UM150 won't go below -75DB

onedavester · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:49 am Post subject: UM150 won't go below -75DB

I just got a UM150 yesterday and am having a lot of REV a connection problems. I took a little trip and visited all three verizon towers in my area and MY UM150 doesn't not go below -75db even when right on top of all 3 towers!

My old ATT Sierra card would go as low as -59db when I am close to a tower.

Is the UM150 simply not capable of any better signal gain?

What USB card is a better option with an External antenna jack?

Random · EVDO Newbie Joined: 23 Jul 2008 Posts: 10

I also have that card, I hooked up my antenna to it and it goes to -75 and thats it. That is better then without the antenna, without its around -80 or -85 so. It works good though so far. I have only had it for 2 days.

MarkJC · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:11 pm Post subject:

I visited some nearby towers today with the UM150 locked in HDR mode today. I was getting -60 to -65 near the tower, so it doesn't look like there is any sort of lock on the UM150.

onedavester · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:21 pm Post subject:

Maybe it only shows -75 in Auto when near a tower. Now I am going to lock it into HDR on my laptop and take a trip. I will report back.

I was trying to triangulate three towers strength to my house and I couldn't because of the card only going down to -75, now i may be able to find out which tower realy is the best one to use.

I have a terrible rev A signal at my house with an amplifier and an ominidirectional antenna. I am about to try a Yagi as a last resort and finding out which tower of the three to point to will save me a lot of setup time.

Cold Ethel · EVDO Newbie Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 9

I have had the UM150 for one month and I am having this issue also. About a week ago I drove around to 3 or 4 different towers and mine would never go below -75. But it was in the Auto setting at the time.

I didn't know about the HDR setting until a couple of days ago, when I tried changing it and checking my signal at my home, my signal got worse instead of better so I changed it back to Auto. (My signal at my home usually stays at -75.)

I'll change over to HDR and make the drive again and see if I get different results and report back here too.

speedman · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 24 Aug 2007 Posts: 20

I have a Alltel UM 150 that also goes down to -75 even when at the tower. However, the lights on the card does go from 3 lights to 4 when I am near the tower and about a mile to mile and half out.

speedman

onedavester · Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 6:58 pm Post subject:

OK in HDR mode it still only goes down to -75db no matter how close I am to a tower. IDK where to find support on this as Verizon is clueless and the Pantech website has no info on any USB aircards they make.

Species8472 · Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:21 pm Post subject:

Perhaps try a diff card? U720 or the 727?

Cold Ethel · EVDO Newbie Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 9

Just got back from testing my UM150 at the tower in HDR mode with same result as before, it won't go any lower than -75. But the bars do go up to 4. However, I did get this speed while parked at a Walmart, about a mile from the tower: 2135 down, 482 up Shocked

But something kind of strange happened, I changed to HDR mode before I left the house to do the test. When I got back I went back into the settings to change it back to Automatic, and it was already on Automatic???? Don't understand that at all.

Species8472 · Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject:

nothing wrong with those speeds dude.... great download!!

Cold Ethel · EVDO Newbie Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 9

Yeah, I wasn't expecting to see that kind of speed! I just wish I could get that at my house. I live about 3-4 miles from the tower, but I still get 500-900 down, and my upload speed is usually almost exactly the same as my download speed, so it's not too bad.

igpoobah · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 14 Location: AR.

The 'hover over bars' will only show -75 for some reason. Go into your field test screen to see the real number in real time.

onedavester · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:47 pm Post subject:

Thanks. The problem in Field test is that the numbers for each frequency are constantly changing. Once in HDR only mode, I found it is easier just to watch the bars on the Pantech USB modem to get some kind on instant idea as to what your signal is like when you are on the road trying to find out what tower is where and what tower has REV a or not on it.

doomass · EVDO User Joined: 29 Dec 2007 Posts: 30

Just run it as a dial up connection and forget about it. It does so much better anyway.

Capt.Dan · Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 1:10 pm Post subject:

yep, It does the same thing for me-75 and 5 bars lit! i think itis the um150 itself! Rolling Eyes