Webos 1.2 and Inconsistent Signal Issue

[MikeinDC]

I'm sorry if this has actually been answered somewhere else, but I haven't found it.

I'm on my fourth pre, after two different stores, old build and new. I have three friends from work with the same issue on their pres. The problem is a constantly fluctuating signal EVDO full bars - to roaming - to no service, when standing in the same place (any place). This issue isn't just at home (Airwave took care of that), it's over the whole Washington D.C. metro area. Lots of dropped calls. I know I've seen many many people post the same issue.

It's been 26 days and I have tried every update PRL and network trick and set to Roam only, along with all the other suggesting about Gmail syching and what-have-you. I returned earlier pres, the repair center has given them all a clean bill of health anyway.

I just want to know from someone who had this issue and has tried the leaked webos 1.2, did this signal issue get better?

I'm excited about all the other 1.2 updates, but this is really the only fix that will keep me and three coworkers from returning our pres.

[taalibeen]

I'm surprised I haven't seen anything official from Palm on this issue.

I love my Pre, but for the life of me can't understand how I go from four bars, to no service, to 1 bar, to roaming, to two bars standing in the same spot.

And that sequence wasn't just me making up something, I saw it happen on my Pre just about an hour ago - but have seen similar wild fluctuations MANY, MANY times.

[NickDG]

I think everyone has this issue it's just some people are dropping to no service so they are dropping calls and losing network connectivity.

[K100Fran]

I'm sorry to hear this since I live and work in the metro area as well (I just assumed the signal would be great). I like the Sprint plan and am seriously consider a Pre, but am also looking at a Blackberry. Since I have never owned a Blackberry I don'y feel as strongly as so many of the BB lovers that swear the Pre keyboard is too small. I like the Pre keyboard because there is space between the keys unlike BB's all jammed in there (sorry I'm getting off topic)
I would like to hear from other DC folks about their signal quality before I pull the trigger. I know it's useless on the metro, hopefully they'll have the underground antennas installed soon!

[BBossman1]

I live in the DC "burbs" and work Downtown. I have good Sprint reception almost everywhere except in my office building where my Pre will "hunt" between roaming, Sprint and no signal. I just try to remember to turn on airplane mode in the building or else my battery dies in a few hours.

I can roam on Verizon in the Metro and get voice and data, hell even my Gmail pushes to me while in the tunnels. They are supposed to go live with Sprint and ATT in I think the 10 busiest stations on October 16th, with the rest of the stations and upgraded tunnel coverage by 2012.

[KJ78]

I'm not in DC but I'm in Chicago and have had Sprint since 2001. All phones I had up through my 700p had awesome reception. The 755p I had next had mediocre reception in my office but perfect everywhere else. The Pre is a different story.

Outside with a direct line to the tower I get 5 bars almost all the time. Any kind of obstruction, even light residential construction, brings my signal down. I've never seen this with another cell phone. I also go from full bars to 0 to 1x to roaming full bars, wash, rinse, repeat.

The only other thing I can add is that I installed Accuradio earlier today. Even in my office with spotty signal I didn't have any problems streaming. I'm going to test some more and see if the signal issue is only caused by certain types of data.

[slydog43]

I too see my reception jump all over the place. This is my biggest complaint about an otherwise awesome phone. Palm Please inform us if a new radio build will address these issues.

[ryang]

I've had my pre for over a week, and I'm a new Sprint customer. In my apartment, my phone randomly switched to roaming. I come from a WM phone, so I turned airplane mode on/off to cycle the radio. I haven't seen this happen again, but I don't check my coverage everywhere I go.

Glad to see I'm not alone, hopefully it's software based and not hardware.

[K100Fran]

Thanks BBossman1. That helps confirm my decision to go w/ Sprint.

[urlmaker]

I am on the NOVA side of DC Metro and while I get the same dips even sitting in my office, I think I dropped maybe one call, but I do often drop to 1x on EV with noticeable data slowdown. It is odd because I would think it would be rather consistent in same spot. I suppose local interference could play a part? (computers, wifi, other cell phones) Most days it is pretty solid though, and for the phone part of phone, I have no complaints.

This is my second phone, my first phone got had an EV modem failure (code 20). Maybe the hardware is shoddy?

[MikeinDC]

I'm just hoping someone who has tried 1.2 will say that the update improved things.

I expected the update to come out before my 30 days were up, so I could see for myself. But now with the indefinate delay I may have to make my decision before the 1.2 goes live.

