Question about radio and service - Droid Eris Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Ok, so I've been using Eris Lightning 3.02 for a long time now and I love it, BUT, recently my service has been weak as hell (one or two bars) for the last month. I'm WAY to noob to be flashing radios cause apparently its one of the easiest ways to brick my phone, but I noticed when I flashed over to Aloysious Snow, that I was getting way better service. I don't want to switch Eris lightning, so is there any type of an easy fix for this issue, it should I just fond a Rom with a better radio? Any help would he mucho appreciated!
Sent from my Eris using XDA App

Bump. I know someone has the answers I'm looking for.
Sent from my Eris using XDA App

None of the dev ROMs include a radio.
Largely because radio firmware comes out so infrequently, there is no reason to take the risk of flashing to replace the radio firmware with... wait for it ... the same version of radio firmware.
Check your Settings -> About phone -> Baseband Version. The latest is 2.42.01.04.27; it was shipped with the July 2010 OTA. If you have that, it's as good as it's going to get.
If you have an older radio, you can install this "update" package. It is a "no-wipe" install, as you might expect:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=728529
Make sure your phone is "well charged" before you flash it - 100% charge is a good number to start with.
I hate to burst your bubble, but it is quite rare for incremental updates to stable radio firmware to have any effect at all on reception, despite all the nonsense you see spewed on forums like this to the contrary.
And as for "Bars", there is absolutely no standard for what "1 Bar", "2 Bars", "3 Bars", or "4 Bars" is - a ROM provider can interpret the real-time signal data any way they damn well please to come up with a "Bars" to display on your phone. That's why you can switch from ROM to ROM and observe "more bars" - but your signal is no different (especially if the radio firmware didn't change, right?)
bftb0

now that was an awesome answer! Thank you very much coming forward and taking the time to explain that all to me, very appreciated AND informative. I flashed the radio.img, and sure enough, not much help at all as far as service. I should've realized the devs can make anything look like anything lol.
Sent from my Eris Lightning 3.02

Related

For those who updated to the official VZW ROM

Ok so anything I need to know? Besides backing up contacts/calendar, do I have to call Verizon or was this only for custom roms? Anything else before I go it would be helpful. Any mistakes or tricks you found out while updating too. Thanks. I am really scared (even with this offical rom).
edit: I MIGHT update. Still having doubts.
1) Install Update
2) Dial *228 select option 2
That was it. Just finished restoring my backup and installing my favorite apps seems to work just fine
wow.. you guys are actually using the VZW ROm.. after they Locked out third party GPS and Rev A is still ****ty?
You're better off using the custom ROMs that are out there.. they are more stable anyway..
look at all of these people regretting it after they updated and the hell they have to go through just to get gps back..
GC14's solution to get GPS Back:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=421143
PPCkitchen team's alternative solution.. Safer way:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=421275
good luck
I don't use GPS, I prefer other devices, and I don't use it for data, the only things I care about are if it makes calls and if the WiFi and bluetooth work correctly. Not everyone has the same priority for a phone.
b16daddy said:
wow.. you guys are actually using the VZW ROm.. after they Locked out third party GPS and Rev A is still ****ty?
You're better off using the custom ROMs that are out there.. they are more stable anyway..
look at all of these people regretting it after they updated and the hell they have to go through just to get gps back..
GC14's solution to get GPS Back:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=421143
PPCkitchen team's alternative solution.. Safer way:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=421275
good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you talking about? RevA was working perfectly for me with the MR1 update - I was getting speeds right where I should have been getting them.
And like the person above stated, not everyone's priority is on gps
I cannot do a full back up with Active Sync anymore? I guess the older versions allow me to do it.
I am just picking the official rom since there is less steps and less margin of error. But really I haven't decided on what to do just yet. I do have my own seperate Garmin nuvi I use.
Can you see what speeds your getting with Rev. A? Also why didn't you have to call Verizon. Is it not a complete wipeout like a hard reset? Thanks in advance!
segadc said:
I cannot do a full back up with Active Sync anymore? I guess the older versions allow me to do it.
I am just picking the official rom since there is less steps and less margin of error. But really I haven't decided on what to do just yet. I do have my own seperate Garmin nuvi I use.
Can you see what speeds your getting with Rev. A? Also why didn't you have to call Verizon. Is it not a complete wipeout like a hard reset? Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I upgraded from stock rom to the mr1 update, it did not wipe out the a-key or dmu settings, nor should it.
As for RevA speeds - I was consistently getting between 600-800kbps
b16daddy said:
wow.. you guys are actually using the VZW ROm.. after they Locked out third party GPS and Rev A is still ****ty?
You're better off using the custom ROMs that are out there.. they are more stable anyway..
look at all of these people regretting it after they updated and the hell they have to go through just to get gps back..
GC14's solution to get GPS Back:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=421143
PPCkitchen team's alternative solution.. Safer way:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=421275
good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I updated and I don't regret it one bit...I actually like the VZnavigator, I had it on my LGvx9800 "the V" and it saved me from being lost so many times that when I bought my 700w I missed it so bad I almost went back to the V...
I got google maps on the Treo but I had no GPS at the time, then I got my 6800 and flashed to DCD's latest and greatest and I loved it except it sometimes took 5 to 10 mins for Live search or Google maps to locate me and neither of them had turn by turn voice prompts...and by the time they located me I was so lost i had to get directions from some nearby address to where I was going without GPS....VZ Navigator connects in less then 10 seconds at my house and even at the Airport where I work...!!! I don't mind paying for things that I like...
I guess I am happy with my Rev-0 speeds.
Just tested it I got 1.17 Mbps (1198.4 kbps). Since I do not use my phone with a laptop I guess Rev-A wouldn't be needed as much.
I appreciate everyone for posting here. Thanks! Still its good to know I don't have to call Verizon like whne I had to do a hardrest. I will still wait on upgrading. Reading more experiences from people. But the need to upgrade is definetly diminishing somewhat with time. lol
PPCkitchen team's alternative solution.. Safer way:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is exactly safer in a method that doesn't work?
Please be a little more informed before you post stuff that's false.

