Develop Bugs

[Q] Possible to swap antennas?

Since I was a dumb and bought a Tmo TP2 to use on ATT, I was wondering if I could buy the antenna from the ATT version and swap it into my phone. Though I doubt it is, I was curious if this is feasible?

Since both networks are UTMS, not CDMA, and thus use similar frequencies, why, therefore, would you want to disassemble your phone and mess with the antenna system, which should work perfectly well on both networks?
Frankly, it sounds to me like you have a different problem: Your phone is most likely locked to T-Mobile, meaning that it cannot use the AT&T system.
Your problem is therefore contractual, not technological, in nature.

I think the OP was actually asking if he could switch his radio, since the T-Mobile radio will not get 3G speeds on AT&T's network (discussed quite a bit here; do a search).
The answer is no. Although it may be technically possible, it would not be practical. Far easier to just sell your T-Mobile version and by an AT&T one.

Ok yea I guess its the radio. Thought it would be the antenna. Could you please explain the difference. I guess the antenna is solely reception and the radio is what interprets the signal? Is there a broken down pic where you can point out the radio.
I was hoping I could just get this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250525496122&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Radio: The electronic hardware used to convert electromagnetic radiation signal (radio waves) into usable electrical impulses to decipher to either data (ones and zeros) or audio (speech, music, etc). May also use software systems to further enhance or aid the deciphering of the received signal.
Antenna: The hardware (often as simple as a long wire, sometimes as complex as an array of directional beam antennae) used to gather said electromagnetic radiation signal, and direct it to the radio electronics hardware.
Hope that helps

Thank you for your replies.
So Im guessing the radio is either expensive to buy or requires to replace the whole motherboard?

[Q] Help me make my decision, due to reception issues

I live in an area where there is decent connection. My epic is being all crazy, and now i cant make calls while im inside the house, and 4g is no longer usable...EVER. I've heard from other forums that the. nexus s 4g and the epic 4g have reception issues, where the evo picks up great signal. I've gotten my phone replaced a lot, and the guy at sprint said I can trade my phone at this point for A:Nexus S 4g, or B:Evo 4g. I thought about the nexus and its vanilla flavorings, but after researching the phone, people say exactly what I'm experiencing right now. I think its a hardware issue from Samsung, since both phones are manufactured by them, and HTC has a better antenna. What do you all think?

HTC usually has software issues but if you are happy with stock then why not try one and see if it works better for you. If you already researched that Samsung phones have the same reception problems for you then sounds like your decision is made. It could be your area though. If the issue is just in your house, Sprint will give an Airave to use if you have an internet connection to make calls through. Then you can ride out the Epic until the next wave of trio or quad core processor phones.

urbanlegends08 said:
I live in an area where there is decent connection. My epic is being all crazy, and now i cant make calls while im inside the house, and 4g is no longer usable...EVER. I've heard from other forums that the. nexus s 4g and the epic 4g have reception issues, where the evo picks up great signal. I've gotten my phone replaced a lot, and the guy at sprint said I can trade my phone at this point for A:Nexus S 4g, or B:Evo 4g. I thought about the nexus and its vanilla flavorings, but after researching the phone, people say exactly what I'm experiencing right now. I think its a hardware issue from Samsung, since both phones are manufactured by them, and HTC has a better antenna. What do you all think?
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Have you tried flashing different modems? I know there have been a wide array of opinions on all the different available modems. Most seem to have the best reception with the EC05 modem, but some have said its horrible. Its all really trial and error based on where you live. Also, there has been tons of talk regarding Sprint towers being upgraded all over the place which causes some great fluctuation in service at all different time of the day. Bottom line, In my opinion, its the spectrum Sprint is using that causes all of these reception issues! Just my humble opinion...Good Luck!

Samsung's antenna's have always been sub-par. You want the best? Go with a Motorola, like the Photon.

