Dear All,
I recently got this device in Hong Kong and is hapi with its performance!
But I am still wondering if this device could actually use the LTE available in HK?
I knw the msm8960 claimed to be capable of utilizing all frequency of radio,
so is it possible that there is some soft lock in the baseband?
Could i flash the baseband or replace the modem driver from other device to access other frequency?
any idea is appreciated!
Thanks!
Vasco
I think it has to modifiy the ROm and the hardware
I tried to figure out, if our Photon Q is supporting more LTE bands than 1900 MHz (#2 or/and #25).
-> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-UTRA#Frequency_bands_and_channel_bandwidths
On some sites there are reports for having another band. (Have to search again, I think it was 850 MHz, #26 or 700 MHz, #12/#17/#29.)
I have also searched for supported frequencies for MSM8960.
I found some BlackBerry devices based on that SoC and 2 different versions of supported LTE bands.
One version (UK) supported 4 in europe used bands und the other version (US) supported 4 in US/Canada used bands.
I think that the Photon Q is like the BlackBerry US version and supports 4 LTE bands in US/Canada.
If you need a few sites, I will search again and show it to you.
The strange thing is, if I set to LTE only (via 4636) I can see all 4 carrier (germany).
We have 3 bands with LTE on it, but I can only get signal to max 2 of them.
Band 3, 7 and 20 (1800, 2600, 800 MHz).
The weird thing is, that on band #20 (800 MHz) only 3 carrier are active, so it has to be band #3 or #7.
Maybe I'm missinterpreting things and thats just a sideeffect of crossing bands of LTE US and UMTS Germany.
On stock ROM there was another "secret phone code" to see what the phone-part is doing. (From qualcomm I believe.)
I think I will test it some other day, to see which band is active.
At last, I was never been able to "login" or "register" into my carriers network within LTE.
Please discuss about that possibility, I really want to find out, which frequencies are supported by our phone on LTE.
Loader009 said:
I tried to figure out, if our Photon Q is supporting more LTE bands than 1900 MHz (#2 or/and #25).
-> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-UTRA#Frequency_bands_and_channel_bandwidths
On some sites there are reports for having another band. (Have to search again, I think it was 850 MHz, #26 or 700 MHz, #12/#17/#29.)
I have also searched for supported frequencies for MSM8960.
I found some BlackBerry devices based on that SoC and 2 different versions of supported LTE bands.
One version (UK) supported 4 in europe used bands und the other version (US) supported 4 in US/Canada used bands.
I think that the Photon Q is like the BlackBerry US version and supports 4 LTE bands in US/Canada.
If you need a few sites, I will search again and show it to you.
The strange thing is, if I set to LTE only (via 4636) I can see all 4 carrier (germany).
We have 3 bands with LTE on it, but I can only get signal to max 2 of them.
Band 3, 7 and 20 (1800, 2600, 800 MHz).
The weird thing is, that on band #20 (800 MHz) only 3 carrier are active, so it has to be band #3 or #7.
Maybe I'm missinterpreting things and thats just a sideeffect of crossing bands of LTE US and UMTS Germany.
On stock ROM there was another "secret phone code" to see what the phone-part is doing. (From qualcomm I believe.)
I think I will test it some other day, to see which band is active.
At last, I was never been able to "login" or "register" into my carriers network within LTE.
Please discuss about that possibility, I really want to find out, which frequencies are supported by our phone on LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear Loader009,
Thanks for your information! I'm really impressed that you could actually search the carrier in 'LTE only from Germany!
Could you please share the version of ROM you are using?
And if possible, any screenshot? I really want it can be used in HK with LTE(1800, 2100 & 2600Mhz)
Also do you have more information about the secret phone code? I think it would be interesting
Actually, I noted that xt925 and xt905 are using the same chip MSM8960 with LTE usable in HK.
Is there anyone can locate the radio/baseband of their rom and port it for XT897?
I am willing to try it with my machine.
If this work, I think we could use this photon q all over the world!
Any idea?
Regards,
Vasco
disablewong said:
Dear Loader009,
Thanks for your information! I'm really impressed that you could actually search the carrier in 'LTE only from Germany!
Could you please share the version of ROM you are using?
And if possible, any screenshot? I really want it can be used in HK with LTE(1800, 2100 & 2600Mhz)
Also do you have more information about the secret phone code? I think it would be interesting
Actually, I noted that xt925 and xt905 are using the same chip MSM8960 with LTE usable in HK.
Is there anyone can locate the radio/baseband of their rom and port it for XT897?
I am willing to try it with my machine.
If this work, I think we could use this photon q all over the world!
Any idea?
