Phone Signal
From Sandra W
Monday, 17 June 2013
I've just moved back to Hebden Bridge (Stubbing Holme Road area). My partner and I are both struggling to receive a mobile phone signal in the house. I am with Orange/EE and he is on Talk Mobile.
Can anyone in the vicinity advise which network receives the best signal? We're both due to renew our contracts in the next couple of months so it would be handy to know so we can switch providers.
From Veronica Roberts
Monday, 17 June 2013
I use virgin mobile,so far I've never had a problem
From Paul Rigg
Monday, 17 June 2013
In general terms Everything everywhere (Orange/T Mobile) and Three use higher frequencies (around 1800MHz) and Vodafone and O2 use lower frequencies (around 900MHz). For a given transmitter the lower frequencies offer better coverage and so you should try Vodafone or o2. These networks will also work better inside buildings.
There has been an issue with Vodafone recently - it was off for a week or so about a month ago but the matter has since been resolved.
There are exceptions to this for some specific areas for example EE works up Cragg Vale better because they have a transmitter up there- the other networks down.
You can use your existing phone to scan for networks and it well tell you which networks you can receive at your house.
From John Maclean
Monday, 17 June 2013
I moved from Orange to Three earlier this year. I'm very pleased I did. I get 3G nearly everywhere. My friend who has an O2 contract very often has to tether to my phone to read her emails, etc.
From Iain Harrison
Saturday, 22 June 2013
The way to find out which network has the best local coverage is to get your phone to do a network search, which you trigger by choosing "manual network selection" in the settings.
The phone will then list all the networks it can find, in order of signal strength.
There is one proviso: the phone will always show its "home" network first if it can detect any signal at all.
So you need to do this test twice: once with your sim card in, and again with a sim card from a different network or (if your phone is locked to your network) with a different phone on another network. Then you can see where your network comes in the rankings.
When you have done this test, remember to set the phone back to "automatic network selection".
From Helen Lasham
Friday, 26 July 2013
I pay Orange approximately £40 pcm for an iPhone with limitless calls data etc, but can;t make a phone call on the thing on such a regular basis I began looking for reasons. I have just done a search and found that 02-uk enabled me to use uTube for the first time in a week! Thank you for your contributions to this discussion. I would be particularly interested in other Orange users experiences of advice from orange as nothing they have suggested has helped. Thanks in advance Helen
From Keith L
Saturday, 10 August 2013
I live down in the bottom of the valley by the river and I am on EE. That name makes me snigger - Everything Everywhere? More like very little most places in Hebden. Both I and my partner have spoken to sales staff in other service provider's shops and have both been really surprised to be told that their signal would not be any better for our address. If I lean against my living room window then I can sometimes make/receive a call, amazing or what? So sadly for Hebden at the moment EE is about as good as it gets.
From Helen Lasham
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
I'm on EE through Orange and have been complaining since February about intermittant signal which prevents me from using my iphone but not from paying £40pcm for this lack of service. I have been through all the switch it on and off stuff and recalibrating the phone to factory settings 3 times, loosing all my music photo's etc! and Orange have now agreed that after a month, if the signal does not improve, they will release me from my contract with no charge! Originally they said they would release me from contract for £380. We'll see what happens. It's worth arguing with them that they are not meeting there contract with you. Also telling them that you have started a town wide discussion forum about phone signal might help.
From Paul Rigg
Friday, 30 August 2013
If you live in a bad reception area for all the networks, which is quite possible in Hebden Bridge of course, the thing to get is a Vodafone Suresignal ( I don't think the other networks do them).
Then all you need is a 2 meg (min) broadband connection, a router and a 3g phone with a vodafone sim card.
You plug the suresignal in a 13a socket and connect it to your router. You also access the Vodafone website and set it up (instructions provided) and after around 20 minutes you should get a 3G signal round the house.
It can be configured to work with up to 32 different mobile (Vodafone) numbers and they are £100.
I've had one a year or two and it works very well in my office up Cragg Vale.