Startac 7868 shuts off when making a call.

Hi folks,

Just popped into your group to ask a question or two, hope nobody
minds.

I have a Motorola StarTac 7868 tri-mode that shuts off when I make a
call, then turns right back on again.

This happens when I dial using numbers, from memory, and from speed
dial, as well as both hooked to auto power and running off battery.

Battery is fine, showing a full charge.

Verizon says it would cost more to send it out for diagnosis than it
would to buy a new phone.

Am I being scammed? Can I fix this myself? If not, where can I buy a
new 7868?

Thanks

Donny
[email protected]

---

› See More: Startac 7868 shuts off when making a call.

Forgot to mention, and sorry for replying to my own message, but the
cumulative timer says 04877, am I near the end of my rope, and could
this be the problem?

Thanks
Donny
[email protected]

If you dial a number and press SND, does it die as soon as you press
SND or does it die sometime later during the call? What about
incoming calls? If you receive an incoming call will the phone ring
OK for several rings? Does moving the flip open and closed cause the
phone to restart? I'm trying to determine if you have a voltage
problem, bad key(s), bad connection through the flip hinge or
something else.

royc



Donny <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Forgot to mention, and sorry for replying to my own message, but the
> cumulative timer says 04877, am I near the end of my rope, and could
> this be the problem?
>
> Thanks
> Donny
> [email protected]

If you dial a number and press SND, does it die as soon as you press
SND or does it die sometime later during the call? What about
incoming calls? If you receive an incoming call will the phone ring
OK for several rings? Does moving the flip open and closed cause the
phone to restart? I'm trying to determine if you have a voltage
problem, bad key(s), bad connection through the flip hinge or
something else.

royc



Donny <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Forgot to mention, and sorry for replying to my own message, but the
> cumulative timer says 04877, am I near the end of my rope, and could
> this be the problem?
>
> Thanks
> Donny
> [email protected]

On 8 Aug 2003 18:53:24 -0700, [email protected] (royc) wrote:

>If you dial a number and press SND, does it die as soon as you press
>SND or does it die sometime later during the call? What about
>incoming calls? If you receive an incoming call will the phone ring
>OK for several rings? Does moving the flip open and closed cause the
>phone to restart? I'm trying to determine if you have a voltage
>problem, bad key(s), bad connection through the flip hinge or
>something else.
>
>royc


Hi royc, thanks for replying.

Nope, it dies approximately one second into trying to place the call.
Doesn't matter what position the flip is in, and it does the same
thing for incoming calls. It will ring, then shut off, then turn back
on by itself 2 seconds later, search for service, then give me good
signal bars and charged battery indicators. Weird, huh?

I haven't noticed any problems with the keys, they all operate fine,
and I added a number plus a long name to a memory location without any
of the keys giving me trouble.

I've had this slim battery for about a year, but if the battery
indicator says it's good, it should be fine, correct? Or could the
battery be bad, but still say it's good?

It acts the same way when plugged into the car as well.

Thoughts?

Donny

On 8 Aug 2003 18:53:24 -0700, [email protected] (royc) wrote:

>If you dial a number and press SND, does it die as soon as you press
>SND or does it die sometime later during the call? What about
>incoming calls? If you receive an incoming call will the phone ring
>OK for several rings? Does moving the flip open and closed cause the
>phone to restart? I'm trying to determine if you have a voltage
>problem, bad key(s), bad connection through the flip hinge or
>something else.
>
>royc


Hi royc, thanks for replying.

Nope, it dies approximately one second into trying to place the call.
Doesn't matter what position the flip is in, and it does the same
thing for incoming calls. It will ring, then shut off, then turn back
on by itself 2 seconds later, search for service, then give me good
signal bars and charged battery indicators. Weird, huh?

I haven't noticed any problems with the keys, they all operate fine,
and I added a number plus a long name to a memory location without any
of the keys giving me trouble.

I've had this slim battery for about a year, but if the battery
indicator says it's good, it should be fine, correct? Or could the
battery be bad, but still say it's good?

It acts the same way when plugged into the car as well.

Thoughts?