Regards,
Vasco
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course, I was just blind guessing the hardware for xt926 and xt907 are using the same hardware.
If not, there should be one chip controlling the modem channel of the device to be replaced.
But WHICH ONE???
Any expert in this area can solve this question? I am a dummy for radio stuffs
This seems like it's getting pretty interesting.
Sent from my XT897 using Tapatalk 2
Dear all,
I'm also very interested in this topic since I imported a Photon Q to Germany and was wondering if it's possible to use the local LTE 800/1800/2600 bands.
I think the first thing we have to find out is whether the hardware is capable of using other bands than the 1900 band listed on the Motorola website. As Loader009 states he could see LTE carriers which are known to use different bands I assume the hardware can do it. Otherwise the carriers wouldn't have been listed, right? Maybe someone from another country with different frequency bands can check and confirm that he can see those carriers as well?
Thus, the limitation to the 1900 band should be software-made and could be modified by a developer. I hope someone can participate at that point as I don't know much about coding...
I'm using CM10.1.
I can't remember the secret phone code, I have to do research again.
This secret phone code only works on Stock ROM. (I stupidly deleted it, when it wasn't working on CM10 anymore.)
The one secret phone code I used to force "LTE only" was *#*#4636#*#*.
Please DON'T change the baseband (don't even tap on it).
This can do problems to you. (I had to use QPST to recover the supported frequencies.)
Also, developers (afaik) can't modify the modem firmware.
We also don't even know, which LTE bands the Photon Q is capable of. (Except 1900 MHz)
I've got my 32GB SDCard back and will test it in the next few days out.
I hope I'll find that secret phone code, I'll also make a few screenshots.
Got the code!
##33284# <- ##DEBUG#
It only works on stock afair!
I'll test tomorrow, it's about 3am now >.<
disablewong said:
Dear All,
I recently got this device in Hong Kong and is hapi with its performance!
But I am still wondering if this device could actually use the LTE available in HK?
I knw the msm8960 claimed to be capable of utilizing all frequency of radio,
so is it possible that there is some soft lock in the baseband?
Could i flash the baseband or replace the modem driver from other device to access other frequency?
any idea is appreciated!
Thanks!
Vasco
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have read the "QU_SnapdragonS4_White_Paper_FNL_Rev6.pdf" and found there following entry:
-----------------------------------------------------------
• Industry’s first fully integrated 3G/4G world/multimode LTE Modem: <<<Supports all of the world’s leading 2G, 3G and 4G LTE standards>>>.
It also includes integrated support for multiple satellite position networks (GPS and GLONASS) as well as short range radios via Bluetooth,
WiFi, FM and NFC.
• Designed for speed, compatibility and power savings:
Snapdragon S4 Processor MSM8960 chipset includes the industry’s only complete platform that integrates all of the world’s leading 2G, 3G and 4G mobile broadband modem technologies on a single chip. This new integrated multimode modem is based on an advanced, programmable architecture that is performance, size and power optimized for the fastest combination of modems available for:
- LTE FDD/TDD (Cat3)
- 3G (DC-HSPA+ Cat 24)
- EV-DO Rev. B
- 1x Advanced
- TD-SCDMA
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE NFC.
Multimode/Multiband Means Worldwide Coverage.
• Support for multiple radio frequencies: Mobile broadband technologies are growing increasingly complex in their implementation. LTE is currently being implemented in over 40 diff erent radio frequency bands throughout the world. To complement its wide range of modem standards supported, Qualcomm has designed the Snapdragon S4 Processor MSM8960 CHIPSET platform to <<< address all commonly-used frequencies (from 700–2600 MHz) and bandwidths up to 20 MHz>>>, allowing its customers to address any mobile network opportunity whether the simplest single frequency implementation to the most extensive multi-frequency global mode, whether 4G, 3G or 2G.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Based on the document the chip can handle all LTE Standards, but it depends on his "advanced, programmable architecture"....as written there and how Motorola / Sprint implemented this, maybe they reduced LTE only to one Standard.
I don't have LTE in my area and so I cannot test this.
That's possibly right.
Something else:
If I remember correctly, somewhere in this forum have been said that for CDMA the internal Sprint "ID"(?) is used.
Maybe that's also the reason why I cannot connect to LTE in my area.
The phone is trying to "login" with the Sprint ID and this of course won't work.
The ##DEBUG# menu wasn't helpfull. It shows frequencies for american standards and not for GSM/WCDMA.
Also the LTE menu is also not very helpfull, it doesn't show frequencies at all.
Any News on this topic?
Maybe one of the developers can give a statement?
Yesterday I tested a LTE compatible SIM card.