[joe8617]

I really believe this is some sort of a Sprint communication issue and somehow related to EVDO service? The signal strength indicator seems to have a rather low correlation to the service I'm actually getting.

My old (horrible) HTC Touch Pro did the same thing for the first few months it was out, and then it either got better or I stopped noticing. That was a windows mobile phone and the signal strength indicator behaved the same way, so I don't really blame the Pre.

[dbdoinit]

I've had Sprint for 10 yrs now, at least eight in NYC and for the last two yrs in ATL. The Prē is the only phone that bounces signal strenth around more than "ice cubes in a blender". IT'S DRIVING ME CRAAAAAAZY !!!

[rwchambe]

I live near Dupont and work near Union Station in DC as does my wife and we both have Pre's. Nether of us have had any problem with reception. I have noticed some fluctuations on the number of bars at times but it never seems to result in dropped calls. In the metro you can sometimes piggyback off Verizon and get a little bit of signal in the stations/tunnels, but overall if fairly useless except a for texting.

[MikeinDC]

Yeah, for me it's the dropping of calls that the clincher. I don't care if data is up and down, but dropping half my calls is a deal-breaker. That and having the other person not be able to hear me, which happens a lot.

It's what makes me think its the phone radio, more than the EVDO signal.

[T3CK]

I noticed this behavior also, on Bell Canada network but only in specific spots.
In Montreal, I get solid 4-5 bars inside and outside my apartment, as well in downtown... no matter what. As soon as I go in the north side of the city, the bars start to move like an equalizer... they go up and down gradually. I can get 5 bars now and 5min later I get 1 bar, they die slowly.

IMO, there is nothing wrong with the Pre.

[Aridon]

We have similar issues in SE Florida but other Sprint phones in the area are perfectly fine.

I'm going to be getting a HTC Hero when it releases and I'll check out both devices and see if the signal issue is with Sprint or the Pre. My money is on the Pre's radio or firmware.

[Centro85]

Originally Posted by rwchambe

I live near Dupont and work near Union Station in DC as does my wife and we both have Pre's. Nether of us have had any problem with reception. I have noticed some fluctuations on the number of bars at times but it never seems to result in dropped calls. In the metro you can sometimes piggyback off Verizon and get a little bit of signal in the stations/tunnels, but overall if fairly useless except a for texting.

Open the phone app, press top left corner, click Preferences. Scroll down to "Data Roaming" and click enable.

Last time I was in DC (admittedly it was either RIGHT after I got my pre on launch day, or with my Palm Treo Pro windows mobile phone) I had no problems getting data and phone calls in the tunnel.

[jodimarley]

Omg i live in the dmv metro area and im havin the same problem i thought it was jus my phone

[Centro85]

Originally Posted by Aridon

We have similar issues in SE Florida but other Sprint phones in the area are perfectly fine.

I'm going to be getting a HTC Hero when it releases and I'll check out both devices and see if the signal issue is with Sprint or the Pre. My money is on the Pre's radio or firmware.

Been there, done that (not with the Hero). I have a Pre, Treo Pro, Centro, 755P, 800W, 700P, Treo 650, Curve, Touch Pro, LG Rant, LG Musiq, free samsung phone, Katana, and either another Rant or Rant style phone (fiances old phone). The other Palm phones always got .5-1 bar less than all the other phones, Palm was just always like that (I think it is the candy bar style with all the electronics in one area), BUT they ALL still get a solid 4-5 bars and constant EVDO in my area and work area. Never dips below that, except my basement. No cell phones get service in my basement. Even the Treo Pro, which is known for having odd reception issues almost as bad as the Pre, gets much better reception. I live right between DC and Baltimore.

The Pre on the other hand CONSTANTLY bounces. 5-4-3-2-1-roaming-3-5-2-1-R-3 etc. without moving off my desk. Even if I have 4 bars and EVDO, it will randomly switch to 1x for a minute or two, than switch back just before I throw the stupid thing. Drives me nuts. I have sat here and watched 3-4 other phones next to my Pre, and it's the only one that has issues. It's also the only phone I have dropped a call on since I can remember... and it does it at least once a week..

I talked to Palm and Sprint about it before, Palm swore 1.1 would fix it. Didn't make much of a difference to me. One of the only things I hate about the phone, and the only thing that keeps me from putting my Treo Pro on the shelf and getting my fiance one.