Google Maps of Cell Sites

[spleck]

One of the guys on HoFo (gregsmith59) has big map of cell sites in San Francisco. sfocellsites

Anyone have links to similar maps? I've been working on a similar one for my area, but I ended up finding more information than I expected and its a mess. I was hoping to see some good implementations to give me direction.

[Yankees368]

You can check mine for the NYC area out:

Google Maps

[cellular_freak]

I've made one for the Saginaw Valley region in Michigan. It's obviously incomplete and still in the works because there's many towers I've yet to research, but here's what I have so far:

Google Maps

[spleck]

Nice jobs. Apparently I missed the link to Yankee's map from here. On the google page it lists all three top links to it as being from wirelessadvisor!

Here is the one I've been working on. It's mostly a lot of notes and I'll eventually clean it up. My plan is to move it all to Google Earth so that I can group carriers and turn each one on or off. I think you can still share a Google Earth KML on Google Maps. Mainly I want to get it set up for mobile use. Right now, I go home and mark it on the map after seeing it. Although a few, I've found by looking at the coverage maps online for T-Mobile.

Google Maps

[RJB]

Originally Posted by Yankees368

You can check mine for the NYC area out:

Google Maps

You sir are amazing great work I am going to make a map of Utah and where I know towers to be in the areas that I go.

[Yankees368]

Originally Posted by RJB

You sir are amazing great work I am going to make a map of Utah and where I know towers to be in the areas that I go.

Why thank you! It was quite easy work, back with my Sanyo M1. I would just take a picture of anything, and the GPS coordinates of the connected Sprint tower would be logged. Made it quite easy. Other sites are just from memory or along my route in work last summer.

[markuhde]

There's a company that does this called 4G Unwired: 4G Unwired, Inc.:RF Engineering and Consulting

Their SkyView maps are pretty cool if you ever get a chance to see one for your carrier.

[RJB]

I just wish the FCC required every carrier to map where everything is that would be something else wouldnt it lol. But I know there are to many circumstances for this.,

[spleck]

Originally Posted by RJB

I just wish the FCC required every carrier to map where everything is that would be something else wouldnt it lol. But I know there are to many circumstances for this.,

I don't think it would be too much for the FCC database to maintain what carriers have antennas on a tower. Currently all they list is the owner--why not the tenants too?

[TelcomJunkie]

Originally Posted by spleck

I don't think it would be too much for the FCC database to maintain what carriers have antennas on a tower. Currently all they list is the owner--why not the tenants too?

It has to do with the licensing system currently in place. For the cellular and PCS licenses the operator is being given complete usage of certain blocks of frequencies over a specific geographic area. Outside of who owns each block in what area, the FCC doesn't care where anyone actually puts the sites inside that area.

[spleck]

Originally Posted by TelcomJunkie

It has to do with the licensing system currently in place. For the cellular and PCS licenses the operator is being given complete usage of certain blocks of frequencies over a specific geographic area. Outside of who owns each block in what area, the FCC doesn't care where anyone actually puts the sites inside that area.

I was mainly suggesting that the infrastructure to track it is there. But there is also the contention that knowing the point sources for transmissions in those frequencies can help determine the source of interference. Why track tower locations with FCC IDs if you don't know what frequencies originate from it?

[TelcomJunkie]

Originally Posted by spleck

I was mainly suggesting that the infrastructure to track it is there. But there is also the contention that knowing the point sources for transmissions in those frequencies can help determine the source of interference. Why track tower locations with FCC IDs if you don't know what frequencies originate from it?

The size of the database would be gargantuan and really the FCC doesn't have any interest in tracking the transmission points. Remember that the national carriers have upwards of 45,000 sites nationwide and the details of those sites such as output frequency, azimuth and ERP changes often. Also based on the nature of the license the licensee gets exclusive rights to that block in a certain geographic plot. This is much different than the transmitters the FCC does track which get radii and power outputs assigned to them as the frequencies are reused all over the country. In terms of tracking interference to the cellular and PCS providers they typically do that work themselves as if something is transmitting on their band in their area and they don't know about it, it'd be an unauthorized device. For areas where different providers border each other on the same frequency block they simply work with each other to minimize any problems, no FCC intervention is needed.

[spleck]

Originally Posted by TelcomJunkie

The size of the database would be gargantuan ... Remember that the national carriers have upwards of 45,000 sites nationwide and the details of those sites such as output frequency, azimuth and ERP changes often.

That's actually a small database. It's probably safe to say there are less than 1 million cellular/PCS sites in the US. That size database is easy enough to track at home, let alone by the FCC. WA basically has a database of over half a million posts.

I understand your point, and I'm familiar with all the technicalities of it. In my opinion, differentiating between the types of licenses is arbitrary. Again, what is the point of tracking a tower with an FCC ID if you have no information about the types of signals being transmitted?

[TelcomJunkie]

Originally Posted by spleck

That's actually a small database. It's probably safe to say there are less than 1 million cellular/PCS sites in the US. That size database is easy enough to track at home, let alone by the FCC. WA basically has a database of over half a million posts.

