Signal Strength on I-Drive
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My Ride: 2004 545i 6 spd Sports Package | NAV | PDC | Logic 7 | BT retrofit | SW V13.3
I have read several posts wishing that signal strength with Bluetooth would display on I-Drive.
Well it does.
BMW Assist uses Verizon's network. I have been looking at the signal bars for two months now while waiting for Bluetooth and always assumed that they were exclusively for Assist. Well just got back from one of my going nowhere drives before bed time (I really miscalculated my lease miles. I drive much more in this car even if I have no where to go) and I noticed a roaming triangle outside the gate of my house. Well I have always had Verizon, but am testing Cingulars coverage and a RAZR, which was in my pocket and paired to the car. So I pulled the phone out of my pocket and sure enough the signal strength dropped in sync with the indicator on I-drive until gone when I entered my garage. To confirm this, rather than just switch the car off to break the BT link, I switched off the phone. Sure enough the roaming triangle disappeared and I suddenly get 3 bars. This presumably is now coming from the sharkfin Assist connection.
I wonder which network is used by Assist if you have a phone paired.
Well it does.
BMW Assist uses Verizon's network. I have been looking at the signal bars for two months now while waiting for Bluetooth and always assumed that they were exclusively for Assist. Well just got back from one of my going nowhere drives before bed time (I really miscalculated my lease miles. I drive much more in this car even if I have no where to go) and I noticed a roaming triangle outside the gate of my house. Well I have always had Verizon, but am testing Cingulars coverage and a RAZR, which was in my pocket and paired to the car. So I pulled the phone out of my pocket and sure enough the signal strength dropped in sync with the indicator on I-drive until gone when I entered my garage. To confirm this, rather than just switch the car off to break the BT link, I switched off the phone. Sure enough the roaming triangle disappeared and I suddenly get 3 bars. This presumably is now coming from the sharkfin Assist connection.
I wonder which network is used by Assist if you have a phone paired.
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Originally Posted by Hormazd' date='Nov 19 2004, 01:53 AM
I noticed a roaming triangle outside the gate of my house.? Well I have always had Verizon,? but am testing Cingulars coverage and a RAZR, which was in my pocket and paired to the car.? So I pulled the phone out of my pocket and sure enough the signal strength dropped in sync with the indicator on I-drive until gone when I entered my garage.? To confirm this,? rather than just switch the car off to break the BT link,? I switched off the phone.? Sure enough the roaming triangle disappeared and I suddenly get 3 bars.? This presumably is now coming from the sharkfin Assist connection.
I wonder which network is used by Assist if you have a phone paired.
I wonder which network is used by Assist if you have a phone paired.
[snapback]57995[/snapback]
BTW how are you finding Cingular coverage in SoCal? I am hoping for improvement in the Bay Area after the AT&T deal. They still have some areas with poor coverage - like the MacArthur maze in Oakland - which are inexcusable.
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Originally Posted by Buster' date='Nov 19 2004, 08:20 AM
[quote name='Hormazd' date='Nov 19 2004, 01:53 AM']I noticed a roaming triangle outside the gate of my house.? Well I have always had Verizon,? but am testing Cingulars coverage and a RAZR, which was in my pocket and paired to the car.? So I pulled the phone out of my pocket and sure enough the signal strength dropped in sync with the indicator on I-drive until gone when I entered my garage.? To confirm this,? rather than just switch the car off to break the BT link,? I switched off the phone.?? Sure enough the roaming triangle disappeared and I suddenly get 3 bars.? This presumably is now coming from the sharkfin Assist connection.
I wonder which network is used by Assist if you have a phone paired.
I wonder which network is used by Assist if you have a phone paired.
[snapback]57995[/snapback]
BTW how are you finding Cingular coverage in SoCal? I am hoping for improvement in the Bay Area after the AT&T deal. They still have some areas with poor coverage - like the MacArthur maze in Oakland - which are inexcusable.
[snapback]58079[/snapback]
[/quote]I don't think its using the sharkfin. I think when the phone is paired, the icon on Idrive reflects the signal strength of the phone (from the phone's antenna in my pocket) When the phone is switched off, the icon then gives you the assist signal strength which is coming from the antenna.
Still testing Cingular. I haven't been around much.
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Originally Posted by Hormazd' date='Nov 19 2004, 08:37 AM
BTW how are you finding Cingular coverage in SoCal?? I am hoping for improvement in the Bay Area after the AT&T deal.? They still have some areas with poor coverage - like the MacArthur maze in Oakland - which are inexcusable.
[snapback]58079[/snapback]
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Hormazd is right about the bars being that of the phone.
Also, the merger of Cingular and ATT Wireless should help the coverage since they are both GSM networks.
Verizon has good coverage but antique technology.
Also, the merger of Cingular and ATT Wireless should help the coverage since they are both GSM networks.
Verizon has good coverage but antique technology.
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My Ride: 2004 545i 6 spd Sports Package | NAV | PDC | Logic 7 | BT retrofit | SW V13.3
Originally Posted by ZC ED545' date='Nov 19 2004, 07:37 PM
Hormazd is right about the bars being that of the phone.
Also, the merger of Cingular and ATT Wireless should help the coverage since they are both GSM networks.
Verizon has good coverage but antique technology.
Also, the merger of Cingular and ATT Wireless should help the coverage since they are both GSM networks.
Verizon has good coverage but antique technology.
[snapback]58299[/snapback]
CDMA is NOT antiquated technology. It is infact far superior to what the rest of the world (GSM) uses. Europe experiences better coverage hence no dropped calls because they standarized on a spectrum 10 years ago. Imagine if every US carrier used the same spectrum and shared the same network paying each other for roaming. There wouldn't be a spot where you couldn't get a call. That is the only reason why coverage is better in Europe. The CDMA network has more capacity per cell site and the platform to go 3G. you can already browse the internet at 10x the speed of POT (Plain old telephone) connection to your ISP, using Verizon's EVDO.
Read this post for a better understanding of cell phone technology and why ATT/Cingular and T-Mobile drop calls in moving cars.
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Ouch, that was a real spanking. The truth is that I only have GSM because of extensive travel to Europe. What matters to me is service coverage. Verizon is the best in the Northeast, T Mobile is horrible and Cingular/ATT is somewhere in the middle.
Also, the Cingular rep told me that the two networks have not been merged yet.
Also, the Cingular rep told me that the two networks have not been merged yet.
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My Ride: 2004 545i 6 spd Sports Package | NAV | PDC | Logic 7 | BT retrofit | SW V13.3
Originally Posted by ZC ED545' date='Nov 20 2004, 06:51 AM
Ouch, that was a real spanking.? The truth is that I only have GSM because of extensive travel to Europe.? What matters to me is service coverage.? Verizon is the best in the Northeast, T Mobile is horrible and Cingular/ATT is somewhere in the middle.
Also, the Cingular rep told me that the two networks have not been merged yet.
Also, the Cingular rep told me that the two networks have not been merged yet.
[snapback]58386[/snapback]
By the way ZC ED545, did you do ED?? If so when did you take delivery and where did you drive. I am just curious. Again I apologize if my last post sounded harsh.
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I did ED back in September - car was built in late July but couldn't get over to Munich until late September, during Oktoberfest. I drove to Zurich (nothing special) then back to Munich. Used Munich as a base to see Bavaria, then drove north the Rothenberg, Germany, then Luxembourg for a business meeting and then to Paris.
The trip was amazing.
The trip was amazing.