Natel reception always breaks off over the Staffelegg

    • I’ve been driving across the Staffelegg twice a day for around 15 years. A lot has changed since then, but two things have remained… I’m still a SWISSCOM customer and…

    … my cell phone always cuts out when driving from south to north (Küttigen - Densbüren) (for years and I usually have the latest cell phones) just before the top of the pass and the reception only returns when I enter Densbüren.

    Is Swisscom really unable to set up a decent transmitter on this route (around 10,000 vehicles a day, after all)? - or am I the only one who encounters this phenomenon?

    Maybe there is someone among you who has the same problem. How did you solve that?

    Thank you for your tips

    Danilue

    Show original language (German)

    • With the settings:

      VoLTE call:=Off

      Network mode:=3G only

      Mobile Data/Mobile Internet:=Off

      The mobile phone with Android operating system exclusively uses the 3G/UMTS mobile network. If “Mobile data” is switched off, the mobile phone switches to “pure” UMTS mode (without HSPA/HSPA+/HSDPA/HSUPA). In “pure” UMTS mode, the Android mobile phone shows the “3G” mobile network logo or no mobile network logo at all in the status bar at the top.

      The “pure” UMTS mode is the only network mode that can be used today where the mobile phone uses “soft handover”. 2G/GSM, 4G/LTE and 5G only support “Hard Handover”. If the mobile network logo “H” or “H+” appears at the top of the status bar, HSPA/HSPA+/HSDPA/HSUPA is used, which only enables “Hard Handover”!

      https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handover

      “Soft Handover” enables a much more stable change of the mobile phone antenna during an ongoing telephone call than “Hard Handover”. This is particularly beneficial in fast-moving motor vehicles and railway carriages.

      The car is a Farady cage. Making phone calls in a Farady cage is a very bad idea! The cell phone signal received in the car is 1000x weaker than outside. The window panes, which are coated with a very thin layer of metal (heat protection glazing) and the metal car shell, shield the mobile phone signal very well. That’s why you should only use an external antenna to make phone calls in your car. The same applies to rail cars without in-train repeaters.

      https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/Abbruch-des-telefonat/m-p/636411

      https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrain-Repeater

      The cell reception problem can be isolated as follows:

      1.) Set the mobile phone to “pure” UMTS mode as described above.

      2.) Sit in the passenger seat and dial the telephone number *#0011# on the Samsung mobile phone before the car journey described above (the mobile phone’s internal network monitor is started).

      3.) Observe the indication “PSC” while driving. The number “PSC” corresponds to the cell phone antenna currently in use.

      While driving, observe the indication “RSCP” (RSCP_CPICH). “RSCP” corresponds to the signal strength of the received mobile signal. The RSCP value is also displayed graphically with a strong delay with the well-known “mobile signal bars” in the status line at the top. For a stable telephone conversation with good voice quality, experience has shown that the RSCP value should be in the range of -30 to -90. The closer the RSCP value is to 0, the stronger the cell phone signal received by the cell phone antenna. RSCP values ​​of -90 to -140 indicate a mobile signal that is too weak. The value -255 means that the cell phone is not receiving a cell phone signal at all.

      4.) Use the Bakom radio transmitter card to determine which mobile phone antenna corresponds to which PSC number.
      https://map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=funksender

      [https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/Mit-welcher-Handy-Antenne-bin-ich-verbunden/m-p/646485](https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/Mit- which-cell-phone-antenna-am-I-connected/m-p/646485)

      5.) After troubleshooting, the “pure” 3G/UMTS mode should be switched off again for health reasons (radiation protection) by undoing all the settings listed above!

      To find the cell phone antenna currently in use, you should also consult the information below:

      [https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/Mit-welcher-Handy-Antenne-bin-ich-verbunden/td-p/646485](https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/ Which cell phone antenna am I connected to/td-p/646485)

      be taken into account.

      To measure the signal strength and signal quality of the 4G/LTE and 5G cellular signal, see:

      [https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/4G-VoLTE-telefonieren-mit-externer-antenna-oder-analogem-telefon/m-p/638463#M8231] (https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/4G-VoLTE-telefonieren-mit-externer-Antenne-oder-analogem-telefon/m-p/638463#M8231)

    On the map at the link below you can see that the coverage there is very poor!

    I can’t say whether these are structural measures or objections.

    [https://map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=funksender&lang=de&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo.pixelkarte-farben&layers=ch.bakom.radio- Fernsehensender,ch.bakom.mobil-anten nenlocations-gsm,ch.bakom.mobil-antennenlocatione-umts,ch.bakom.mobil-antennenlocatione-lte&catalogNodes=403,408&zoom=9&E=2646912.25&N=1253855.88] (https://map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=funksender&lang=de&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo.pixelkarte-farben&layers=ch.bakom.radio- Fernsehensender,ch.bakom.mobil-anten nenlocations-gsm,ch.bakom.mobil-antennenlocatione-umts,ch.bakom.mobil-antennenlocatione-lte&catalogNodes=403,408&zoom=9&E=2646912.25&N=1253855.88)

    But what’s strange is that it doesn’t go back to normal in between, see excerpt below?

    Cover-Staffelegg.JPG

    Show original language (German)

    Installationen, Netzwerk, Internet, Computertechnik, OS Windows, Apple und Linux.

    A few weeks ago I drove this route from Aarau on a Sunday in heavy snowfall, and I had the best reception without any interruptions. I’ve also driven there before and always listen to music via live stream with Apple Music. Never any interruptions on this route.

    Maybe it’s your car. It was just an idea. To find out you would have to venture on foot across the Staffelegg 😉

    Show original language (German)

    Thanks for the tip - in addition to cell phones, I also change cars every now and then. If it doesn’t help - it’s best to simply not make the phone call, or warn the other party in advance and call again from Densbüren…

    Show original language (German)

    Are you making calls in the 4G, 3G or 2G network? Do you perhaps have something disabled on your phone?

