HELP: Wild fluctuation in bluetooth volume!!

cenozoite · #1 (**permalink**) 03-15-2008, 02:49 PM

I have the Bell Mobility HTC Touch/Vogue and am using it with a Nokia BH-900 bluetooth headset. When making voice calls, the sound I hear from the other side oscillates wildly up and down about every two seconds. I've tested this with both people and automated phone lines, and in all cases it sounds like someone is turning the volume dial back and forth between 5 and 10 over and over again.

Does anyone know why this is happening, or whether there is any way to fix it? Thanks...

cortez · #2 (**permalink**) 03-15-2008, 09:44 PM

try another headset and see if you have the same experience... if not, then it could be the headset. i have a Sprint Touch and I use a Blueant Z9 headset without any problems...

Videonut · #3 (**permalink**) 03-15-2008, 10:16 PM

I've experienced the same thing with the Plantronics 510a and 855. On both WM6 and WM6.1, although WM6.1 doesn't seem quite as bad.
It seems that everytime the other person talks it ramps up from quite to loud.
Figured it was the same problem others were having with the 6800

cenozoite · #4 (**permalink**) 03-15-2008, 11:08 PM

Thanks for your replies, both of you. So this is a somewhat known issue then with WM6/6.1 rather than a Touch-specific problem? I didn't know others were experiencing it with the 6800 as well.

Have there been any registry fixes or anything that have been found to work? And are certain headsets completely immune, like the Bluant Z9 mentioned? Funny thing is, I've tested this with automated recorded lines like after hours customer service numbers, and the recorded voice is talking at the same consistent volume steadily, the whole time, yet it still goes from soft to loud over and over again. So it obviously isn't a reaction to changing sound level on the other end. Very odd... and annoying... is there any list of other headsets that work without issue, unlike the Nokia/Plantronics ones?

Videonut · #5 (**permalink**) 03-15-2008, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cenozoite

Thanks for your replies, both of you. So this is a somewhat known issue then with WM6/6.1 rather than a Touch-specific problem? I didn't know others were experiencing it with the 6800 as well.

Have there been any registry fixes or anything that have been found to work? And are certain headsets completely immune, like the Bluant Z9 mentioned? Funny thing is, I've tested this with automated recorded lines like after hours customer service numbers, and the recorded voice is talking at the same consistent volume steadily, the whole time, yet it still goes from soft to loud over and over again. So it obviously isn't a reaction to changing sound level on the other end. Very odd... and annoying... is there any list of other headsets that work without issue, unlike the Nokia/Plantronics ones?

I think if you search the 6800 forums here and other sites like xda you'll get a better idea of the problem, but as far as I know there hasn't been a fix. Haven't checked recently myself, think I will.

On further investigation, the Mogul/6800 had much worse Bluetooth issues, so I guess the BT was fixed a bit for the Touch but not completely.

cenozoite · #6 (**permalink**) 03-16-2008, 12:07 AM

Ya, I was just reading those forums myself and saw mention of plenty of bluetooth related issues, but none relating to up-and-down volume fluctuation. It makes headsets completely unusable. I'm willing to go out and buy a new headset that works without this issue, but only if I'm sure that will be the case. Cortez reports the Z9 working fine, but it's possible he simply hasn't noticed this yet. It did take me a few longer calls on automated lines before it became obvious - I just thought people were varying their own speaking volume before. But now that I know it's a technical problem, I can't ignore it if I try.

cortez · #7 (**permalink**) 03-16-2008, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cenozoite

....Cortez reports the Z9 working fine, but it's possible he simply hasn't noticed this yet.....

i've been using the Z9 for 4 months with my Sprint Touch and i HAVE NOT had issues as you've described. 1.5 of the 4 months have been with WM 6.1 installed on my Sprint Touch. during the work week, i average 60-90 minutes in daily phone calls on the Touch, 80% of which is via bluetooth headset. i'm sure i would have noticed by now...

is it possible the bluetooth issues are limited to the BELL radio version???

cenozoite · #8 (**permalink**) 03-16-2008, 12:58 AM

Hehe okay, forget the possibility of your not have noticing with that amount of usage!

The Bell and Sprint roms and radios are identical as far as I know. And there's no issue when using the phone's earpiece or speakerphone, it's just bluetooth. I'd hate to go out and buy a Z9 though only to find out that for some reason I still have the problem even though you don't... hmm..

Videonut · #9 (**permalink**) 03-16-2008, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cortez

is it possible the bluetooth issues are limited to the BELL radio version???

It might be that Bell's radio or radio drivers are the issue and not the BT drivers.
cenozoite, I'm still using 1.59.10, not the 1.59.10a
Rom 1.17.666.1
What do you have?

cenozoite · #10 (**permalink**) 03-16-2008, 11:58 AM

Mine are slightly older in both cases it seems:

1.16.666.1
1.59.00

Unfortunately I'll be stuck with them though. After installing more than 50 third party applications over the last few months, I simply cannot accept the notion of wiping everything out and starting over again. It took me ages to get everything installed, patched and configured correctly, and I can't go through all of that again after losing everything in a firmware update. Especially when I don't know for sure whether it will fix anything.

If you do upgrade to 1.59.10a though and it definitely does fix the bluetooth problems, I guess I'd give it some further thought.