Want To Upgrade My Titan

First of all, I apologize for being a PPC noob, but I asure you, my technical skills are high and my PC familiarity is high too. I have done alot of searching/learning on here and other forums (and the internet in general) and think I am ready to take the plunge.
Background Data
----------------
HTC 6800 Windows Mobile 6.0
ROM Version 2.17.557.0
Radio Version 1.64.00
ROM Date 11/20/07 (geesh, I just got the thing)
Garmin Mobile XT
Provider: Cellcom (non-major / tier 2 provider in Wisconsin. I get great coverage from them in the area I spend 99.99% of my life in)
Mostly I want yes or no's to the following questions, but if you want to educate me, believe me, it is appreciated. The potential of this device feels massive, but right now it is too cumbersome/unreliable (I am sick of soft rebooting this darn phone).
1) Is there any way to backup my phone in its entirity so if I need to revert to the carrier provided rom/config I can? Including can I revert back to my original bootloader?
2) Can I use the newest Sprint ROM on my phone (WinMob 6.1) even tho I am not a Sprint customer?
3) Would I be better off using one of the ROMs provided by this forum?
4) If I upgrade the phone, I should no longer need Garmin's bluetooth GPS transmitter, correct?
Thanks in advance to all who help. I see the potential of this tool and really want to try and unleash it.
Afternoon, onioneater! It sounds like you've got a generic ROM that is often used by minor, or local carriers (I'm down in Illinois with a local carrier, had the same ROM as you). There are many, many ROM upgrade options available for you. I talked with a technician from my carrier about upgrading, and as it turns out, you could probably flash to any major carrier ROM as long as you do not allow customizations to run. Check out the tutorial on flashing to custom ROMs over at the XDA Wiki.
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=TitanRecentHome
Although I did not back up the original generic ROM, I wrote down all EPST and provisioning settings for somewhat of a backup. As I said above, a customer with my provider flashed to a major ROM, for Sprint, and got it to work. But there is a wide expanse of options with custom ROMs too. By the way, as long as the radio version is higher than 3.35, internal GPS is unlocked (newest Sprint ROM and most newer custom ROMs work on a radio of 3.35 or higher). Although with custom ROMs, you have to manually unlock the bootloader and manually install a radio with a MicroSD card that is 2GB or less. Check out the link above for more. On a side note - A few months ago I was in the exact same situation as you before, being a noob and all with a generic ROM - you can keep in touch with me through E-Mail if you have any more questions [email protected]
Thanks dfc. What ROM did you settle on using? I was thinking about using dcd3.2.6 with the recommended radio and bootloader that dcd recommends. Seems like a pretty safe way to go and sounds like many people go that route.
Have you made any of your own ROMs yet? I am going to keep reading and studying and trying to figure out a way to fully backup the phone so if I have to revert due to company policy or anything like that, I will be able to.
I was very surprised to get help from someone from Illinois being that this is Packers/Bears weekend. If it makes you feel any better, I watched the movie Brian's Song the other night and I still get teary eyed. LOL.

