[GMK]

Put this in the category of "this wacko really is nuts", but.

Fooling around with the 8100 this AM I took off the battery cover and I thought I saw the dB # (I use the number not bars) drop significantly app 10 dB. Huh.

I put the cover on it went back up. Normally at home I'm in the high 80's to mid nineties. With the cover off I went into the 70's for the first time I can ever recall. I realize that signal strength is a fluctuating dynamic but I tested this numerous times, enough that I'm convinced that the back-battery cover attenuates the signal significantly. Of course this doesn't make any sense but try it and see if you concur with my assessment.

Any rationale for this phenom would be greatly appreciated. It is possible that the cover and most of the plastic is filled with shielding materials for EMI purposes?

[Hellcat6]

GMK, how do you switch from bars to numbers so I can test your theory? The bars are not precise enough to tell if there is a change. Thanks!

[Nucker]

Hold down your alt button and type NMLL. If you have a Suretype keyboard (like most of us do, cause it works for all bb's) you have to hit the NB button twice to get the B.

[majorxp]

Coincidence.

[GMK]

Originally Posted by majorxp

Coincidence.

Thanks for the feedback. However, I can repeat the the same thing at work where I have a much better signal than at home. Cover on, hi 70's - high 80's. Cover off - high 60's - mid to hi 70's with an occasional mid 80.

I dunno, I'm swearin' off the tequila, I hear it raises hell with a BB if you soak it in it anyhow.

[Hellcat6]

Originally Posted by Nucker

Hold down your alt button and type NMLL. If you have a Suretype keyboard (like most of us do, cause it works for all bb's) you have to hit the NB button twice to get the B.

I did that and the signal strength bars are now gone but there are no numbers or anything else showing up. Did I miss a step?

[rmitchell]

I checked the signal strength with my phone locked in a set position with the cover off and on and did not see a change in the number, -66dB each time.

[GMK]

Originally Posted by Hellcat6

I did that and the signal strength bars are now gone but there are no numbers or anything else showing up. Did I miss a step?

Depending on your theme, they may not show up on the Home screen, mine doesn't. Go into phone log or the browser and they should appear.

Thanks for looking into this. So far its 4-1 that I'm nuts.

[Hellcat6]

That's got it. FYI, the number shows up always in black and can not be seen on darker wallpapers. Thanks for pointing this out, I like the number better than the bars.

Oh and it's 5-1, you're nuts! Actually I did not test it long enough to prove it one way or the other. Thanks again!

[Fkewl]

or go into "Options" then "Status" and you can see your signal strength in number

my 7520 does not show any difference with cover on or off.. but i have an external antenna, compared to the 8100

[MartyS]

Okay... I did the NMLL thing on my Blackberry and now I'm really confused. When I have a high number showing up on the numbered db, I have the fewest bars when I switch back.

When I have 4-5 bars, the db number is lower?

Does this make sense? What's a "good" number vs. a "bad" number for db levels?

Marty

[mrpg]

Weird, for me, Alt+NMLL, doesn't work but by some freak accident I found that Alt+NNMLL works... anywho, the cover thing didn't do anything for me.

[mrpg]

Originally Posted by MartyS

Okay... I did the NMLL thing on my Blackberry and now I'm really confused. When I have a high number showing up on the numbered db, I have the fewest bars when I switch back.

When I have 4-5 bars, the db number is lower?

Does this make sense? What's a "good" number vs. a "bad" number for db levels?

Marty

The kower the db the stronger the signal n vice versa.
Around/over 100 is bad to no signal.

[MartyS]

Originally Posted by mrpg

The kower the db the stronger the signal n vice versa.
Around/over 100 is bad to no signal.

Thanks... at home I range between 98 and 103, so I get a pretty crappy signal. I appreciate the quick response.

M

[soch]

Originally Posted by MartyS

Okay... I did the NMLL thing on my Blackberry and now I'm really confused. When I have a high number showing up on the numbered db, I have the fewest bars when I switch back.

When I have 4-5 bars, the db number is lower?

Does this make sense? What's a "good" number vs. a "bad" number for db levels?

Marty

The signal strenth in dB is a mesure of attenuation (reduction of signal). That's why the negative number.

And lower negative number are bigger in size than higher negative number .

Take rmitchell's example. The no he quoted was -66dB (it's a negative number).

Some reference material if interested : Decibel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What is attenuation? - a definition from Whatis.com

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by mrpg

Weird, for me, Alt+NMLL, doesn't work but by some freak accident I found that Alt+NNMLL works... anywho, the cover thing didn't do anything for me.

If you're using a sure type device that's why Alt NNML works for you. If you have a full querty then Alt NMLL should bring convert it to dBm format.

[Mandizzle]

Just tested it and no change.

I'm sitting at -66dBm with or without the cover.

[charliekowalchuk]

Originally Posted by GMK

Put this in the category of "this wacko really is nuts", but.

Fooling around with the 8100 this AM I took off the battery cover and I thought I saw the dB # (I use the number not bars) drop significantly app 10 dB. Huh.

I put the cover on it went back up. Normally at home I'm in the high 80's to mid nineties. With the cover off I went into the 70's for the first time I can ever recall. I realize that signal strength is a fluctuating dynamic but I tested this numerous times, enough that I'm convinced that the back-battery cover attenuates the signal significantly. Of course this doesn't make any sense but try it and see if you concur with my assessment.

Any rationale for this phenom would be greatly appreciated. It is possible that the cover and most of the plastic is filled with shielding materials for EMI purposes?

Sorry, I don't see any conclusive evidence, but I think you may be on to something here, it does seem to drop initally, and then go back up, but when I put the cover back on, it goes up even higer, I'd say like 8 +/- 2 db everytime. But its hard to tell if its not just the signal doing that. Perhaps test it outside?

[GMK]

Originally Posted by charliekowalchuk

Sorry, I don't see any conclusive evidence, but I think you may be on to something here, it does seem to drop initally, and then go back up, but when I put the cover back on, it goes up even higer, I'd say like 8 +/- 2 db everytime. But its hard to tell if its not just the signal doing that. Perhaps test it outside?

Thank you. You just saved what little bit of sanity I have left. There is no rationale for this to happen yet I tested the hypothesis a couple of times on my commute and I'm convinced there is something here. I have two TMO dead zones of app mile duration in my drive wherein the signal is out with the cover on. Cover off I don't lose the signal, close but it stays up. In strong signal areas there seems to be little or no effect but in weaker zones (90+) the effect is noticeable. Oh well. Thanks again.

[jonberry]

Does the signal strength measure the voice or data signal?

Jon