Independent Component 1 Approval

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

The topic that I have chosen is Radio Frequency Field Engineer, and I plan on completing my 30 hours with my mentor, Oscar Holzmeister. I will be accompanying him to Radio Based Stations so that I can learn more about the replacements of radios, the failures within the stations, the software that is used to operate an RBS, and the different types of networks that the sites manipulate.

Once my mentor has approved of my basic understanding over my course of learning, he will allow me to handle and troubleshoot Radio Based Stations on my own for several different cells. He will also make sure I complete the job correctly and that I understand what everything is and what it does.

2. Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

It is very difficult to show any physical evidence of what I have done because I can't really take anything with me from an Radio Based Stations, but that is what cameras are for. Like many others, I will provide photographs of what I am doing, and what I am trying fix in all of the stations that I visit with my mentor. I am still debating on whether or not to make a short little video on how to fix a specific site with a specific problem, to show more evidence. But I will definitely provide photographs for evidence.

3. And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth

Troubleshooting stations on my own will allow me not only help me understand my topic in much more debt and will definitely help me answer my EQ. It will help me answer my EQ, because my EQ is about troubleshooting cellular coverage and troubleshooting an RBS is the first steps in doing so.   

Choosing the Best Wireless Service

From the article titled, "What's the Best Wireless Carrier?" I have concluded that each carrier offers a variety of advantages, and disadvantages. The top mobile carriers as of 2013, are T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. All of these services are competing for who has the best reception, customer service satisfaction, and the data speed in a wide variety of regions. Choosing a wireless service is different for everyone and noone wants to get stuck in an expensive plan with a two year contract. So it is important that you first check what carrier has a decent plan that is affordable and adaptable to suit your needs. T-Mobile for example, has the most inexpensive plans and offers unlimited data for those who need it. While Sprint has the best plan for families so you get the most out of your minutes even in a big family.

Next you need to find the carrier that has good reception in your area. It doesn't matter if your carrier has the best reception in the country if you can't even use it most of the time. No one wants that carrier that never has service in their home and when they call they always lose connection when browsing the web or making a phone call. If you need help finding the best carrier  for your area every carrier has a map that shows their reception on their website. 

Lastly, you have to consider customer service, because if your phone isn't working or you cracked your screen, its always a good idea to have a backup plan. The number one carrier with customer satisfaction is Verizon, with T-Mobile and AT&T coming in second. Personally, I would go with T-Mobile as they can replace your broken phone and you don't have to pay any fees.

There are many other ways to find a suitable carrier, such as phone choices, free in-networking calling and perks but the topics that were discussed are most definitely the top choices to consider when getting a new phone. Thank you for reading!

Sources: 

1. http://lifehacker.com/5939237/whats-the-best-wireless-carrier

2. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2405596,00.asp

Second Interview Questions

1. Who is your mentor and where do they work?

Oscar Holzmeister is my mentor for my senior project and he works as a Radio Frequency Field Engineer for T-Mobile.

2. What five questions will ask them about their background?

1. How long have you been doing this job and how has the job changed overtime? 
2. What is the biggest struggle you have faced in the field? 
3. Can you give me an example of where you had to fix a problem in an RBS and what you did to fix the problem? 
4. What did you do when you first started this career?
5. What do you do if you cannot solve an RBS ticket?

Blog 5 Project Reflection and Working EQ

Positive Statement

What positive thing happen as a result of what you have completed so far?

During my summer mentorship, I have learned how a radio based station (RBS) works and how it benefits others. To me, radio frequency has taught me how to be much more organized and how communication is a huge benefit when troubleshooting sites. For example, when my mentor needed to communicate anything to another individual or group he would have to call several people so they would know, what he is about to do is correct. Then he would have to use a scanner to scan the entire RBS to let the whole network know that the site is updated. With this I now have a better feel of how to stay organized and how to communicate to others in the best way possible.

EQ Content
Pick a piece of research or your interview. How has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?

Title of the article: How Cell Phones Work"
Link: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone.htm

This article justified not only the basis of how a cellular device transfers phone calls but has given a very simplistic overview of how radio frequencies plays a big role in our lives. Knowing how a cell phone works, fascinates me of how much is put towards making a simple phone call or even turning on a cellular device. Not only that, but this has helped me understand the frequencies of a cell phone, the different channels, the cell phone codes,digital cellphones and the cell phone network.


What has worked for you so far in the senior project?
As of right, the interview with my mentor and the mentorship hours has taught me so much and given me a head start of how I might present my two hour presentation. The interview has allowed me to get a feel of what it is like to work as a radio frequency engineer in a carrier network such as T-mobile and has given me more ideas on what to research and look up to learn more about my topic.


What hasn't worked so far?


So far, the only thing that hasn't worked for me is simply finding good research for my topic because most articles simply explain what radio frequency is all about, but they all have the same concept behind them.


Finding Value
What is a potential question you would like to study this year?


What is the most important factor to consider when troubleshooting radio based stations in the USA?


What do you plan to do for mentorship?

For mentorship I plan to do this with my current mentor which is my father, because so far he is an expert in this type of field and has been doing this type of work for over 20 years. We usually go to radio based stations to fix the T-Mobile networks all around his area which is Pasadena.

