My new Blackberry Tour is virtually useless. Would a signal booster help?
BrackBelly
Newbie

Just wanting to know if anyone has any success with one of the signal booting devises. I'm in the middle of one of those RED area just overflowing with signal/service (Schaumburg IL). However my BB Tour gets 1 bar typically. My apps lag but run on 2 bars. At one bar phone calls are iffy at best.

 

These signal boosters are pricey and in my mind Verizon should provide them if the conditions warrant.

 

Does anyone have experience with such? And why wouldn't Verizon want to bolster their own system to provide better than poor service.

 

Before my 30 days are up I may cancel my plan and return my equipment and go back to Sprint.

They have BB Tour's also.

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Re: My new Blackberry Tour is virtually useless. Would a signal booster help?
AlexSian
Contributor - Level 1

you should check out this article on boosting signal to a blackberry: http://j.mp/boostbb

 

here's a snippet:

Before investing in a wireless solution to boost your signal, it is important to do some testing to determine whether an amplifier will really help your signal and performance.

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Re: My new Blackberry Tour is virtually useless. Would a signal booster help?
BrackBelly
Newbie

Alex,

A well deserved KUDOS to you! A great article. I will be busy today testing and gathering data.

Later in the day I'll have enough info to make an intelligent decision.

I really appreciate you taking time to deal with a noob.

I'm a techie but once I got enough stuff to make me happy, I haven't updated in many years.

I still appreciate "in Chicago" we had TV channels 2, 5, 7, 9, and 11. WOW 5 different channels.

It was amazing at the time... lol.

You are a true asset to this forum community,    -tom2-

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My RSSI site survey experience.
BrackBelly
Newbie

Let me start by saying I live dead center in Zipcode 60193.

 

I followed EVDOalex's rec' to do a RSSI site survey.

 

I did an extensive, on foot, survey of my neighborhood and came up with the following data.

 

The neighborhood was from -96 to -120 at 2pm concluding at 3pm on 10-26-09

 

The corner I live on was -98 to -114.

 

On the second floor of my house it was -95 to -112 @ 4pm

And later in the evening/same location -92 to -107 @ 8pm

 

Someone I communicated with said I should be very angry with Verizon. I should had found an area with a -80 or better.

Apparently the closer to zero, the better the signal quality.

 

I have contacted Verizon and a service ticket was issued. It may take as long as 8 business days... I'm told.

 

So far this is where I'm at. Hopefully more good info and news will follow.

 

                                          Do something nice for somebody today...    -tom2-

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Re: My RSSI site survey experience.
LukeTech
Contributor - Level 1

Wow! Anything over -104dbm (numeric, higher number = lower power) is the limit of CDMA. Phone's aren't designed to operate in such lower power environment... this is picowatts we're talking about.

 

As for coverage in general, no wireless company can provide perfect coverage everywhere (yet). VZW does have the best overall, IMO, but others may be able to server you better in that dead area. Luckily, they all have trial periods for just such situations.

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Re: your comments
BrackBelly
Newbie

Thanks Luke for chiming in.

 

I'm going to let VZW take their best shot at the issues. Everyone I've spoken to on the phone says my area has heavy coverage. Of all the wireless carriers out there, VZW really supports my needs best... only when I'm not at home.

Thank god I still have 2 hard-wired land lines... had 3 until just Monday, lol.

 

Maybe I'll let them put a couple cell sticks on a pole above our basketball hoop... no charge, my treat!

 

Unfortunately, I do a bit of rural travel. So VZW was kind of a no-brainer.

Now I think I'm the no-brainer.

 

This is sort of funny because I've really waited quite a while to do the smart phone thing.

I'm the standard cell phone guy who looks for hot spots with his laptop for years now.

My evolution needs a revolution.

 

                               Thanks again to all who have read and added to this thread,     -tom2- 

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Late breaking news...
BrackBelly
Newbie

As I continue to attempt to make my BB experience better, I obtained a Verizon/Samsung Network Extender SCS-26UC4.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/accessory?action=gotoFemtocell

After conferring with a few pro's in this field I had much doubt about trying this.

With a simple plug-n-play setup I'm enjoying a -80 to -96 signal in all parts of my home. Whereas this may not be the answer for everyone, it has made my signal from poor to adequate. Things are streaming as they should... No hiccups.

I'm not ready to throw a party just yet but the first 2 hours of testing have been more pleasurable than not.

The very limited literature about this product had led me to believe it would only help on phone calls. However I see a big improvement in the numbers.

I can't wait for my kids to come over and use their Verizon devises. They always complain about being in a dead spot... And it truly was. Time will tell... And I need a few other fellow complainers to visit, notice and verify the difference.

As of right now I've gone through my battery of activities I would try to access and have not had one hang or fail to open and run.

Wow, something has gone right today. Now to pick up some bargain stocks... A bit of a sell off today.

                      Without hope there is gloom, hope to see the sun rise tomorrow,   -tom2-

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