Alltel Touch Pro 2.01.671.1 ROM update

It's on HTC's website, dated July 7th. I haven't seen any other threads on it, and I wanted to see if anyone else has tried it. I've updated to it myself, and it seems to be an overall improvement over the version I had. There's really nothing much in the notes, though it seems they tweaked quite a bit. Most notably, it's done wonders for my battery life. I used to always come home with a phone that was nearly dead. Now I get home with 60-70% still left on the battery. It could be my imagination, but the phone seems a bit more responsive now as well. If the battery life is anything to go by, it could just be from general optimization of the ROM. Other points of interest... the activesync app is no longer self-launching, and Opera Mobile appears to have had an update as well.
-edit-
Here's the link: http://www.htc.com/us/supportdownloadlist.aspx?p_id=200&act=sd&cat=all
im in the process of doing it know, ill let ya know what i think in a bit
I tried it when it 1st came out, its definitely better than the shipped rom, but its still got all of the bloatware and other b.s. that interferes with performance. IMO, you're still better off with a cooked rom.
ya i honestly cant tell a different between stock rom and this update
Oh yeah, I'm sure a cooked rom is faster. Just thought I'd put the PSA out there. It does seem to address a few issues for my launch version of the ROM.
one of these day ill get around to putting a custom rom on my phone.
thiers just to many and i cant figure out which one i want
stock
if i have already unlocked my phone and running a custom rom and want to flash to this stock rom do i need to do anything different?
No, just flash as you normally do. Every couple of flashes I go back to the stock rom anyway. Probably just the "placebo" effect, but I've convinced myself it helps.
Do it for the Radio
powermatt said:
Oh yeah, I'm sure a cooked rom is faster. Just thought I'd put the PSA out there. It does seem to address a few issues for my launch version of the ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Notation to everyone here this ROM includes an updated radio. 1.12.20F. So that it's self should be worth it. I run NFS rom but I am going to update to this so I can grab the updated radio. I will then jump to his. My radio is currently 1.03.16F. It also has the later PRL and PRI.
I see the in the Radio Thread in this forum that they have the alltel readio without the whole ROM. So if you want go that route. I have just found that doing a stock flash every once in awhile keeps my custom flashing less problematic.
im still having problems as far as radio signal.........and the only reason i don't just upgraded the radio is their is no alltel dump yet
I also get great battery life after the update.
Tritan21 said:
I also get great battery life after the update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree and better signal quality. Used the Field Test to check the signal.
tell me more about this field test, i would like to see if my signal is better
chris347101 said:
tell me more about this field test, i would like to see if my signal is better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=531134
and look on the first post. In it it says how to check my signal. That will show you what you need. Lower is better for all 3 numbers it shows in the post to look at.
##33284#
typing this didn't do anything...all i got was call cant be completed as dialed
One very nice discovery I made today (because of how little I actually talk on my TP) is that they've changed the call answer screen a bit. Seems they took a page from Apple's book and changed the answer and ignore buttons into a slider. You slide it all the way left to answer, and right to ignore. Should fix the accidental answer problem I know a lot of people (including myself) have had.
Will this work on Verizon TP? I know i will have to apply keyboard patch but would it work?
Radio should work no problem, especially since alltel and verizon are 1 now.
I dispise Verizon ROM. No YouTube, No Internet Sharing etc... Got it as a insurance replacement when my Alltel TP broke. They said they don't have Alltel TPs anymore.
Please give me the good news... PLEEEAAASE
PS: I already have GPS unlocked using MR1 release from Verizon.
IDrinkV8 said:
Will this work on Verizon TP? I know i will have to apply keyboard patch but would it work?
Radio should work no problem, especially since alltel and verizon are 1 now.
I dispise Verizon ROM. No YouTube, No Internet Sharing etc... Got it as a insurance replacement when my Alltel TP broke. They said they don't have Alltel TPs anymore.
Please give me the good news... PLEEEAAASE
PS: I already have GPS unlocked using MR1 release from Verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't attempt it if I were you. Have you considered trying a custom rom? If you've never done it I could help you through the process. Stock roms SUCK!
Can i ask you if it works in a touch pro un-locked of the vodafone Italy company?
I have an alltel touch pro but my area switched to verizon now, im assuming this won't be a problem because i didn't need to do any update when they switched so im guessing the radio won't be an issue? Really want to do this if it increases battery.
Also will this remove any settings or themes that kind of stuff?
edit nevermind i see it removes everything.
if i take my memory card out before i update can will all the programs that are one it reinstall? and when i put all my backed up data back on the device do the programs reinstall or do i have to do something to reinstall them?

