How sensitive is the Storm2 antenna?

**Camski** · 02-03-2010, 09:13 AM

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry Storm2 9520: BlackBerry9520/5.0.0.436 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/120)

Hey everyone.

Question for the Storm2 and potentially Storm1 owners (given the hardware is quite similar).

How sensitive is the antenna to interference from an obstacle?

Maybe its just in my head but after multiple tests, it appears placing my hand over the bottom of the phone (where I understand the radio hardware and antenna is located) causes enough interference to make the signal quality drop!

For example. Right now if I hold the phone horizontally (earpiece to the right) and hold it by the right side only, I can stare at 5 full solid bars for as long as I want with no fluctuation. Move my left hand onto the left side of the phone (still horizontal) and assume the horizontal typing position (as I am typing this now) and I see the 5 bars drop to 4 ann have yet to see it climb to 5 again. I haven't changed my location either, purely just covering parts of the phone.

Now if I place my fingers behind the left hand side and my left palm over the screen (still horizontal with the earpiece at the top) I lose TWO bars!
(note that if you want to try this, you'll have to wait a while until the reception bars update. It looks like they update every 10 seconds or so, so keep your hand on for at least 10 seconds to see the bars fall/rise)

Call me crazy, or maybe it's just my Storm2 but i'm almost certain that the Storm2's radio is too easily affected by small obstacles.

However maybe this is to keep that radio radiation thing down, goes to show that maybe the radio waves cant penetrate human skin, flesh and bones

**swamprat96** · 02-03-2010, 01:16 PM

verified- mine does the same thing. Interesting. However overall the reception on my S2 is better than my old BB Flip. In an area where I always used to drop out the S2 works fine. That being said I'm not holding the phone as I'm on hands free in this location

**Quattroporte** · 02-03-2010, 10:30 PM

Interesting find... and I thought this wasn't present on the storm lol.

I go from three bars to one... (3 being the usual max I get from my house, 3G is available.. but it doesn't pick it up - it's a vodafone issue)

As I said before "wasn't present on the storm"

I used to place my Blackberry Curve 8300 on my laptops palm rest (don't know why it was just a habit). I started realising that I wasn't getting replies as fast as I would have thought - turns out it used to go into SOS mode.

I tested this with my iPhone and it had no problems, nor did my 3GS.

**Camski** · 03-03-2010, 02:23 PM

It's really weird. I suspect it's something to do with the radiation rating so they've toned down the strength of the antenna.

Seems a bit overly sensitive to obstacles though.

**Quattroporte** · 06-03-2010, 04:11 AM

Originally Posted by Camski

It's really weird. I suspect it's something to do with the radiation rating so they've toned down the strength of the antenna.

Seems a bit overly sensitive to obstacles though.

Just a tad lol...

**Camski** · 10-03-2010, 09:52 PM

Without making another thread, hopefully one of you S2 users can add to this, i've noticed that when in a call, if you move into a dark room, there's a little red pulsing light coming from where the coverage/notification LED is. On my Storm2 there appears to be a little circular shaped thing towards the top of the clear-cut-out area of the casing. That appears to pulsate very dimly when a call is happening.

I don't think it's coming from one of the regular LED's because to see those, on my S2, you have to look in on an angle from the right hand side of the phone, underneath the casing as the LED isn't directly inline with the clear-cut-out area (I'm actually under the impression the placement of the LED changed somewhere during the production of the S2's).

I thought the unit where the pulsating light came from was the light sensor (if you stick your phone under a light and cover the LED cut out, the screen goes dim) but I didn't think light sensors had the ability to emit light

**Quattroporte** · 12-03-2010, 01:54 AM

Also noticed that red beaming light which is near the LED, but isn't.

Scares me lol, just makes me think of the radiation a phone produces along with all the other stories lol

**Gregmyers** · 12-03-2010, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by Quattroporte

Also noticed that red beaming light which is near the LED, but isn't.

Scares me lol, just makes me think of the radiation a phone produces along with all the other stories lol

The Storm 2 doesn't rate in emissions output. The 9700 owners on the other hand will all be growing second heads soon if latest emission output tests are to be believed. 9700 has the strongest emt field of all cell phones on the market.
KR
Greg

**Camski** · 13-03-2010, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by Quattroporte

Also noticed that red beaming light which is near the LED, but isn't.

Scares me lol, just makes me think of the radiation a phone produces along with all the other stories lol

Rofl

I wonder what it is though, it's kinda weird and distracting if you're speaker phoning

**Quattroporte** · 14-03-2010, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by Gregmyers

The Storm 2 doesn't rate in emissions output. The 9700 owners on the other hand will all be growing second heads soon if latest emission output tests are to be believed. 9700 has the strongest emt field of all cell phones on the market.
KR
Greg

Lmfao.

I love the look of the 9700. Looks a lot simpler to use than a Storm.

I think I need to get a new firmware version; can someone help me?
I have a Storm 9550 Verizon, so I won't be able to take advantage of any soon to be Vodafone 9520 versions.

+ I don't know how to install them because it isn't automatic