[mjeagent]

I have three phones all with Cingular/AT&T - an 8100, 8700 and a Motorola Razor. I don't get great coverage at my home because there is not a wireless tower closeby. But, sitting right next to eachother in my home, my wife's Razor gets three bars (consistantly)...my 8700 gets one to two bars (consistantly)...and my 8100 gets little to no coverage (mainly no coverage = searching for signal).

Why is this...especially between the blackberries and especially since the 8100 is a newer unit.

Thanks.

Mike

[churchill]

Not sure--I can only compare my razr v3i and two 8100's all of which get the exact same reception (about 3 bars) at my house. On certain days the signal will get weaker, but its still the same on all the phones. Do you have certain skins or cases on your 8100 that could be absorbing signal? (My tests are all uncased , unskinned phones, though in real life they are not naked.....)

[mjeagent]

No cases or skins...all three sitting on my desk about 6 inches in between eachother.

[SanFrancisco]

There can be issues with the particular phone. Sometimes the phone antenna may need adjusting, but I am not sure if the Pearl has such adjustment capability. And like the other member said, could be the case covering the antenna, but since you say there is none, then must be something else.

But when I had two Pearls side by side, mine had two bars, the other full bars. So it is not an issue with different phones having better reception, that is, out of the box, so to speak.

One time with Sprint [whom I hate as a carrier], I was getting bad reception on the phone. They said I needed to take it into a store for a "tune-up." I suspect that they were going to adjust the antenna. That was back in 2000. I think it was one of the Toshiba PDA phones.

[BB8100user]

The bars don't mean squat. They're not very accurate, at least.

To measure true cell signal you'd need a signal detector and software to get an accurate read.

I've had cellphone with bars that show 1 bar or no bar but still could connect. I've had cellphones showing 3 bars or more that couldn't call out at all.

[SanFrancisco]

Originally Posted by BB8100user

The bars don't mean squat. They're not very accurate, at least.

To measure true cell signal you'd need a signal detector and software to get an accurate read.

I've had cellphone with bars that show 1 bar or no bar but still could connect. I've had cellphones showing 3 bars or more that couldn't call out at all.

You are 100% correct. The bars are horribly inaccurate, same as the battery strength meter, those are inaccurate too. They operate somewhat like fuel indicators on cars and motorcycles. While one can get a general idea of how much gas is left in the tank, one cannot rely on such to get a precise reading.

What I have noticed at times is that when down to one bar, sure enough, the phone loses a signal. Also when there are no bars, I have no signal. So for strength accuracy, yeah, the bars are useless, but they do give some indication as to what is going on. But they often times cannot keep up with a user who is traveling from one cell to another or entering buildings, elevators, etc.

In defense of RIM and others, don't the manuals warn that the bar/meters are only a general indication, that they should not be used as an exact indicator of what is going on?

[teleberry]

I wonder how things in the home affect the signal. I get some interference from my computer at home and at the office, such that if I am right in front of it, voices break a bit and I have one less bar than elsewhere. Nothing fancy about my computers.

[cblackberrynyc]

Both my 8100's (one t-mo, one at&t) have very good RF. Better than most Nokia's I've owned.

[SanFrancisco]

Originally Posted by teleberry

I wonder how things in the home affect the signal. I get some interference from my computer at home and at the office, such that if I am right in front of it, voices break a bit and I have one less bar than elsewhere. Nothing fancy about my computers.

In the manual and other places they warn that electrical equipment, walls, buildings, and geography can affect signals. Electrical devices can especially cause problems with phones that use radio waves. That is why most devices have an FCC sticker certifying that the device is shielded so not to cause interference with radio devices. Obviously, some devices are better shielded than others.

In my residence I can walk in various parts of the house and get a weak to no signal. In fact, if I walk into my kitchen 80% of the time I will lose my signal. So I have to remember not to walk into the kitchen while talking. I don't know what causes the problem, could be the fridge or maybe something on the roof, or even the building next door blocking a signal.

And sometimes when I am working on my computer I can hear static on my PC speakers. The cause? The Pearl has incoming traffic, whether a call or an e-mail. Kinda cool in a way, gives me about three seconds advanced notice that there is "incoming."