Method and apparatus for detecting adverse channel conditions and conserving power

A wireless device detects for an adverse channel condition, which may be (1) a frequent out of service (FOOS) condition indicative of frequent in and out of service or (2) an unbalanced forward/reverse link condition indicative of unbalanced coverage for the forward and reverse links. A FOOS condition may be detected based on an average in-service time, the number of lost system connections, the number of systems to which connections have been made, the rate of change for the systems, the altitude of the wireless device, and/or other parameters. An unbalanced forward/reverse link condition may be detected based on the average in-service time, the number of system access failures, and/or other parameters. The wireless device performs at least one action to conserve battery power if an adverse channel condition is detected. The action(s) may include performing system acquisition less frequently, disabling system registration, performing registration less frequently, and/or going to sleep.