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- 01-03-2004, 04:37 PM #1Ernie LorimerGuest
I have a weekend house just on the fringes of Sprint PCS coverage in CT. My
phone is set to PCS only, no roaming. When I turn my 8500 on, it will search
for coverage, and then the usual "Sprint PCS" message will display. I get
somewhere from 1 to 4 bars of signal strength. If I make a call though, it
will work for a bit, and then the message "Sprint PCS network unavailable.
Try analog." Can anyone explain to me what is happening here?
› See More: Roaming/not roaming issue
- 01-03-2004, 05:58 PM #2Chris RussellGuest
Re: Roaming/not roaming issue
You are getting a fringe signal (the key is the changing 1-4 bars), that
can't be used constantly. This is a problem because even if there was
another CDMA carrier to switch to, the SPCS call would still be dropped.
That is why you are getting the 'try analog' msg-but this would be roaming.
I don't know how well the Audiovox 8500 picks up signals, but other guys on
the board should be able to let you know. You might have a phone reception
problem.
Chris
Please respond in the newsgroup
"Ernie Lorimer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a weekend house just on the fringes of Sprint PCS coverage in CT.
My
> phone is set to PCS only, no roaming. When I turn my 8500 on, it will
search
> for coverage, and then the usual "Sprint PCS" message will display. I get
> somewhere from 1 to 4 bars of signal strength. If I make a call though,
it
> will work for a bit, and then the message "Sprint PCS network unavailable.
> Try analog." Can anyone explain to me what is happening here?
>
>
- 01-03-2004, 07:39 PM #3planeGuest
Re: Roaming/not roaming issue
"Chris Russell" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<kGIJb.20430$P%[email protected]>...
> You are getting a fringe signal (the key is the changing 1-4 bars), that
> can't be used constantly. This is a problem because even if there was
> another CDMA carrier to switch to, the SPCS call would still be dropped.
> That is why you are getting the 'try analog' msg-but this would be roaming.
> I don't know how well the Audiovox 8500 picks up signals, but other guys on
> the board should be able to let you know. You might have a phone reception
> problem.
>
> Chris
> Please respond in the newsgroup
>
> "Ernie Lorimer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I have a weekend house just on the fringes of Sprint PCS coverage in CT.
> My
> > phone is set to PCS only, no roaming. When I turn my 8500 on, it will
> search
> > for coverage, and then the usual "Sprint PCS" message will display. I get
> > somewhere from 1 to 4 bars of signal strength. If I make a call though,
> it
> > will work for a bit, and then the message "Sprint PCS network unavailable.
> > Try analog." Can anyone explain to me what is happening here?
> >
> >
I'll bet your battery runs down real fast too--I have ran into the
same thing, and my sanyo's will be warm (not in use) from the phone
trying to lock down a signal---thought I had a bad phone, but did a
search here and found explanation. I have to either turn phone off,
or keep on charge.
- 01-05-2004, 09:49 AM #4Isaiah BeardGuest
Re: Roaming/not roaming issue
Ernie Lorimer wrote:
> I have a weekend house just on the fringes of Sprint PCS coverage in CT. My
> phone is set to PCS only, no roaming. When I turn my 8500 on, it will search
> for coverage, and then the usual "Sprint PCS" message will display. I get
> somewhere from 1 to 4 bars of signal strength. If I make a call though, it
> will work for a bit, and then the message "Sprint PCS network unavailable.
> Try analog." Can anyone explain to me what is happening here?
>
If you're getting 4 signal strength bars, it could be that Sprint is
adding a new tower but has it in testing... in other words, it's "lit"
and broadcasting, but not accepting calls just yet. Once they're done
tweaking it, it should work.
Another possibility: if you're on a hill or in a very flat area, you
could be getting a very good signal from a distant tower, but you're too
far away for that tower to "hear" your phone.
--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.
- 01-05-2004, 11:14 PM #5planeGuest
Re: Roaming/not roaming issue
Isaiah Beard <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Ernie Lorimer wrote:
>
> > I have a weekend house just on the fringes of Sprint PCS coverage in CT. My
> > phone is set to PCS only, no roaming. When I turn my 8500 on, it will search
> > for coverage, and then the usual "Sprint PCS" message will display. I get
> > somewhere from 1 to 4 bars of signal strength. If I make a call though, it
> > will work for a bit, and then the message "Sprint PCS network unavailable.
> > Try analog." Can anyone explain to me what is happening here?
> >
>
> If you're getting 4 signal strength bars, it could be that Sprint is
> adding a new tower but has it in testing... in other words, it's "lit"
> and broadcasting, but not accepting calls just yet. Once they're done
> tweaking it, it should work.
>
> Another possibility: if you're on a hill or in a very flat area, you
> could be getting a very good signal from a distant tower, but you're too
> far away for that tower to "hear" your phone.
As I posted earlier, I apparently have been "downdraded" to a "fringe"
area-until about a month ago, I had relatively good coverage inside my
home--then one evening suddenly could not make a call from inside--had
never noticed the exact signal bar levels, and had used numerous
samsungs and sanyo's-the last being a 5400. For the last month +,
none of the phones will "connect" from inside--at least regularily--I
can move to a higher level, or to a window, etc.
The handsets must be constantly trying "receive" as per other posts,
and doing so, makes the battery run down quite quickly and be warm to
the touch. I have called and called c/s, emailed, and finally
written, and threatened to cancel service (rentention gave me a bunch
more minutes, which I really can't use now).
Our little town only has one tower, which is about 2 miles from me,
but there are some hills--I guess the recent earthquake in California
must have pushed them higher ( I live in Tn)---in any case, other than
suggestions from c/s that I must be too far away for service, etc,
there has been no help.
Possibly they are right, but seems odd that for 2 years, I had fairly
solid service, now, even with 2 bars or more, handset tries to, but
rarely connects without extra moves. May just be my imagination, but
service in general to the north of the tower (where I live) seems to
have degraded slightly also. Frustrating--but I also have a verizon
phone which works (but not at 8PM)
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