telephone reception
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: virginia
sl500
telephone reception
my 2004 sl500 with a v60i has terrible reception once one gets into a 2bar signal area. the same phone in a 7series bmw works great. the mb dealer has no explanation and claims that mb has a 3amp power boost on the antenna, which according to verizon should significantly improve the reception.
the dealer has replaced the phone twice and had a technician go over the phone system. other mb owners claim similar reception issues.
any suggestions?
the dealer has replaced the phone twice and had a technician go over the phone system. other mb owners claim similar reception issues.
any suggestions?
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From: Las Vegas, NV USA / London, UK
GL320CDI / C63 Edition 507 Coupe (EDP) / E63 S (on order) / G500 / Smart Brabus
Originally Posted by dmccorki
my 2004 sl500 with a v60i has terrible reception once one gets into a 2bar signal area. the same phone in a 7series bmw works great. the mb dealer has no explanation and claims that mb has a 3amp power boost on the antenna, which according to verizon should significantly improve the reception.
the dealer has replaced the phone twice and had a technician go over the phone system. other mb owners claim similar reception issues.
any suggestions?
the dealer has replaced the phone twice and had a technician go over the phone system. other mb owners claim similar reception issues.
any suggestions?
BTW, the car does not have a "3amp" power boost. It doesn't even have a 3-watt power boost. That sort of stuff was stopped in 1999. The only boost is a compensator to overcome the loss of caused by the wiring inside the car. More like 3dB.
-s-
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From: Australia
Originally Posted by scorchie
Convertibles, by design, have the antenna placed lower in the car than possible in a sedan. Don't expect the reception to be better than a roof mounted antenna.
BTW, the car does not have a "3amp" power boost. It doesn't even have a 3-watt power boost. That sort of stuff was stopped in 1999. The only boost is a compensator to overcome the loss of caused by the wiring inside the car. More like 3dB.
-s-
BTW, the car does not have a "3amp" power boost. It doesn't even have a 3-watt power boost. That sort of stuff was stopped in 1999. The only boost is a compensator to overcome the loss of caused by the wiring inside the car. More like 3dB.
-s-
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From: Las Vegas, NV USA / London, UK
GL320CDI / C63 Edition 507 Coupe (EDP) / E63 S (on order) / G500 / Smart Brabus
Originally Posted by miroj
Sunman threw out his compensator and install an American product. It was about $250. He claims that is solved all the problems.
Normally, we just bypass the compensator.
I installed the compensator on my W211 and I am doing testing to see if it improves this car's performance. I believe stripping out the Teleaid splitter and all the extra associated wiring and connectors might be a superior solution to the installation of the compensator...
-s-
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From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
I am sure that a true booster is the best solution as well. I can however also say that the compensator makes a significant difference in our SL setup.
We have T-Mobile (using a UHI installation) with somewhat spotty reception where we live (several deadzones on the highway). I tried first bypassing it as Scorchie mentioned, but without the compensator I lost service at times and only had 1-4 bars (avg.3). With the compensator, no deadzones and minimum 3 bars, with reception is usually at full signal strength.
Perhaps you may want to have MB replace the compensator and the antenna switch.
Wolfman
We have T-Mobile (using a UHI installation) with somewhat spotty reception where we live (several deadzones on the highway). I tried first bypassing it as Scorchie mentioned, but without the compensator I lost service at times and only had 1-4 bars (avg.3). With the compensator, no deadzones and minimum 3 bars, with reception is usually at full signal strength.
Perhaps you may want to have MB replace the compensator and the antenna switch.
Wolfman
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From: virginia
sl500
thanks.
mb claims they have tried everything. since they apparently misstated the boost on the antenna, i wonder about their efforts.
regarding the comments about roof antenna vs. convertible, i get better reception in the sl with a hand held startac than i do with the antenna system that is part of the sl. so i am not sure the 2 foot-at most-height difference between the bmw and the sl has that much of an impact.
i have been told that substituting a v60i for the v60s(which i am now told is the model installed in the car) makes a positive difference--anyone have any knowledge about that possibility?
if anyone knows of a good independent phone shop in the washington dc area, i might visit them and get some help.
mb claims they have tried everything. since they apparently misstated the boost on the antenna, i wonder about their efforts.
regarding the comments about roof antenna vs. convertible, i get better reception in the sl with a hand held startac than i do with the antenna system that is part of the sl. so i am not sure the 2 foot-at most-height difference between the bmw and the sl has that much of an impact.
i have been told that substituting a v60i for the v60s(which i am now told is the model installed in the car) makes a positive difference--anyone have any knowledge about that possibility?
if anyone knows of a good independent phone shop in the washington dc area, i might visit them and get some help.
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From: Land of 10,000 lakes
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You mentioned trying a StarTac. Why don't you try this simple test...
