Blackjack Dropped Calls

I had this problem on my Blackjack, and I was ready to return it!  I went to my Cingular store, and the rep told me that the issue is with the stability of the 3G network, not the Blackjack per se. 

The fix is to force the phone into GSM mode.  There is a *# code you can use for this - it's the same one used to help with power savings. 

1. Dial *#1546792*#
2. Hit 3
3. Then 5
4. Select GSM
5. Hit Done
6. Then end

As an alternative create a shortcut in \windows\start menu to \windows\adminsettings.exe. adminsettings.exe give the same menu as the number above.

You can also create a shortcut to bandsel.exe the same way, and select GSM850.

Prior to this trick, I was dropping over 50% of my calls.  Since forcing GSM mode, I have not dropped a single call.  As an added bonus, the battery life is much better.  Even web surfing works fine in GSM Edge mode.  The only time I would switch to 3G (WCDMA) is if I were tethered to a laptop.