signal strength/bar representation fixed

[mike17]

as of this morning i seem to be sustaining 3 to 4 bars when last night at the same dbm i would only see 1 to 2 bars this happen for anyone else

im saying that the bars have gotten BETTER today not worse

 

[gonzoguy24]

This happens to me from time to time...not sure it means much...maybe some towers nearby have been erected...maybe they have been improved...maybe something blocking the signal was removed etc etc...this is only a guess of mine

 

[mike86]

HTC has noted that the signal on the phone increases as needed, meaning when on a call or 3G the phone will boost the radio. Yours bars should increase when talking on your phone. This is suppose to be a battery saving feature.

 

[mike17]

HTC has noted that the signal on the phone increases as needed, meaning when on a call or 3G the phone will boost the radio. Yours bars should increase when talking on your phone. This is suppose to be a battery saving feature.

na im talking about when im just holding it in my hand i have more bars than i normally do

 

[ACD168]

it is a software issue, the same problems with the Droid Eris. don't go by the bars. go by the -dbm.

 

[mike17]

it is a software issue, the same problems with the Droid Eris. don't go by the bars. go by the -dbm.

all im saying is that the bars got BETTER not worse i now have 3 to 4 bars...

 

[ACD168]

All I'm saying is, it doesn't matter lol. They mean nothing. I'm not questioning you or, trying to say they didn't get better. Just explaining to you, I've delt with this with the Eris and now this phone. and Everyone has different problems with it. In my house, sometimes in the same spot (I leave my phone on my desk) I will have 1 bar, and other times, 4. and this is with the same -dBm signal level.

 

[yojoe600]

haha sometimes i have no bars like all day and have great service so ive learned to not look at them

 

[Skorpios1027]

All I'm saying is, it doesn't matter lol. They mean nothing. I'm not questioning you or, trying to say they didn't get better. Just explaining to you, I've delt with this with the Eris and now this phone. and Everyone has different problems with it. In my house, sometimes in the same spot (I leave my phone on my desk) I will have 1 bar, and other times, 4. and this is with the same -dBm signal level.

haha sometimes i have no bars like all day and have great service so ive learned to not look at them

I agree. The bars really don't mean too much. The actual signal strength is what is important. The bars are supposed to be a representation of the true signal strength, but the software that does the conversion is buggy at best.

 

[adrynalyne]

The bars are controlled by a software algorithm. It doesn't magically get better unless:

1. You have a better signal.
2. You have a better signal.

Otherwise, only a software update OTA would address signal bar issues. They are just rough estimates anyway, and not truly indicative of your signal quality.

 

[sabrewings]

I think what should be mentioned is that the bars are not just tied to signal strength. Quality would be an issue as well. If there's a lot of noise around that frequency near you then the bars will drop even if you have decent power (dBm).

 

[Skorpios1027]

I think what should be mentioned is that the bars are not just tied to signal strength. Quality would be an issue as well. If there's a lot of noise around that frequency near you then the bars will drop even if you have decent power (dBm).

Hadn't thought of that possibility, though I've seen it with my wifi setup (very crowded in my area = lots of noise an interference from all the other APs).

 

[killadanny]

It varies, sometimes ill be at 71dbm and have no bars or be at 90dbm and have all 4, it just changes.

 

[jsstritz]

HTC has noted that the signal on the phone increases as needed, meaning when on a call or 3G the phone will boost the radio. Yours bars should increase when talking on your phone. This is suppose to be a battery saving feature.

i notice this exact same thing. as soon as i make a call the bars shoot up. ive never had any issues with signal and yet 90% of the time i show a bar or less. since the phone still works flawlessly im not gonna worry about it. i bet its a software issue if not what the last poster said about HTC turning the radio down for battery usage

 

[gonzoguy24]

There is an app in the market called real signal or something to that effect that shows you a better representation of your signal. Check it out...Sorry I cannot remember the exact name