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Section 11: Safety
Getting the Most Out of Your Reception
Keeping Tabs on Signal Strength
The quality of each call you make or receive depends on the signal
strength in your area. Your phone informs you of the current signal
strength by displaying a number of bars next to the signal strength
icon. The more bars displayed, the stronger the signal. If you’re
inside a building, being near a window may give you better
reception.
Understanding the Power Save Feature
If your phone is unable to find a signal after 15 minutes of
searching, a Power Save feature is automatically activated. If your
phone is active, it periodically rechecks service availability or you
can check it yourself by pressing any key. Anytime the Power
Save feature is activated, a message displays on the screen.
When a signal is found, your phone returns to standby mode.
Understanding How Your Phone Operates
Your phone is basically a radio transmitter and receiver. When it’s
turned on, it receives and transmits radio frequency (RF) signals.
When you use your phone, the system handling your call controls
the power level. This power can range from 0.006 watts to 0.2
watts in digital mode.
Knowing Radio Frequency Safety
The design of your phone complies with updated NCRP standards
described below. In 1991-92, the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) joined in updating ANSI’s 1982
standard for safety levels with respect to human exposure to RF
signals. More than 120 scientists, engineers and physicians from
universities, government health agencies and industries
developed this updated standard after reviewing the available
body of research. In 1993, the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) adopted this updated standard in a regulation.
In August 1996, the FCC adopted hybrid standard consisting of
the existing ANSI/IEEE standard and the guidelines published by
the National Council of Radiation Protection and Measurements
(NCRP).
Maintaining Your Phone’s Peak Performance
There are several simple guidelines to operating your phone
properly and maintaining safe, satisfactory service.
•
Try not to cover the phone’s antenna.
•
Speak directly into the mouthpiece.
