Cingular TDMA Phone in California. Only sporadically getti..

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

My sister with a Cingular TDMA phone is visiting me, and in most areas her
Nokia phone has no signal. Nor is it switching to AMPS. OTOH, her son's AT&T
TDMA phone is working fine in the same areas. Both are Nokia phones, and
can't be forced to AMPS.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

"Steven M. Scharf" <scharf.steven@linkearth.net> wrote in message news:<YxeKc.5531$mL5.1300@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> My sister with a Cingular TDMA phone is visiting me, and in most areas her
> Nokia phone has no signal.

Usually this is either caused by a woefully outdated IRDB (Intelligent
Roamer Database), or by using an IRDB-capable phone old enough to have
manual settings (like a Nokia 5120- although you ca manually select
home/non-home type carriers, the IRDB will prevent the "wrong"
carrier's signal from being available.) Phones like these should be
in the "any system" mode.

What model Nokia phone is it?

> Nor is it switching to AMPS.

Generally TDMA handhelds don't unless the only tower available is
AMPS-only (or CDMA/AMPS). TDMA signals from a given tower and no more
or less "strong" than AMPS from the same tower, so the phone will
generally hang on to TDMA until the proverbial bitter end.

> OTOH, her son's AT&T
> TDMA phone is working fine in the same areas. Both are Nokia phones, and
> can't be forced to AMPS.

Any chance mom's is dual-mode (800MHz AMPS/800 TDMA) and the son's is
tri-mode (also 1900 MHz TDMA)?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 18:50:32 GMT, "Steven M. Scharf"
<scharf.steven@linkearth.net> wrote:

>My sister with a Cingular TDMA phone is visiting me, and in most areas her
>Nokia phone has no signal. Nor is it switching to AMPS. OTOH, her son's AT&T
>TDMA phone is working fine in the same areas. Both are Nokia phones, and
>can't be forced to AMPS.
>

IMO, Cingular is not interested in TDMA only GMS.

If possible I would switch to GMS, cause TDMA (and AMPS) is going away
fast in the cellular world

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

>If possible I would switch to GMS, cause TDMA (and AMPS) is going away
>fast in the cellular world

I am sure that you mean GSM.

However I would expect TDMA to be about 5 to 7 YEARS before it goes away and
AMPS when the current restriction on keeping imposed by the government is
lifted. ( I can't remember the date ).

--
John S.
e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

In article <20040719105628.29625.00001725@mb-m16.aol.com>,
sexyexotiche@aol.comspamfree (John S.) wrote:

> >If possible I would switch to GMS, cause TDMA (and AMPS) is going away
> >fast in the cellular world
>
> I am sure that you mean GSM.
>
> However I would expect TDMA to be about 5 to 7 YEARS before it goes away and
> AMPS when the current restriction on keeping imposed by the government is
> lifted. ( I can't remember the date ).
>

While TDMA may not go away for seven years, it many areas, it has
already deteriorated enough to chase people to GSM, and twill only
continue down that path.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

>While TDMA may not go away for seven years, it many areas, it has
>already deteriorated enough to chase people to GSM, and twill only
>continue down that path.
>

I haven't noticed any deterioration in Atlanta, Memphis, Litte Rock, Chicago,
and New Orleans.

I am still able to place calls whenver I want with my TDMA phone.

YMMV

--
John S.
e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

In article <20040719134244.12124.00001980@mb-m01.aol.com>,
sexyexotiche@aol.comspamfree (John S.) wrote:

> >While TDMA may not go away for seven years, it many areas, it has
> >already deteriorated enough to chase people to GSM, and twill only
> >continue down that path.
> >
>
> I haven't noticed any deterioration in Atlanta, Memphis, Litte Rock, Chicago,
> and New Orleans.
>
> I am still able to place calls whenver I want with my TDMA phone.

As the subject line says, we were discussing California, not your
carefully chosen other locations.

 

[dennis]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.cingular (More info?)

On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 18:15:31 GMT, "Røbert M." <rmarkoff@faq.cIty>
wrote:

>In article <20040719134244.12124.00001980@mb-m01.aol.com>,
> sexyexotiche@aol.comspamfree (John S.) wrote:
>
>> >While TDMA may not go away for seven years, it many areas, it has
>> >already deteriorated enough to chase people to GSM, and twill only
>> >continue down that path.
>> >
>>
>> I haven't noticed any deterioration in Atlanta, Memphis, Litte Rock, Chicago,
>> and New Orleans.
>>
>> I am still able to place calls whenver I want with my TDMA phone.
>
>As the subject line says, we were discussing California, not your
>carefully chosen other locations.

Good observation.

Too, TDMA and AMPS may be around for a few more years, but the
quaility has degraded much over the last couple of years, it will
render it for all intenets, unusable in many locales.