At what reception level do you start missing calls?

[Anonymatt]

So I'm getting pretty fed up with missing calls on my TP, and I'm trying to figure things out. I don't know when I've missed calls other than when I'm at work (when my gf calls and lets me know it didn't go through, or when I use my work phone to call my # to test), but I seem to get calls fine most places (again, not sure what calls I've missed, since it never rings through so I don't get a missed call notification, and won't know unless they leave a voicemail).

At work it is seemingly the worst, though. I can have my phone in one spot and watch the bars go from 3 to 5 to 0 to 1 to 3 to 5 to 2 to 0, etc. Since the bars aren't the most accurate representation, I've since been monitoring the Rx Power using ##DEBUG#. I don't know exactly how the dbm correlates to the "bars", but it seems to be about (when I say "less" I mean smaller absolute value):
less than -85 = 5 bars
less than -90 = 4 bars
less than -95 = 3 bars
less than -100 = 2 bars
less than -105 = 1 bar
greater than -105 = 0 bars

Anyway, I've noticed a few things.
1) When on Sprint network, if it is worse than -100 dbm then the calls won't come through. What is worse is that even when I drop down to less than (absolute value) -100 I still won't be able to receive calls, even when it goes down to -90 or even better. Sometimes when doing this, even when my Power reads ~-90 dbm my "bars" will turn to the "searching for signal" icon".
2) if I set it to roaming only, then I can sometimes get calls when my signal is worse than -100 (in my tests, I recieved 3/4 of my calls at -101 to -103), and as soon as I get back into "good" coverage, the calls still come through.
3) if I have it set to "Automatic", then it basically acts like I'm on Sprint, where if the signal is worse than -100 then it screws everything up for a while.

Does anyone else notice similar things? I might have to keep it on roaming only for a while to test it out, but was wondering if anyone else had any input (or similar/different observations). It is annoying when my phone tells me I have 1 bar (-100 to -104 dbm) and I don't get calls, and sometimes even when I read 2 or 3 bars!

I have to go out for a while, so can't really play around and test things probably until tomorrow night, but any feedback is welcome.

[MadlyAlive]

It could be a network issue. I've been below -100 and have received calls. Normally when I sit in my office at home and have the phone next to me I show 0 bars in EV service.

[budney]

Their is another setting you need to look at when it comes to signal. Look at your Ec/Io number, the lower the number the better. This number tells you how "clean" your signal is.

0 - 10db = great
11-15db = good
16 - 20db = fair
>21db = poor

I have been in areas where my power is about -100dbm & my Ec\Io is 10db or less have been able to make & hold calls no problem. Unlike the house I live in now which has the same power level, but the Ec\Io is over 20db and my calls break up &/or drop.


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