Poor reception on Touch?

**OMJ** · #1 (**permalink**) 01-16-2008, 04:38 PM

I've had my Touch for 2 weeks now, and it seems to have worse signal strength than my last Apache. I have seen some post they got better reception w/ their Touch, but it seems much worse to me.

I rarely ever (maybe never) see full strengh, I have even tested from right outside a cell site, maybe 300 yards out, and still only get about 4 bars. I also have a Katana for work, in the same location, it's full signal.

One odd thing I noticed when I'm in a locaton that has excellent reception....when I send or receive a text msg, the ev icon will switch to 1x, then the signal strength will briefly go to full strength, then once the text is done, ev is back & signal strength goes back down.

I called Sprint yesterday to discuss the issue, they thought I might have a radio problem, so they sent me another Touch. Got it today, charged it up, and have been testing side-by-side for the last hour. Overall both are about the same, and when in the DEBUG menu, the original Touch actually gets abit better Rx power & Rx signal strength. So the new Touch seems to have slightly worse signal strength.

any thoughts?

hippity.hoppity · #2 (**permalink**) 01-17-2008, 12:24 AM

The EVDO signal in your area is worse than your 1xRTT signal. How much of a difference are you seeing on the debug screens between the Touch and the Katana?

EtherealRemnant · #3 (**permalink**) 01-17-2008, 12:44 AM

Yeah we need a dB comparison. Bars don't mean anything as their calibration can be different between devices, OSes, carriers, etc.

I can tell you that my Touch sitting side by side with my Mogul gets -65dB on EV while the Mogul gets -78, making my Touch much better for reception.

The one thing I HAVE noticed though is that the Touch flickers between 1X and EV a LOT while my Mogul is totally stable throughout.

Also, EVDO signal is almost always going to be worse than 1xRTT. 1x has enjoyed a lot more deployment thus far.

**OMJ** · #4 (**permalink**) 01-17-2008, 11:33 AM

yeah, I know that comparing the bars between the touch & katana are like comparing apples to oranges.....but what I was trying to say was, I'm in a location w/ known great signal, where I would think I would see maximum amount of bars on the touch, but I don't get the max.

I was comparing the debug screens between the 2 touch's. The db on the original touch was slightly better.

I just compared the db between the katana & original touch, the katana is @ -66db & the touch is @ -74db....of course they both fluctuate a bit. One big different, which I dont know what it is, is Rx Ec/Io, the katana is @ -4db, the touch is @ 63db.

I guess I was hung up on the fact that I saw the signal spike to max when it switched to 1X, but when on EV, it is much lower. matter of fact, when phone is idle at my current location on EV, it's at 4 bars, if I manually lock the phone to 1X, I get 6 bars.

thx for the replies!

hippity.hoppity · #5 (**permalink**) 01-17-2008, 11:43 AM

Just compare your 1xRTT reception and your EVDO reception on your Touch via the debug screen. Bars are meaningless and aren't necessarily even comparable between EVDO and 1xRTT on the same phone.

trakslacker · #6 (**permalink**) 01-17-2008, 11:45 AM

I have noticed this exact same thing on my Touch - the switching between EVDO and 1xRTT. I guess my question is does this impact phone usage? If getting poor signal in EVDO while on a call, is the touch capable of switching to 1xRTT seamlessly, which seems to very often have better singal strength? Or does a voice call have to be terminated to switch over?

**mindfrost82** · #7 (**permalink**) 01-17-2008, 12:03 PM

The Touch WILL switch from EV to 1X when sending a text or a phone call. Those functions do not operate on EV, so the phone shows you it is using 1X. I've never seen any other phone do that before, but this is normal.

**schettj** · #8 (**permalink**) 01-17-2008, 12:58 PM

Heh... I also went from the apache to the mogul, and found this interesting effect...

On the apache, there was an antenna bob. So you knew not to hold the phone by the antenna, or wrap your moisture-filled, signal blocking hand around it... see where I am going?

On the mogul and touch, the antenna runs along the top, inside the body... its not unusual to hold the thing (especially if you have larger hands) such that the top is inside your grip.

Try holding it so that the top 1/4 is completely free of your hand and see if that doesn't help.

Silly but true.

**mswlogo** · #9 (**permalink**) 01-17-2008, 02:44 PM

I find my Touch more sentive to degrading the signal by putting in my pocket than the Appache was.

If I put the phone in my car cradle it seems to perform the same.

People keep complaining about stub antenna's then complain about reception when they get rid of them. Geesh. I'd take a stub or extendable antenna for more range any day.

**OMJ** · #10 (**permalink**) 01-17-2008, 03:48 PM

ok...thanks for all the useful info.....point taken.....don't obsess about the bars, lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by hippity.hoppity

Just compare your 1xRTT reception and your EVDO reception on your Touch via the debug screen. Bars are meaningless and aren't necessarily even comparable between EVDO and 1xRTT on the same phone.

1x= -67db

ev= -64db

on a side note.....so now I got this 2nd touch, they only billed me $99 for it, because that's how much the 1st was. I called Sprint yesterday & specifically asked if I kept both w/ only 1 active, would I be charged the full retail on the 2nd one they sent....they said nope, $99.....sounds too good to be true, lol.