Network Analogy

So my mentor came up with a useful analogy to explain a cellular network in a very simple way. He first compared a cellular network to the roads so that way anyone can understand. The first thing that you need to know about a road is that it can be narrow or wide. Some roads have two lanes and are easily clogged with traffic. While other roads, have 4 or 8 lanes and can handle a lot more traffic. On the mobile communication highway, the lanes are called spectrum and some networks have more lanes or spectrum than others.

Roads also have different surfaces, some are covered in dirt, some in concrete and others by smooth asphalt. The surface of the road determines how fast you can go. 2G is like a one lane dirt road, you can't go very fast, it is very bumpy and it can't handle much traffic. 3G is like driving on a two way concrete city street, its alot smoother but you cannot go very fast due to stoplights, and speed limits. 4G is like driving on an eight lane highway, it's fast, smooth, and there is plenty of room for everybody. And finally their is 4G LTE which is like the carpool lane in a highway where their is almost never traffic.

Finally the cars on the highways are like phones, some are basic sadans, while others are hot sports cars with the latest bells and whistles. Regardless, all cell phones are limited by too much traffic. It doesn't matter how fast your car (phone) is, if there is too much traffic in that road you'll slow down.

Lastly, the data on your phone is like gasoline, because if you don't have enough gas, you'll run out and your vehicle will stop, it's no different than a phone.

This is how my mentor explained Network Technology to me and I thought it was such a good explanation I decided to draw it out on my poster on Friday.

Oscar Holzmeister (Radio Frequency Engineer)

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

Who do you plan to interview? Why?

Oscar Holzmeister

He is an engineer who specializes in Radio Frequency for T-Mobile. Since Radio Communication is my senior project, interviewing an engineer in this particular field will not only help me in my senior project but it will also allow me to get an idea of what it is like to work in this career choice.

You have to ask 5 questions. What additional questions do you plan to ask?

Set Questions

1. What are your responsibilities when working as an engineer for T-Mobile?
2. How would you describe a typical week/day in this position?
3. Why did you choose Radio Frequency?
4. What are some of the skills and abilities necessary for someone to succeed in this job and why?
5. Are their any sources you would recommend I should check out for my research in this topic?

Additional Questions

1. What are the pros and cons of working in this particular field?
2. What type of education do you need?
3. How do you find and fix a problem in an RBS?
4. How would you describe your working conditions?
5. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now (Career Wise?)

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Semester 1 ESLR Goals

1. Radio Communication Field Engineer
2. First off, I would like to clarify that I will definitely not become a perfect example of what an ESLR student should be because I will probably fail instantly. I will not intentionally try to fail but instead try to force myself to try to be like a perfect ESLR student and act like one. To accomplish this goal, I have to look at my pros and cons and try to work on the cons that are holding me back. Some of the big issues that I will have when becoming an effective ESLR student is seeking for assistance in accessing appropriate resources in any subject, communicating with my group in a clear and detailed way, and effectively using class time. For example, in my sophomore year, I had to do a flag component, and I would have a hard time communicating with my group in the type of fabrics they had to buy, how much they had to buy, what color should the fabric be, and where to buy the fabric. To resolve these type of issues, I try be more organized, have a basic knowledge of what everyone is assigned to do and communicate with my group in a much more detailed manner.  When it comes down to accessing appropriate resources in any subject, I tend to find sources that are not very helpful because I don't read the sources thoroughly. If I want to become an effective learner I need to get into the habit of reading the whole source and not just scanning through the article and using it. The last thing that's holding me back from being an effective ESLR student is that I do not use class time effectively to complete any work that needs to be done. Instead I do something that will inevitably waste my time, and to resolve this con, I force myself to put anything that might be a distraction into my backpack and complete the assignments that need to be finished asap. These three categories hold me back from being an ESLR student and I try to force myself to getting into the habit of stopping these bad habits. This year I will try to communicate with my mentors in a much more effective way, I will use class time effectively and try not to get distracted, and I will obtain detailed and helpful resources for my senior project.

Effective Learner: This year I will not only come to class prepared but I will also help those who didn't come to class prepared by handing them what they need. Doing so, my fellow classmates will see that I am serious about school and I am very responsible. Another subject that I had problems with last year was procrastination, and to be honest it would get to the point where it was 7:30 AM and I would just barely begin my homework.

Effective Communicator: This section to me is very hard, like I said before I will try to listen more to the people who speak to me, but I will also be more clearer in the way talk and my pronunciation. If necessary I will take tons of notes when any authority is teaching me something or even telling something to do. For example, when my mentor is fixing a problem in his workplace I will take notes and try to learn from his mistakes and failures. 

Effective User of Technology: When using the technology I will try my hardest to find articles that will not only benefit my senior topic but also give me lots of information and examples on what the topic is about and how you can approach it. I will also use different search engines as well like ask.com, yahoo search, and Google. 

Effective I-Poly Citizen: This year I will try to become an effective citizen at I-poly by coming in on time everyday, help out any teachers that are in need of help, and get more involved in any clubs or study sessions if their are any available.