Take the v60 out of the cradle. If the signal strength increases when you unplug the phone from the car, then the MB install is faulty no matter what they say.
The phone should also be fine (as it has been replaced). The most obvious areas are the compensator and switch, but it could also the the cradle, the antenna connection from the cradlein the console, a pinched cable or the connection to the actual antenna.
Good luck,
Wolfman
Take the v60 out of the cradle. If the signal strength increases when you unplug the phone from the car, then the MB install is faulty no matter what they say.
The phone should also be fine (as it has been replaced). The most obvious areas are the compensator and switch, but it could also the the cradle, the antenna connection from the cradlein the console, a pinched cable or the connection to the actual antenna.
Good luck,
Wolfman
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From: Las Vegas, NV USA / London, UK
GL320CDI / C63 Edition 507 Coupe (EDP) / E63 S (on order) / G500 / Smart Brabus
Originally Posted by Wolfman
You mentioned trying a StarTac. Why don't you try this simple test...
Take the v60 out of the cradle. If the signal strength increases when you unplug the phone from the car, then the MB install is faulty no matter what they say.
Take the v60 out of the cradle. If the signal strength increases when you unplug the phone from the car, then the MB install is faulty no matter what they say.
Because multiple parts were replaced in the cars, and all items checked unded diagnosis, and it was multiple cars, I believe that the culprit is the design of the system, not any faulty parts.
-s-
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: virginia
sl500
i have removed the phone and the reception is still bad. the old startac is superior to any of the new phones--verizon says that the new phones use a lot of battery power to run new phone accessories whereas the older startac just used the battery to pull in the signal.
anyway, all of the v60 phones that i or my associates have used have poor reception in the two bar signal areas, but other car manufacturers seem to have been able to improve the phone's capability thru the in car antenna system. mb, however, has a problem, which they admit but they do not have a solution--or at least they are not willing to fix retroactively.
so i am trying to find a technical shop that knows enough about the mb command system that they can improve the signal thru a boost or whatever.
i have no technical knowledge so i am only conveying what i am learning or being told be others.
anyway, all of the v60 phones that i or my associates have used have poor reception in the two bar signal areas, but other car manufacturers seem to have been able to improve the phone's capability thru the in car antenna system. mb, however, has a problem, which they admit but they do not have a solution--or at least they are not willing to fix retroactively.
so i am trying to find a technical shop that knows enough about the mb command system that they can improve the signal thru a boost or whatever.
i have no technical knowledge so i am only conveying what i am learning or being told be others.
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Originally Posted by scorchie
I would disagree with this. I have seen phone systems in convertibles (CLK, SL) that had poor reception despite every item working properly (the functioning of the antenna switch and antennas can be verified in Star Diagnosis). Even with the switch removed out of the system, the reception was inferior to when the handset was removed from the cradle and used out of the car kit.
Because multiple parts were replaced in the cars, and all items checked unded diagnosis, and it was multiple cars, I believe that the culprit is the design of the system, not any faulty parts.
-s-
Because multiple parts were replaced in the cars, and all items checked unded diagnosis, and it was multiple cars, I believe that the culprit is the design of the system, not any faulty parts.
-s-
Wolfman
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GL320CDI / C63 Edition 507 Coupe (EDP) / E63 S (on order) / G500 / Smart Brabus
Originally Posted by Wolfman
Can't argue on something you will certainly have seen more issues with. On our SL the reception is quite good, but this will certainly be impacted by the location of the person, the carrier and the frequency of the phone. Isn't the old StarTac also using the 900mhz band vs. the 1900mhz one?
Wolfman
Wolfman
A couple people with R230 SLs in the local area seem to get good performance here! But then, my CLK with the compensator disconnected (it's still fitted, just out of the antenna path) gets much better reception than my W211 E-class with or without the compensator... and that's using the same UHI phone in each car.
It's tough to make recommendations with these variables involved...
I believe all the StarTacs for MB were 800MHz only... not completely sure about that.
-s-
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We don't have 900 here in the USA. If it's GSM services, now that Cingular and ATTW are one, most likely there would be both 850 and 1900 bands available in most places. If your phone still works inside the back of a grocery store, most likely you're using 850. But again, when I had TMO before with 1900 only band. I had services inside a few stores in the back but no services in many. My guess would be those stores where I had services had some repeaters installed. Not sure about it tho.
Last edited by dtkw; Nov 25, 2004 at 02:09 AM.
Thread Starter
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From: virginia
sl500
i do not know whether it is 900 or 1900. in the washington dc area much of the cell system is digital but analogue is still the fall back. the startac searches and decides which is the best signal and works fine. the v60s in hand held fomat is useless in the weak signal areas. but in the bmw and other auto systems that have, what i assume, is a boosted antenna system, the weakness in the v60's signal gathering capability is overcome.
