Cell phone will not get any bars in my area

If your cell signal is going down especially in an area you normally have good service in or if you never turn your phone off with cdma technology( verizon, alltel, tracfone, ...no sim card) if you dial *228 from your cell hit send like making a cal and press option 2 it will update the phones signal and roaming capability and any new updates that your phone may not received due to bad area travel or not powering the phone on and off. It usally increases by one to two bars and if you are unable to get it to go through drive into town near any verizon wireless store they all have cell towers near them and try again. this can be done any time any where there is cell service within the continental u.s. and I do it if I travel from my home to the town 30 miles away because the signal changes so dramatically between towns. just a tip if your bars are dwindling away to nowhere.