New verizon user

I was with t-mobile for 8 years and decided to try verizon for 2 years after hearing how good the network is. I thought there's no better time then now considering I have 275 in bestbuy gift cards and this amazing phone is 300. After 2 days of use it seems the network is just OK don't know if there are still bugs to be worked out of LTE network or if its the rom I'm on. Before flashing the rom the signal struggled also? Didn't have a whole lot of time to test as I rooted and had a rom an hour after getting my phone (live for the development) Does anyone have a clue on what's up. Verizon says my area in Cleveland (mistake on the lake) has good coverage and friends have said nothing but good things also. Thanks community! Love ya guys and girls out there
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

You might want to try flashing a different radio in your respective development forum, it's kind of hit or miss between regions so you'll have to see which works best for you

radio flash may not fix signal its been pretty common issue with vzw nexus users as i myself still experience it

I had a Razr for a month before the Nexus and my wife still has a Razr. Other than the well-publicized nationwide outages, voice and data are rock solid on that phone.
My stock Nexus has been anything but. I love voice and data several times a day. Hoping an update will improve things or that I got a bad unit. I have a replacement on the way as my headphone jack doesn't output stereo.
Certainly nothing scientific but in my experience the Verizon network is the best there is (I've been on T-mobile and Sprint, never ATT).

McDeadagain said:
I had a Razr for a month before the Nexus and my wife still has a Razr. Other than the well-publicized nationwide outages, voice and data are rock solid on that phone.
My stock Nexus has been anything but. I love voice and data several times a day. Hoping an update will improve things or that I got a bad unit. I have a replacement on the way as my headphone jack doesn't output stereo.
Certainly nothing scientific but in my experience the Verizon network is the best there is (I've been on T-mobile and Sprint, never ATT).
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yea voice has been excellent for me since release day however data is hit and miss in my area but if i go to another area of my city or anywhere else its rock solid really weird however i have a tbolt on another line that works rock solid everywhere data and voice

McDeadagain said:
I had a Razr for a month before the Nexus and my wife still has a Razr. Other than the well-publicized nationwide outages, voice and data are rock solid on that phone.
My stock Nexus has been anything but. I love voice and data several times a day. Hoping an update will improve things or that I got a bad unit. I have a replacement on the way as my headphone jack doesn't output stereo.
Certainly nothing scientific but in my experience the Verizon network is the best there is (I've been on T-mobile and Sprint, never ATT).
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Click to collapse
Can't speak to the voice/data dropping, but as per the headphone jack, I know this may sound like I'm talking down to you, but I'm really not: Did you try pushing the headphone plug all the way in until it clicks into place?
Samsung phones for some reason have very tight headphone connections. On my Vibrant, and on my GNex, I had to push the plug in pretty hard to get it to go all the way in. On the Vibrant, I thought I had the same exact problem as it was only outputting to the left speaker, but then I gave it a nice little push and it was fine.
Just thought I'd pass that along.

I've been on Verizon for quite a few years, with a bit of time on other networks through family phones or work phones. the network really is solid. data rates on 3G do not compare to good HSPDA, but LTE is fantastic. as far as the nexus itself, I have found that it has the exact same voice reception as my three previous android devices, and actually think the 3G data works better most of the time. now, the signal indicator is always lower, but actual signal strength seems to be identical, regardless of how many "bars" there are.

MMcCraryNJ said:
Can't speak to the voice/data dropping, but as per the headphone jack, I know this may sound like I'm talking down to you, but I'm really not: Did you try pushing the headphone plug all the way in until it clicks into place?
Samsung phones for some reason have very tight headphone connections. On my Vibrant, and on my GNex, I had to push the plug in pretty hard to get it to go all the way in. On the Vibrant, I thought I had the same exact problem as it was only outputting to the left speaker, but then I gave it a nice little push and it was fine.
Just thought I'd pass that along.
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No offense taken ;-)
Actually I tried everything. I use it with the headphones plugged all the way in, and it worked for a couple of weeks and then suddenly stopped working. I tried a different pair of headphones too. The only time it does work is if I hold the headphone plug just barely into the jack. If I let go it falls right out.
Helluva silly thing to go wrong.

Alottt of threads have harked about the verizon gnex having poor connection. In myself have switched 3 different phones. And still have the issue. Tech support even tested them and said themselves there is definently and issue. Google code has ALOT of tickets specifying the same thing. This is slowly cooking into something serious
I was this tmobile for 7+. Took my wife's Verizon plan..we switched...she can even tell the poor reception. I just want to know if this can be fixed software wise because...I reaaallly like this phone but its very scary.
Your definitely not alone guys. This will gain traction in the coming days
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Thanks for all the replies! My guess after reading all the post is that its still a major work in progress. Verizon has a lot of users and a major Rep to hold up so they'll probably fix it and not leave us in a bad situation?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

mike216 said:
Thanks for all the replies! My guess after reading all the post is that its still a major work in progress. Verizon has a lot of users and a major Rep to hold up so they'll probably fix it and not leave us in a bad situation?
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LTE is still in Beta stage for sure. Obviously they'll figure it out eventually. It's their long term strategy to go all LTE for voice and data.

