All of a sudden

Sometime during a storm last night both of my LG VX6000 phones lost
signal quality.

Neither one of them work in my home any more. (I previously had 5
bars in my house.)

Tonight I stood within eye site of a VZW tower and I only had 3 bars.

I activated my old Kyocera 3035 and I immediately got my former signal
quality back.

Is it possible that two phones on two different people (my wife & I)
could have gone bad on the same night? I've already called VZW and
they claim that their network is fine. (I'm in Atlanta).

Any thoughts? This is VERY bizare.

Thanks in advance.

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 01:06:01 -0500, singha_lvr
<singha_lvr@charter.net> wrote:

>
>Sometime during a storm last night both of my LG VX6000 phones lost
>signal quality.
>
>Neither one of them work in my home any more. (I previously had 5
>bars in my house.)
>
>Tonight I stood within eye site of a VZW tower and I only had 3 bars.
>
>I activated my old Kyocera 3035 and I immediately got my former signal
>quality back.
>
>Is it possible that two phones on two different people (my wife & I)
>could have gone bad on the same night? I've already called VZW and
>they claim that their network is fine. (I'm in Atlanta).
>
>Any thoughts? This is VERY bizare.
>
>Thanks in advance.

I'm assuming they weren't plugged into their chargers at the time of
the storm, right? And that was one hell of a storm that came through.
It was still pretty bad when it came through Greenville, SC around
4:30. My weather radio kept going off every 2 minutes. I finally cut
the thing off. I don't care if a tornado is coming, I need some
sleep, dammit!

> Is it possible that two phones on two different people (my wife & I)
> could have gone bad on the same night? I've already called VZW and
> they claim that their network is fine. (I'm in Atlanta).
>
> Any thoughts? This is VERY bizare.

If you got a close lightning strike, it may have fried the
"front end"(receiver) of the cell phones.

Some receivers are more resistant to voltage spikes than others.
Those phones may be susceptible.

Close lightning strikes can generate voltage gradients in the
multi KV per foot range, which can play havoc on
solid state equipment.

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 01:43:17 -0500, The Ghost of General Lee
<ghost@general.lee> wrote:

>I'm assuming they weren't plugged into their chargers at the time of
>the storm, right? And that was one hell of a storm that came through.
>It was still pretty bad when it came through Greenville, SC around
>4:30. My weather radio kept going off every 2 minutes. I finally cut
>the thing off. I don't care if a tornado is coming, I need some
>sleep, dammit!

No ... we were both wearing them. We were about 15 miles apart as
well. (I was in Dunwoody teaching while she was in Suwanee). We were
talking with each other when our phones both dropped signal and they
have not been the same since.

Yes ... that was a horrific storm.

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 07:18:54 GMT, "N9WOS"
<n9wos@nobug.worldnet.att.net> wrote:

>
>> Is it possible that two phones on two different people (my wife & I)
>> could have gone bad on the same night? I've already called VZW and
>> they claim that their network is fine. (I'm in Atlanta).
>>
>> Any thoughts? This is VERY bizare.
>
>If you got a close lightning strike, it may have fried the
>"front end"(receiver) of the cell phones.
>
>Some receivers are more resistant to voltage spikes than others.
>Those phones may be susceptible.
>
>Close lightning strikes can generate voltage gradients in the
>multi KV per foot range, which can play havoc on
>solid state equipment.
>

So it's possible that the phones were damaged. Hmm .... Thanks. I
guess I'm off to see the Verizon repair guys tomorrow. :-(

I'm glad I kept my old phone for situations like this.

Thanks again.

singha_lvr <singha_lvr@charter.net> wrote in message news:<n9morvs06pnurpc6l6k3l7ndimojucthod@4ax.com>. ..
> Sometime during a storm last night both of my LG VX6000 phones lost
> signal quality.
>
> Neither one of them work in my home any more. (I previously had 5
> bars in my house.)
>
> Tonight I stood within eye site of a VZW tower and I only had 3 bars.
>
> I activated my old Kyocera 3035 and I immediately got my former signal
> quality back.
>
> Is it possible that two phones on two different people (my wife & I)
> could have gone bad on the same night? I've already called VZW and
> they claim that their network is fine. (I'm in Atlanta).
>
> Any thoughts? This is VERY bizare.
>
> Thanks in advance.

Strange. Just guessing.
If another v6000 had he same problems it *might* indicate something at
the tower was knocked out of whack by the lightning. I've heard the
v6000 can use different network elements than other Verizon handsets
or lock on to SprintPCS.