My Bro has a Samsung Galaxy S4 with 4G/LTE in my area.
So I've put his SIM-Card into my Photon Q and set LTE only.
I had no luck, the Phone couldn't register into the network for this SIM.
I guess either it has the wrong frequencies or LTE is for inbuilt "SIM" (Sprint SIM?) only.
The latter. LTE is configured only for 1900 MHz which Sprint uses.
LTE is configured only for Sprint's frequencies, however, it supports the United States frequencies of PCS blocks A-G. The G Block is Sprint's current LTE channel, and they may deploy it later on Blocks A through F, depending on if they own the spectrum in a given market. The reason you see EU networks when the phone is in LTE Only Mode is most likely because the Phone still sees GSM signals, but will only connect to LTE ones from those GSM signals. Likewise, in the US, if you force LTE Only and then search for networks, AT&T and T-Mobile US will come up as the GSM carriers the Photon Q sees, rather than the LTE signals it sees.
Setting the Photon to LTE Only will not do anything for LTE in the EU. I suspect that if another carrier in the EU uses the 1900 MHz for LTE, the Photon Q will have no issues connecting to LTE in Europe. But until that time, be happy with HSPA.
Skrilax_CZ said:
LTE is configured only for 1900 MHz which Sprint uses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can this configuration theoretically be changed / other frequencies be added?
Only if you break BP security.
Skrilax_CZ said:
Only if you break BP security.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, what's that?
IIRC The only place with 850mhz LTE available is the Chicago market and currently no phones at all support it. :crying:
Not only does your phone need to support it, your PRL and cell-site does too...
Use to calculate Qualcomm NV items for adding GSM / WCDMA / LTE bands.
Do you want to add any GSM / WCDMA / LTE bands to your phone? Then use this app to calculate all needed NV items.
This app is only useful for phone with a Qualcomm chipset.
If you don't know how to add GSM / WCDMA / LTE bands to your phone, please refer to this thread. That thread is for S5 model, but the same principle is also applicable for many other phones, e.g. Samsung, LG, Sony, HTC, Nexus...
You also need some NV editor software (e.g. QPST, QXDM, EFS Professional...) on the PC to write these NV items to your phone.
>> NV items description:
- Adding GSM / WCDMA bands:
NV 01877 - RF Band Configuration
NV 00441 - Band Class Preference
NV 00946 - Expand Band Preference 16 to 32 Bits
NV 02954 - Bits 32 to 63 of Band Preference
- Adding LTE bands:
NV 06828 - LTE BC Configuration
NV 06829 - LTE BC Configuration DIV
DOWNLOAD: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.vndnguyen.nvcalc
reserved
This app can show the calculation result in 3 formats: Decimal, Hexadecimal and Byte-swapped Hex.
Update v1.0.5:
- Fix UI issue on some devices.
- Add separate notation settings for GSM/WCDMA and LTE calculation. You should not change the default settings unless you know what you are doing.
I'm intersted in Qualcomm NV access, but not for cell band issues. There appear to be GPS issues with some Samsung phones, and there is some indication that those issues are related to a NV "privacy flag". Apparently older ROMs can turn this bit on and off, but newer ROMs don't - whatever value was left there is "stranded" there. There are people flashing back to CM10.x, setting this bit, then flashing back to CM11. I'm presuming that what is really happening is that they're tweaking this on NV location.
If we could simply read the NV location, we could compare its value to GPS functionality, and see if this is really the issue.
If the above is true, and if we could simply write this one NV location, we'd have a heck of a lot simpler GPS fix.
Thanks, vndnguyen, for your app. And it would be very nice if you add CDMA bands to your app. Thanks again.
if i am interested in enabling umts bands in somewhat old msm7227a based motorola, running gb 2.3.7, with no custom recovery, no custom roms or anything, but rooted.
should i even try?
thanks for making this, i wonder if my Snapdragon 600 on LG G Pro E988 can use this to enable China's TD WCDMA and TD LTE, since FDD is kinda different than TDD
vndnguyen said:
Use to calculate Qualcomm NV items for adding GSM / WCDMA / LTE bands.
Do you want to add any GSM / WCDMA / LTE bands to your phone? Then use this app to calculate all needed NV items.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got a question. I found a discrepancy in your calculator.... Your NV calculator values do not match the NV value of the LTE bands my phone already has. So, how can I trust the calculator to give me correct values for additional bands I wish to enable?
It's at the bottom of this post, but I am putting a lot of information about my phone first, so you know the whole situation.
