Analog Activation?!?

I've got an old Motorola 2744 bag phone I'm trying to use. I've googled
posts for daze and read 'em all. (Gotta love that Larry). Yes, I downloaded
the bible as well. So far, I can make collect, calling card and 911 calls.

Now that I want to attempt to utilize this relic, the schmucks in Southern
California don't want to activate anything other then GSM. The Cingular rep
said new prepaid activation was GSM only. I've got TDMA with ATTWS and it's
pretty good (even in Death Valley). But I need this bag phone activated for
even more remote usage. Maybe some day I'll investigate satelite phones
but...Does anyone know of any way to do an analog activation on prepay?
Especially in the Cal-Nev region.

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› See More: Analog Activation?!?

On Sun, 9 Nov 2003 20:47:56 GMT, [email protected] wrote:

>I've got an old Motorola 2744 bag phone I'm trying to use. I've googled
>posts for daze and read 'em all. (Gotta love that Larry). Yes, I downloaded
>the bible as well. So far, I can make collect, calling card and 911 calls.
>
>Now that I want to attempt to utilize this relic, the schmucks in Southern
>California don't want to activate anything other then GSM. The Cingular rep
>said new prepaid activation was GSM only. I've got TDMA with ATTWS and it's
>pretty good (even in Death Valley). But I need this bag phone activated for
>even more remote usage. Maybe some day I'll investigate satelite phones
>but...Does anyone know of any way to do an analog activation on prepay?
>Especially in the Cal-Nev region.

Won't happen. They hate AMPS because it's hi-fi FM system reduces
revenue per channel.

Keep the phone, though, and use its cigarette lighter power plug for
free emergency phone service where your little toyphone won't work.
You can still call 911 for free....from places the other phone will
never connect.

One of the ploys that have been successfully used is to register a
digital phone on a digital plan. Program your phone number into the
AMPS monster beforehand. Then, when you find yourself in a DEAD ZONE,
call 611 from the AMPS phone and say that the reason you are calling
is because the AMPS phone works and the crapphone doesn't and you just
GOTTA have a working phone. Be very nice, contrite and beg the TSR to
do an ESN swap to the AMPS phone so you'll have service until you get
back to digital country. Drop a lot of calls on digital before you do
it so they can see it on your call history report in the last few
minutes. (Tin foil around the antenna on the crapphone is a great way
to cause dropped calls..(c.

Fearing your churning, they'll turn on the AMPS phone to make you
happy and keep your money rollin' in. All you do, if successful, is
to forget to call back on the crapphone to switch it
back.....(shrug)....

It has worked many times.......(c;.....no matter what the company
clones on here are going to tell you......and you'll have a phone that
works in many more places than the crapphones will.



Larry W4CSC

"Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"

Larry W4CSC wrote:
> On Sun, 9 Nov 2003 20:47:56 GMT, [email protected] wrote:
>
>
>>I've got an old Motorola 2744 bag phone I'm trying to use. I've googled
>>posts for daze and read 'em all. (Gotta love that Larry). Yes, I downloaded
>>the bible as well. So far, I can make collect, calling card and 911 calls.
>>
>>Now that I want to attempt to utilize this relic, the schmucks in Southern
>>California don't want to activate anything other then GSM. The Cingular rep
>>said new prepaid activation was GSM only. I've got TDMA with ATTWS and it's
>>pretty good (even in Death Valley). But I need this bag phone activated for
>>even more remote usage. Maybe some day I'll investigate satelite phones
>>but...Does anyone know of any way to do an analog activation on prepay?
>>Especially in the Cal-Nev region.
>
>
> Won't happen. They hate AMPS because it's hi-fi FM system reduces
> revenue per channel.
>
> Keep the phone, though, and use its cigarette lighter power plug for
> free emergency phone service where your little toyphone won't work.
> You can still call 911 for free....from places the other phone will
> never connect.
>
> One of the ploys that have been successfully used is to register a
> digital phone on a digital plan. Program your phone number into the
> AMPS monster beforehand. Then, when you find yourself in a DEAD ZONE,
> call 611 from the AMPS phone and say that the reason you are calling
> is because the AMPS phone works and the crapphone doesn't and you just
> GOTTA have a working phone. Be very nice, contrite and beg the TSR to
> do an ESN swap to the AMPS phone so you'll have service until you get
> back to digital country. Drop a lot of calls on digital before you do
> it so they can see it on your call history report in the last few
> minutes. (Tin foil around the antenna on the crapphone is a great way
> to cause dropped calls..(c.
>
> Fearing your churning, they'll turn on the AMPS phone to make you
> happy and keep your money rollin' in. All you do, if successful, is
> to forget to call back on the crapphone to switch it
> back.....(shrug)....
>
> It has worked many times.......(c;.....no matter what the company
> clones on here are going to tell you......and you'll have a phone that
> works in many more places than the crapphones will.
>
>
>
> Larry W4CSC
>
> "Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"
>

One thing that I would like to add about Cingular in SoCal. It is GSM,
and always has been. Since it has always been GSM, they don't have any
AMPS infrastructure there at all.

