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  1. #1
    Gyp
    Guest
    I know I should consign it to a drawer or the big phone recycling pile
    in the sky, but I've got a new battery and I'm using my 10-year old
    Motorola D170 again. It's ideal as an emergency phone as if the battery
    runs out you can stick in 4xAA cells :-)

    It's locked to o2 (OK, it says CELLNET) and I've got £15 odd of credit
    on the SIM, but when that runs out I'd like to use my Asda SIM in its
    place. Should be OK in a single band phone as they are both 900MHz.

    Any ideas how to unlock cheaply? Online I've seen pay-for unlocks where
    you send off the IMEI and get a code back (about £12-£15). Is this the
    only way? I guess CELLNET, sorry O2, will unlock it but at greater cost.

    As an aside, back in 1997, we bought 2 of these on contract; £150 each
    plus the monthly payments. Eeek!
    --
    Gyp
    Change to dotcom to reply



    See More: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur




  2. #2
    Horst Peiffer
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    Gyp wrote:
    > I know I should consign it to a drawer or the big phone recycling pile
    > in the sky, but I've got a new battery and I'm using my 10-year old
    > Motorola D170 again. It's ideal as an emergency phone as if the battery
    > runs out you can stick in 4xAA cells :-)
    >
    > It's locked to o2 (OK, it says CELLNET) and I've got £15 odd of credit
    > on the SIM, but when that runs out I'd like to use my Asda SIM in its
    > place. Should be OK in a single band phone as they are both 900MHz.
    >
    > Any ideas how to unlock cheaply? Online I've seen pay-for unlocks where
    > you send off the IMEI and get a code back (about £12-£15). Is this the
    > only way? I guess CELLNET, sorry O2, will unlock it but at greater cost.
    >
    > As an aside, back in 1997, we bought 2 of these on contract; £150 each
    > plus the monthly payments. Eeek!

    If you want to use it as "emergency" phone only a SIM lock should not
    matter. At least here in Germany any phone will allow you to make an
    emergency call in any network even with no SIM card at all. 112 will
    always go through here. But now when I am writing this I seem to
    remember that this is different in the UK.....



  3. #3
    ChrisM
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    In message [email protected],
    Horst Peiffer <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

    > Gyp wrote:
    >> I know I should consign it to a drawer or the big phone recycling
    >> pile in the sky, but I've got a new battery and I'm using my 10-year
    >> old Motorola D170 again. It's ideal as an emergency phone as if the
    >> battery runs out you can stick in 4xAA cells :-)
    >>
    >> It's locked to o2 (OK, it says CELLNET) and I've got £15 odd of
    >> credit on the SIM, but when that runs out I'd like to use my Asda
    >> SIM in its place. Should be OK in a single band phone as they are
    >> both 900MHz. Any ideas how to unlock cheaply? Online I've seen pay-for
    >> unlocks
    >> where you send off the IMEI and get a code back (about £12-£15). Is
    >> this the only way? I guess CELLNET, sorry O2, will unlock it but at
    >> greater cost. As an aside, back in 1997, we bought 2 of these on
    >> contract; £150
    >> each plus the monthly payments. Eeek!

    > If you want to use it as "emergency" phone only a SIM lock should not
    > matter. At least here in Germany any phone will allow you to make an
    > emergency call in any network even with no SIM card at all. 112 will
    > always go through here. But now when I am writing this I seem to
    > remember that this is different in the UK.....


    Might be wrong, but I think he means 'emergency' like the car has broken
    down, and he needs to call his wife so tell her that he is going to be late,
    rather than an actual EMERGENCY - call 911or 112 or 999...

    --
    Regards,
    Chris.
    (Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)





  4. #4
    Gyp
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    In message <[email protected]>, ChrisM
    <[email protected]> writes

    >Might be wrong, but I think he means 'emergency' like the car has broken
    >down, and he needs to call his wife so tell her that he is going to be late,
    >rather than an actual EMERGENCY - call 911or 112 or 999...


    That's more like it, but what I mean is can use it day to day, but just
    keep some batteries in the car "just in case"
    --
    Gyp
    Change to dotcom to reply



  5. #5
    ChrisM
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    In message [email protected],
    Gyp <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

    > In message <[email protected]>, ChrisM
    > <[email protected]> writes
    >
    >> Might be wrong, but I think he means 'emergency' like the car has
    >> broken down, and he needs to call his wife so tell her that he is
    >> going to be late, rather than an actual EMERGENCY - call 911or 112
    >> or 999...

    >
    > That's more like it, but what I mean is can use it day to day, but
    > just keep some batteries in the car "just in case"


    As far as getting the old thing unlocked, you could try the mobile phone
    stall in your local street market, or some perserverence with Google MIGHT
    turn up a way of unlocking it yourself via a website/downloaded software
    generated code, but as far as I know, this is not normally possible with
    Motorola phones...

    Good Luck.


    --
    Regards,
    Chris.
    (Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)





  6. #6
    Gyp
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    In message <[email protected]>, ChrisM
    <[email protected]> writes

    >As far as getting the old thing unlocked, you could try the mobile phone
    >stall in your local street market, or some perserverence with Google MIGHT
    >turn up a way of unlocking it yourself via a website/downloaded software
    >generated code, but as far as I know, this is not normally possible with
    >Motorola phones...


    I popped to the local market this afternoon. No success.

    Well, no success after the chap stopped laughing.

