6 ms·

The problem though is the Sun will negatively affect Bluetooth range. If you're inside it's great and you can go into multiple rooms depending on the materials

The problem though is the Sun will negatively affect Bluetooth range. If you're inside it's great and you can go into multiple rooms depending on the materials / wall thickness between you and the device. Once you go outside on a sunny day if the phone isn't directly in the line-of-sight (and even then) you'll get constant disconnects. Using multiple headsets / headphones and phones (including iPhone and multiple Androids) and I have yet to have one that DIDN'T do this. More range may help thing. Well I can hope anyway.

jmiserez 10y ago
The Sun affects the range? How and why, that doesn't make sense at all?
- BinaryIdiot 10y ago
  > How and why, that doesn't make sense at all? Not sure. I remember reading an article some time ago that stated the Sun's electromagnetic radiation could interfere with Bluetooth and it's always worked with my observations. I've used multiple Plantronics headsets, Motorola headphones and an off brand of headphones all with an iPhone 5S, iPhone 6+, Nexus 6P, Moto X and a Note 3 and in all of these devices they work great indoors and going outside on a sunny day it would break up (but cloudy always seemed to work better). It's entirely possible this is some crazy bullshit but my observations are real. So if it ends up being that the Sun does NOT provide interfere then it must be SOMETHING. I just had this issue this past week when I was working outside and had to grab my wired headphones.
  - digi_owl 10y ago
    Another, as likely, aspect, is that Bluetooth is designed around signals bouncing off surfaces. Try moving your phone from one side of the body to the other while outside. It may well be that your surroundings do not provide enough signal reflection. Keep in mind that most mobile bluetooth radios do not transmit with the same strength as wifi. Best i can tell, only USB dongles use a wifi equivalent radio class.
    - BinaryIdiot 10y ago
      Interesting and sounds reasonable. I wonder if Bluetooth 5 will help in this regard.
      - digi_owl 10y ago
        I guess it could be possible. But the thing about range is that is most often reported under ideal conditions. Meaning clear line of sight between antennas and little to no other transmissions in that frequency range. And likely your best results will be if both devices are v5 devices.
- makomk 10y ago
  The Sun is quite a noisy radio transmitter across a very wide range of frequencies. Downside of having a big, hot unshielded fusion reactor in the sky.
pi-rat 10y ago
Sun affects bluetooth? How? The only times I've trouble with BT outside is when tons of people or shops are nearby (overcrowded 2.4 ghz spectrum I assume - bt, wifi, etc)
coldtea 10y ago
>Once you go outside on a sunny day if the phone isn't directly in the line-of-sight (and even then) you'll get constant disconnects. Using multiple headsets / headphones and phones (including iPhone and multiple Androids) and I have yet to have one that DIDN'T do this. Well, I've used wireless keyboards (Apple compact) and wireless headphones (Parrot Zik 2.0), and had zero disconnects under the hottest of Suns in several different countries. What do you mean "line of sight"? How far were you? Was it behind some wall or something? With the iPad/phone on my pocket/bag I never had any issue.
- BinaryIdiot 10y ago
  > What do you mean "line of sight"? How far were you? Was it behind some wall or something? With the iPad/phone on my pocket/bag I never had any issue. Basically if the BT hardware itself was on the right side of my head then my phone had to be in my right pocket or I'd get semi frequent disconnects outside. So not really line-of-sight in visual spectrum terms but I have had so many observations with so many bluetooth headsets and headphones and different phones that I always believed the original article I read a long time ago about sun interference (which, of course, I can't find today). It could certainly be something else but I most certainly have reproducible issues with using bluetooth outside versus inside my house or even car.
  - Someone 10y ago
    Could be that it's not the sun being the problem, but not having walls. Inside, the radio waves can bounce of the walls, around your body. Outside, they have to go through your body.
    - BinaryIdiot 10y ago
      Seems reasonable and would certainly explain my issues. I wonder if Bluetooth 5 will help that in any way.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    No, shouldn't be related at all (with the Sun, as I've gotten fine connection in the sun, whether the side etc). Sounds like it's more about some flimsy and/or underpowered BT headsets.
the_watcher 10y ago
I have never had an issue in the sun with my phone in my pocket. Is that considered LOS?

jmiserez 10y ago

The Sun affects the range? How and why, that doesn't make sense at all?