[Q] issues with eris radio. please help

i recently flashed the July ota radio (figured it might help improve signal in my new apartment). Luckily it did improve reception in low signal areas. Unfortunately areas I used to always have full 3g in are now flaky. Ill have 3g for about 5min then it will switch to 1x until I do the airplane on and off thing. Any ideas what I should do? And is it possible to flash an older radio? Thanks everyone
I apologize in advance for all the questions but they will help us get a clear background of your situation. The July OTA radio you flashed gives you 2.42.01.04.27 listed as the baseband version in settings -> about phone? What ROM are you using? What is the PRL version listed in settings -> about phone -> status?
You might be interested in this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1204792
There's also the 2.42.02.10.29 radio put out by Sprint for the HeroC last November which is compatible with the Eris. Since flashing a radio is one of the more dangerous things you can do though, I wouldn't start with this option to try and fix things.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=853868
Im running condemned soul's gingerbread rom v18.3 i believe. the baseband is 2.42.01.04.27 and the prl is 52501
thanks again
crimson12 said:
Im running condemned soul's gingerbread rom v18.3 i believe. the baseband is 2.42.01.04.27 and the prl is 52501
thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd try flashing xtrsense and then do *228 options 1 and 2 before changing the radio. After doing that a clean full wipe install of your Rom of choice you should be in good shape. If you decide you want to later try a different radio I've also had the best luck with the hero radio goose mentioned.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Thanks condemned, I tried that today and still have problems. In this case however, I think its not the rom or radio as apparently people in my area have been having issues with Verizon. Guess ill check back in with you guys whenever they fix it if I still have the issue. Thanks again you guys are lifesavers
Sent from my ERIS-ADR6200 using XDA App
Upgrading radio firmware never - yes, read my lips, *never* - improves signal strength issues.
It is possible that bug fixes could affect tower selection (PRL updates also), but for a given tower, the firmware revision will not change signal strength. That's just wishful thinking.
What you can do is experiment with locations within your place, and handset orientation to *slightly* improve signal, but there's only so much wiggle room available, and you will find it hard to reproduce the results. (Weak signals are more likely to be affected by multi-path effects, and the radio wavelengths involved are small - a distance of only 6 inches can be a big deal when the signal is low)
yep 4th post I checked, it was annoying me
Well it appeared to be a Verizon issue, as my 3g is working just fine now
Sent from my "end of life" eris
crimson12 said:
Well it appeared to be a Verizon issue, as my 3g is working just fine now
Sent from my "end of life" eris
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was hoping to hear that thanks for letting us know.
Sent using my 666th Inc from remote regions of hell
ya radios heroc is a good one

[Q] Still stuck with 1X Data after 5 hours of work...

