Qtek 8500 no longer holding a signal with internal antenna

[AdamaDBrown]

I've had a problem develop with my Qtek 8500. It will no longer hold onto a signal, instead going to 1 bar as soon as it's turned on, then very shortly losing the network entirely, never to return. The strange thing is that if I use the external antenna port (even something as simple as sticking a needle into the center contact, since I don't have a proper antenna adapter for it) then the whole thing works fine and dandy.

I've heard horror stories about how you absolutely need to go through a dealer in order to get Qtek warranty service in the US, and that's not really an option for me, as I bought it on eBay (from a guy who fraudulantly claimed it was a Cingular 3125, but that's a whole different story). So I suppose my question is two-fold: Does anyone know a way to get service for a Qtek 8500 without having bought it from a dealer, or can someone suggest a fix that I can do myself? I've already tried hard-resetting the device: it doesn't help.

[Mike Temporale]

sounds like the connection to the antenna has come apart. You could try taking it apart and seeing if the wire is connected or not. I have no idea what to look for, or if this is even possible on that model. But that's my guess.

As for repairs, you should be fine regardless of where or how you got it.. You might have a problem when it comes to free repairs vs paying. Since they don't have a record of you buying it, you could end up having to pay for the repair. However, there is an off chance that they won't ask and just work off the device serial number for an idea on how old it is.

[AdamaDBrown]

An update, if anyone's interested. Being the bold sort, and not interested at all in paying to get it repaired, I opened the thing up myself. You need to remove the two screws in the battery compartment, then gently pry up the plastic part of the backing to disengage the catches. The antenna is at the bottom edge of the phone, and is connected to the circuit-board via a length of metal and a small screw. I tried removing and reinstalling the antenna, but no joy. After having succeeded in stripping the screw, I decided to think laterally, and rewired the internal antenna to attach to the external antenna jack right next to it on the board. Obviously this disables the external antenna jack, but it's better than wandering around with a magnetic vehicle antenna attached to my head.

Ironically, I think my modification increased the phone's RF performance. It seems to be holding four bars all over the house at the moment. I'm still cautious at the moment, but I'm hoping it's fixed.