Donny

Donny,

It could be a bad battery, if the extra load of operating the
transmitter or ringer is causing the voltage to drop extremely low.
Just like a bad car battery that can run the stereo and lights, but
dies when you turn the key. Do you know anyone with a StarTAC who
could loan you their battery for a quick test?

Here's something else you can try... Press FCN then press the up or
down side buttons, which is how you adjust your ringer volume. Keep
playing with the ringer for a few seconds and see if that causes the
phone to hiccup from the additional electrical load to operate the
ringer and the display backlight. If that make the phone cut out, I'd
definitely bet on a bad battery.

royc



Donny <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On 8 Aug 2003 18:53:24 -0700, [email protected] (royc) wrote:
>
> >If you dial a number and press SND, does it die as soon as you press
> >SND or does it die sometime later during the call? What about
> >incoming calls? If you receive an incoming call will the phone ring
> >OK for several rings? Does moving the flip open and closed cause the
> >phone to restart? I'm trying to determine if you have a voltage
> >problem, bad key(s), bad connection through the flip hinge or
> >something else.
> >
> >royc
>
>
> Hi royc, thanks for replying.
>
> Nope, it dies approximately one second into trying to place the call.
> Doesn't matter what position the flip is in, and it does the same
> thing for incoming calls. It will ring, then shut off, then turn back
> on by itself 2 seconds later, search for service, then give me good
> signal bars and charged battery indicators. Weird, huh?
>
> I haven't noticed any problems with the keys, they all operate fine,
> and I added a number plus a long name to a memory location without any
> of the keys giving me trouble.
>
> I've had this slim battery for about a year, but if the battery
> indicator says it's good, it should be fine, correct? Or could the
> battery be bad, but still say it's good?
>
> It acts the same way when plugged into the car as well.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Donny

Donny,

It could be a bad battery, if the extra load of operating the
transmitter or ringer is causing the voltage to drop extremely low.
Just like a bad car battery that can run the stereo and lights, but
dies when you turn the key. Do you know anyone with a StarTAC who
could loan you their battery for a quick test?

Here's something else you can try... Press FCN then press the up or
down side buttons, which is how you adjust your ringer volume. Keep
playing with the ringer for a few seconds and see if that causes the
phone to hiccup from the additional electrical load to operate the
ringer and the display backlight. If that make the phone cut out, I'd
definitely bet on a bad battery.

royc



Donny <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On 8 Aug 2003 18:53:24 -0700, [email protected] (royc) wrote:
>
> >If you dial a number and press SND, does it die as soon as you press
> >SND or does it die sometime later during the call? What about
> >incoming calls? If you receive an incoming call will the phone ring
> >OK for several rings? Does moving the flip open and closed cause the
> >phone to restart? I'm trying to determine if you have a voltage
> >problem, bad key(s), bad connection through the flip hinge or
> >something else.
> >
> >royc
>
>
> Hi royc, thanks for replying.
>
> Nope, it dies approximately one second into trying to place the call.
> Doesn't matter what position the flip is in, and it does the same
> thing for incoming calls. It will ring, then shut off, then turn back
> on by itself 2 seconds later, search for service, then give me good
> signal bars and charged battery indicators. Weird, huh?
>
> I haven't noticed any problems with the keys, they all operate fine,
> and I added a number plus a long name to a memory location without any
> of the keys giving me trouble.
>
> I've had this slim battery for about a year, but if the battery
> indicator says it's good, it should be fine, correct? Or could the
> battery be bad, but still say it's good?
>
> It acts the same way when plugged into the car as well.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Donny

>It could be a bad battery, if the extra load of operating the
>transmitter or ringer is causing the voltage to drop extremely low.
>Just like a bad car battery that can run the stereo and lights, but
>dies when you turn the key. Do you know anyone with a StarTAC who
>could loan you their battery for a quick test?

We tried a new battery at the Verizon store, no difference.


>Here's something else you can try... Press FCN then press the up or
>down side buttons, which is how you adjust your ringer volume. Keep
>playing with the ringer for a few seconds and see if that causes the
>phone to hiccup from the additional electrical load to operate the
>ringer and the display backlight. If that make the phone cut out, I'd
>definitely bet on a bad battery.
>
>royc

Tried that, never missed a beat, and I held down the up button for a
full minute, making the phone ring it's loudest, but the battery
didn't run down.

