Tri mode with GSM

I'm considering replacing my TDMA phone with a phone that uses GSM and
TDMA. My question is how these phones decide which network to use and do
you have any manual control. Will it hang onto a weak unusable GSM
signal before it switches to a strong TDMA signal.


--
Thanks

Traveling

---

› See More: Tri mode with GSM

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> I'm considering replacing my TDMA phone with a phone that uses GSM and
> TDMA.
>
Lottsa luck. There is no GSM/TDMA phone - there are exactly TWO GAIT
phones that are GSM/TDMA/AMPS but Cingular is no longer offering them
with a GAIT plan. Nokia 6340i and Sony Ericsson T62u--AFAIK neither is
still being manufactured. You may be able to find one on ebay but the
GAIT specific plan is not offered. A few people report success in
adding the "GAIT feature" to an existing GSM account. If you can't get
the account flagged for GAIT then CS can't activate the TDMA/AMPS part
of the phone on the account so you can use it. Also no word yet on
roaming charges on TDMA and especially AMPS when the feature is "added".
The real GAIT plans made no distinction in GSM/TDMA/AMPS as far as
roaming charges were concerned--NONE with the national plans.

> TDMA. My question is how these phones decide which network to use and do
> you have any manual control. Will it hang onto a weak unusable GSM
> signal before it switches to a strong TDMA signal.

The T62u had a few controls--the 6340i has NONE whatsoever, all removed.
You get what the phone & system decide you should have. On the GAIT
plan the phone looks for Cingular GSM, Cingular TDMA, Other GSM, Other
TDMA, AMPS. The 6340i holds onto a GSM signal as long as there is one
bar even if it's unusable--I've only seen that a few times. In this
area normally there is either 3 or more bars of GSM or none.
--
Jud
Dallas TX USA

Great idea, and I;ve been there. Doubt if you can get it and it won't work
exactly as advertised.

I've got a GSM former ATTWS with lots of time on an unlocked 6340i. Hi band
and low band GSM, but no analog. I also have a Verizon Single Rate West
(other plans may be best for you) which does cdma and analog. I'm an Oregon
& California guy, and there are large areas with analog only. If you stay
within 100 miles of a major city, the need for analog is low. I do these
phones for about $80/month. If you could get GAIT (and you can't) you
would not save much if any money.

Look at Sprint Free and Clear America. They allow off-plan roaming and
analog if your phone has analog.

"Traveling" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm considering replacing my TDMA phone with a phone that uses GSM and
> TDMA. My question is how these phones decide which network to use and do
> you have any manual control. Will it hang onto a weak unusable GSM signal
> before it switches to a strong TDMA signal.
>
>
> --
> Thanks
>
> Traveling
>
>
>

Jud Hardcastle wrote:
> Lottsa luck. There is no GSM/TDMA phone - there are exactly TWO GAIT
> phones that are GSM/TDMA/AMPS but Cingular is no longer offering them
> with a GAIT plan. Nokia 6340i and Sony Ericsson T62u--AFAIK neither is
> still being manufactured. You may be able to find one on ebay but the
> GAIT specific plan is not offered. A few people report success in
> adding the "GAIT feature" to an existing GSM account. If you can't get
> the account flagged for GAIT then CS can't activate the TDMA/AMPS part
> of the phone on the account so you can use it. Also no word yet on
> roaming charges on TDMA and especially AMPS when the feature is "added".
> The real GAIT plans made no distinction in GSM/TDMA/AMPS as far as
> roaming charges were concerned--NONE with the national plans.
>

It appears at least one GSM/TDMA phone is still available;
a1wireless.com has a Siemens S46 advertised on their website under ATT
GSM plans. It's listed with the following specs; Dual band TDMA 800/1900
MHz & Dual band GSM 900/1900MHz
I actually have both the GAIT phones you mentioned, both under a GAIT
plan. I had a local GAIT plan, but updated it to a Nationwide GAIT plan
just before they disappeared from the web site. I personally like the
T-62 better.

JPH

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Sun, 28 Nov 2004 07:00:45 -0800, "Kevin"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I've got a GSM former ATTWS with lots of time on an unlocked 6340i. Hi band
>and low band GSM, but no analog.

The 6340i *does* have AMPS (analog).

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

"Jud Hardcastle" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > I'm considering replacing my TDMA phone with a phone that uses GSM and
> > TDMA.
> >
> Lottsa luck. There is no GSM/TDMA phone - there are exactly TWO GAIT
> phones that are GSM/TDMA/AMPS but Cingular is no longer offering them
> with a GAIT plan. Nokia 6340i and Sony Ericsson T62u--AFAIK neither is
> still being manufactured. You may be able to find one on ebay but the
> GAIT specific plan is not offered. A few people report success in
> adding the "GAIT feature" to an existing GSM account. If you can't get
> the account flagged for GAIT then CS can't activate the TDMA/AMPS part
> of the phone on the account so you can use it. Also no word yet on
> roaming charges on TDMA and especially AMPS when the feature is "added".
> The real GAIT plans made no distinction in GSM/TDMA/AMPS as far as
> roaming charges were concerned--NONE with the national plans.
>
> > TDMA. My question is how these phones decide which network to use and do
> > you have any manual control. Will it hang onto a weak unusable GSM
> > signal before it switches to a strong TDMA signal.
>
> The T62u had a few controls--the 6340i has NONE whatsoever, all removed.
> You get what the phone & system decide you should have. On the GAIT
> plan the phone looks for Cingular GSM, Cingular TDMA, Other GSM, Other
> TDMA, AMPS. The 6340i holds onto a GSM signal as long as there is one
> bar even if it's unusable--I've only seen that a few times. In this
> area normally there is either 3 or more bars of GSM or none.
> --
> Jud
> Dallas TX USA

The 6340i does have provisioning to change it to strictly TDMA or strictly
GSM. You have to be in "field test" mode to do it. Its not hard to find how
to put your phone in that mode. As far as going from a weak GSM signal to a
strong TDMA signal, that wont happen. If you are talking on a GSM cell and
there is no other GSM cell available to hand off to, and you get far enough
away, the call will drop, no matter how many TDMA cell sites are available.
The technologies do not allow for hand offs between them. You will have to
call back as soon as TDMA service becomes available on the phone.
B.