AD

On Sun, 09 Nov 2003 15:21:58 -0600, About Dakota
<[email protected]> wrote:

>One thing that I would like to add about Cingular in SoCal. It is GSM,
>and always has been. Since it has always been GSM, they don't have any
>AMPS infrastructure there at all.

Correct. In fact, what's Cingular in California now, started life as
"Pacific Bell Mobile Services". Full GSM only, and they've never even
roamed on analog anywhere in California.

Mike

I'll try that. My contract was up a month ago so perhaps that can help. When
I tried a ESN swap via 800 # I was kicked to a csr who said to call back.
Thanks for the assistance Larry, your tales of bagphonery and ham exploits
are very interesting.

[email protected] wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I've got an old Motorola 2744 bag phone I'm trying to use. I've googled
> posts for daze and read 'em all. (Gotta love that Larry). Yes, I downloaded
> the bible as well. So far, I can make collect, calling card and 911 calls.
>
> Now that I want to attempt to utilize this relic, the schmucks in Southern
> California don't want to activate anything other then GSM. The Cingular rep
> said new prepaid activation was GSM only. I've got TDMA with ATTWS and it's
> pretty good (even in Death Valley). But I need this bag phone activated for
> even more remote usage. Maybe some day I'll investigate satelite phones
> but...Does anyone know of any way to do an analog activation on prepay?
> Especially in the Cal-Nev region.

Can you handle 95-cents a minute?

If so, Cingular will activate analog phones on pre-paid, but only in
areas where they offer TDMA/analog service. (CA/NV Cingular is
1900MHz digital-GSM only.)

You could call Cingular and give them, say, a Kansas City, MO address
you find on Mapquest, and active the phone. You'll pay 35-cents/min
in Cingular TDMA areas, and 95-cents/minute when roaming. (Basically
everywhere you'll go is roaming!) $20 cards last for 90-days, so
keeping that phone alive will cost you $6.67/month.

On Sun, 9 Nov 2003 23:06:55 GMT, [email protected] wrote:

>I'll try that. My contract was up a month ago so perhaps that can help. When
>I tried a ESN swap via 800 # I was kicked to a csr who said to call back.
>Thanks for the assistance Larry, your tales of bagphonery and ham exploits
>are very interesting.

I have a friend in the paging business who knows lots of people in the
paging business. He found a whole warehouse full of IMTS terminal
equipment, huge transmitters/receivers/antennas/mobiles, etc.

We've toyed with the idea of a one-site (800') IMTS, just for fun.
He's got the infrastructure and a T1 on-site for the interconnect.
It'd be a helluva lot of fun to hear my car horn blowing for a call,
again. 800' would give us 50-60 mile range on 152 Mhz in this flat
country....(c;

Geez, maybe we could sell it for use in the car in the DEAD
ZONES!.....$20/month plus LD?.....



Larry W4CSC

"Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"

Larry W4CSC wrote:
> We've toyed with the idea of a one-site (800') IMTS, just for fun.
> He's got the infrastructure and a T1 on-site for the interconnect.
> It'd be a helluva lot of fun to hear my car horn blowing for a call,
> again. 800' would give us 50-60 mile range on 152 Mhz in this flat
> country....(c;
>
> Geez, maybe we could sell it for use in the car in the DEAD
> ZONES!.....$20/month plus LD?.....

As the story goes, one of Jackie Gleason's friends calls Jackie from
his new car phone to impress him. After a bit, Jackie excuses himself
and says he has to answer his other car phone.

Back in the mid 70s and early 80s, I had two Motorola trunk mounted
units bolted to the back of the cab inside my pickup truck. Two control
heads, four wheel drive shifter, and couple of more under dash mounted
controls made for a crowded cab.

With a 6dB gain yagi with an extender pole moounted on my headache rack,
I could talk almost forever.

[email protected] (Larry W4CSC) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> Drop a lot of calls on digital before you do
> it so they can see it on your call history report in the last few
> minutes. (Tin foil around the antenna on the crapphone is a great way
> to cause dropped calls..(c.

Hmmm... if these "toy phones" are as crappy as you seem to think, why
do you have to FAKE poor performance on them?

Seriously, I like analog fine, and 3-watt phones certainly had and
still have their place. But at the end of the day, I ask myself am I
happer with my 1000 minutes/$40 month plus wireless internet access
and slightly less coverage or my better coverage and 100 minutes for
$40 I had 10 years ago with analog?

I've got to admit I'm happier today!