I too have this issue. Signal is significantly lower and I often lose signal altogether. Switching from 3G to 4G is also flaky. Just for the hell of it I called up VZW support and they said it's a work in progress and they are working with Samsung to get a resolution.

spencer88 said:
I too have this issue. Signal is significantly lower and I often lose signal altogether. Switching from 3G to 4G is also flaky. Just for the hell of it I called up VZW support and they said it's a work in progress and they are working with Samsung to get a resolution.
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I usually just leave mine in CDMA mode only due to the 4G/3G switching. I definitely get weaker signal in my house and slower LTE data speeds with the GNex compared to the Rezound I had for several weeks.

Raibyn said:
I usually just leave mine in CDMA mode only due to the 4G/3G switching. I definitely get weaker signal in my house and slower LTE data speeds with the GNex compared to the Rezound I had for several weeks.
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I too leave mine in CDMA mode for most of the time. Signal can still be -83 dBm and it can drop off to -120 dBm at any given time, or drop signal completely and show 0 dBm.

I am having the same issues and have a thread going at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1403133
This is seeming to be widespread so hopefully there is a fix in the near future. For now, the 4.03 radio update others have mentioned helped me quite a bit, although it did not fix it. You can find it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1403133 if you have not seen it already.
I am also in the same boat as you as I rooted to install CM9 the same day I got the phone. After reading the forums I believe the issue lies in the radio software (hopefully not hardware) and not with the ROM itself since CM9 is still very beta.

[Q] Orange Signal Boost on Galaxy Note 2?

I think I've already know the answer to this question, after extensive searching and reading around, but here goes anyway.
Is there any sign of the Galaxy Note 2 getting Orange Signal Boost (UMA), or it being able to be ported to it?
I guess not, as the Signal Boost app seems only to work up to ICS not JB and the Note 2 is shipped with JB. I guess if Signal Boost is ever put on the S3 there might be a chance for it to be extracted from that rom for the Note 2. But Orange don't say what will be done, so we really have no idea.
Am I correct?
Thanks

Orange.... Well EE now have a femtocell that they are selling. From what I gather if you have registered an issue with signal in your home or office you may be able to get one free, especially if your signal has degraded due to them decommissioning a cell (as part of their network optimisation). If not, they sell them for £100. There is a thread about them on the digital spy forum.
Sent from my Samsung Note II.
P's, the reason I mention the femtocell is that most people who use uma would get a similar benefit from a femtocell and have the same reasons for using either... To get a signal.

Thanks, I didn't know that.
It's definitely Signal Boost / UMA I'm interested in though. It's for when I go away (within UK) and then I don't have physical access to the router, just to the wifi.

[Q] Modding the GT-n7105 to get LTE on Tmobile

I was recently gifted a Note 2, which is awesome and I love it, but I feel it's a shame for such a nice phone to be stuck on edge, even with Tmobile's refarming (laaaaaame). Everything I can find on Google says that it's a hardware limitation, not firmware. So I wonder, what if I swapped out the radios?
I'm aware that such a feat would require replacing the entire motherboard. If I buy a T889 motherboard and put it in my phone, what kind of issues would I run into, if any? I would have to flash firmwares and radios and such- would going to the Tmobile Note 2 board and flashing everything stock that I find over there be sufficient? Any IMEI issues that I would run into? Would my phone now be considered a SGH-T889?
No, returning/reselling and buying the T889 isn't an option. It's too much effort for uncertain risks for something I don't care all that much about. I'd be open to a trade, but it would have to be an exact counterpart to my own (unlocked, titanium gray, screen protector from new, great condition). I'm sure trading is much easier, but modding sounds much more fun.
Even if I do the mod, it won't be right away, as motherboards are rather scarce and the prices are higher than I'm willing to pay.
Not sure if it matters, but my note 2 is stock rooted and my efs partition is backed up.