BinaryIdiot 10y ago
> How and why, that doesn't make sense at all? Not sure. I remember reading an article some time ago that stated the Sun's electromagnetic radiation could interfere with Bluetooth and it's always worked with my observations. I've used multiple Plantronics headsets, Motorola headphones and an off brand of headphones all with an iPhone 5S, iPhone 6+, Nexus 6P, Moto X and a Note 3 and in all of these devices they work great indoors and going outside on a sunny day it would break up (but cloudy always seemed to work better). It's entirely possible this is some crazy bullshit but my observations are real. So if it ends up being that the Sun does NOT provide interfere then it must be SOMETHING. I just had this issue this past week when I was working outside and had to grab my wired headphones.
- digi_owl 10y ago
  Another, as likely, aspect, is that Bluetooth is designed around signals bouncing off surfaces. Try moving your phone from one side of the body to the other while outside. It may well be that your surroundings do not provide enough signal reflection. Keep in mind that most mobile bluetooth radios do not transmit with the same strength as wifi. Best i can tell, only USB dongles use a wifi equivalent radio class.
  - BinaryIdiot 10y ago
    Interesting and sounds reasonable. I wonder if Bluetooth 5 will help in this regard.
    - digi_owl 10y ago
      I guess it could be possible. But the thing about range is that is most often reported under ideal conditions. Meaning clear line of sight between antennas and little to no other transmissions in that frequency range. And likely your best results will be if both devices are v5 devices.
makomk 10y ago
The Sun is quite a noisy radio transmitter across a very wide range of frequencies. Downside of having a big, hot unshielded fusion reactor in the sky.

pi-rat 10y ago

Sun affects bluetooth? How? The only times I've trouble with BT outside is when tons of people or shops are nearby (overcrowded 2.4 ghz spectrum I assume - bt, wifi, etc)

coldtea 10y ago

>Once you go outside on a sunny day if the phone isn't directly in the line-of-sight (and even then) you'll get constant disconnects. Using multiple headsets / headphones and phones (including iPhone and multiple Androids) and I have yet to have one that DIDN'T do this. Well, I've used wireless keyboards (Apple compact) and wireless headphones (Parrot Zik 2.0), and had zero disconnects under the hottest of Suns in several different countries. What do you mean "line of sight"? How far were you? Was it behind some wall or something? With the iPad/phone on my pocket/bag I never had any issue.

BinaryIdiot 10y ago
> What do you mean "line of sight"? How far were you? Was it behind some wall or something? With the iPad/phone on my pocket/bag I never had any issue. Basically if the BT hardware itself was on the right side of my head then my phone had to be in my right pocket or I'd get semi frequent disconnects outside. So not really line-of-sight in visual spectrum terms but I have had so many observations with so many bluetooth headsets and headphones and different phones that I always believed the original article I read a long time ago about sun interference (which, of course, I can't find today). It could certainly be something else but I most certainly have reproducible issues with using bluetooth outside versus inside my house or even car.
- Someone 10y ago
  Could be that it's not the sun being the problem, but not having walls. Inside, the radio waves can bounce of the walls, around your body. Outside, they have to go through your body.
  - BinaryIdiot 10y ago
    Seems reasonable and would certainly explain my issues. I wonder if Bluetooth 5 will help that in any way.
- coldtea 10y ago
  No, shouldn't be related at all (with the Sun, as I've gotten fine connection in the sun, whether the side etc). Sounds like it's more about some flimsy and/or underpowered BT headsets.

the_watcher 10y ago

I have never had an issue in the sun with my phone in my pocket. Is that considered LOS?