Incredible's radio???

[tony bag o donuts]

I have a signal strength of -74 dBm and it shows 2 bars. Is -74 good? I know nothing about signal strength...lol I am assuming since -80 is 5 bar and -90 is 4, then my -74 is real good?

yep the higher the number the better, which in this case is closer to 0. -74 is better then -80.

 

[herbmmm]

You are not actually changing anything when you do the 4636 with force close routine -- just "resetting" the selection. So there is nothing to undo. If you experience a problem (such as no longer getting EVDO Rev. A), just reboot, and if that doesn't fix it, do the 4636 routine again.

You don't want EVDO you want to reset phone to CDMA Auto!
Thene reboot!

 

[Revolutionary]

Couldn't have said it better.

It's all marketing....

Signal strength is correlated to data throwput. Low signal effects sound quality (not distortion, but bitrate) on calls and data speed on EVDO.

 

[Revolutionary]

You don't want EVDO you want to reset phone to CDMA Auto!
Thene reboot!

Good lord, I did not say to select EVDO only!

Sometimes resetting the antenna preference (the "4636 routine") can cause the phone to switch to EVDO Rev. 0 mode when it should be in Rev. A (Menu, Settings, About Phone, Network, Mobile Network Type) -- ie, you know Rev A is available, but consistently only get Rev. 0. If that happens, first try rebooting, and if that doesn't work, do the 4636 routine again (precisely as outlined above, selecting CDMA auto...).

 

[herbmmm]

Good lord, I did not say to select EVDO only!

Sometimes resetting the antenna preference (the "4636 routine") can cause the phone to switch to EVDO Rev. 0 mode when it should be in Rev. A (Menu, Settings, About Phone, Network, Mobile Network Type) -- ie, you know Rev A is available, but consistently only get Rev. 0. If that happens, first try rebooting, and if that doesn't work, do the 4636 routine again (precisely as outlined above, selecting CDMA auto...).

But you seem to be implying that EVDO Rev.A is what is wanted! That's not correct you want CDMA Auto!!!

 

[Revolutionary]

But you seem to be implying that EVDO Rev.A is what is wanted! That's not correct you want CDMA Auto!!!

Okay. EVDO Rev. A is what is wanted -- as your data connection type. That doesn't mean, and I did not imply, that you should deviate from Verizon's instructions to select CDMA Auto in the Testing Menu. "EVDO Rev. A" is not even an option in the testing menu. It is what you want to see (when not connected to a call) in the About Phone, Network menu, Mobile Network Type field.

"CDMA" does not refer to what profile is used to connect to the network -- it just refers to the network technology generally. Verizon's CDMA network uses 1xRTT for voice and EVDO for data. There are two EVDO revisions: 0 and A (actually there are more, but that's not relevant).

Selecting CDMA Auto in the testing menu tells the phone to use these (1xRTT and EVDO) data connections. However, resetting the preference (CDMA Auto) can cause the phone to start using EVDO Rev. 0 for data, rather than the faster EVDO Rev. A (I've seen it on 3 or 4 phones already).

What I instructed, not implied, was how to fix it if your phone connects using the slower revision.

 

[Qazme]

Signal strength is correlated to data throwput. Low signal effects sound quality (not distortion, but bitrate) on calls and data speed on EVDO.

You phone calls are not over a VoIP system until LTE comes in a year or so. So no, less bars doesn't effect your "bitrate" or quality of your calls. This is why when you are actually in a low signal situation, meaning 100-115db you calls start going in and out. Not lower quality........

Now data speeds are effected, but that is something totally different when drawing data versus voice across a cellular network. Attenuation does not affect call quality on digital networks.

 

[Revolutionary]

We're actually saying the same thing. Low signal as you identify it, causes the signal to go in and out, which stops data throwput (which effects overall bitrate). That can cause packets to drop, which can manifest in distortion (by which I mean, tiny disruptions, like mid-word), loss of larger chunks of the conversation, or a full drop of the call. I think it depends on how we are defining "quality" -- you're right, it won't result in analog "fuzziness" (audio quality) but it can impact how well the call is transmitted and whether everything each party says is heard on the other end (what I would call "call quality").

 

[Qazme]

This will help anyone understand how it works: CDMA Tutorial

In a digital system it's either on of off. There is no "bitrate" per say or it doesn't matter in the equation on the system we are using now.

