Poor bluetooth reception 8130 Pearl

I have now gone through 4 different headsets all with poor reception. I thought it was because I was buying cheaper headsets until I picked up a Plantronics Voyager 520 yesterday. I noticed that if I have the phone on my hip (on the right side) I have lots of static. If I move the phone to the left side (I wear it in my left ear) the static nearly disappears completely.

Am I the only one with bluetooth problems or is this common for the pearl? I'm wondering if I should be trying to get a replacement for my phone.

Thanks,
Sam

Am I the only one with problems? I tried the headset on my wife's phone and got the same results. Sprint wants $50 to cover the phone under warranty and I'm worried I will have the same results with a craptastic refurb phone.

Originally Posted by slenser

Am I the only one with problems? I tried the headset on my wife's phone and got the same results. Sprint wants $50 to cover the phone under warranty and I'm worried I will have the same results with a craptastic refurb phone.

I went through 5 headsets recently, including the plantronics 510, new jawbone , moto H12, and a couple others. All had static problems.

I have a verizon BB 8130 pearl. Settled on the motorola H500, an older design with no fancy noise cancellation or that kind of fluff. Clear as a bell both incoming and outgoing. Redial, voice dialing, transfer calls between headset and phone, all available. Great headset, IMHO.

i have the same problem i thought it was just me i bought and returned about 5 of them and then settled on a $50 one which still does the same thing

I have the same problem, I am using the motorola H680. I worked just fine with my other phone, but is crap with my BB. I tried differnet ones as well, with no improvement. It just chalked it up to poor reception. The only thing that works without any problem is the headset that came with the phone.

I just migrated from a Motorola E815 phone to a Pearl 8130. I've used my Plantronics Voyager 510 on my E815 for over a year and never had a hint of static. With my Pearl I get tons of static. Same headset, same environment, same cellular carrier (Verizon). This sucks.

Originally Posted by slenser

I have now gone through 4 different headsets all with poor reception. I thought it was because I was buying cheaper headsets until I picked up a Plantronics Voyager 520 yesterday. I noticed that if I have the phone on my hip (on the right side) I have lots of static. If I move the phone to the left side (I wear it in my left ear) the static nearly disappears completely.

Am I the only one with bluetooth problems or is this common for the pearl? I'm wondering if I should be trying to get a replacement for my phone.

Thanks,
Sam

I just returned my jawbone II because of the static. This is ridiculous!

Saying that this is a Pearl/Curve problem is misleading and until you do any BT homework, you'll always be mistaken.

Please dont assume that the BT problems you are having is specific to the Pearl. BT is and of itself is NOT a perfect technology; especially related to cellular use. It is quite common that if the phone and BT headset are on opposite sides, you may experience static or crackling/popping sounds. It really doesn't matter how many times you exchange the phone or the headset.

For those of you that think an exchange was the answer- give it a minute.

One of the things regarding BT is that all of us can be using the same phone, yet at the same time, we'd all be using a different BT headset because what works perfectly for one person may not work perfectly for the rest.

So yes, in order for both to live happily ever after, it helps to have both phone and headset on the same side of the body.

The only BT headset I have used to date that has been great is the BlueAnt Z9; but there are times in which I have to move the phone over for the static to go away. I never did like the jawbone- as a matter of fact, I detested it. Havent tried the newer model yet.

Blue tooth technology hasn't been perfected yet. I have been using bt headsets since they have come to the marketplace, every year they get better and better. I have everyone of those headsets and they all work great. Scandalex is right, to ensure minimal static keep the headset and handset as close to one another as possible (on same side of body). I have also found that if you keep your phone stationary (on a desk, cup holder in your car etc.) while using it to talk on the phone you shouldn't have many problems. You have to remember it is data being passed through the air from point a to point b if there is anything in the way of that transfer you will increase the chances of poor reception, in this case static on your headset.

Because I used the Voyager 510 for over a year on the E815 and never had a single issue. Never had to worry about the orientation of the phone relative to the headset. In fact I could use the headset in another room 15 feet away and still not get any static. Only after ~20 feet did the signal start breaking up. Bluetooth technology (for the headset profile anyway) is well beyond the stage of having to worry about product incompatibility or RF issues.

Since my last post I've tried the same headset on 4 other non-Blackberry phones (LG enV, KRAZR, and two Samsung models) and all worked flawlessly.

Originally Posted by ScandaLeX

Saying that this is a Pearl/Curve problem is misleading and until you do any BT homework, you'll always be mistaken.

Please dont assume that the BT problems you are having is specific to the Pearl. BT is and of itself is NOT a perfect technology; especially related to cellular use. It is quite common that if the phone and BT headset are on opposite sides, you may experience static or crackling/popping sounds. It really doesn't matter how many times you exchange the phone or the headset.

For those of you that think an exchange was the answer- give it a minute.

One of the things regarding BT is that all of us can be using the same phone, yet at the same time, we'd all be using a different BT headset because what works perfectly for one person may not work perfectly for the rest.

So yes, in order for both to live happily ever after, it helps to have both phone and headset on the same side of the body.

The only BT headset I have used to date that has been great is the BlueAnt Z9; but there are times in which I have to move the phone over for the static to go away. I never did like the jawbone- as a matter of fact, I detested it. Havent tried the newer model yet.

I have the same problem. I used to have a KRAZR with a Plantronics 510 and the static was bad, in no way could I get 15 feet away let alone 20. I was very optimistic when I bought my BB 8130 Pearl that things would change, not at all, the static is now worse!! I went out and bought the new Plantronics 520 and still the same, it's so bad sometimes I have to hold the phone next the the headset which completely defeats the purpose! I was wondering if there was any software out there that would boost bluetooth reception?? If not it's a good idea someone could make allot of money on.;)

Originally Posted by slenser

Am I the only one with bluetooth problems or is this common for the pearl? I'm wondering if I should be trying to get a replacement for my phone.

