[seattlebbuser]

I have been going around with RIM and Cingular on the issue of the Blackberry 8700C not keeping the proper time. The device tends to fall behind and I think it's rediculous to have to go into Settings-Options-Date/Time adn use the roller wheel to select Update time. The cheapest of Cellular phones keep better time than this $400.00 Blackberry. I have the Blackberry set to update off of the Network adn that is what I expect it to do. You would think if you turned off the antenna or powered down adn back up the device that it would update the time. Yes I know you can sync the time with the USB cable when you connect it, but what is the point of running 4.0 BES and Wireless Sync if you have to connect it to keep the time straight?

Anyone interested in testing how there device updates time and post back?
I would ask if others of you have other providers and even other device versions, that you select Update from Network and then save, then set your time ahead manually, turn off your antenna or power down and back up and see if your time corrects itself automaitally, or leave it over a day and see if your device ever corrects itself.

P.S. The RIM rep said his Rodgers device worked and that it must be a Cingular issue. The Cingular rep said I needed the latest software which I was already running and that you should have a field to update time automatically(yeah on my Nokia phone, but not on my Berry).

Thanks
Chris

[shadowbox]

Hi Chris,

the clock in the BB's is quite accurate. Is it possible that the computer you USB-connect your BB to is not set to the exact time? If that computer's clock is out, the incorrect time will be copied to the BB. The symptoms you describe are just like the ones i experienced. My BB "lost" 30 seconds a day. I have since installed
NIST Internet Time Service
and haven't had any more clock issues.

shadowbox

[seattlebbuser]

Originally Posted by shadowbox

Hi Chris,

the clock in the BB's is quite accurate. Is it possible that the computer you USB-connect your BB to is not set to the exact time? If that computer's clock is out, the incorrect time will be copied to the BB. The symptoms you describe are just like the ones i experienced. My BB "lost" 30 seconds a day. I have since installed NIST Internet Time Service
and haven't had any more clock issues.

shadowbox

How often do you cable your Berry? The whole point of Wireless Sync in the Enterprise environment is so you don't have to cable it except to charge. Your claim that the Blackberry is so accurate is a misnomer because you are actually relying on the PC to update it's time. Most companies do a great job of keeping there servers and the end users computrers time correct. If you want to help try testing if your Blackberry updates from the network with a power on or Wireless antenna on situation. The blackberry is pulling the system time from the network but is not updating itself.

[ssymes]

Sounds like a legitmate problem report.
I support a lot of BlackBerry end users, and I never receive tickets about a BlackBerry losing time. I realize it happens, but I would have to categorize it as a rarely heard issue.
The reason most computers (handhelds included) lose time is that the battery is no longer holding enough of a charge. You might try buying a new BlackBerry battery to see if that helps. If that doesn't help, then you may have to return the entire handheld to Cingular.

[seattlebbuser]

Originally Posted by ssymes

Sounds like a legitmate problem report.
I support a lot of BlackBerry end users, and I never receive tickets about a BlackBerry losing time. I realize it happens, but I would have to categorize it as a rarely heard issue.
The reason most computers (handhelds included) lose time is that the battery is no longer holding enough of a charge. You might try buying a new BlackBerry battery to see if that helps. If that doesn't help, then you may have to return the entire handheld to Cingular.

Thanks for the response, but the update time behavior is apparent on Verizon and Cingular devices even when the battery does not run down. I actually have never seen a Berry that will correct it's time without user inter-action from power up or antenna up like a cell phone does. I don't believe it's a device issue, but a software issue from RIM. I would to hear from anyone who's device actually works.

[shadowbox]

> How often do you cable your Berry?

every few days, when i back it up.

> try testing if your Blackberry updates from the network

hmm i have a 7290, the handheld gives me the option to manually update the time/date from the network, i don't see an option to do that automatically.

ok so i select "update from network", set the clock ahead by two minutes, turn the radio off then on again... the clock is not automatically corrected. Next i turn the radio off again, reboot the BB, turn the radio back on, and the clock still is not automatically adjusted. Now I'll leave it like this for 24 hours and see if the clock will be adjusted automatically over the network.

[seattlebbuser]

Originally Posted by shadowbox

> How often do you cable your Berry?

every few days, when i back it up.

> try testing if your Blackberry updates from the network

hmm i have a 7290, the handheld gives me the option to manually update the time/date from the network, i don't see an option to do that automatically.

ok so i select "update from network", set the clock ahead by two minutes, turn the radio off then on again... the clock is not automatically corrected. Next i turn the radio off again, reboot the BB, turn the radio back on, and the clock still is not automatically adjusted. Now I'll leave it like this for 24 hours and see if the clock will be adjusted automatically over the network.

Thanks for testing. I actually got a different answer from the last RIM rep I talked to, he said that there is no automatic update of time designed into the Berry without user interaction. They were concerned that the berry was not keeping accurate time though. I still can't believe a $400.00 device cannot automaticlly update itself. I don't understand the reasoning behing not having it update automatically.

[shadowbox]

So yeah, no automatic clock adjustment except through the USB connection. I'm also curious why the system is designed like that.

[K-Mack]

Originally Posted by seattlebbuser

I have been going around with RIM and Cingular on the issue of the Blackberry 8700C not keeping the proper time. The device tends to fall behind and I think it's rediculous to have to go into Settings-Options-Date/Time adn use the roller wheel to select Update time. The cheapest of Cellular phones keep better time than this $400.00 Blackberry. I have the Blackberry set to update off of the Network adn that is what I expect it to do. You would think if you turned off the antenna or powered down adn back up the device that it would update the time. Yes I know you can sync the time with the USB cable when you connect it, but what is the point of running 4.0 BES and Wireless Sync if you have to connect it to keep the time straight?

Anyone interested in testing how there device updates time and post back?
I would ask if others of you have other providers and even other device versions, that you select Update from Network and then save, then set your time ahead manually, turn off your antenna or power down and back up and see if your time corrects itself automaitally, or leave it over a day and see if your device ever corrects itself.

P.S. The RIM rep said his Rodgers device worked and that it must be a Cingular issue. The Cingular rep said I needed the latest software which I was already running and that you should have a field to update time automatically(yeah on my Nokia phone, but not on my Berry).

Thanks
Chris

My 8700c does the same thing, it's frustrating as hell. I think it pertains to the particular OS you are running because I decided to try a newer version from another carrier and the device kept PERFECT time. I ended up going back to the Cingular OS because call quality sucked on the newer version, and now my clock is always wrong again.