CODING

CDMA uses unique spreading codes to spread the baseband data before transmission. The signal is transmitted in a channel, which is below noise level. The receiver then uses a correlator to despread the wanted signal, which is passed through a narrow bandpass filter. Unwanted signals will not be despread and will not pass through the filter. Codes take the form of a carefully designed one/zero sequence produced at a much higher rate than that of the baseband data. The rate of a spreading code is referred to as chip rate rather than bit rate.

Meaning there is no bitrate across transmission until it is deciphered by the phones cellular processor. IE it's either on of off, there is no bitrate type of data flow on digital networks. Also if you notice it says that CDMA pushes out the call signal below the noise level. So when you start coming up to the noise level, dBm number is the separation from noise, you lose your signal. Either on or off doesn't matter if you have a -37db or -90db it all sounds the same. At levels higher than -95+ Verizon doesn't consider the phone usable, which it isn't, and most don't have sensitive enough antenna's especially internal antennas that can work with that. Hopefully this helps someone learn something today!

 

[Revolutionary]

This will help anyone understand how it works: CDMA Tutorial

In a digital system it's either on of off. There is no "bitrate" per say or it doesn't matter in the equation on the system we are using now.



Meaning there is no bitrate across transmission until it is deciphered by the phones cellular processor. IE it's either on of off, there is no bitrate type of data flow on digital networks. Also if you notice it says that CDMA pushes out the call signal below the noise level. So when you start coming up to the noise level, dBm number is the separation from noise, you lose your signal. Either on or off doesn't matter if you have a -37db or -90db it all sounds the same. At levels higher than -95+ Verizon doesn't consider the phone usable, which it isn't, and most don't have sensitive enough antenna's especially internal antennas that can work with that. Hopefully this helps someone learn something today!

Cool, thanks, I didn't realize calling it "bitrate" was inaccurate. So what is the appropriate term for transmission disruption (in IT it would be packet loss -- obviously I'm more familiar with that than cellular networks)? I.e., a call that is breaking up but has not been lost?

 

[Qazme]

Cool, thanks, I didn't realize calling it "bitrate" was inaccurate. So what is the appropriate term for transmission disruption (in IT it would be packet loss -- obviously I'm more familiar with that than cellular networks)? I.e., a call that is breaking up but has not been lost?

LOL chiprate versus bitrate doesn't matter. It's basically the same thing, kind of, read the link you will see what I'm talking about. I'm in the IT world myself, so as far as what to call the "lost packets" I'm not sure. Since it is still radio communication and not data, like WiMAX/LTE, I would guess it would simply be a "drop". Now as far a a call that is still active but coming in and out I guess it would simply be a choice of words depending on who is describing it. I know most telephone guys say, "the line is dropping in and out", which I would imagine is a carry over from the telegraph / radio days? Humm next time I run into some of the guys I know that work in the cellular industry I'll need to ask them and see what they say it's called.

(For what it's worth I call it loss too but we aren't talking data on the voice channels)

 

[Revolutionary]

LOL chiprate versus bitrate doesn't matter. It's basically the same thing, kind of, read the link you will see what I'm talking about. I'm in the IT world myself, so as far as what to call the "lost packets" I'm not sure. Since it is still radio communication and not data, like WiMAX/LTE, I would guess it would simply be a "drop". Now as far a a call that is still active but coming in and out I guess it would simply be a choice of words depending on who is describing it. I know most telephone guys say, "the line is dropping in and out", which I would imagine is a carry over from the telegraph / radio days? Humm next time I run into some of the guys I know that work in the cellular industry I'll need to ask them and see what they say it's called.

(For what it's worth I call it loss too but we aren't talking data on the voice channels)

Cool. Appreciated! (My thanks re: chip rate was genuine, btw, although now that I read it it probably came off as sarcastic... )

 

[Qazme]

Cool. Appreciated! (My thanks re: chip rate was genuine, btw, although now that I read it it probably came off as sarcastic... )

No not sarcastic at all good discussion going on in my opinion. People mainly talk about the same thing just in different ways.

 

[Stevez48]

yep the higher the number the better, which in this case is closer to 0. -74 is better then -80.

Cool deal, thank you for the reply

 

[Qazme]

Cool deal, thank you for the reply

From my experience too as long as you are with the -50 to -90 range you will see no difference in how your phone makes and receives calls. Once you step into the -95 to -100 range is when you start seeing your phone go from 1 bar to none / no service and back again.

 

[dymund#AC]

i tried as well and will report back