what tower you are hitting. The one I hit is about 15 miles away.
Similar threads