Thanks,
Sam

You don't have a metal plate in your body, do you? :) Just checking. Nay just kidding. The Tin Man? ;)

Been using a Jabra Bt3030 for a couple of weeks and it has it's moments. Aside from the fact it's more for listening to mp3s, it is bluetooth and of course stereo.

Throw my bb in my backpack and the jabra hangs around my neck with earbuds plugged into it when I ride my mountain bike. The sound is pretty clear and the few calls I've had are quite acceptable. But there are times that is doesn't work well when I bouncing around.

Seems like the technology is almost there but the stars and planets have to be perfectly aligned. :(

HAHA, no metal plates, YET.

Go with Motorola M8, I swear by Motorola BT devices and use several daily without any problems..

Same prob here. I am using the JayBird JB-200 stereo headset and also have static issues. This is, however, my very first Bluetooth device and I just thought the static was normal for this technology. I even have static when it is just 2ft. away on a table and I am not moving. Oh well, I'm gonna keep using it and wait for the technology to improve.

I don't know but it may has something to do with the os you guys are using on your berries. i am still using 4.2 and the moto h710 headset and i can walk at lesat 20 ft and still talk with minimal issues. and my headset will stay paired without lost connection for about 50 ft+, double the distance from the h700. I used to get some static when I used the h700 and the original os the was pre installed from Tmo. After I updated it helped and now i really don't have any problems. I will get static if i shake the phone or wave it in my hand while trying to talk and sometimes if it is on the opposite side of my body but nothing major.

arrrggh same problem here. using a samsung sbh-500 stereo headset for streaming music with loads of static. it integrates well with all funktions but the tons of static is more than disappointing.

i i place the phone on my desk im able to go 1-2m away and the statics begin. in my pocket it works while sitting still and things get really bad when i stand up and walk around. even have statics when i have the phone in my shirts upper pocket and start turning my head. ..i mean this is a distance of maybe 30cm - cant be true, is it?

im using firmware v4.5.0.37 which is the latest i think? :eek:

isnt there any stereo headset out there working with the bb 8310 without these problems or any fix to get these working? maybe an antenna mod or sth?

best
d

Originally Posted by boubou

arrrggh same problem here. using a samsung sbh-500 stereo headset for streaming music with loads of static. it integrates well with all funktions but the tons of static is more than disappointing.

i i place the phone on my desk im able to go 1-2m away and the statics begin. in my pocket it works while sitting still and things get really bad when i stand up and walk around. even have statics when i have the phone in my shirts upper pocket and start turning my head. ..i mean this is a distance of maybe 30cm - cant be true, is it?

im using firmware v4.5.0.37 which is the latest i think? :eek:

isnt there any stereo headset out there working with the bb 8310 without these problems or any fix to get these working? maybe an antenna mod or sth?

best
d

did you have similar problems w/ the older versions of the os?

I am having problems with my new BT earpiece also. I got the Jabra 8040. Strange thing is... it works GREAT for music. I can put the phone on one side of the room and start the media player. The sound is great and there is little to no static.

However, the second I switch to make a phone call, the static is horrible... I nearly have to hold the phone right next to my ear for it to even sound reasonable. I can't even have the phone on my hip without hearing static.

I was going to return the earpiece and get something different... but wanted to post my experience in case anyone has any tips. I'm running OS 4.5 on a Pearl 8100.

I have version 4.3.0.97 I think. That's what I find under Options/About.

I am currently not using a headset because of this garbage. I will not accept that bluetooth technology is still new. It has been around for a few years and has matured enough for it to be fully functional. I expect it to work nearly flawlessly. Especially with many areas now requiring the use of a headset while driving.

I believe this is a RIM problem with the pearl at least. I don't know about the other phones. I also was able to use my headsets successfully on my Motorola Q. Unfortunately, I can't risk paying $50 to get a refurbed replacement only to have the same issue.

I've tried motorola bt headsets before, the only phone I had no problem with it working on was a razr, it was junk on a bb, dash, mda, treo, even a samsung t409, I use a jabra bt135-made for verizon a couple years ago, but it works well with my bb, i also use a bt250v with no problems other than the size, i do installation work and if i bump my head or move to fast it falls out of my ear.

Originally Posted by slenser

I have version 4.3.0.97 I think. That's what I find under Options/About.

I am currently not using a headset because of this garbage. I will not accept that bluetooth technology is still new. It has been around for a few years and has matured enough for it to be fully functional. I expect it to work nearly flawlessly. Especially with many areas now requiring the use of a headset while driving.

I believe this is a RIM problem with the pearl at least. I don't know about the other phones. I also was able to use my headsets successfully on my Motorola Q. Unfortunately, I can't risk paying $50 to get a refurbed replacement only to have the same issue.

You might be right w/ it being a issue on Rim's end. BT should work flawlessly especially w/ BB's.

I currently have the Verizon Pearl 8130 and the Jabra BT8040 and have had no issues with static at all. In fact, I used to have a Plantronics and Motorola headset as well and had no issues (no I'm not bragging).

I read somewhere before that the issue might be the Security setting under "Bluetooth" being set to "High + Encryption". Try changing that to just "High" and see what happens.

Go to Options/Bluetooth/BB Menu Key/Options/Security Level and select "High"

Maybe that's not it but it's worth a try. Good luck.