Posted: 6/18/2008 5:30:24 AM EDT
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I have been having this problem since I moved into my apartment about a year ago, but it's been getting much worse lately. I have also noticed it with other phones and in other locations. Basically what happens is I have 2 or 3 bars of signal being displayed. Then, during a call the signal will drop to 2, then 1, then to nothing and the call is often dropped. This can take anywhere from 5 to 30 seconds or so between signal level changes. Almost immediatly after losing the call the signal jumps back up, usually to the 2 or 3 bars I started with. Then the cycle starts over again. This happened to my parents a few years ago when they were on the line with 911. They could only get about 10 seconds of call time in before having to wait a few seconds for the signal to return so they could redial. The next day they dropped that cell company and went with Verizon which is much better where they live. FWIW I have Verizon and an LG phone that is otherwise good to go. I'm wondering what is causing the change in signal and what I can do about it. As much as it PISSES ME THE FUCK OFF, I am rather fascinated by the reason for what's actually happening. Anyone? -K |
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Best guess: You're partially blocking the signal when you move the phone closer to your body to make a call. Humans aren't transparent to cell signals - the closer the phone antenna is to your body, the more of the signal gets absorbed by your body. That's just a WAG. Most cell phones still have an external antenna connector - and you can pick up a magnetic-mount antenna for under 15 bucks on ebay. Begin tethered to an antenna kind of defeats the purpose of having a cordless phone, but if it gets your call through in a fringe area... |
I wish, not having one so I can put the microwave emitter a little further away from my head and on top of the car for more height and better antenna efficiency was one of the things that stalled me from getting one for years. One more antenna on the roof of the truck isn't going to matter. I'm on a pay as you go plan so throwing the phone away and swapping SIM cards and using a phone with a better antenna is of interest. What phones have a connector so I can look at them if I decide to get a formal plan. |
Most, but not all, phones have an external antenna connector. It is usually covered by a flush rubber cap about 3/16" in diameter.   On the Treo in the last pic, if you look just to the right of the #5, you can see a grey circular plug under the antenna. If you pry out the plug, there's a gold-plated antenna jack underneath. -Troy |
Quite a few of the Motorola cheapies seem to still have 'em - My $25 V171 has one (this model is commonly sold by TracFone and Net10 for use with their pre-paid services). As Troy implied, the presence of the connector may not be obvious if it's hidden behind a removable plastic cover. |
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The antenna on a phone is somewhat sensitive to orientation. Unless you sit in one spot, hold it perfectly still, and do not move an inch, the signal level will change constantly. ANYTHING you put between the tower it is operating on and the internal antenna can affect signal strength, a hill, your car, purse, body, overcoat, pants pocket, 15 layers of lead based paint, metal roof, etc. Some systems use dynamic power control. Simply put, your call may start out with a very high signal level on setup, and then the system decreases or increases the power level of the signal from the tower, based upon what it receives from your phone. The parameters may not be set correctly. Or there may be a bad piece of equipment at the tower covering the location you are having an issue with. Not all phones are created equal, and not all phones operate with the same efficiency on all systems. Most of the smaller, thinner, sleeker phones have the worst reception due to the internal antenna design. |