question about Motorola Timeport P7389

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

I do not think they can remove the ability to change bands. That make
not sense! I use this phone briefly a while back. You have to chang
the band manually under the "network selection" menu. There should b
an option to change bands. Currently the 1900 band will have
checkmark next to it. Use the up/down menu button to select th
900/1800 band when you get to UK.

Look very well. Here is an excerpt from the manual:

Change Band
The country where you purchased your phone determines the
default band that it uses. Phones purchased in the USA default to
the GSM 1900 band. Phones purchased elsewhere normally
default to the GSM 900/1800 band. When you travel abroad, you
must remember to change to an appropriate band.
Use this option to change the band of operation for your phone.
The country where you purchased your phone also determines
which of the following options are available:
• GSM 900/1800 (referred to as 900/1800)
• GSM 1900 (referred to as 1900)
When you select Change Band, your phone prompts you to
Select Band. Press O and then use the ª key to scroll
through the options. Press O to select the band you require.
When you select a new band, your phone displays the
confirmation message Changed to XXX. and then automatically
searches all the available networks.
Your phone then attempts to register with a preferred network
within the selected band.
If you re-select the currently selected band, the confirmation
message still appears but the band is not changed and the phone
does not attempt to register with any other network.
When selected, this option will scan to see which networks are
operating in your current location. When the scan is complete,
press the ª key to scroll through the list. When you see a
network you wish to register with or store in your preferred list,
press the O key. You will now enter the Register Now and
Make Preferred sub-menu

--
mrcamp

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.