[HD2 Windows Mobile 6.5 ROM Development] emmjaytee:
San Antonio Radio Tests

Just wanted to give my results for different radio trials in San Antonio. I'm housesitting on the far north side and currently have go outside to get 3G or H signal, and rarely get more than 1 bar of edge in the house. Throughout the rest of the city, full H or 3G signal is common.

To start, let me clarify that I'm using an HD2 on T-Mobile USA. It's been HSPL'd and my ROM is Elegancia V 9.0 WWE from June 6, previously flashed with the udpated 2.13 stock ROM. I also have SPB Mobile Shell 3.5.5 with Vostradamus' Shell Manager v 4.0 and complete widget set. I have my weather set to update only every 4 hours and my email to be updated only every 2 hours. Also, my backlight is set at the minimum of 20%.

That being said, after flashing the phone and installing the great Elegancia ROM & SPB Shell, I began with the stock radio 2.08.50.08_2. I had stellar battery performance compared to the stock rom. In fact, the battery would last 10 hours with moderate texting (300+), about an hours worth of talk time, Google Map usage (which has been the biggest drain on my battery with the exception of 2.09.50.29...see below), occasional Opera 10, YouTube, and Skyfire browsing, and your basic tweaking of the layouts and music player use. As mentioned above, the signal strength at my current location is sketchy which is why I began testing different radios.

The first radio tested was 2.12.50.02. I found a moderate increase in signal strength. I was able to get 1-2 bars of 3G occasionally, but found that it constantly bounced from 3G-Edge-GSM resulting is a faster battery drain. In fact, I unplugged the fully charged phone at 10pm, had it on standby, and by 6:45am the next morning, it had drained to 74%!

The next radio tested (2.09.50.29)turned out to be the worst for me. As noted by other XDA members, I found a wicked echo and no improvement on signal strength. The battery drain during phone calls was tremendous. For example, I answered the phone with 71% battery and was on the phone for exactly 30min on my drive home. 38% of the battery remained after a 30min call!!! Terrible! I then plugged the phone in and was on another call for an hour and by the end of this second call, the phone had only charged 3%. Not impressed and the data speeds were unchanged from the previous two tests.

Radios 2.10.50.19_2 & 2.10. 50.08 were virtually identical. No increase in signal strength and a quicker battery drain on standby than 2.08.50.08, but not nearly as draining during phone calls as 2.09.50.29.

Currently, I'm testing 2.11.50.20. It is VERY similar to 2.08.50.08 but seems to have a slightly faster battery drain but also a slightly stronger signal. I'm getting, on average, 2 bars of 3G whereas with 2.08.50.08 I was lucky to get 2 bars of Edge. Battery drain, though, while talking on the phone is about 20% greater on 2.11. Data speeds seem to be about equal. Perhaps a tick faster with 2.11 compared to 2.08.

So, long/boring story short, for me with my settings, my usage, my location, and my novice testing skills, it's a toss-up between 2.11.50.20 and 2.08.50.08. The battery lasts longer with 2.08 but the reception is slightly better with 2.11. Once I'm thru housesitting and have full signal strength at my own house, I'll go back to 2.08...until we get out hands on another one!

Hope this helps someone