question about Motorola Timeport P7389

I just purchased an unlocked Motorola Timeport P7389 to use later this
month in England with a Virgin sim card. According to the Motorola
instruction manual, when I get to the UK I should change bands by
scrolling through the menu to an item called "Network Selection/Change
Band."

Trying out the phone here in the United States (it is roaming on a
Voicestream band), I cannot get the "change band" option to appear.
Under "Network Selection," there are options for "Available Networks,"
"Network Search," "Preferred Networks," and "Find New Network," but
nothing that says "Change Band."

Does anyone know if this would be a network-related feature that will
show up when I am in the UK? Or is the phone likely to be defective?


Thanks very much.

--
George Johnson
johnson AT santafe DOT edu
http://talaya.net

In alt.cellular.gsm George Johnson <see.address@bottom.to.reply> wrote:

> I just purchased an unlocked Motorola Timeport P7389 to use later this
> month in England with a Virgin sim card. According to the Motorola
> instruction manual, when I get to the UK I should change bands by
> scrolling through the menu to an item called "Network Selection/Change
> Band."

This will likely happen automatically, I've never had a tri-band
phone that required manual intervention like that. They scan for any
frequency they can find service on and use that.

> Trying out the phone here in the United States (it is roaming on a
> Voicestream band), I cannot get the "change band" option to appear.
> Under "Network Selection," there are options for "Available Networks,"
> "Network Search," "Preferred Networks," and "Find New Network," but
> nothing that says "Change Band."

It probably doesn't give you the option because, out of the
three frequencies the phone will do, there is only one in the US it will
work on. It doesn't see any other networks available besides the one
you're on. If the phone radio works here, it's highly unlikely that the
radio is broken only for the other two (European) frequencies, don't
worry about it.

In article <db91l9$re8$1@news.xmission.com>,
B.M. Wright <bmwright@xmission.com> wrote:
>In alt.cellular.gsm George Johnson <see.address@bottom.to.reply> wrote:
>
>> I just purchased an unlocked Motorola Timeport P7389 to use later this
>> month in England with a Virgin sim card. According to the Motorola
>> instruction manual, when I get to the UK I should change bands by
>> scrolling through the menu to an item called "Network Selection/Change
>> Band."
>
> This will likely happen automatically, I've never had a tri-band
>phone that required manual intervention like that. They scan for any
>frequency they can find service on and use that.

Phones of that vintage most definitely did require intervention.
On my old P280 (the successor to the P7389) you had a "network setup"
menu in which you had to choose between 1900 and 900/1800.

It was only with the next generation (280i) that there was an "automatic"
bandswitch mode which was the default.

If the "network setup" is missing from his menus, it may be a
customization requested by the carrier that issued the phone.

Thank you both very much. I bought this from a phone store on the Web.
They described it as a three-band "world phone," and didn't say
anything about its being used. I was a little surprised when I received
it and found it branded as an AT&T. It has been unlocked though -- I
can roam in the U.S. with a Virgin Mobile sim card. But maybe it's not
going to work on the other bands. If AT&T had requested a modification
would that likely involve the firmware?

--
George Johnson
johnson AT santafe DOT edu
http://talaya.net

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 08:05:50 -0600, George Johnson
<see.address@bottom.to.reply> wrote:

>
>I just purchased an unlocked Motorola Timeport P7389 to use later this
>month in England with a Virgin sim card. According to the Motorola
>instruction manual, when I get to the UK I should change bands by
>scrolling through the menu to an item called "Network Selection/Change
>Band."
>
> Trying out the phone here in the United States (it is roaming on a
>Voicestream band), I cannot get the "change band" option to appear.
>Under "Network Selection," there are options for "Available Networks,"
>"Network Search," "Preferred Networks," and "Find New Network," but
>nothing that says "Change Band."
>
> Does anyone know if this would be a network-related feature that will
>show up when I am in the UK? Or is the phone likely to be defective?
>
>
> Thanks very much.
The question is the source on the P7389. In the 'branding', the
ability to change bands may have been removed. I know on unlocked
phones it works, because I used mine all over the world before I
retired it.

The other possiblity is that it buried in either find new network, or
network search. As I recall there are 3 settings, 900Mhz only,
900/1800Mhz, and 1900Mhz.

