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Root Radios. Make any difference in UK?

togger161

togger161

Android Enthusiast
I'm currently on O2 in the UK and I get poor coverage where I live - had an iphone up until January and that too suffered. Problem I have is that the signal drops, usually during the night and in the morning I end up with a flat battery.

So, I am considering 2 options. 1) Try another network, 2) Try a different radio.

So, my question. How much difference is changing the radio likely to make? I am currently running the latest one, and I have to say battery life with it is superb. 32.54.00.32U_5.14.05.17. Something I have noticed - all of the stock roms in the UK, TMobile, O2, Three etc, all seem to use 32.36.00.28U_4.06.00.02_2 - Coincidence? I know Adam recommends a different radio for the Oxygen rom I am running.

Any thoughts?
 
32.36? Thats sounds so old. They dont all come with that.

but yes, in answer to your question, it can make a difference, but you will need to try them out for your situation yourself unfortunately.
 
Current stock firmware won't use 32.36.00.28U_4.06.00.02_2 - that's a pre-Froyo radio. Froyo radios are all "_5.x". I think you must have been looking at the very early RUUs.

I've not used the 32.54 radio, but used most of the earlier froyo ones and differences in reception were not huge. Your experience may differ - different location, network, ROM - but I can only report what I found (actually, since you are on O2 your network has 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bandwidth, while mine only has 1800 in the UK, so our situations need not be comparable).

Is it poor 2G as well as 3G coverage? If not, switching to 2G only overnight would probably help.
 
3G coverage is non existent, confirmed by the online coverage checker too. 2G is usually fine, but does drop out occasionally at home. No problems out and about/work etc.

I know those stock roms all contained old radios, it just seemed strange they all used the same one? Just got me thinking a bit, thats all.

TBH, I am now running down my credit (should be gone within the next week) and I am going to try another network. Too much of a coincidence that both the iphone and Desire both struggle here.
 
I'm on T-Mobile and also have dire reception where I live, sounds as bad as yours. But I have to charge the phone nightly anyway so don't have this problem.
Is nightly charging not an option?
 
It is, but sometimes I don't bother. Last night I charged it before bed, got up this morning and it was at 94% when I checked it at work (around 8 hours later)
 
Not really an over populated area. We live on the outskirts of Birmingham and have open countryside outside our front door. O2 confirm there is no 3G coverage at our postcode. I was just wondering if any of the radios are optimised in any way for any UK networks. Yes I did look at old pre froyo stock roms, but all of the UK ones used the same radio. I need to check further and see what they are using in the later ones I think.

I suspect my issue is poor network coverage though as both the iphone and the desire have been fine at work on O2. It's just so annoying that the phone continually tries to find a network to the point it powers off. I showed no signal 96% of the time the other day and was down to 30% battery without using it at all.

Would still be interesting to find out if any of the radio were optimised in any way for UK use though.

BTW - only lost phone signal once since flashing latest radio. Battery life is superb, though I'm not sure if this is down to radio or Rom as I flashed both together. (Went from Oxygen 1.04 to Oxygen 2.0.1.)
 
A little confused about what your saying about the battery, one minute complaining about drain and then in the next sentence your saying your very happy with it!

Anyway, if you go to settings under Wireless and networks you should be able to switch 3G off. Not an ideal solution but it'll help.
 
Battery life is superb, really pleased with it. Only drains it when it looses the signal and constantly searches for a network. My feeling is this is down to poor network coverage and not the phone/radio. Have only lost the signal and drained the battery once since flashing 2.0.1, but it still happened.

Just checked phone - 2 bars on signal strength on powering up, this just increased to 4 bars - Signal strength 81dBm 17asu GPRS.

Wife's droid is on Orange - constantly on 4 bars, always 3G never edge or GPRS, never lost signal and drained the battery (San Francisco)

Now ringing O2 for PAC.

Checked tonight - 111dBm 1asu UMTS
 
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