A500 Digital Roaming Problem-New Fix

It is well known that the A500 incorrectly favors analog roaming over
digital roaming.

The workaround recommended heretofore in this forum requires resetting
the phone while still in a Sprint PCS service area. The problem with
that fix is that the phone would sometimes revert autonomously to
analog roaming and it cannot be used if the phone was already roaming.

Here is an improved verstion of that solution that works reliably
while roaming.

1) After the Sprintpcs signal is lost, switch roaming to Sprintpcs
only. (Menu 0-4-1). Naturally, since the phone is in a roaming-only
area, it will not find a signal.

2) Turn off the phone.

3) Remove the battery for a few seconds.

4) Replace the battery and restart the phone.

5) Enter Menu 0-1-0

6) Enter 04-07-93 into the Field Service Field. This will yield the
Debug Menu.

7) Select 3, CDMA Only. As noted below, this doesn't mean that the
phone will never use analog.

8) If you have followed the procedure correctly, the phone will
display for a few seconds a notice titled "Information" with the text
"Data Erased".

9) Switch roaming to "Automatic" (Menu 0-4-1)

10) The phone then will search for a signal for up to two minutes.
It will first find an analog roaming signal and then, shortly
afterwards, the digital roaming signal.

The phone will now preferentially use digital roaming over analog
roaming.

Several notes:

1) In spite of the selection of the CDMA only option in step 7, if
there is no digital signal the phone will still use analog. However,
under this circumstance, the search for an analog signal takes a
minute or so.

2) The brand new PRL,10021, is reputed to result in roaming phones
favoring digital over analog. It is, therefore, at least possible
that this fix will no longer be needed. However, this is not certain,
as the problem may be with the phone, not the PRL. The evidence:
unlike the A500, the Nokia 3585i has preferred digital roaming, even
when using PRLs 10019 and 10020.

3) If you go through the above procedure and you end up with an
analog signal but your phone does not display the date and time, you
are in an area in which there is no CDMA digital. (If you care
enough, you can set them by entering Meun 9-9). If it does display the
time and date, you are either currently or have been in an area served
by a CDMA digital signal. In either case, when you enter an area that
supports digital roaming, the phone will switch to digital (although,
again, the switch takes a minute or so.)

4) Upon returning to the Sprint PCS area, the phone will automatically
revert to the Sprint signal. Nevertheless, it may be desirable to
cancel the CDMA Only mode by turning the phone off and on again, as
some functions do not work when operating in that mode. (Disabled
functions include accessing the internet by using the black center
button and answering the phone in headset mode by using remote off and
on.

MacWilder

---

› See More: A500 Digital Roaming Problem-New Fix

It's great that a work-a-round has been found, but as it is so non-intuitive,
so difficult, and so long to make work, I should hope that anyone that needs to
use roaming and has an A500 phone could go into their neighrbood SprintPCS
store, and ask for a replacement phone with proper functionality. I have a
friend who did just that and was given a different (new) phone. The A500
further has just good old fashioned poor reception even smack dab in the middle
of SprintPCS coverage.

The A500 should have long since been recalled.

Loving Moonlight wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> The A500 further has just good old fashioned poor reception even
> smack dab in the middle of SprintPCS coverage.
>
> The A500 should have long since been recalled.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but during extensive traveling, my A500 has
performed reasonably well... Certainly no worse than many of my
other phones, including some Sanyos.

Larry

The A500 with software WD29 is a much better phone and certainly doesn't
get poor reception as others have claimed. It works as well or better
than any other phone I've used.

--
Posted at SprintUsers.com - Your place for everything Sprint PCS
Free wireless access @ www.SprintUsers.com/wap

The procedure takes maybe 30 seconds.. Insofar as being
non-intuitive, the procedure is basically a hard reboot plus setting
the phone on CDMA only. Seems intuitive and simple to me, but to each
his own.

I have had three A500's over the years. They all have the same
defect. It's the firmware that's the problem. Accordingly, all phones
of that model will favor analog over digital roaming.

