problem-solving your cell phone signal

We all know that question. The one about whether or not your conversation partner can hear you or if you've been talking to a piece of plastic for the last minute and a half.

Wired's got some ideas for how to get to the bottom of a cell phone reception problem and what to do about it.

Possible conversation stoppers?

Physical obstruction like a tall building or natural structure--mountain or valley or the like.
Electronic interferences.
Weather happenings from thunderstorms to humidity (hello September).
How you're holding your phone--your thumb could be scrambling things.

The solutions? After investigating the cause, you can try changing your location, holding your phone differently, investing in a repeater or external antenna or phoning up your cell phone provider and hoping they can hear you. Read more here.

Technorati tags: cell phone reception, dropped calls, mobile signal problems

Photo credit: GrahamKo