Mark wrote:
I currently offer a service for Mobile Phone users in rural/remote
areas, where I fit a Yagi antenna for people with poor reception
problems. At the moment I use a Mobile Phone's signal strength reading
(along with a map and compass) to locate the strongest signal from the
nearest base station (the region where I work, there is only one
service provider). Because these readings are a bit slow to respond, I
would like to build/buy a simple signal strength meter to be a bit
more accurate, when setting up these antenna's. I either need
something with a meter or even simpler (and maybe better) headphones
listening to the familiar signals sent out by these things, to find
the strongest signal. Because I work in very remote areas normally, I
am guessing that the base station signals, should not be that hard to
distinguish from the normal mish mash of mobile phone signals. Would
anybody be kind enough to supply me with a diagram or a web site etc,
to help me on my way? PS 980Mhz.

It isn't that easy unfortunately. In all the digital systems the base
transmit power level adjusts according to a power up/down request sent
from the mobile, so if you don't have an active transmitter you may not
hear anything on a low-use system. At 980 Mhz the provider is probably
using CDMA? In that case you might be able to find a receiver capable
of finding and following the pilot carrier, but this solution won't be
simple, and it won't be cheap.

Stick with the compass / map approach.