HTC desire connection problems and battery issues - I found the solution

maxtweenie

bubblesmoney wrote: »

I really like the phone inspire of this fault! When it works it is just great. Sat nav, apps, web browsing everything is fine. Speaker volume isn't great and the signal reception isn't great.

There was a t-mobile update earlier this week (it was subsequently withdrawn for some reason.) which i managed to download, and one of the improvements is the speaker and headphone volume which has greatly increased. Over on xda forums, they're saying that another of the improvements in this update was to the antenna.

bubblesmoney

Please can the people who said they live in lowish signal areas and get good reception actually quantify the signal they get. by quantify i mean dBm and asu values. both when set down and also when held up in their hand as if they would listen to a call.

tech team didnt even suggest changing phone etc. after hearing the values i quoted they said it will be a no go situation easpecially since anything worse than 100 will be a v poor signal.

just disappointed that have to search for another phone and network. havent made my mind up, will start looking at other options for workplace and then by the PAYG sim so that i can actually check reception myself rather than believe what the coverage checkers say.

interesting to hear that one of the recent updates (which i updated too, i got an update with three network too) was withdrawn later. just today some on three blog were saying that they are not getting the latest update number as when they try manual update they get info that the phone is already updated even though their version number is one number lower than that quoted by others, so probably even the three update was withdrawn. i dont know if it is a coincidence but last few days since the update (maybe i dont know) my internet access speeds have gone down. havent done a speedtest again but webpages load slower now as there is a lag and earlier there was no lag at all many times.

i did try a battery pull test when i didnt get a signal and on a couple of occassions i did get a signal back but soon lost it as signal was fluctuating a lot at lower ranges.

Fifer

-95 to -92dB 9 to12 asu on the (wooden) desk and much the same when I pick it up. No reception problems.

downuno

I've posted multiple times about this issue on here. I have an HTC Hero, I have the problem and I absolutely hate it. Problems exists for both, '3G' and '2G only'. If 5 people call me, 3 might get through first time no problem, the other 2 people will go straight to voicemail and they'll either call again a minute later and it connects, or they won't call. Sure, majority of calls made to me get through fine, but the fact that I have signal and my phone is connected to the network and for it to still send calls straight to voicemail is disgraceful. It might even be a call a day that goes straight to voicemail, fact is that the phone doesn't operate perfectly as a phone. I don't even get many calls and to have 40% of my calls sent to voicemail is terrible.

I talked to HTC, they said to factory reset, wait till the 2.1 upgrade which "will come out this friday the 16th of april" and it's now June and the upgrade still isn't out. Problem still exists. So I've sent my Hero to the HTC repair centre and they're going to have a look at it. Chances are, they'll find that there are no faults and charge me £20 because that was how the phone was built, it was built as an under performing phone. I don't know what to do then. I'm currently using my b&w Nokia from 2004 and it just works. All the time. Can't check my emails or browse on it though.

fabsaver

I'm in a weak signal area with 2G only. On the (wood) desk I get 103-107 dBm and 3-5 asu. Every so often both figures will momentarily change to zero as the signal cuts out completely. When I pick the phone up it improves slightly to 99-103 dBm and 5-7 asu.

bubblesmoney

flyingscotno1 wrote: »

No not a metal desk, standard 'wood' well veneered chipboard work one.

Just done another test at home- left on bed for 30s, and got -71dBm 21 asu, held to ear for 20s and got -73dBm 20asu. Doesn't as yet seem to have an affect on me.

Just done 3, on bed -77dBm 18asu in hand no real change +/- 2dBM,

Is yours supplied with three firmware / branded?

Mine is an unbranded, stock HTC one?

I was just wondering whether because it is unbranded, the phone doesnt have the proper settings for 3 network. I guess various networks use various frequencies, i was wondering if this might be an issue because the phone was unbranded and hence not optimised for use on this particular network. but then that will be an issue for all unbranded phones.

bubblesmoney

butterbeanmash wrote: »

I cancelled my contract with 'three' because of the signal problems with my HTC Hero. They are aware that the HTC phones all have a problem. I believe that this is caused by the firmware that 'three' remove from the phones that allow you to use 2G networks in low signal areas as a priority. The problem is that the phone will hang on to a 3G signal as long as it is able to make and recieve calls, but the signal won't be good enough for data.
I have since unlocked and rooted my phone and am now able to apply the latest radio and the 'GSM auto (PRL)' setting detailed here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=670999
I have not had the data connection drop in six weeks. Previously I could barely maintain a connection.

thanks for that. guess it looks more like the stock settings on the phone might not be ok for three networks broadcasts. i am now querying this with three network blog because the moderator is chasing this up for me with the CTO team. I am using your example of not dropping a connection in six weeks with new settings where as you had problems before with stock settings on phone. thanks once again for the link and information. it might not help me but hopefully will help three give a better service for other customers. i might still have no option but move to another network than wait for them to sort out the settings etc which might take a long time.

flyingscotno1

bubblesmoney wrote: »

Is yours supplied with three firmware / branded?

Mine is an unbranded, stock HTC one?

I was just wondering whether because it is unbranded, the phone doesnt have the proper settings for 3 network. I guess various networks use various frequencies, i was wondering if this might be an issue because the phone was unbranded and hence not optimised for use on this particular network. but then that will be an issue for all unbranded phones.

No my phone is unbranded, simply stuck a 3 PAYG sim in.

maxtweenie

Perhaps the signal on the Fens isn't as bad as I first thought. Today it's -57 and 28 asu on the desk, and -71 21 asu when I pick it up.

bubblesmoney

Maxtweenie
Looks like you have an excellent signal. In all my searching the net I have yet to see a post with better dBm and asu readings than yours. Looks up the nexus connection problemposts on various forums, loads have posted their signal strengths, not one of them had as good a signal as yours.