The exact same time elapses between pressing send, and the phone
shutting off each time. My thoughts are that if it were the battery,
this time would change as the battery ran down, right?

Same when it receives an incoming call, same time interval before shut
down, restart, and connection established.

I even found the maintenance code to reset the phone, which I did.
Still does it, even though I no longer have all my phone numbers
programmed! GRR! (My fault, I thought it would just reset the
cumulative timer, not all the settings. DAH)

Any other things to try? Like I said, I don't think it's a power
problem.

Donny

[email protected]

>It could be a bad battery, if the extra load of operating the
>transmitter or ringer is causing the voltage to drop extremely low.
>Just like a bad car battery that can run the stereo and lights, but
>dies when you turn the key. Do you know anyone with a StarTAC who
>could loan you their battery for a quick test?

We tried a new battery at the Verizon store, no difference.


>Here's something else you can try... Press FCN then press the up or
>down side buttons, which is how you adjust your ringer volume. Keep
>playing with the ringer for a few seconds and see if that causes the
>phone to hiccup from the additional electrical load to operate the
>ringer and the display backlight. If that make the phone cut out, I'd
>definitely bet on a bad battery.
>
>royc

Tried that, never missed a beat, and I held down the up button for a
full minute, making the phone ring it's loudest, but the battery
didn't run down.

The exact same time elapses between pressing send, and the phone
shutting off each time. My thoughts are that if it were the battery,
this time would change as the battery ran down, right?

Same when it receives an incoming call, same time interval before shut
down, restart, and connection established.

I even found the maintenance code to reset the phone, which I did.
Still does it, even though I no longer have all my phone numbers
programmed! GRR! (My fault, I thought it would just reset the
cumulative timer, not all the settings. DAH)

Any other things to try? Like I said, I don't think it's a power
problem.

Donny

[email protected]

Donny,

I can't think of anything else to try. I'd say it's time for another
phone. StarTACs are no longer being made by Motorola (darn shame,
too!). You can buy a new phone from Verizon, but you'll have to
extend your contract or else pay big bucks for full price. I hear
good things about most of the LG phones they sell.

If you really want another StarTAC, there are plenty available on
ebay. I bought one there and activated it for my son. I also know of
two places to have StarTAC's repaired.

One is Motorola:

http://commerce.motorola.com/consume...r_service.html

Another is Viastartech:

http://www.viastartech.com/home/

I have not used either of these personally. I have a StarTAC that I
just took out of service because the earpiece sound is breaking up
when the flip hinge is moved. I'll probably try to have it repaired
by Motorola. They charge $75 flate rate, labor and parts and offer a
90 day warranty.

Good luck,

royc




Donny <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> >It could be a bad battery, if the extra load of operating the
> >transmitter or ringer is causing the voltage to drop extremely low.
> >Just like a bad car battery that can run the stereo and lights, but
> >dies when you turn the key. Do you know anyone with a StarTAC who
> >could loan you their battery for a quick test?
>
> We tried a new battery at the Verizon store, no difference.
>
>
> >Here's something else you can try... Press FCN then press the up or
> >down side buttons, which is how you adjust your ringer volume. Keep
> >playing with the ringer for a few seconds and see if that causes the
> >phone to hiccup from the additional electrical load to operate the
> >ringer and the display backlight. If that make the phone cut out, I'd
> >definitely bet on a bad battery.
> >
> >royc
>
> Tried that, never missed a beat, and I held down the up button for a
> full minute, making the phone ring it's loudest, but the battery
> didn't run down.
>
> The exact same time elapses between pressing send, and the phone
> shutting off each time. My thoughts are that if it were the battery,
> this time would change as the battery ran down, right?
>
> Same when it receives an incoming call, same time interval before shut
> down, restart, and connection established.
>
> I even found the maintenance code to reset the phone, which I did.
> Still does it, even though I no longer have all my phone numbers
> programmed! GRR! (My fault, I thought it would just reset the
> cumulative timer, not all the settings. DAH)
>
> Any other things to try? Like I said, I don't think it's a power
> problem.
>
> Donny
>
> [email protected]

Donny,

I can't think of anything else to try. I'd say it's time for another
phone. StarTACs are no longer being made by Motorola (darn shame,
too!). You can buy a new phone from Verizon, but you'll have to
extend your contract or else pay big bucks for full price. I hear
good things about most of the LG phones they sell.