> Fearing your churning, they'll turn on the AMPS phone to make you
> happy and keep your money rollin' in. All you do, if successful, is
> to forget to call back on the crapphone to switch it
> back.....(shrug)....

That certainly does work, but remember to remind your carrier to turn
off caller-ID when you switch to the analog phone (unless it supports
CID it won't ring on incoming calls) and be prepared for roaming
charges if you inadvertently place a call on a carrier that your
digital phone wouldn't have allowed!

> It has worked many times.......(c;.....no matter what the company
> clones on here are going to tell you......and you'll have a phone that
> works in many more places than the crapphones will.

My crapphone works pretty well... ...at least when I don't sabotage
it with a tinfoil condom!

Shhhhh......you'll spoil CDMA for the kiddies!....(c;

They think dropouts are "normal" for all systems....



On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 05:16:55 GMT, JRW <no_addy@no_.com> wrote:

>Larry W4CSC wrote:
>> We've toyed with the idea of a one-site (800') IMTS, just for fun.
>> He's got the infrastructure and a T1 on-site for the interconnect.
>> It'd be a helluva lot of fun to hear my car horn blowing for a call,
>> again. 800' would give us 50-60 mile range on 152 Mhz in this flat
>> country....(c;
>>
>> Geez, maybe we could sell it for use in the car in the DEAD
>> ZONES!.....$20/month plus LD?.....
>
>As the story goes, one of Jackie Gleason's friends calls Jackie from
>his new car phone to impress him. After a bit, Jackie excuses himself
>and says he has to answer his other car phone.
>
>Back in the mid 70s and early 80s, I had two Motorola trunk mounted
>units bolted to the back of the cab inside my pickup truck. Two control
>heads, four wheel drive shifter, and couple of more under dash mounted
>controls made for a crowded cab.
>
>With a 6dB gain yagi with an extender pole moounted on my headache rack,
>I could talk almost forever.
>
>


Larry W4CSC

"Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"

On 9 Nov 2003 23:36:43 -0800, [email protected] (Todd Allcock) wrote:

>That certainly does work, but remember to remind your carrier to turn
>off caller-ID when you switch to the analog phone (unless it supports
>CID it won't ring on incoming calls) and be prepared for roaming
>charges if you inadvertently place a call on a carrier that your
>digital phone wouldn't have allowed!
>
I've been very happy to pay roaming when a customer calls me on the
"other" system when STD A/B finds they are the only game on the air at
that point in time and space.......

Of course, if its in the RED ZONE on my "coverage map", I get a credit
at the office pointing out I was SUPPOSED to have service at that
point in time and space. All of South Carolina is in the RED ZONE
except a couple of tiny areas near the Savannah River. I've never
been turned down on the credit, so it costs me nothing if I decide to
make an issue out of it. If everyone made an issue out of it, the
hole would get fixed. The one near my home did years ago with a
fill-in site on a shared tower, to the delight of all its customers
driving through the area that used to drop all the calls.



Larry W4CSC

"Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> That certainly does work, but remember to remind your carrier to turn
> off caller-ID when you switch to the analog phone (unless it supports
> CID it won't ring on incoming calls) and be prepared for roaming

Huh? I've had an old Motorola bag phone with no CID on a digital TDMA
plan for years and it's never failed to ring (except for the time the
analog card at the cell site near my boat went down and they kept
"loosing" my problem ticket).
--
Jud
Dallas TX USA

Thanks for the pertanant replies. Looks like it's going on ebay. TDMA/PCS
and a yagi or mag-mount is about the only other affordable option. Remember,
this is for use in remote areas not something I want to try and lug around
when my toy phone will work just fine.

Jud Hardcastle <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> Huh? I've had an old Motorola bag phone with no CID on a digital TDMA
> plan for years and it's never failed to ring (except for the time the
> analog card at the cell site near my boat went down and they kept
> "loosing" my problem ticket).

Then your account doesn't have CID active on it. I only pointed out
the "warning" because all modern phonges are CID-capable so many CSRs
don't bother to remove the CID from an account if you swap ESNs to an
older phone.

Have your carrier add CID to your account and see what happens! ;-)
(Unless, of course, your Motorola is "smart" enough to ignore CID, but
if it was new enough to deal with CID, it'd be new enough to hdave the
feature.)

[email protected] wrote:
> Thanks for the pertanant replies. Looks like it's going on ebay. TDMA/PCS
> and a yagi or mag-mount is about the only other affordable option. Remember,
> this is for use in remote areas not something I want to try and lug around
> when my toy phone will work just fine.

And another good thing about TDMA/Analog over CDMA is that it doesn't
matter how far you are from the tower (within reason), unlike CDMA if
you are more than 4 or 5 miles you'll get timing problems. A rooftop
yagi and away ya go....