I have 5.2" 1440p, 3GB RAM Moto Maxx (XT1225), which has Snapdragon 805 -- same as the (Motorola) Nexus 6. In fact it was being tested by Google to be the Nexus 6 (or a Nexus 6 variant) as late as mid-August -- but Google decided to go with the larger size variant and only the larger size variant.
Motorola re-purposed this phone as the Verizon Droid Turbo (XT1254) in the USA and as the Moto Maxx (XT1225) now being sold in a handful of Latin America countries. We already have root, TWRP recovery.
When this phone was being tested by the FCC, it had these LTE bands:
But now being sold as the Moto Maxx (SAME FCC ID number), Motorola enabled more GSM bands and changed one of the LTE bands.
They disabled LTE band 5 (a minor AT&T LTE band), and enabled LTE band 3 (which is used more in Latin America countries).
QPST confirms the 2G/3G bands Motorola now claims for this phone:
Which means the LTE bands they now claim (2, 3, 4, 7, 17) are also probably correct.
Again this phone has the SAME FCC ID NUMBER. And as it's being sold in Puerto Rico (U.S. territory), that is very important. That means there's been no hardware change since U.S. FCC certification -- only software change.
Motorola also promises it has the SAME HARDWARE (including antenna) that the Droid Turbo (XT1254) has (even though the Droid Turbo has a different FCC ID number):
This is also important. It means really, Motorola could not sell the Moto Maxx (XT1225) in Puerto Rico (U.S. territory) under that FCC ID number if any radio-specific hardware had been changed at all.
Thus, we know the additional GSM bands, change in the LTE bands by Motorola was software modem change.
With me so far?
___________________________
Now the discrepancy...
In QXDM NV browser, in Line 6828, the XT1225 phone showed a value of 65630 (for LTE bands 2, 3, 4, 7, 17).
Yet, according to your app, with THESE LTE BANDS enabled (2,3,4,7,17)...
it should be THIS value: 65614.
Now I admit that's CLOSE, but it's not the same.
Therefore, how do I trust the calculator to let me enable MORE bands if this default number does not match in your calculator?
I have edited the values of that line to theoretically enable more LTE bands, but if the beginning number from the phone does not match what your calculator number says, then what exactly have I enabled?
ChazzMatt said:
Now the discrepancy...
. . . . .
Now I admit that's CLOSE, but it's not the same.
Therefore, how do I trust the calculator to let me enable MORE bands if this default number does not match in your calculator?
I have edited the values of that line to theoretically enable more LTE bands, but if the beginning number from the phone does not match what your calculator number says, then what exactly have I enabled?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your patience for a such long post
But the problem was too simple.
Code:
If supporting LTE Bands are [COLOR="Blue"]2, 4, 5, 7, 17[/COLOR]:
NV 6828 = [COLOR="Red"]65,626[/COLOR]
If supporting LTE Bands are [COLOR="Blue"]2, 3, 4, 7, 17[/COLOR]:
NV 6828 = [COLOR="Red"]65,614[/COLOR]
If supporting LTE Bands are [COLOR="Blue"]2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 17[/COLOR]:
NV 6828 = [COLOR="Red"]65,630[/COLOR]
I don't how how many bands does your phone support. But if the value of NV 6828 in the QXDM NV browser is 65,630, that phone should support the following bands: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 17.
There is NO discrepancy here.
vndnguyen said:
Thank you for your patience for a such long post
But the problem was too simple.
Code:
If supporting LTE Bands are [COLOR="Blue"]2, 4, 5, 7, 17[/COLOR]:
NV 6828 = [COLOR="Red"]65,626[/COLOR]
If supporting LTE Bands are [COLOR="Blue"]2, 3, 4, 7, 17[/COLOR]:
NV 6828 = [COLOR="Red"]65,614[/COLOR]
If supporting LTE Bands are [COLOR="Blue"]2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 17[/COLOR]:
NV 6828 = [COLOR="Red"]65,630[/COLOR]
I don't how how many bands does your phone support. But if the value of NV 6828 in the QXDM NV browser is 65,630, that phone should support the following bands: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 17.
There is NO discrepancy here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, you are saying the phone supports LTE band 5 out of the box, even though Moto only lists 2,3,4,7,17 on the retail specs?
That after FCC testing they only enabled additional LTE Band 3, but did not disable LTE band 5?
If so, that's interesting.
Only to get you correct: this mod is only to extend the range of usable LTE/GSM bands for roaming, not to extend your connectivity while using your default provider in your home country (e.g. to get better coverage in areas where your default provider has a low signal strenght), right?
orville87 said:
Only to get you correct: this mod is only to extend the range of usable LTE/GSM bands for roaming, not to extend your connectivity while using your default provider in your home country (e.g. to get better coverage in areas where your default provider has a low signal strenght), right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or when changing from one carrier to another in the same country. Many carriers lock down bands the phone could receive, because they want the phone to only be used on their network.