With this age of budget and staffing cuts, I've run into
equipment/line failures with the Power company, local phone company
and even Verizon Wireless. They all started with denying it's their
problem until testing, isolating, logging crappy calls or viewing
sparks... myself! In every case it was their problem!
Some midlevel pinheaded CS (PGE) and some techs(SBC) aren't use to
"unqualified personel" pointing out the stuff they need to fix.

I have to say, Verizon Network Services or whatever it's called,
actually listened to, and even called back after fixing their network
problems.

You don't have to know what the real problem is, but it helps to make
reasonably sure and then convince someone it's not on your end.

Good luck!

-
David

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 04:16:24 -0500, singha_lvr
<singha_lvr@charter.net> wrote:

>On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 01:43:17 -0500, The Ghost of General Lee
><ghost@general.lee> wrote:
>
>>I'm assuming they weren't plugged into their chargers at the time of
>>the storm, right? And that was one hell of a storm that came through.
>>It was still pretty bad when it came through Greenville, SC around
>>4:30. My weather radio kept going off every 2 minutes. I finally cut
>>the thing off. I don't care if a tornado is coming, I need some
>>sleep, dammit!
>
>No ... we were both wearing them. We were about 15 miles apart as
>well. (I was in Dunwoody teaching while she was in Suwanee). We were
>talking with each other when our phones both dropped signal and they
>have not been the same since.
>
>Yes ... that was a horrific storm.
>

Another question. I believe the 6000s are digital only. Were you
getting just an analog signal on the 3035?

"N9WOS" <n9wos@nobug.worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:yVZub.87571$Ec1.4297529@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> > Is it possible that two phones on two different people (my wife & I)
> > could have gone bad on the same night? I've already called VZW and
> > they claim that their network is fine. (I'm in Atlanta).
> >
> > Any thoughts? This is VERY bizare.
>
> If you got a close lightning strike, it may have fried the
> "front end"(receiver) of the cell phones.

The EMP pulse from a thermonuclear detonation will also cause some damage to
electronics as well.

Hopper

> No ... we were both wearing them. We were about 15 miles apart as
> well. (I was in Dunwoody teaching while she was in Suwanee). We were
> talking with each other when our phones both dropped signal and they
> have not been the same since.

I would say it's the network then, not the phones.

I mean close strike,as in 100 or so feet of the phones.
Like the time I was driving on interstate 65 and a bolt
of lightning stuck a truck 15 feet away from me.

That scared the S*( &( out of me.

If you were that far apart and both dropped, then
I would say the tower got hit, and is still damaged.

"singha_lvr" <singha_lvr@charter.net> wrote in message
news:ch1prvk49sb11f8hl1p37vdoo7rhql7dsq@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 01:43:17 -0500, The Ghost of General Lee
> <ghost@general.lee> wrote:
>
> >I'm assuming they weren't plugged into their chargers at the time of
> >the storm, right? And that was one hell of a storm that came through.
> >It was still pretty bad when it came through Greenville, SC around
> >4:30. My weather radio kept going off every 2 minutes. I finally cut
> >the thing off. I don't care if a tornado is coming, I need some
> >sleep, dammit!
>
> No ... we were both wearing them. We were about 15 miles apart as
> well. (I was in Dunwoody teaching while she was in Suwanee). We were
> talking with each other when our phones both dropped signal and they
> have not been the same since.

Have you reported the signal loss to Verizon? Has it crossed your mind that a
tower went out during the storm?

Tom J
from across the tracks in Doraville

Aha!! (Light bulb flickers on, dimly)

What if this gentleman's phones normally used PCS in his area, and the PCS side of the equipment was damaged
by the lightning, causing him and his wife to default to an inferior 800 mhz signal----or vice versa? In any
case, the phones would still show "digital".

For original poster----can you post what SID your phone is on now in the affected area?

Dean
____________________________________

David L wrote:

> singha_lvr <singha_lvr@charter.net> wrote in message news:<n9morvs06pnurpc6l6k3l7ndimojucthod@4ax.com>. ..
> > Sometime during a storm last night both of my LG VX6000 phones lost
> > signal quality.
> >
> > Neither one of them work in my home any more. (I previously had 5
> > bars in my house.)
> >
> > Tonight I stood within eye site of a VZW tower and I only had 3 bars.
> >
> > I activated my old Kyocera 3035 and I immediately got my former signal
> > quality back.
> >
> > Is it possible that two phones on two different people (my wife & I)
> > could have gone bad on the same night? I've already called VZW and
> > they claim that their network is fine. (I'm in Atlanta).
> >
> > Any thoughts? This is VERY bizare.
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
>
> Strange. Just guessing.
> If another v6000 had he same problems it *might* indicate something at
> the tower was knocked out of whack by the lightning. I've heard the
> v6000 can use different network elements than other Verizon handsets
> or lock on to SprintPCS.
>
> With this age of budget and staffing cuts, I've run into
> equipment/line failures with the Power company, local phone company
> and even Verizon Wireless. They all started with denying it's their
> problem until testing, isolating, logging crappy calls or viewing
> sparks... myself! In every case it was their problem!
> Some midlevel pinheaded CS (PGE) and some techs(SBC) aren't use to
> "unqualified personel" pointing out the stuff they need to fix.
>
> I have to say, Verizon Network Services or whatever it's called,
> actually listened to, and even called back after fixing their network
> problems.
>
> You don't have to know what the real problem is, but it helps to make
> reasonably sure and then convince someone it's not on your end.
>
> Good luck!
>
> -
> David

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 19:36:45 -0500, "Tom J" <tomj_ga@despammed.com>
wrote:

>
>"singha_lvr" <singha_lvr@charter.net> wrote in message
>news:ch1prvk49sb11f8hl1p37vdoo7rhql7dsq@4ax.com.. .
>> On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 01:43:17 -0500, The Ghost of General Lee
>> <ghost@general.lee> wrote:
>>
>> >I'm assuming they weren't plugged into their chargers at the time of
>> >the storm, right? And that was one hell of a storm that came through.
>> >It was still pretty bad when it came through Greenville, SC around
>> >4:30. My weather radio kept going off every 2 minutes. I finally cut
>> >the thing off. I don't care if a tornado is coming, I need some
>> >sleep, dammit!
>>
>> No ... we were both wearing them. We were about 15 miles apart as
>> well. (I was in Dunwoody teaching while she was in Suwanee). We were
>> talking with each other when our phones both dropped signal and they
>> have not been the same since.
>
>Have you reported the signal loss to Verizon? Has it crossed your mind that a
>tower went out during the storm?


Yes ... they said all was fine.

I went into the store today and they tested both phones. Both of them
were bad. He replaced them and they work again. Go figure.

He said that they are getting a lot of these VX6000's back with this
problem. Apparently there was a bad batch at the factory. (Mine and
my wife's phones are 1 serial number digit apart and were purchased
together so I guess it makes sense that the failure occurred
together.) The tech didn't think it had anything to do with the storm
.... just dumb coincidence.

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 14:27:16 GMT, "Hopper"
<crapfromusenet@meetmyattorney.com> wrote:

>
>"N9WOS" <n9wos@nobug.worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
>news:yVZub.87571$Ec1.4297529@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>>
>> > Is it possible that two phones on two different people (my wife & I)
>> > could have gone bad on the same night? I've already called VZW and
>> > they claim that their network is fine. (I'm in Atlanta).
>> >
>> > Any thoughts? This is VERY bizare.
>>
>> If you got a close lightning strike, it may have fried the
>> "front end"(receiver) of the cell phones.
>
>The EMP pulse from a thermonuclear detonation will also cause some damage to
>electronics as well.
>
>Hopper
>

I might have noticed that.

On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 02:02:43 GMT, Dean M <"dean173"@yahoo.com(change
to aol)> wrote:

>Aha!! (Light bulb flickers on, dimly)
>
>What if this gentleman's phones normally used PCS in his area, and the PCS side of the equipment was damaged
>by the lightning, causing him and his wife to default to an inferior 800 mhz signal----or vice versa? In any
>case, the phones would still show "digital".
>
>For original poster----can you post what SID your phone is on now in the affected area?

I've got it fixed but I have to ask: What is a SID ?

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 21:50:56 -0500, singha_lvr
<singha_lvr@charter.net> wrote:

>On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 14:27:16 GMT, "Hopper"
><crapfromusenet@meetmyattorney.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>"N9WOS" <n9wos@nobug.worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
>>news:yVZub.87571$Ec1.4297529@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>>>
>>> > Is it possible that two phones on two different people (my wife & I)
>>> > could have gone bad on the same night? I've already called VZW and
>>> > they claim that their network is fine. (I'm in Atlanta).
>>> >
>>> > Any thoughts? This is VERY bizare.
>>>
>>> If you got a close lightning strike, it may have fried the
>>> "front end"(receiver) of the cell phones.
>>
>>The EMP pulse from a thermonuclear detonation will also cause some damage to
>>electronics as well.
>>
>>Hopper
>>
>
>I might have noticed that.

Maybe it got bumped from the news because of Wacko Jacko's arrest.