Mobile Reception

[EcclesCake]

I have always had poor reception on my Nokia E63 mobile at home but have determined where the 'hotspots' are which give adequate reception to receive texts and occasionally calls.

I've just bought a new HTC Wildfire phone on the same network (3) but am unable to get any reception anywhere in the house or garden, I am assuming that the handset is not 'grabbing' the signal.

Is there anything I can do apart from returning to my old handset and returning my new phone?

[Bobbisox]

I wish you Good Luck here eccles, 3 have to be the worst company to dal with about non-reception in the area

[Bobbisox]

<deal?

[redman41]

I'm with Orange and recently they have combined with T-mobile for Tansmission sharing for better coverage

[EcclesCake]

Thanks for the comments so far but as I have determined that I can receive a '3' signal I am looking for advice as to whether different handsets have different 'grab' abilities.

I had assumed that a more modern handset would have a greater ability to lock onto a mast, however my experience is the opposite. I'm wanting to know if there is anything I can do to boost the handset's ability to lock onto a mast or do I just give up and return to my old handset when at home?

[Bobbisox]

it all depends if you have hit a black spot, when various companies rent spaces on the mast, 3 may have been moved slightly causing loss of reception to you, I don't think the quality of the phone is the answer here

[gingejbee]

My experience is that the network you use determines whether or not your signal allows decent use of the phone, rather than different makes of phone.( And, why on Earth did you choose 3?)

[craft1948]

I used to think my phone was rubbish, until I changed providers.

[boxtops]

It's the signal, not the phone, Eccles - poor signal on one phone will be no different on the other one.

[redman41]

Change provider eccles........no good spending good money on a new Phone if you cannot get a decent signal. 3 does not seem a good choice somehow.

[EcclesCake]

My Nokia E63 received tests and with one bar of signal strength took calls, albeit with poor reception. Today I have upgraded to an HTC Wildfire and am unable to get any signal at all.

Handsets do differ in their ability to pick up signal and I was wondering if this was one and if anyone had any practical advice. Questioning why I chose '3' is not practical advice as I largely use my mobile when away from home where reception is better. No mobile service is good where I live and '3' offers the cheapest plan to suit my needs when away from home. I don't want to give up on the Wildfire but if it is weak in poor reception areas I might have to consider returning it.

Does anyone have any experience of the Wildfire that they would like to share.

[Bobbisox]

my SIL has one and it is a very good phone but he is with Vodaphone, changed from 3 for the very same reason

[EcclesCake]

I should have mentioned that I have previously been on Vodaphone, where I could only use the phone by standing on one leg clutching the washing line......'3' gave a better service.

[Bobbisox]

swings and roundabouts then eccles
but it does seem to be a problem with 3 as opposed to the phone

[EcclesCake]

Thanks Eddie, it doesn't work for me as I'm surrounded by tall trees and I get a false positive.

My gripe is that I get a (good enough) signal on my E63 but none on the new Wildfire. Am just wondering what I can do about it.....

[gingejbee]

Cut down the trees? Move? Am I being unhelpful again?

[Ellipsis]

Eccles

It's definitely the case that different mobiles are capable of operating at different signal strengths. It can even come down to how you hold the phone, as demonstrated by Apple's iPhone 4 debacle:

http://news.bbc.co.uk...echnology/8761240.stm

It seems you are not the only one with this problem however:

http://www.htcwildfir...ing/signal-reception/

That said, a colleague had trouble getting a signal on a new Blackberry, coincidentally after upgrading from a Nokia E63. In the end he replaced it for an identical model that worked perfectly, i.e. it can even come down to the individual handset you have, not just the handset model. Or maybe there was a genuine fault with his handset, even though it worked OK in other places.

So you could ask for a swap and hope you get a better handset, or you could send it back and return to your old handset or a different one ...

[EcclesCake]

Gingebee - let me think about it.....estate agents fees, solicitors fees, stamp duty, removals man, new curtains, etc, etc vs HUGE fine from local council for lopping down mature woodland. Or I could just make do with crappy mobile signal ;-)

[EcclesCake]

Big kiss for Ellipsis, many thanks. And more thanks for acknowledging that handsets DO enter the equation!

I will have a poke about in the links you gave.