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 19:09:29 +0000 (UTC), "B.M. Wright"
<bmwright@xmission.com> wrote:

>In alt.cellular.gsm George Johnson <see.address@bottom.to.reply> wrote:
>
>> I just purchased an unlocked Motorola Timeport P7389 to use later this
>> month in England with a Virgin sim card. According to the Motorola
>> instruction manual, when I get to the UK I should change bands by
>> scrolling through the menu to an item called "Network Selection/Change
>> Band."
>
> This will likely happen automatically, I've never had a tri-band
>phone that required manual intervention like that. They scan for any
>frequency they can find service on and use that.
You obviously haven't owned a Motorola Phone. Ericsson phones will
search, Motorola TimePorts don't!

If you see only 1900band, then it was pre-programmed that way. When the 7389
was originally manufactured, there were single band and triband models.

I suspect you purchased a single band model unfortunately manufactured
primarily for Tmobile USA (Omnipoint/Voicestream back then) and a few AT&T
systems as they started to roll out GSM.

Motorola charged a significantly higher fee for Triband vs. single band
models as the technlogy was still new then.

So its not defective but in all likelihood will not function outside the
USA. Hope you can get a refund.

--
Steve
"George Johnson" <see.address@bottom.to.reply> wrote in message
news:150720050805500298%see.address@bottom.to.repl y...
>
> I just purchased an unlocked Motorola Timeport P7389 to use later this
> month in England with a Virgin sim card. According to the Motorola
> instruction manual, when I get to the UK I should change bands by
> scrolling through the menu to an item called "Network Selection/Change
> Band."
>
> Trying out the phone here in the United States (it is roaming on a
> Voicestream band), I cannot get the "change band" option to appear.
> Under "Network Selection," there are options for "Available Networks,"
> "Network Search," "Preferred Networks," and "Find New Network," but
> nothing that says "Change Band."
>
> Does anyone know if this would be a network-related feature that will
> show up when I am in the UK? Or is the phone likely to be defective?
>
>
> Thanks very much.
>
> --
> George Johnson
> johnson AT santafe DOT edu
> http://talaya.net

In article <nOZBe.11354$aY6.4732@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink .net>,
Steve <nr4p@NOJUNKearthlink.net> wrote:

> If you see only 1900band, then it was pre-programmed that way. When the 7389
> was originally manufactured, there were single band and triband models.
>
> I suspect you purchased a single band model unfortunately manufactured
> primarily for Tmobile USA (Omnipoint/Voicestream back then) and a few AT&T
> systems as they started to roll out GSM.


Thank you very much. That makes good sense. I have also since heard
from Motorola, which confirmed that a triband world phone should be
displaying the "change band" option. I've sent an email to the seller
requesting a refund.

--
George Johnson
johnson AT santafe DOT edu
http://talaya.net

In alt.cellular.gsm Steve <nr4p@nojunkearthlink.net> wrote:
> If you see only 1900band, then it was pre-programmed that way. When the 7389
> was originally manufactured, there were single band and triband models.

> I suspect you purchased a single band model unfortunately manufactured
> primarily for Tmobile USA (Omnipoint/Voicestream back then) and a few AT&T
> systems as they started to roll out GSM.

Hmmm... I wasn't aware they made non-triband models or about the
manual network selection. Had one as a work loaner for a short time but
never took it out of Europe. I do have to say that, these phones were
crap. The menu system was horrible and they were prone to microphone
failure, about 3-4 other people I worked with had their microphones go
out, as did I. People had a harder and harder time hearing what you
said, then eventually it stopped working all together, a bit funny for
the first call or two when they thought it was a prank, but after that
it wasn't too amusing.

I'd recommend a Sony Ericsson T39m, one of the best phones
I've owned and can probably be had for cheap now. It's tri-band, does
bluetooth, GPRS, and has an IR port (all four of these features combined
in one phone are hard to find, usually one is missing). Should be
pretty happy with this unless you like stupid useless phone tricks, like
cameras, MMS, and the latest manufactured pop band song for a ringtone.

In article <dba04f$f32$1@news.xmission.com>, B.M. Wright
<bmwright@xmission.xmission.com> wrote:

> I'd recommend a Sony Ericsson T39m

Thanks a lot. I'll check that out.

George

--
George Johnson
johnson AT santafe DOT edu
http://talaya.net

"Mike S." <retsuhcs@xinap.moc> wrote in message
news:db94kt$oqo$1@reader2.panix.com...
> If the "network setup" is missing from his menus, it may be a
> customization requested by the carrier that issued the phone.

