How to use the app

Signal benchmark and MNO field benchmarking on LTE/5G (RSRP, RSRQ, SINR) + on-site survey tools (Sites, checklists, sketches, photos, reports)

Android app · Web dashboard · Field survey workflow · Read as article

What SigBench does

MNO / network benchmarking

While logging is on, the app records LTE/5G signal level (RSRP), quality (RSRQ), SINR, location, and optional speed tests. Data uploads to the dashboard for MNO quality comparison and coverage maps.

Field surveys (Sites)

Import site lists (KML, CSV, or Excel), fill survey checklists, take geotagged photos, draw sketches, and export ZIP/PDF reports — stored on your phone for site visits and audits.

Important: Survey checklists, sketches, and photos stay on the device. They are not uploaded to the web dashboard. Share them via ZIP, PDF, or your gallery.

MNO benchmarking in the field

SigBench is an Android app for MNO (mobile network operator) quality comparison — LTE and 5G from the handset you already carry.

RSRP

Reference Signal Received Power — serving-cell strength. The Map trail is coloured by RSRP as you walk or drive.

RSRQ

Reference Signal Received Quality — whether that power is usable, or limited by interference and cell load.

SINR

Signal-to-interference-plus-noise — a practical hint at whether LTE/5G can sustain a decent data rate.

Operator scorecards on the web dashboard rank MNOs by these RF metrics plus optional cellular speed tests. For the written explainer see MNO benchmarking.

App tabs at a glance

Map

Start/stop RF logging, see your trail, imported sites, and estimated towers.

Live

Live serving-cell and RF readouts while capture is running.

Speed

Manual download / upload / ping tests (cellular or Wi‑Fi / ISP).

Sites

Survey workspace: KML/CSV/Excel sites, checklists, folders, photos, sketches, exports.

Log

Local measurement history and nearby predicted cell sites.

Stats

Session summary, pairing code, and link to the web dashboard.

Getting started

  1. Install SigBench and accept the consent screen.
  2. Grant Location (preferably “Allow all the time” for background logging), Phone (for cell info), and Notifications.
  3. Open the Map tab → tap Start to begin RF capture. A notification shows logging is active.
  4. Walk or drive your area. Sync uploads when you have data connectivity.
  5. Open Stats for your pairing code if you want your own logs on the web dashboard.
Stop logging anytime from Map. Pending samples queue on the phone until they upload successfully.

Map & RF capture

  • Start / Stop — toggles continuous signal logging
  • Trail — your path coloured by RSRP (strong → weak)
  • You pin — drag to set location manually if GPS is weak
  • My sites — show/hide imported KML / CSV / Excel pins on the map
  • Sync — push pending uploads
What gets measured

RSRP / RSRQ / SINR, RAT (LTE/NR), operator (PLMN), location accuracy, and related cell identifiers — for MNO benchmarking and coverage maps on the web.

Speed tests

  1. Open the Speed tab.
  2. Choose Cellular or Wi‑Fi. For broadband, pick / enter the ISP when prompted.
  3. Run the test (download, upload, ping).
  4. Results upload with your other measurements for dashboard benchmarks.
Cellular speed tests feed the Operator benchmark. Wi‑Fi tests appear under the dashboard’s Broadband tab.

Sites — survey workspace

The Sites tab is your field toolkit. Three building blocks:

1. Sites

Import towers / waypoints / camps from KML/KMZ, CSV, or Excel. Open a site folder for photos & checklists.

2. Checklists

Reusable survey templates. Fill the same list at every site or folder.

3. Folders

Per-site auto-folders, or ad-hoc “+ New folder” surveys not tied to a pin.

Import sites→ Create checklist→ Open site folder→ Photo / Sketch / Fill→ ZIP or PDF

Sites — import your site list

  1. Open Sites → under My sites (KML / CSV / Excel) tap ⬆ Import.
  2. Pick a .kml / .kmz, or a .csv / .xlsx of site name + lat/long. You can also share the file into SigBench from another app.
  3. Sites appear grouped by source file. Re-importing the same file replaces that group.
  4. Per site: open 📁 (photo/survey folder), Map (focus Map tab), Directions, or view details.
KML: only Point placemarks are imported (lines/polygons skipped). Spreadsheet: rows with missing or invalid coordinates are skipped and counted.
Download sites CSV Download sites Excel Combined lat/lon CSV

Checklists — create a template

  1. In Sites, find Survey checklists → tap + New.
  2. Enter a checklist name (e.g. “Rooftop site visit”).
  3. Add line items one by one (e.g. “Shelter condition”, “Antenna azimuth”, “Power OK”).
  4. Tap Save. The template now appears in every survey folder.
Import from spreadsheet

Tap ⬆ Import and choose CSV/XLSX — one item per row (column A). Optional header: item. Or share a sheet into the app.