If you really want another StarTAC, there are plenty available on
ebay. I bought one there and activated it for my son. I also know of
two places to have StarTAC's repaired.

One is Motorola:

http://commerce.motorola.com/consume...r_service.html

Another is Viastartech:

http://www.viastartech.com/home/

I have not used either of these personally. I have a StarTAC that I
just took out of service because the earpiece sound is breaking up
when the flip hinge is moved. I'll probably try to have it repaired
by Motorola. They charge $75 flate rate, labor and parts and offer a
90 day warranty.

Good luck,

royc




Donny <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> >It could be a bad battery, if the extra load of operating the
> >transmitter or ringer is causing the voltage to drop extremely low.
> >Just like a bad car battery that can run the stereo and lights, but
> >dies when you turn the key. Do you know anyone with a StarTAC who
> >could loan you their battery for a quick test?
>
> We tried a new battery at the Verizon store, no difference.
>
>
> >Here's something else you can try... Press FCN then press the up or
> >down side buttons, which is how you adjust your ringer volume. Keep
> >playing with the ringer for a few seconds and see if that causes the
> >phone to hiccup from the additional electrical load to operate the
> >ringer and the display backlight. If that make the phone cut out, I'd
> >definitely bet on a bad battery.
> >
> >royc
>
> Tried that, never missed a beat, and I held down the up button for a
> full minute, making the phone ring it's loudest, but the battery
> didn't run down.
>
> The exact same time elapses between pressing send, and the phone
> shutting off each time. My thoughts are that if it were the battery,
> this time would change as the battery ran down, right?
>
> Same when it receives an incoming call, same time interval before shut
> down, restart, and connection established.
>
> I even found the maintenance code to reset the phone, which I did.
> Still does it, even though I no longer have all my phone numbers
> programmed! GRR! (My fault, I thought it would just reset the
> cumulative timer, not all the settings. DAH)
>
> Any other things to try? Like I said, I don't think it's a power
> problem.
>
> Donny
>
> [email protected]

Donny <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Forgot to mention, and sorry for replying to my own message, but the
> cumulative timer says 04877, am I near the end of my rope, and could
> this be the problem?

My cumulative timer is 8852 and I don't have the problem you're
experiencing (knock on wood). My opinion is that you have a bum
transmitter.

Do you have the latest software version (7654?) Fcn, Menu, push the down
key 4 times, smartkey, down once, smartkey, down twice. A Verizon repair
depot should be able to flash this to the latest SW version. It might
help.

If all else fails, try eBay. Lots of StarTACs for sale there. I'm keeping
this phone until it dies or until it's no longer usable on the network. I
love my ST.

Donny <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Forgot to mention, and sorry for replying to my own message, but the
> cumulative timer says 04877, am I near the end of my rope, and could
> this be the problem?

My cumulative timer is 8852 and I don't have the problem you're
experiencing (knock on wood). My opinion is that you have a bum
transmitter.

Do you have the latest software version (7654?) Fcn, Menu, push the down
key 4 times, smartkey, down once, smartkey, down twice. A Verizon repair
depot should be able to flash this to the latest SW version. It might
help.

If all else fails, try eBay. Lots of StarTACs for sale there. I'm keeping
this phone until it dies or until it's no longer usable on the network. I
love my ST.

> If you really want another StarTAC, there are plenty available on
> ebay. I bought one there and activated it for my son. I also know of
> two places to have StarTAC's repaired
Donny:
Have you checked with a Verizon Store? The one near me has factory
refurbished StarTacs and exchange them for $ 50.00. This is a lot less than
sending back to Motorola plus there is no waiting. I just exchanged my
StarTac because of a problem. The refurbished one looks like a brand new one
and works great. Worth checking if you want another StarTac. Exchanging does
not affect your contract or extend it.
--
Have A Great Day

Joe