Develop Bugs

[Q] [HELP] Erratic Signal Strength

EVO Brethren,
My signal will bounce from 4 bars to NONE and back to 2 then 4. Apparently it does so during calls too because I can't talk more than a few minutes before it'll drop. At work it'll bounce from 2 to NONE all day which just drains my battery like mad.
I'm using the latest radio and have tried reflashing it. I'm pretty sure this has always happened even on the older radio. Is Sprint service really this terrible or is there something I can do to fix this?

I can't help you with your problem, other than to say that it won't happen when you are within good service coverage.
I have the same hyperactive signal bar inside my home where I get terrible service (3 bars max when the moon is just right). The signal with jump to full bars and then drop to one or zero.
I would assume that it's the radio trying to boost your signal by cranking up the power. It probably works for a second before the phone realizes that to maintain more than 3 bars of service, the radio would require a nuclear reactor to power it, and therefore promptly lowers the power to the radio.
I have no idea, thats just my guess. When I'm in great coverage it has no problem holding bars, bad coverage - crazy dancing routine.

[Q] At what dBm does your phone become unusable?

I've seen posts that discuss the data issue, but not with detailed meter readings. I've been here with the Epic4g and my Verizon Samsung Droid Charge side by side, both using 3G. Generally, the Charge reads around -98 dBm and the E4G reads around -101 dBm, but they both fluctuate. At almost the same signal strength (and sometimes the exact same) the Charge's data is perfectly usable, fast even, yet the E4G is completely unusable. It will make clear phone calls without dropouts, but data is a no-go. I realize they are different networks, but isn't dBm dBm? I've taken the E4G around to a few areas and i've noticed that data starts to become usable around -91 dBm. I also see it sometimes fluctuate back and forth rapidly from -106 dBm (no bars) to -64 dBm (full bars) sitting totally stationary.
On occasion when i'm in the house (normally around -101 dBm) i'll notice the E4G lose service altogether, and every time it comes back it's at -64 dBm (full bars) for around 5 seconds before reverting back to -101 dBm. So unless the signal meter is giving false readings, this phone is actually capable of great reception???
The reason for the tedious post is that i'm trying to decide if it's worth exchanging for another one. I want to believe that either I got an exceptionally bad one and that the exchange will be worth it, or that the data/reception issue really is software related and will be fixed, therefore making it worth forfeiting my 14 day return period. I bought it through Letstalk.com, so unless I let them hold $600 as ransom money, they won't cross ship an exchange (understandably). This means possibly 2 weeks without a phone which would be really difficult, but worth if it I scored one that functioned even a bit better. I was going to leave Verizon specifically for this device and I really want it to work out.
TIA

Signal strength issues?

I am not one who has run into the LOS just yet, and here's to hoping I don't.
However... I do have terrible signal pretty much inside anywhere. Outside or in the car I have had pretty decent signal everywhere I have gone. However whenever I am inside pretty much anywhere I get 0-1 bar at best, and often even roaming does not function.
Is anyone else experiencing anything like this?
Is there any development for fixes for improved signal/antenna? Is this even possible?
Thanks a lot for everyones time.

That sounds pretty bad. I did notice that the Epic 4G Touch's signal strength is often 1-2 bars lower than the Evo and Evo 3D. This does include inside locations, so I've resorted to using Google Voice for texting and Groove IP for phone calls when I have Wi-fi.
Maybe take the phone to a store that has the same phone in stock and compare signal strength?

I just got this phone a few days ago switched from Verizon and this thing is always roaming im outside at a dog park and its roaming this cant be sprints service im guessing horrible signal strength.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App

thedeadletters said:
That sounds pretty bad. I did notice that the Epic 4G Touch's signal strength is often 1-2 bars lower than the Evo and Evo 3D. This does include inside locations, so I've resorted to using Google Voice for texting and Groove IP for phone calls when I have Wi-fi.
Maybe take the phone to a store that has the same phone in stock and compare signal strength?
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Click to collapse
Bars are not a comparison of signal strength between phones you have to look at dbs
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2

I just got the phone a couple days ago and I was having the same issues inside my house. I could not even get the xda app to load. I took out the default proxies and it has helped, at least it feels like that to me.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App

This is a well known issue that's been talked about since its release. Hopefully it will be on the list of things they try and fix in they first OTA update along with LOS and Android OS