Checklist CSV Checklist Excel
Surveyor profile

Set your name / position / contact once. Blank matching fields on each folder auto-fill.

Downloadable sample files

These match what the Android app accepts. Download, then Sites → Import (or share the file into SigBench).

Checklist (CSV / XLSX)

Column A, one item per row. Optional header: item, checklist, task, name, or label.

checklist-sample.csv checklist-sample.xlsx
Sites (CSV / Excel)

Headers: name / site / id + lat + lon (or a combined lat/lon column). Bad rows are skipped with a count.

sites-sample.csv sites-sample.xlsx sites-latlon.csv
Old Excel .xls should be saved as .xlsx or CSV. Re-importing the same filename replaces that site group.

Checklists — fill at a site

  1. Open a site’s 📁 folder (or an ad-hoc folder).
  2. Expand the checklist card. For each item:
    • Tick the checkbox when done
    • Add a short note
    • Tap ✏️ for a sketch or 📷 for proof photos tied to that item
  3. Answers autosave. Use Save & close when finished.
Do not reorder or delete checklist items mid-survey — answers are stored by item position. Edit carefully or finish active surveys first.

Sketches

  1. From a folder (or a checklist item) tap the sketch / ✏️ control.
  2. Draw with your finger. Pick from 4 colours, use Undo or Clear.
  3. Optionally name the sketch, then save.
  4. Saved as a PNG under Pictures/SigBench/<folder>/ with a caption footer, geotagged like photos.
Use sketches for antenna layouts, shelter plans, cable runs, or marking defects that a photo alone does not explain. They appear in the folder gallery and in ZIP/PDF exports.

Photos & camera

  • In-app camera with watermark, or system camera if needed
  • EXIF GPS + compass direction when available
  • Folder-level shots or per-checklist-item proof photos
  • Viewer: share, open, directions, delete
Where files live

Gallery path: Pictures/SigBench/<folder name>/. App records (which photo belongs to which checklist item) live in the local database — exporting ZIP/PDF packages both.

The Sites overview also shows a live compass — heading is saved with survey photos when available.

Folders & exports

ActionWhat you get
Share photosShare selected / folder photos via Android share sheet
Export ZIPDownloads/SigBench/… — photos + checklist_*.csv of filled answers
Report (PDF)Cover page, filled checklists, proof photos + general photos (site-visit style report)
+ New folderAd-hoc survey not tied to an imported site (same checklists & exports)
If multiple checklists exist, the app asks which one to include before export. Deleting a folder removes app records; gallery image files may remain on the phone.

Typical site-visit workflow

  1. Before the trip: Import the day’s sites (KML or CSV/Excel). Create or import the checklist. Fill surveyor profile.
  2. On site: Open the pin → 📁 folder. Start RF logging on Map if you also want coverage data.
  3. During visit: Tick checklist items, add notes, capture proof photos and sketches.
  4. After: Export PDF for the customer / ZIP for your archive. Share as needed.
Sites→ Checklist→ Folder→ ☑ Notes 📷 ✏️→ PDF / ZIP

Web dashboard (premium)

Operator / MNO benchmark

Country → MNO quality comparison by score, SINR, RSRP, RSRQ, download, sample volume.

Coverage map

Hex heatmaps, operator compare, cell estimates, suggest sites, coverage estimate, CSV exports.

Broadband

Wi‑Fi / ISP vs cellular speed-test leaderboards and map of tests.

Dashboard “site planning” (estimated cells / suggested sites) is not the same as the Android Sites survey tab. Surveys stay on-device; RF planning uses crowdsourced measurements.

Link your phone to the dashboard

  1. Open Stats → find Link to dashboard / pairing code.
  2. Sign in on the web dashboard (or open the deep link from the app).
  3. Enter the code to claim the phone (free tier: your own logs only).
  4. Premium accounts see full country benchmarks and coverage maps.

Quick reference

I want to…Go here
Log signal while drivingMap → Start
Run a speed testSpeed tab
Load tower / site pinsSites → Import KML/KMZ, CSV, or Excel
Build a survey formSites → Checklists → + New (or Import CSV)
Draw a sketchSite folder or checklist item → ✏️
Attach proof photosFolder 📷 or checklist item 📷
Hand in a reportFolder → Report (PDF) or Export ZIP
See operator rankingsWeb dashboard → Operator benchmark
Link my phoneStats → pairing code

Questions?

Support: support@sigbench.com · Dashboard: api.sigbench.com/dashboard/

Arrow keys / space to navigate P print / save PDF

1 / 1 · ← → Space · P print · Article