Maybe I should not have referred to size but complexity. It wouldn't simply be a single table with a million entries. It's numerous tables with for different parts of the each system, then differences between the technologies, in the end you're looking at a very large dataset that is constantly updated by the carriers whom won't want to always be updating the FCC with data that will be made public when their actual network layout and parameters are highly guarded data. What benefit would be served by this? Some guys on the net get a list they can look through? The FCC doesn't need it nor care about it and the carriers themselves keep internal databases with the data so they don't need it either.

Originally Posted by spleck

I understand your point, and I'm familiar with all the technicalities of it. In my opinion, differentiating between the types of licenses is arbitrary. Again, what is the point of tracking a tower with an FCC ID if you have no information about the types of signals being transmitted?

The FCC tower registration has nothing to do with transmission of signals. Even dormant towers that meet the requirements for registration are required to keep active registration and certain neccessary safety equipment such as strobe lighting. The FCC shares this data with the FAA and pilots to ensure the towers aren't a hazard to safe air travel, but outside of that the tower registration has very little use. A license shares little in common with the ASR registration other than the same address and coordinates.

[spleck]

Originally Posted by TelcomJunkie

Some guys on the net get a list they can look through?

Yes. Hence the need for only the licensed operator/tenant name on the tower, not operating parameters.

[Der84]

I'm a little late, but I have a map of cell sites in my own area. Southwestern Ontario and on.... if anyone is interested. Still updating it though.

http://maps.google.com/maps/user?uid...84543383&hl=en

[Yankees368]

Originally Posted by Der84

I'm a little late, but I have a map of cell sites in my own area. Southwestern Ontario and on.... if anyone is interested. Still updating it though.

Der84

Hey nice work, keep it up. I actually drove through that area a couple of weeks ago.

[Der84]

Originally Posted by Yankees368

Hey nice work, keep it up. I actually drove through that area a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks! Same to you on your map!
Really?? I'm just curious as to what area you were in?? Surprised you didn't take any pics of the towers ha ha.

[Yankees368]

Originally Posted by Der84

Thanks! Same to you on your map!
Really?? I'm just curious as to what area you were in?? Surprised you didn't take any pics of the towers ha ha.

I just drove through on my way from Buffalo to Michigan. I would have taken pics, if I was not the one driving.

[Der84]

Originally Posted by Yankees368

I just drove through on my way from Buffalo to Michigan. I would have taken pics, if I was not the one driving.

No multi-tasking? Come on, where is your sense of adventure??.....ha ha jk.

Wow, then yes you would've seen quite a few. I would even say you drove past some of the towers that I've taken pics of on here in the Canadian album, ha ha.

[Der84]

Originally Posted by Yankees368

I just drove through on my way from Buffalo to Michigan. I would have taken pics, if I was not the one driving.

....you might've also seen a couple of the ones I took in Michigan too.

[djjim]

Here is my map of Alltel towers in the Carolinas. It is still "under construction" so don't mind the mess! The Bird's Eye feature is pretty cool....

[djjim]

Web browser and Live Maps are incompatible <----I have no idea why it says that, but it does work.

Here is my map of Alltel towers in the Carolinas. It is still "under construction" so don't mind the mess!

[KyleAndMelissa22]

I just made a Live Earth collection of Alltel cell sites as well.
This collection is for Alltel site locations around Gaffney, Spartanburg & Union.
So far I put 31 sites on the map:

Alltel Cell Sites Around Gaffney / Spartanburg

Hey djjim, you could add this to your database as well.

[Der84]

Does anyone know if there is a way to add pics to the map? There are quite a few towers on my map that I've taken pics of and posted them on here. But if it can be done I'd post them on my map too.

[Yankees368]

Originally Posted by Der84

Does anyone know if there is a way to add pics to the map? There are quite a few towers on my map that I've taken pics of and posted them on here. But if it can be done I'd post them on my map too.

If you take a look at my maps, some of the markers actually do have pictures. Just take the link code from the forums and post it into the marker. At least it works in google.

[Gottachase]

I have made a map myself of the New York State Thruway cell towers. It does not encompass all of them but it does show a few. I hope to add to it once I can drive, but that is coming soon. I hope to also get pictures and add them in as well.

here is the first version:

http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF...,56.513672&z=4

[spleck]

Nice first post!

I haven't been out mapping in a while, but I liked stopping to get good pictures of the sites. Using the electric meters, signage, phone numbers, and site names, you can usually figure out all the carriers on the tower. On lattice towers, you can even follow the cables up and determine which panels belong to each carrier.

Hope you have fun and good luck with map.

[Der84]

I've stopped with my map too, but I'm still out taking pictures and am hoping to get out to get some more soon. Nice map so far! Keep it up!

Hoping to see some pictures of yours posted on the site here too!

[Gottachase]

Originally Posted by spleck

Nice first post!

I haven't been out mapping in a while, but I liked stopping to get good pictures of the sites. Using the electric meters, signage, phone numbers, and site names, you can usually figure out all the carriers on the tower. On lattice towers, you can even follow the cables up and determine which panels belong to each carrier.

Hope you have fun and good luck with map.

well thank you but it really isnt anything good...just some towers i saw on my way up to my grandmothers house