On Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:36:42 +0000, Whiskers wrote:

I use OpenSignal on my Android, in the UK. It currently shows '100
nearby' cell towers on the first page (where your screenshot shows '0
nearby') and they are shown as points on the map within a mile or two of
where I am (in a large busy city). But I'm pretty sure that comes from
the OpenSignal server not from the phone's own hardware. Likewise the
information it claims to have about nearby WiFi hot spots. The phone
and Google work out where you are and OpenSignal send you the data they
have for that area.

So if OpenSignal have few users in your area they'll have little or
nothing to tell you about.

Your phone will be able to tell OpenSignal about the cell tower it is
currently connected to, and OpenSignal can add that to their database.
If the operator of that cell tower has made its location public,
OpenSignal will even be able to place it accurately on the map -
otherwise they'll have to estimate its position from the signal
information their users provide.

I don't know the other apps you mention.

Thanks for that information, as I have only been using these apps for one
day, so, I have only formed an initial impression out of the apps.

My selection process was simple:
1. I googled and read articles for the best iOS/Android cellular scanners.
2. I downloaded all the viable suggestions (about a score of apps)
3. I deleted, on sight, the obnoxious ones (I have an eye for that)
4. I then tested what was left and ordered them in best to worst (so far)

At that point, I noticed that all the apps had only a single tower listed,
so, that's when I asked you guys for assistance and expertise.

Jeff Liebermann confirms that most (if not all) only show one tower, which
is unfortunately because I'm trying to debug my house where I have 3 towers
at the bare minimum, to choose from (two of which are inside the house, one
of which is brand new).

However, Jeff found that my number 4 choice, NetMonitor, does list a page
of towers, so, I'm gonna explore that further.

I put OpenSignal *last* on my list, because it didn't seem to be all that
functional (it was actually completely non functional on the iPad, which
has a SIM card and a T-Mobile cellular data plan but not a voice plan, so
that might be the reason).

The one nice thing about OpenSignal is that it *points* to the connecting
tower, which is interesting in my case because my lookup of the tower shows
it to be in a different direction than which is pointed to by OpenSignal.

The rest of the OpenSignal information was, as you noted, all from a
database on the net, which isn't what I'm after here since I'm trying to
find my own cellular towers which are inside my own house, so they're not
likely to be on any OpenSignal database.