Hey guys,
I've been working all night to try and fix an issue I had with Cyanogen Mod. I couldn't get the GPS to work with the radio I had. So I tried flashing MR3 and I still had no GPS but had 3G / 4G / WiFi connectivity. Going back to MR2 restored GPS but I couldn't maintain data and only had 1X / WiFi.
I've messed with countless radio updates and ROMs trying to get this running again. Going to post my phone's stats:
ROM Current: BAMF Forever 1.0.5
Android Version: 2.3.4
HTC Sense Version: 3.0
Software Number: 2.11.605.0
Kernel: 2.6.35.10-ge8d3693 [email protected]
Baseband version: 1.39.00.0627r, 0.01.69.0625r
I need you guys to link me to a ROM, the more light weight the better, that has 3G / 4G, GPS, and WiFi (with tethering). That's all I require =)
If I need a specific radio, a link to that would be great. Thanks a lot.
It's not the ROM...
VZW's LTE is spotty in and out in some areas. I noticed mine first thing this morning...
There are other threads on other forums about it.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/21/psa-verizon-users-reporting-data-outages-across-the-us/
I laugh at how they state that 3G is working fine, while LTE isnt.
I can hardly even get 1x again.
Word is if you make a phone call you can get 3g back afterwards. Worked on the wife's bolt. Worth a shot at least
Sent from my DROID X2 using XDA App
I have 3G just fine here. I don't get 4G service at this location so I force it to "CDMA Auto (PRL)" anyway.
dajogejr said:
It's not the ROM...
VZW's LTE is spotty in and out in some areas. I noticed mine first thing this morning...
There are other threads on other forums about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're right unfortunately. I wait 3 months to try and fix my GPS and the one night I try it, Verizon's entire data network is taking a crap.
I just assumed that the 1X was a radio issue. I now have 4G connectivity but it's definitely slower than it should be. About 1.4Mbps. My buddy right next to me clocked 10.4Mbps on his brand new Nexus...
I'd still love to get a recommendation on a ROM and Radio version to run. I hate this BAMF ROM.
Different ROMs and different radios will have minimal impact on 4g speeds, if that's your reason for wanting something different.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
LTE came back up in SE Michigan about 2 hours or so ago.
Upon reading the OP's next post, I tested my speed via the SpeakEasy Website's speed test, as I always do.
I don't know whether to **** or go blind, but inside my office just now I hit 22MB down and 4.5 up with 2 bars (out of 4)...I've never gotten more than 12 inside the office down...
Could be that no one is on it...could be a fluke, etc.
BAMF makes quality ROMs. I would bet it's not the ROM or the radio.
I've been using the latest radio leak found here in the developer thread.
I'm sure you already know this...but it's flashed in Bootloader, not recovery.
I'm almost 100% certain it's not the ROM...unless you got a bad download or something.
That being said...you are a few releases behind on their ROM. They are up to 1.10 Final now.
Good thing is there are a ton out there, it's what's best for you...not necessarily what we think.
dajogejr said:
I've been using the latest radio leak found here in the developer thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I'll try to locate this.
dajogejr said:
I'm almost 100% certain it's not the ROM...unless you got a bad download or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I always assumed it was the radio version I was running. I want a new ROM because I hate Sense and the stock look / feel.
dajogejr said:
That being said...you are a few releases behind on their ROM. They are up to 1.10 Final now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I'll check it out.
dajogejr said:
Good thing is there are a ton out there, it's what's best for you...not necessarily what we think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right. My problem is there's too many and I'm tired of looking haha. I just wanted to flash a known good ROM and radio and get this over with. Tired of tampering with my phone.
New update:
I just flashed MIUI from:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1172235
and the MR3 radio from:
http://www.thunderboltforums.com/fo...151-rs-approved-guide-thunderbolt-radios.html
It's clear from the screenshot provided on the MIUI thread that the dev is using the MR3 radio which is why I chose to flash that.
But now my GPS doesn't work? Holy crap this is getting so annoying. Either my GPS works or my 4G works, I can't have both -_-
I'm trying to get my post count up without spamming the boards so I can post in the development section ;x
EDIT: Just found this link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20312888&postcount=1141
Anyone know if it's true?
Are you sure your data/gps is not a phone issue?
Believe it or not I know a few people that replaced their battery door and data/gps was fixed. Antennas are on the door...
In regards to your question about that link, it may work but remember some solutions work for some and not for others. Only real way to know is to try it...
Jrocker23 said:
Are you sure your data/gps is not a phone issue?
Believe it or not I know a few people that replaced their battery door and data/gps was fixed. Antennas are on the door...
In regards to your question about that link, it may work but remember some solutions work for some and not for others. Only real way to know is to try it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holy crap this might be the problem. I just installed a longer life battery that has a new back cover for the phone. I'm going to go back to stock and see what happens.
Thanks for this recommendation!

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