It may also be that he was sold a single-band look-alike. The voice of
experience is speaking here. I got burned on one of those. Check the numbers
on the tag under the battery. You may have just been taken.

--
Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

In article <150720050805500298%see.address@bottom.to.reply> ,
George Johnson wrote:
>
> I just purchased an unlocked Motorola Timeport P7389 to use later this
> month in England with a Virgin sim card. According to the Motorola
> instruction manual, when I get to the UK I should change bands by
> scrolling through the menu to an item called "Network Selection/Change
> Band."

You might want to look at the Motorola C380 (or C381 in some places).
It is a triband 900/1800/1900 phone with a color screen, USB port
(for use as a modem or to manage your phone book or ringtones),
color screen etc.

My wife just got one here from Orange Israel and it works pretty well.

She could not get an English manual from them and while I was searching
for one, I found that you can buy them UNLOCKED from dealers in the
U.S. for about $110 not including cable or software.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (077)-424-1667 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838
VoN Skype: mendelsonfamily. Looking for work as a CTO or consultant in
handheld gaming, large systems development, handheld device construction, etc.
Support amateur (ham) radio, boycott Google!!!

"B.M. Wright" <bmwright@xmission.com> wrote in message
news:db91l9$re8$1@news.xmission.com...
> In alt.cellular.gsm George Johnson <see.address@bottom.to.reply> wrote:
>
>> I just purchased an unlocked Motorola Timeport P7389 to use later this
>> month in England with a Virgin sim card. According to the Motorola
>> instruction manual, when I get to the UK I should change bands by
>> scrolling through the menu to an item called "Network Selection/Change
>> Band."
>
> This will likely happen automatically, I've never had a tri-band
> phone that required manual intervention like that. They scan for any
> frequency they can find service on and use that.

No, it didn't used to happen automatically. My Motorola P280 you had to
change it manually, and even my Razr V3 has settings not to cover both
regions.


Steve

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 03:49:53 -0700, Steven de Mena <demenas@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>"B.M. Wright" <bmwright@xmission.com> wrote in message
>news:db91l9$re8$1@news.xmission.com...
>> In alt.cellular.gsm George Johnson <see.address@bottom.to.reply> wrote:
>>
>>> I just purchased an unlocked Motorola Timeport P7389 to use later this
>>> month in England with a Virgin sim card. According to the Motorola
>>> instruction manual, when I get to the UK I should change bands by
>>> scrolling through the menu to an item called "Network Selection/Change
>>> Band."
>>
>> This will likely happen automatically, I've never had a tri-band
>> phone that required manual intervention like that. They scan for any
>> frequency they can find service on and use that.
>
>No, it didn't used to happen automatically. My Motorola P280 you had to
>change it manually, and even my Razr V3 has settings not to cover both
>regions.

My L7089, T250 and T280 all required manual switching. My V500 and V545
can be switched to one of 900/1800, 850/1900 or "Automatic".

Does anyone know if using "Automatic" to listen on all 4 bands uses more
power than having it set for 900/1800 (and switching it when I'm in
USA/Canada)?

--
-- Michael "Soruk" McConnell
Eridani Star System

MailStripper - http://mailstripper.eridani.co.uk/
Mail Me Anywhere - http://www.mailmeanywhere.com/

In article <slrnddq5ji.l0v.soruk@zeskia.int.eridani.co.uk>, Soruk wrote:
> Does anyone know if using "Automatic" to listen on all 4 bands uses more
> power than having it set for 900/1800 (and switching it when I'm in
> USA/Canada)?

Very little. It only effects the phone when you first turn it on,
ask it to scan or change networks and when it looses the signal and
can't pick it up again on the same frequency.

At those times, the phone scans looking for active cells that it can
talk to. When it finds one it tries to register. Setting the phone to
automatic only widens the frequency ranges it searchs. The search is
a receive only function so it uses little power.

The reason it has the manual switching is for regulatory approval. While in
reality a GSM phone will not transmit until it has found a GSM cell,
some regulatory agencies want devices that only transmit in the
band they are allocated.

You might as well leave it in automatic.

Who knows, there once was a GSM 900 cell in the U.S. for a week, maybe
you'll find another.

Geoff.


--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (077)-424-1667 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838
VoN Skype: mendelsonfamily. Looking for work as a CTO or consultant in
handheld gaming, large systems development, handheld device construction, etc.
Support amateur (ham) radio, boycott Google!!!