¿Radios?

[xitanul]

I've been looking at these radios here and have been thinking about flashing.. http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=46616

my question though is this, people have reported that other radios give them way better signal.. but is the reason why it's a better signal because it's actually roaming and using another network?

so i acknowledge you can use any networks radios (i'm on sprint) on your phone.. but does that cause your phone to roam and just not notify you about it? so in other words would i be going into roaming and have a chance of my account being cancelled because of it?

if anyone can clear this up and just tell me that these different radios is just different software code that happens to improve your signal from better coding, then great, otherwise I don't want a false sense of a better signal when it's really just roaming, thnx.

[dodge_longhorn]

Originally Posted by xitanul

I've been looking at these radios here and have been thinking about flashing.. http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=46616

my question though is this, people have reported that other radios give them way better signal.. but is the reason why it's a better signal because it's actually roaming and using another network?

so i acknowledge you can use any networks radios (i'm on sprint) on your phone.. but does that cause your phone to roam and just not notify you about it? so in other words would i be going into roaming and have a chance of my account being cancelled because of it?

if anyone can clear this up and just tell me that these different radios is just different software code that happens to improve your signal from better coding, then great, otherwise I don't want a false sense of a better signal when it's really just roaming, thnx.

i would like to know this and also whats the difference in the versions?

[Rourke Swift]

Using a different radio will not cause you to roam any more or less than you otherwise would. The "radio" that you flash is simply a piece of software that controls how your phone communicates with cell towers, not which towers it uses.

Most providers have their own radios (software), and each one has certain set of instructions regarding how to modulate the CDMA signal, how much power to use while doing so, and how to handle your data connection. Switching between radios will allow you to find one that works the best for you.

Rest assured, though, it won't all of a sudden cause you to get massive roaming charges on your bill.

[psycho_maniac]

it has something to do with the frequency i think.

[Rourke Swift]

Originally Posted by psycho_maniac

it has something to do with the frequency i think.

CDMA mulitplexes between 800MHz and 1.9Ghz, and--regardless of carrier or radio--uses the entire spectrum between the two. Honestly, no matter what you flash, you aren't changing the radio at all: you're chaning the operating parameters the radio uses. What's being altered are the instructions for reception and transmission in those frequencies.

As a very, very, very, very basic example (and mind you, this is not a critique on individual radios, and said only for explanation sake):

Let's say Verizon manufactures their radio software understanding the majority of their users are in heavy coverage areas. Knowing this, they deprioritize battery utilization, because they assume you'll be pulling from the tower anyways. Life is great, plenty of bars, and awesome calls. Until, one day, you end up in an area with low coverage, and your battery life tanks: you aren't pulling from the tower, and the software is forcing your phone into overtime trying to use and maintain the little signal you're able to acquire.

At the same time, your friend using the same phone has the Telus radio. This radio was developed assuming you'd be in areas of low coverage to begin with, and priority was given to establishing and maintaining signal while balancing the power usage to do so. While his phone might outperform yours now, in areas of excellent coverage it will be effectively wasting power (that yours isn't), and his battery life will suffer accordingly.

Of course there's a lot more to it than that, but very fundamentally--and again, not actually radio specific--that's the point of flashing different radios. To find the one that gives you the performance you want for the area you live.