Did you try it with the reflector horizontal? I’m using something similar but haven’t tried it vertical.
Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion from my experience.
I have always found a vertical polarisation with high gain antennas will almost always yield significantly better signal stats than horizontal.
Why?
My theory is that the antennas on the node mast are stacked vertically. This is to give high gain but also to present that power as a flat, wide angle beam to cover a wide sector.
You can apply the same theory for user antennas going back to that mast. I don't need a wide angle beam to send power back with, I need all that power concentrated into as small of a beam as possible to hit that node.
If you imagine my beam back to the node as it propagates from the dish in the horizontal position is wider than vertical, which means power is lost trying to hit that small, stacked eNodeB antenna. Whereas vertically, the beam is taller, but narrow, focusing more power at the eNodeB. It also reflects off the ground going back so there's just more going back.
It also helps to cancel out noise from other masts transmitting to the right and now left of this node.
Have to remember, I'm in a fringe area. Outside on my phone, I get if I'm lucky 120-130dBm on Band 20! If I drive to the mast, I have to get within 4/500 meters to get similar, 95-100dBm stats on Band 3 as what I get at home, 8000 meters away with that antenna just slightly higher than my roofline.
It just goes to show the difference that can be had with a really, really high gain antenna, decent cabling and lots of patience focusing and aiming