Not saying this applies to everyone, but I figured out why the particular E4GT I was testing had such jumpy signal levels. I was doing side-by-side comparisons with an Optimus S using menu->settings->about phone->status.
It appears the E4GT has very little granularity with signal strength reporting. It only goes by increments of 5 dBm, whereas the Optimus reports signal levels at a granularity of 1 dBm.
For E4GT, -106 dBm = 0 bar, -101 dBm = 1 bar, -96 dBm = 2 bar, -91 dBm = 3 bar - 86 dBm = 4 bar, -81 dBm = 5 bar, and -76 dBm = 6 bar.
Problem in my main test area is the signal is somewhere between -93 dBm and -98 dBm according to the Optimus S. Whereas the Optimus S can react to small changes in dBm with equally small changes in reported signal strength and "# bars", the E4GT tends to like jumping from -91 dBm to - 101 dBm and back. It only reports certain discrete levels and it appears to be rounding up and down (based on side-by-side signal comparison to Optimus S) They both go up and down at roughly the same time, but Optimus S does it smoothly over time. E4GT just does the signal change reporting very abruptly with 5-10 dBm jumps.
Second thing I noticed is hand and phone positioning really affect the signal strength. The antennae/transmitter appear to be at the bottom hump on the phone. If I place my hands over that area holding the phone normally I can go from 3 bars (-86 dBm) down to 0 bars (-106 dBm). Data starts getting very iffy at -106 dBm but still kind of works, just real slow. If I hold the phone in the middle or near the top, I almost always get the same or better signal. I also found the phone gets the best signal when it is held flat, rather than perpendicular to the ground. In fact the best signal I get is when I'm not holding the phone at all, and instead lay it flat on the table.
Again, I'm not saying every phone behaves this way nor am I saying this explains everyones' signal issues. I'm just relaying my experiences.
BTW the signal levels when laid flat on a table side-by-side to the Optimus S is very comparable, almost the same (minus the lack of granularity). However when I'm holding both phones, the E4GT has generally 5 dBm worse signal, sometimes 10 dBm if I'm holding normally and covering the bottom of the phone.

That is very interesting sfhub.
I really hope the OTA has some bearing on these issues. I really wish it would come out sooner than later. I have another week or so to decide to keep this phone or not and really don't know regardless of if an OTA is released whether i will keep it or not.
There is a lot to like and a lot to drive you crazy about this phone.

Disappearing signal bars with screen on

I work in a large office building that just happens to be in a 4G LTE coverage area. Unfortunately due to the size of the building and amount of concrete between me and the outside I get little to no coverage in the building. Its actually funny because I got better reception in the building before the LTE towers went up, back in January. Anyway, I've noticed that as long as I leave my screen turned off, my phone will get a couple bars and 3G. Soon as I turn on the screen the bars I have slowly drop to nothing, but I don't (usually) go to "Searching for signal". Even if I only have one or two bars with the screen on I can't make calls or send/receive txts. Anybody else experience this? I've tried several modems and it happens on AOSP and TW ROMs.

Antenna Gate?

Has anyone else noticed that when you hold the HTC 10 without a case in your hand a certain way, your signal drops 1-2 bars and 5dBm or more? I was holding mine this morning one way, adjust my hand, and noticed a huge drop in signal. When I stop holding it the signal jumps up another 1-2 bars. I'm not talking about going from no grip to a death grip, just holding it by it's sides to also holding it up from the bottom seems to cause it.

No

I held mine in every way possible and not even 1 bar dropped. Could it be your location/service? Or defect?

Considering that wireless signal strength isn't static AND unless you're specifically watching the signal DB you can't rely on signal bars I'd not be too worried about it unless we see many users reporting the same thing.
So yes, holding it differently could give the impression of differing signal performance but in reality, unless it's defective it shouldn't be an issue.

Just tried every which way. No issues for me. I have the VZW model if it makes any difference

geoff5093 said:
Has anyone else noticed that when you hold the HTC 10 without a case in your hand a certain way, your signal drops 1-2 bars and 5dBm or more? I was holding mine this morning one way, adjust my hand, and noticed a huge drop in signal. When I stop holding it the signal jumps up another 1-2 bars. I'm not talking about going from no grip to a death grip, just holding it by it's sides to also holding it up from the bottom seems to cause it.
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Click to collapse
I picked mine up right now after reading and I gained 2 bars Verizon

I just tried to replicate it and couldn't. Tried a bunch of hand positions. No issues here.

What I experienced earlier was around a -90dBm signal when it was laying flat on a desk, then it jumped up to -110 when I held it a certain wait. I moved my hand around and saw it fluctuate between -105 and -110. I tried it at work and I couldn't replicate it, strange...

geoff5093 said:
What I experienced earlier was around a -90dBm signal when it was laying flat on a desk, then it jumped up to -110 when I held it a certain wait. I moved my hand around and saw it fluctuate between -105 and -110. I tried it at work and I couldn't replicate it, strange...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same thing. I thought I had this issue, but had to dismiss the idea. The more I tested, the less my hypothesis held up. All of my testing happened at the same time, too. It seemed like for 5 minutes or so everytime i completely covered the antenna band at the top, that signal would drop. But after that first few minutes, my hand stopped having an impact, so I chalked it up to either an anomaly or a coincidence.

You are holding it wrong