In article ,
tom wrote:

On 7/12/2010 9:46 PM, Richard Clark wrote:

The only thing that remains a mystery, for me if for no one else here,
is the literal specification of the antenna. Google (gasp) fails me.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

And that does seem to be the crux of the matter. What is the antenna?
And what does it interact with that's not, be it part of the phone or
part of the user?

tom
K0TAR

There are a number of issues here, that are Mutually Exclusive, but
added together cause the iPhone4 to seem to have some problems.

Issue One. Apple has already admitted that the Signal Level algorithm,
used in the IPhone4 was seriously flawed in how it displayed Signal
Level. (Bars) When the Phone displayed 4 or 5 Bars, it may actually only
be receiving at a 1-2 Bar Level. This they have corrected with a
Software Patch.

Issue Two. The Multi-Band Antenna design in the iPhone4 is a Kludge
Compromise at best, and burying it in the Metal Frame where Left Hand
users put the flesh against it, seriously detunes it. Apple is in the
process of hiring a small group of Engineers, with expertise in this
area.

The combination of these two issues seems to cause, what appears to be a
High Signal Level, to drop to "No Bars" when some users grasp the
iPhone4 in a particular way. The "Simple Fix" is don't hold it that way.
The more complex "Fix" is to redesign the Cellular Antenna, and move it
to the Top of the iPhone4. This would require that the BlueTooth/Wifi
antenna be redesigned as well. Apple is looking to do that in the 2nd
Generation iPhone4.

Just remember that Apple isn't particularly adept in the RF Arena, and
the iPhone/iTouch/iPad are their only small products that have RF
Antennas, this small. Also remember that some of their Laptops, of past
years, had some serious Wifi Antenna placement problems, and remember
that Wifi at that time was only a Single Band, not a Three Band System,
like the iPhone4.

Just saying.

--
Bruce in alaska
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