    Maybe switching from 4G to 3G or 2G makes the interruptions.

    Try it out and see if it gets better if you only need the 4G network for the data.

    Show original language (German)
    • danilue has responded to this post.

      Is that correct? You always have the latest cell phone, but always the same SIM card?

      Show original language (German)

      Installationen, Netzwerk, Internet, Computertechnik, OS Windows, Apple und Linux.

      No, it also changes with the generations of cell phones - now it’s a Galaxy Note8 and it only has a very small one, I think it’s called Nano?? or something like that and I already had it replaced once because I thought that was the problem.

      Show original language (German)

      So on the iPhone you can change the setting so that you only activate 4G for data; phone calls then only work over the 3G/2G network. Someone here probably knows how this works with Android devices.

      Show original language (German)

      Yes, just deactivate VoLTE and then the call will automatically go over 2G or 3G. But that shouldn’t be the case. If the reception becomes too poor with 4G, the device usually automatically switches to 2G or 3G. At least with my Galaxy S8+ I have no problems with it.

      Show original language (German)

      Thank you very much for the Strauss tips that I received from you here in a short space of time - I’ll try these out and then let you know whether it helped - otherwise I would be happy for a contact address at Swisscom.

      :thumbs_up::thumbs_up:

      Show original language (German)

      If the number 0800 800 800 is contacted then there is information about which number must be pressed for further connection and there is also mobile questions.

      Show original language (German)

      Installationen, Netzwerk, Internet, Computertechnik, OS Windows, Apple und Linux.

      With the settings:

      VoLTE call:=Off

      Network mode:=3G only

      Mobile Data/Mobile Internet:=Off

      The mobile phone with Android operating system exclusively uses the 3G/UMTS mobile network. If “Mobile data” is switched off, the mobile phone switches to “pure” UMTS mode (without HSPA/HSPA+/HSDPA/HSUPA). In “pure” UMTS mode, the Android mobile phone shows the “3G” mobile network logo or no mobile network logo at all in the status bar at the top.

      The “pure” UMTS mode is the only network mode that can be used today where the mobile phone uses “soft handover”. 2G/GSM, 4G/LTE and 5G only support “Hard Handover”. If the mobile network logo “H” or “H+” appears at the top of the status bar, HSPA/HSPA+/HSDPA/HSUPA is used, which only enables “Hard Handover”!

      https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handover

      “Soft Handover” enables a much more stable change of the mobile phone antenna during an ongoing telephone call than “Hard Handover”. This is particularly beneficial in fast-moving motor vehicles and railway carriages.

      The car is a Farady cage. Making phone calls in a Farady cage is a very bad idea! The cell phone signal received in the car is 1000x weaker than outside. The window panes, which are coated with a very thin layer of metal (heat protection glazing) and the metal car shell, shield the mobile phone signal very well. That’s why you should only use an external antenna to make phone calls in your car. The same applies to rail cars without in-train repeaters.

      https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/Abbruch-des-telefonat/m-p/636411

      https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrain-Repeater

      The cell reception problem can be isolated as follows:

      1.) Set the mobile phone to “pure” UMTS mode as described above.

      2.) Sit in the passenger seat and dial the telephone number *#0011# on the Samsung mobile phone before the car journey described above (the mobile phone’s internal network monitor is started).

      3.) Observe the indication “PSC” while driving. The number “PSC” corresponds to the cell phone antenna currently in use.

      While driving, observe the indication “RSCP” (RSCP_CPICH). “RSCP” corresponds to the signal strength of the received mobile signal. The RSCP value is also displayed graphically with a strong delay with the well-known “mobile signal bars” in the status line at the top. For a stable telephone conversation with good voice quality, experience has shown that the RSCP value should be in the range of -30 to -90. The closer the RSCP value is to 0, the stronger the cell phone signal received by the cell phone antenna. RSCP values ​​of -90 to -140 indicate a mobile signal that is too weak. The value -255 means that the cell phone is not receiving a cell phone signal at all.

      4.) Use the Bakom radio transmitter card to determine which mobile phone antenna corresponds to which PSC number.
      https://map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=funksender

      [https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/Mit-welcher-Handy-Antenne-bin-ich-verbunden/m-p/646485](https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/Mit- which-cell-phone-antenna-am-I-connected/m-p/646485)

      5.) After troubleshooting, the “pure” 3G/UMTS mode should be switched off again for health reasons (radiation protection) by undoing all the settings listed above!

      To find the cell phone antenna currently in use, you should also consult the information below:

      [https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/Mit-welcher-Handy-Antenne-bin-ich-verbunden/td-p/646485](https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/ Which cell phone antenna am I connected to/td-p/646485)

      be taken into account.

      To measure the signal strength and signal quality of the 4G/LTE and 5G cellular signal, see:

      [https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/4G-VoLTE-telefonieren-mit-externer-antenna-oder-analogem-telefon/m-p/638463#M8231] (https://community.swisscom.ch/t5/Mobile/4G-VoLTE-telefonieren-mit-externer-Antenne-oder-analogem-telefon/m-p/638463#M8231)

      Show original language (German)

      Thank you @GrandDixence for the detailed description of the measurement method and everyone else who advised me.

      I tried it this way today and on PSC 287 just before the top of the pass I constantly ended up with values ​​of -102 to -122. It then changed to PSC 152, briefly to -88 then -111 again down to the village - there PSC 52? (not sure anymore) at around -95 and then again at all around -80 until the end of Densbüren.

      I hope Swisscom reads along and improves the channels…

      Show original language (German)