    The online ones seem to work on the basis of them providing the same
    code that O2 would provide to put in, and takes a couple of days to turn
    up, not the instant magic that I've used on Nokias in the past.

    eg

    http://www.unlock-motorola.com/imei.html
    or
    http://www.discount-unlock.com/Unloc.../Motorola/D170

    Not sure if they work or if it's snake oil though...
    --
    Gyp
    Change to dotcom to reply



  7. #7
    The Drone
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    In article <[email protected]>, Gyp <[email protected]>
    writes
    >In message <[email protected]>, ChrisM
    ><[email protected]> writes
    >
    >>As far as getting the old thing unlocked, you could try the mobile phone
    >>stall in your local street market, or some perserverence with Google MIGHT
    >>turn up a way of unlocking it yourself via a website/downloaded software
    >>generated code, but as far as I know, this is not normally possible with
    >>Motorola phones...

    >
    >I popped to the local market this afternoon. No success.
    >
    >Well, no success after the chap stopped laughing.
    >
    >The online ones seem to work on the basis of them providing the same
    >code that O2 would provide to put in, and takes a couple of days to
    >turn up, not the instant magic that I've used on Nokias in the past.
    >
    >eg
    >
    >http://www.unlock-motorola.com/imei.html
    >or
    >http://www.discount-unlock.com/Unloc.../Motorola/D170
    >
    >Not sure if they work or if it's snake oil though...


    I don't know if it's the same for O2/Motorola but after I'd had my K750i
    on a Vodafone contract for a year, I rang them up and they gave me the
    code to unlock it over the phone. Is this not the same with all
    phones/networks?
    --
    Peter



  8. #8
    Jon
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    [email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
    > If you want to use it as "emergency" phone only a SIM lock should not
    > matter.


    Well it matters a great deal!

    > At least here in Germany any phone will allow you to make an
    > emergency call in any network even with no SIM card at all.


    In the UK this is not the case (and this is a UK group).
    --
    Regards
    Jon



  9. #9
    Unimobiles.com
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    On Fri, 6 Jul 2007 18:00:34 +0100, Gyp <[email protected]> wrote:

    >In message <[email protected]>, ChrisM
    ><[email protected]> writes
    >
    >>As far as getting the old thing unlocked, you could try the mobile phone
    >>stall in your local street market, or some perserverence with Google MIGHT
    >>turn up a way of unlocking it yourself via a website/downloaded software
    >>generated code, but as far as I know, this is not normally possible with
    >>Motorola phones...

    >
    >I popped to the local market this afternoon. No success.
    >
    >Well, no success after the chap stopped laughing.


    We can unlock it as we have the hardware for unlocking them here

    See the signature below.

    --
    http://www.unimobiles.com | http://www.unlockyourphone.co.uk
    UK Specialists in Refurbished Mobile Phones & Accessories



  10. #10
    Gyp
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    In message <[email protected]>, Unimobiles. com
    <[email protected]> writes

    >We can unlock it as we have the hardware for unlocking them here


    If only I'd seen that a few hours ago... I've contacted one of the firms
    that claims to be able to do it by IMEI, and if it transpires that they
    can't I'll pop it in the post to you.
    --
    Gyp
    Change to dotcom to reply



  11. #11
    ChrisM
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    In message [email protected],
    Jon <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

    > [email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
    >> If you want to use it as "emergency" phone only a SIM lock should not
    >> matter.

    >
    > Well it matters a great deal!
    >
    >> At least here in Germany any phone will allow you to make an
    >> emergency call in any network even with no SIM card at all.

    >
    > In the UK this is not the case (and this is a UK group).


    Really? I always thought that you were able dial 999 without a valid SIM
    card in the phone... never tried it though. Maybe just as well I never
    needed to!

    --
    Regards,
    Chris.
    (Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)





  12. #12
    Jon
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    [email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
    > Really? I always thought that you were able dial 999 without a valid SIM
    > card in the phone... never tried it though. Maybe just as well I never
    > needed to!


    You can dial it, the phone will tell you it's trying but the call will
    not connect. Try it - you won't do anyone any harm.
    --
    Regards
    Jon



  13. #13
    ChrisM
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    In message [email protected],
    Jon <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

    > [email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
    >> Really? I always thought that you were able dial 999 without a valid
    >> SIM card in the phone... never tried it though. Maybe just as well I
    >> never needed to!

    >
    > You can dial it, the phone will tell you it's trying but the call will
    > not connect. Try it - you won't do anyone any harm.


    Actually thinking about it, it might have been that you are able to dial 999
    when then phone's keyboard lock is active, though I'm suprised that you are
    not able to make an emergency call whatever the state of the phone (as long
    as there was a signal and network capacity available)

    --
    Regards,
    Chris.
    (Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)





  14. #14
    Gyp
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    In message <[email protected]>, Unimobiles. com
    <[email protected]> writes

    >We can unlock it as we have the hardware for unlocking them here


    It should be with you in a few days.

    Be gentle, and if you have to take the back off, try not to lose the
    bubble wrap - it's there to stop the battery moving about too much :-)

    OTOH, if it won't power up when it arrives, it's probably because the
    bubble wrap's not worked :-)
    --
    Gyp
    Change to dotcom to reply



  15. #15
    Gwyn
    Guest

    Re: Unlocking my Motorola dinosaur

    On Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:25:16 +0100, "ChrisM"
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    >Actually thinking about it, it might have been that you are able to dial 999
    >when then phone's keyboard lock is active, though I'm suprised that you are
    >not able to make an emergency call whatever the state of the phone (as long
    >as there was a signal and network capacity available)


    Apparently It was discussed whether the mobile networks would allow
    you to make an emergency call at one point but they all decided no.
    Arn't brits brilliant eh!
    --
    Gwyn. [email protected]
    Remove rem if replying
    note return address is your own computer;-)



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