Selofain said:
I was recently gifted a Note 2, which is awesome and I love it, but I feel it's a shame for such a nice phone to be stuck on edge, even with Tmobile's refarming (laaaaaame). Everything I can find on Google says that it's a hardware limitation, not firmware. So I wonder, what if I swapped out the radios?
I'm aware that such a feat would require replacing the entire motherboard. If I buy a T889 motherboard and put it in my phone, what kind of issues would I run into, if any? I would have to flash firmwares and radios and such- would going to the Tmobile Note 2 board and flashing everything stock that I find over there be sufficient? Any IMEI issues that I would run into? Would my phone now be considered a SGH-T889?
No, returning/reselling and buying the T889 isn't an option. It's too much effort for uncertain risks for something I don't care all that much about. I'd be open to a trade, but it would have to be an exact counterpart to my own (unlocked, titanium gray, screen protector from new, great condition). I'm sure trading is much easier, but modding sounds much more fun.
Even if I do the mod, it won't be right away, as motherboards are rather scarce and the prices are higher than I'm willing to pay.
Not sure if it matters, but my note 2 is stock rooted and my efs partition is backed up.
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1. research/check on the LTE frequency bands t mobile uses then go check for example at gsmarena.com if the N7105 supports those bands by checking it's technical specifications
2. in the mean time you can try this.. go to SETTINGS then MORE SETTINGS then MOBILE WIRELESS change your NETWORK MODE to LTE/GSM/WCDMA AUTO
if this doesn't work and t mobile runs in an LTE frequency band supported by your handset it could also mean you need to upgrade/replace your SIM card .....same number but the new chip has LTE features inside it..it's possible
Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4

dead soul said:
1. research/check on the LTE frequency bands t mobile uses then go check for example at gsmarena.com if the N7105 supports those bands by checking it's technical specifications
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Click to collapse
I've done my research on this. Tmobile uses AWS, which the n7105 doesn't support. Tmobile is refarming some of their 1900Mhz to free up frequencies for LTE, which the n7105 does support, but I'm not getting 3G speeds in those areas at all. I've seen around these boards that I'm not the only one to do so.
dead soul said:
2. in the mean time you can try this.. go to SETTINGS then MORE SETTINGS then MOBILE WIRELESS change your NETWORK MODE to LTE/GSM/WCDMA AUTO
if this doesn't work and t mobile runs in an LTE frequency band supported by your handset it could also mean you need to upgrade/replace your SIM card .....same number but the new chip has LTE features inside it..it's possible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said before, my research indicates that it's a radio hardware issue, not firmware. There are posts on how to get AT&T/Verizon/Sprint/Tmobile versions to work on each other's networks, but not much on getting international versions to fully support LTE in the US. Besides, I get 4G just fine in my old G2.
Which brings me to my original question- what issues would I run into should I do a motherboard swap?

Bump.

Selofain said:
I've done my research on this. Tmobile uses AWS, which the n7105 doesn't support. Tmobile is refarming some of their 1900Mhz to free up frequencies for LTE, which the n7105 does support, but I'm not getting 3G speeds in those areas at all. I've seen around these boards that I'm not the only one to do so.
As I said before, my research indicates that it's a radio hardware issue, not firmware. There are posts on how to get AT&T/Verizon/Sprint/Tmobile versions to work on each other's networks, but not much on getting international versions to fully support LTE in the US. Besides, I get 4G just fine in my old G2.
Which brings me to my original question- what issues would I run into should I do a motherboard swap?
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I have seen my note II bring opened up and I have seen a video of a N7100 being open up...they are virtually identical to me atleast.... I saw all the complex/circuitry /smart chips were all on one board like RAM, CPU including the radio...Obb the motherboard..most things if not all which connect to the motherboard are dumb circuits like there was a small board which holds the charging port and Mic and that board has a cable to connect to the main mother board...which I'm pretty sure it's dumb.no advanced circuitry...the 3.5 mm Jack port same thing, the antennas are just cables nothing smart on that, the LCD had a one cable I believed just connecting to the mother board...I personally, only my opinion there could even be a good chance somebody could even switch a note II motherboard and force into a note I so if you want to change mother boards between note II variants I think you could be successful...but again..I could be wrong...see some note II tear downs on YouTube between note II variants..and do the judging by yourself
Sent from my Samsung Note II N7105 LTE using Tapatalk 4