One doesn't experience the problem, of course, unless he or she is
roaming where there is both digital and analog. Such areas aren't all
that common, and so the problem isn't that common. However, if one
habitually roams in such areas, the problem is a real pain and the
solution is a big help.

MacWilder



On 19 Oct 2003 17:47:54 GMT, [email protected] (Loving
Moonlight) wrote:

>It's great that a work-a-round has been found, but as it is so non-intuitive,
>so difficult, and so long to make work, I should hope that anyone that needs to
>use roaming and has an A500 phone could go into their neighrbood SprintPCS
>store, and ask for a replacement phone with proper functionality. I have a
>friend who did just that and was given a different (new) phone. The A500
>further has just good old fashioned poor reception even smack dab in the middle
>of SprintPCS coverage.
>
>The A500 should have long since been recalled.

As I noted in a previous reply, it is only a problem if you happen to
be in an area with both digital and analog roaming. Such areas aren't
all that common.

If you do not happen to frequent such an area, it is not a problem for
you. If you happen, like me, to roam frequently in such an area, it
is a problem and it nice to have a workable solution.

MacWilder

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 18:23:38 GMT, Lawrence Glasser
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Loving Moonlight wrote:
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>> The A500 further has just good old fashioned poor reception even
>> smack dab in the middle of SprintPCS coverage.
>>
>> The A500 should have long since been recalled.
>
>Maybe I'm just lucky, but during extensive traveling, my A500 has
>performed reasonably well... Certainly no worse than many of my
>other phones, including some Sanyos.
>
>Larry

Well I'm in an area with both digital and analog roaming (Los Angeles)
and my A500 will usually prefer the digital. BUT it will intermittenly
switch back to analog and then digital again every so often causing
reduced battery life and probably even some missed calls. Haven't
tested the new PRL yet either. I hardly ever have to roam anymore so
it's not that big of deal.

Now I don't think this roaming problem is specific to the A500. All
Samsungs and even Sanyos seem to not roam digital all that well and
often favor analog. So I don't think it's a firmware issue that only
affects the A500. The Nokia might be the exception.

--
Posted at SprintUsers.com - Your place for everything Sprint PCS
Free wireless access @ www.SprintUsers.com/wap

The A500 is apparently on the secret Sprint list of phones with known issues
that will upon request be replaced.

Not being able to roam properly is certainly a potential safety defect and the
phones would have been recalled by a responsible company.

Loving Moonlight wrote:
>
> The A500 is apparently on the secret Sprint list of phones with known issues
> that will upon request be replaced.
>
> Not being able to roam properly is certainly a potential safety defect and the
> phones would have been recalled by a responsible company.

Safety defect?

Larry

You can call 911 on either analog or digital so why would that matter?

--
Posted at SprintUsers.com - Your place for everything Sprint PCS
Free wireless access @ www.SprintUsers.com/wap

Loving Moonlight wrote:
> The A500 is apparently on the secret Sprint list of phones with known issues
> that will upon request be replaced.

"Apparently" means you have no freaking knowledge of fact.

> Not being able to roam properly is certainly a potential safety defect and the
> phones would have been recalled by a responsible company.

That all depends that "is" is. Does the phone explode (excluding
after-market batteries)? Does the leak toxic carcinogenic chenmicals?

Oh....you must mean that user could sue Sprint because he or she was
pushing buttons trying to place a roaming call and hit a farmer's
goat that caused the SUV's defective tires to blow out and said
SUV rolled over and....

Suggest you take a look here:
http://www.lectlaw.com/files/bur17.htm

BTW....when are they going to issue a recall for YOU?