Okay so I'm not really understanding the whole idea behind this. I have a Sony Xperia Z(C6603) and my phone already supports the LTE bands(LTE_BC1, LTE_BC3, LTE_BC5, LTE_BC7, LTE_BC8, LTE_BC20). My problem is that by default my phone and service provider should be able to have LTE working since my service provider also supports LTE band 4 and 7 on their network but upon choosing LTE network modes it has no reception at all, only 3G and HSPA. So I'm assuming I need to do additional unlocking here on my end for my phone but am not really sure why.
I'm able to access through the hidden menu of *#*#4636#*#* and change radio bands and network modes:
But I haven't changed the radio band and tested it yet because I don't know what the outcome will be and if there are any risks or hard bricking of it and don't know how to revert back to default. My service provider's network supports LTE band 4(2100MHz) and band 7(2600MHz). Would I need to go through QXDM to have these 2 frequencies enabled on my phone? Because I noticed how from the radio band list of my phone shows Euro Band which ends up to be 2600MHz but I'm not sure if that's how to enable LTE because it's Euro radio band. Am I okay as it is with my phone's default radio band and just unlock band 4 and 7 somehow through QXDM? Sorry I'm just really clueless and don't want to risk hard bricking my one and only phone.
sweetandsoursauce said:
Okay so I'm not really understanding the whole idea behind this. I have a Sony Xperia Z(C6603) and my phone already supports the LTE bands(LTE_BC1, LTE_BC3, LTE_BC5, LTE_BC7, LTE_BC8, LTE_BC20). My problem is that by default my phone and service provider should be able to have LTE working since my service provider also supports LTE band 4 and 7 on their network but upon choosing LTE network modes it has no reception at all, only 3G and HSPA. So I'm assuming I need to do additional unlocking here on my end for my phone but am not really sure why.
I'm able to access through the hidden menu of *#*#4636#*#* and change radio bands and network modes:
But I haven't changed the radio band and tested it yet because I don't know what the outcome will be and if there are any risks or hard bricking of it and don't know how to revert back to default. My service provider's network supports LTE band 4(2100MHz) and band 7(2600MHz). Would I need to go through QXDM to have these 2 frequencies enabled on my phone? Because I noticed how from the radio band list of my phone shows Euro Band which ends up to be 2600MHz but I'm not sure if that's how to enable LTE because it's Euro radio band. Am I okay as it is with my phone's default radio band and just unlock band 4 and 7 somehow through QXDM? Sorry I'm just really clueless and don't want to risk hard bricking my one and only phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your provider supports LTE bands 4 and 7. Of those two, your phone can receive LTE band 7, but you don't see it. Are you sure LTE band 7 is in your area?
My carrier supports five different LTE bands (and my phone can receive them all), but in my area I only see two of those LTE bands. The others are not used in this area by my carrier (AT&T).
ChazzMatt said:
Your provider supports 4 and 7. Your phone supports 7, but you don't see it. Are you sure 7 is in your area?
My carrier supports 5 LTE bands, but in my area I only see two. The others are not in this area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah my carrier supports band 4 and 7 in my area, the towers are everywhere.
I checked it using this website: http://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/cancellsites.html
both 2100/2600 are within all the cellular towers in my area.
edit: so if I'm able to choose LTE network mode on my phone, does that mean the LTE network mode consists of all these frequencies of LTE_BC1, LTE_BC3, LTE_BC5, LTE_BC7, LTE_BC8, LTE_BC20? So everytime I change to LTE only or LTE/GSM etc etc, automatically my phone has 2100MHz and 2600MHz included? Which means I don't need QXDM to unlock anything further? It might just be a sim card defect or something maybe. Sorry I'm just trying to understand more
Hi
I am trying to use a US note 3 (n900a) on Europe, but I frequently lose connectivity (although bars are full). The only solution I found is to fix wcdma to 2100 freq, however this also means that I lose reception when there is only GSM coverage.
This app seems to be the ultimate solution for me to calculate a custom NV for GSM+wcdma2100. Am I right?
If so, may I use a NV writer without a box, by just using my usb cable?
Thanks a lot
Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk
Update v1.0.6:
- Fix UI issue on some devices.
- Remove the word 'Qualcomm' in the app's title to avoid violation of the Content Policy.
mate do you have or create any nv calculator for frequency bands? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@tatozan
Hi, in this app you can also find frequency bands
Regards.