Underground setting?

[tannins]

My phone doesn't seem to figure out when a connection is not available that it should go to sleep. Instead it keeps sucking the battery dry.
Is there a setting for the phone to figure this out on its own? Should it be going to sleep on its own already and is not working properly?
The drain is drastic. Thx.

 

[svdroiddude]

So you are talking about it being on 4G then in an area with no service? Unfortunately with the radio ON it will continue to hunt for a signal, effectively killing your battery. I have not heard of an app that will automatically turn off the radio in a no service area. Your only option that I know of is to switch to airplane mode when in bad or no coverage areas.

 

[svdroiddude]

Looks like there are some apps that will switch to airplane mode when the screen is off...if that helps at all.

 

[VidJunky]

I don't know how well it would work for your situation, but I use Tasker for similar issues. When I'm at work I get no or very spotty signal so I set it up to go into airplane mode during my work hours, and then turn on after work. It can do functions based on location that works well, but location doesn't work well for airplane mode because you have to have signal to know where you are. So if you keep the same schedule something like this may be an option. If your randomly in and out of this low signal area, the better bet would be something like Free Power Widget or using the HTC airplane mode widget. You'll just have to be on it to know when to turn it back on.

If you want to know more about Tasker you can YouTube it or PM me. I really like it, but I have to admit I liked it more before Google stopped letting apps control GPS. The bums.

 

[tannins]

Thanks. I was looking for an automated feature and I was hoping the phone would go into a "no signal" mode on its own.
I guess I'll keep using airplane mode like you folks.

 

[TWC42]

If there was such a feature, that the phone went into a "sleep" mode with no signal, how would it know to come out of the sleep mode when the signal reappeared? I have the "mobile" widget on my home screen to turn data on and off manually, as well as the WiFi widget when away from home for extended periods, and can easily access the airplane mode, though I rarely need that feature.

 

[tannins]

Ok, dont call it sleep mode. Call it, I'm going to stop all processes that deal with communication until I get a signal again mode that stops all processes dealing with communication except looking for a signal.

 

[bsweetness]

Ok, dont call it sleep mode. Call it, I'm going to stop all processes that deal with communication until I get a signal again mode that stops all processes dealing with communication except looking for a signal.

But it's that "looking for a signal" part that kills the battery.

 

[tannins]

If there is no signal does the phone continue to try to update mail and continually refreshed apps?

 

[acejavelin]

No, it knows it can't do that... what it does is fire up all radios to Maximum Transmit Power and try to get a tower to respond, and drains the battery like fruit in a juicer.

Best thing you can do is put the Airplane Mode widget on the desktop and put the phone in Airplane Mode when you go underground, it will run for over a week with the screen off and in Airplane Mode.

 

[tannins]

Acejavelin, that was the info I was fishing for. Makes sense.

Of course, I use airplane mode in this fashion. I was hoping there was a way not to since I do actually receive SOME communication in the area that is a problem. Oh well.

 

[DaDroidDude]

Is there a wifi network available when you don't have 4g?

I go to my parent's house in the mountains and have no cell reception.
I log into their home network and all seems well.

I haven't spent a lot of time up there since getting the rezound so I'm not sure if it is searching for a cell signal and thus abnormally draining the battery or not.

Just a thought in case it might help.

B

 

[VidJunky]

IDK if you would see the same amount of drain since data is the biggest consumer of power. I think that's why people who have issues maintaining 4G see a big drain even though they have a good cell signal. Thinking on microchip here, I wonder if forcing the phone into 3G would conserve enough power that our OP could leave there phone in regular mode while making these treks underground since they say that it's not a total lack of signal just broken enough that they see a rise in battery consumption? Just wondering? To do that; settings> more(under wireless connection)> model network(the words not the on off switch)> network mode.

 

[DaDroidDude]

OP could try Juice Defender.
I've had good luck with it improving battery life.
Not sure if would help in this situation but the most robust version seems very tweakable and full of options.

Otoh, this might be a case where the only solution is manual human attention.
Ever since I started using an electronic daytimer, into a palm pilot that I still use and into smart phones, I just keep it in my mind to maintain them regularly.
I make daily backups and I plug them in almost every time I'm at a desk or in my car for an extended period of time.

As a result, they are always at the ready, 24/7.

In this case, if I had regular places that I went to that had no signal, I would manually put the phone in airplane mode and turn it off when back in range.

Sometimes there just isn't the perfect solution.

Good luck.
B

 

[HowardZ]

Ok, dont call it sleep mode. Call it, I'm going to stop all processes that deal with communication until I get a signal again mode that stops all processes dealing with communication except looking for a signal.

Press power button for several seconds and then select power off ?

It is the best power saving mode keeping the screen off and the cell radio off. That's what you want, right? You want the radio off along with the screen off while in an area where you know you can't get a signal - underground in a sewer or a bomb shelter.