"MacWilder" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It is well known that the A500 incorrectly favors analog roaming over
> digital roaming.
>
> The workaround recommended heretofore in this forum requires resetting
> the phone while still in a Sprint PCS service area. The problem with
> that fix is that the phone would sometimes revert autonomously to
> analog roaming and it cannot be used if the phone was already roaming.
>
> Here is an improved verstion of that solution that works reliably
> while roaming.
>
> 1) After the Sprintpcs signal is lost, switch roaming to Sprintpcs
> only. (Menu 0-4-1). Naturally, since the phone is in a roaming-only
> area, it will not find a signal.
>
> 2) Turn off the phone.
>
> 3) Remove the battery for a few seconds.
>
> 4) Replace the battery and restart the phone.
>
> 5) Enter Menu 0-1-0
>
> 6) Enter 04-07-93 into the Field Service Field. This will yield the
> Debug Menu.
>
> 7) Select 3, CDMA Only. As noted below, this doesn't mean that the
> phone will never use analog.
>
> 8) If you have followed the procedure correctly, the phone will
> display for a few seconds a notice titled "Information" with the text
> "Data Erased".
>
> 9) Switch roaming to "Automatic" (Menu 0-4-1)
>
> 10) The phone then will search for a signal for up to two minutes.
> It will first find an analog roaming signal and then, shortly
> afterwards, the digital roaming signal.
>
> The phone will now preferentially use digital roaming over analog
> roaming.
>
> Several notes:
>
> 1) In spite of the selection of the CDMA only option in step 7, if
> there is no digital signal the phone will still use analog. However,
> under this circumstance, the search for an analog signal takes a
> minute or so.
>
> 2) The brand new PRL,10021, is reputed to result in roaming phones
> favoring digital over analog. It is, therefore, at least possible
> that this fix will no longer be needed. However, this is not certain,
> as the problem may be with the phone, not the PRL. The evidence:
> unlike the A500, the Nokia 3585i has preferred digital roaming, even
> when using PRLs 10019 and 10020.
>
> 3) If you go through the above procedure and you end up with an
> analog signal but your phone does not display the date and time, you
> are in an area in which there is no CDMA digital. (If you care
> enough, you can set them by entering Meun 9-9). If it does display the
> time and date, you are either currently or have been in an area served
> by a CDMA digital signal. In either case, when you enter an area that
> supports digital roaming, the phone will switch to digital (although,
> again, the switch takes a minute or so.)
>
> 4) Upon returning to the Sprint PCS area, the phone will automatically
> revert to the Sprint signal. Nevertheless, it may be desirable to
> cancel the CDMA Only mode by turning the phone off and on again, as
> some functions do not work when operating in that mode. (Disabled
> functions include accessing the internet by using the black center
> button and answering the phone in headset mode by using remote off and
> on.
>
> MacWilder

Hey ... update your PRL and see how that works. My A500 is now at 10021 and
I hit Digital Roam onto Verizon the other day where (in a grocery store) I
normally have always roamed analog unless I forced the phone to prefer
digital. I did not try and make a call.

Tom Veldhouse

"larry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> The A500 with software WD29 is a much better phone and certainly doesn't
> get poor reception as others have claimed. It works as well or better
> than any other phone I've used.

I will second this assessment. I also have no trouble with reception or
function with my A500. And now with the new PRL 10021, I have no problem
with analog roaming being favored over digital roaming.

Tom Veldhouse

"Lawrence Glasser" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Loving Moonlight wrote:
> >
> > The A500 is apparently on the secret Sprint list of phones with known
issues
> > that will upon request be replaced.
> >
> > Not being able to roam properly is certainly a potential safety defect
and the
> > phones would have been recalled by a responsible company.
>
> Safety defect?
>
> Larry

Ignore Phillipe ... he obviously is not winning in the game of life.

Tom Veldhouse

"MacWilder" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The procedure takes maybe 30 seconds.. Insofar as being
> non-intuitive, the procedure is basically a hard reboot plus setting
> the phone on CDMA only. Seems intuitive and simple to me, but to each
> his own.
>
> I have had three A500's over the years. They all have the same
> defect. It's the firmware that's the problem. Accordingly, all phones
> of that model will favor analog over digital roaming.

It is not the firmware, it is the PRL. I also had the problem where it
alway chose analog over digital. I updated the PRL to 10021 this weekend
and now my phone chooses Digital over Analog roaming. I live in the Twin
Cities metro area.

By the way, how could you own any A500s over the years. That phone is only
been available for about 1 year.

Tom Veldhouse