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

I know this has been covered in the past .
I recently upgraded my old nokia 3585i to the LG 6100. (like the 3589
but with monochrome screen sold for alltel but worked on VZW).
I want to set the old phone up for my elderly father who only wants it
for an emergency such as if he breaks down he can call a tow truck. He
really doesnt want to pay anything and with prepay he would forget to
refill the cards and would loose the airtime.
What i was thinking of is set the old phone up where it will reach the
ameriucan roaming network. In an emergency he could use his CC to make a
call even though its very expensive he would rarely use it. 911 access
should be free on the old phone. Now i remember reading here there is
something i need to do in settings to fix the number so 911 will
recongize its an unactivated phone. What setting do i need to change ???
(it had something to do with take my phone number out and put another
in). And i know enough to clear out the phone book and all. After that
alls he needs to do is make sure the phones battery is charged.
Anything else im overlooking here ???

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

"~Norbert~" <Norbert_Rocks@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:22710-4267C0CB-40@storefull-3131.bay.webtv.net...
>I know this has been covered in the past .
> I recently upgraded my old nokia 3585i to the LG 6100. (like the 3589
> but with monochrome screen sold for alltel but worked on VZW).
> I want to set the old phone up for my elderly father who only wants it
> for an emergency such as if he breaks down he can call a tow truck. He
> really doesnt want to pay anything and with prepay he would forget to
> refill the cards and would loose the airtime.

If Pop is worth $9.99 a month, add him as a Family Share Plan member. You
can talk to each other all you want for free, he can make a few calls, and
if he gets in trouble, he can just pick up his phone and call-- not have to
screw around with a credit card...

Pat

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

he didn't ask for your input on whether he should do it, he asked HOW to do
it.

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

"Falky foo" <falkyfoo@bonksbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:WCS9e.3819$J12.1089@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...
> he didn't ask for your input on whether he should do it, he asked HOW to
> do
> it.

You might want to read the OP a bit more carefully before you show your ass.
The last line says-- Anything else I'm overlooking here?"

Cleburne

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

~Norbert~ wrote:
> I know this has been covered in the past .
> I recently upgraded my old nokia 3585i to the LG 6100. (like the 3589
> but with monochrome screen sold for alltel but worked on VZW).
> I want to set the old phone up for my elderly father who only wants it
> for an emergency such as if he breaks down he can call a tow truck. He
> really doesnt want to pay anything and with prepay he would forget to
> refill the cards and would loose the airtime.
> What i was thinking of is set the old phone up where it will reach the
> ameriucan roaming network. In an emergency he could use his CC to make a
> call even though its very expensive he would rarely use it. 911 access
> should be free on the old phone. Now i remember reading here there is
> something i need to do in settings to fix the number so 911 will
> recongize its an unactivated phone. What setting do i need to change ???
> (it had something to do with take my phone number out and put another
> in). And i know enough to clear out the phone book and all. After that
> alls he needs to do is make sure the phones battery is charged.
> Anything else im overlooking here ???
>

A really nice option would be to add the phone as a $9.99 family share
that will work all of the time which would avoid him having to fumble
with a credit card on a dark rainy night. If he doesn't want to spend
anything tell him it doesn't cost anything...

From my limited toying around with old phones they don't seem to
reliably connect to the roaming network when I tried to make a call.

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

don't service providers have to make 911 available to anyone who calls,
whether the phone is activated, registered or not. I was watching some A&E
documentary about a serial killer who made his "I've just killed someone"
calls to 911 via a deactivated phone, and they had a hard time tracing it
because it just came in out of the blue with no info cuz it was deactivated.
As far as I know the law is that cell service providers must let any phone
on their frequencies route through E911 no matter what.




"~Norbert~" <Norbert_Rocks@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:22710-4267C0CB-40@storefull-3131.bay.webtv.net...
> I know this has been covered in the past .
> I recently upgraded my old nokia 3585i to the LG 6100. (like the 3589
> but with monochrome screen sold for alltel but worked on VZW).
> I want to set the old phone up for my elderly father who only wants it
> for an emergency such as if he breaks down he can call a tow truck. He
> really doesnt want to pay anything and with prepay he would forget to
> refill the cards and would loose the airtime.
> What i was thinking of is set the old phone up where it will reach the
> ameriucan roaming network. In an emergency he could use his CC to make a
> call even though its very expensive he would rarely use it. 911 access
> should be free on the old phone. Now i remember reading here there is
> something i need to do in settings to fix the number so 911 will
> recongize its an unactivated phone. What setting do i need to change ???
> (it had something to do with take my phone number out and put another
> in). And i know enough to clear out the phone book and all. After that
> alls he needs to do is make sure the phones battery is charged.
> Anything else im overlooking here ???
>

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

Falky foo wrote:
> don't service providers have to make 911 available to anyone who calls,
> whether the phone is activated, registered or not.

Yes, however while 911 is considered an "emergency" number, not
everything that one might consider an "emergency" is the purview of 911.
The original poster realizes that his elderly father might have a car
breakdown, run out of gas or get lost somewhere, and generally most 911
centers (especially the busy ones) don't really want to hear it unless
it's gotten to the point where you're injured, or about to die of
starvation or dehydration. For such an "emergency" you might be beter
off calling a tow company or a relative to pick you up.


--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.

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

Isaiah Beard wrote:
> Falky foo wrote:
>
>> don't service providers have to make 911 available to anyone who calls,
>> whether the phone is activated, registered or not.
>
> Yes, however while 911 is considered an "emergency" number, not
> everything that one might consider an "emergency" is the purview of 911.
> The original poster realizes that his elderly father might have a car
> breakdown, run out of gas or get lost somewhere, and generally most 911
> centers (especially the busy ones) don't really want to hear it unless
> it's gotten to the point where you're injured, or about to die of
> starvation or dehydration. For such an "emergency" you might be beter
> off calling a tow company or a relative to pick you up.

What's an emergency depends on the jurisdiction. In California, a car
broken down at the side of the freeway is considered appropriate for
911, due to the possibility of the broken down car and/or its occupants
being hit by high-speed traffic.

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

Not sure how to program CDMA phones except *228 but if the phone is a amps
and or tdma phone it works better if the phone number is programed as
(123)-456-7890. One of those emergency battery chargers like "cell boast"
and a car charger is also good for when the battery wasn't charged. Magmount
antenna to place on top of the car when in fringe area is good too. Another
option is Ham radio:

http://www.arrl.org/hamradio.html

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

~Norbert~ wrote:
>> I want to set the old phone up for my elderly father who only wants
it
> for an emergency such as if he breaks down he can call a tow truck.
He
> really doesnt want to pay anything and with prepay he would forget to
> refill the cards and would loose the airtime.
> What i was thinking of is set the old phone up where it will reach
the
> ameriucan roaming network. In an emergency he could use his CC to
make a
> call even though its very expensive he would rarely use it. 911
access
> should be free on the old phone. Now i remember reading here there is
> something i need to do in settings to fix the number so 911 will
> recongize its an unactivated phone. What setting do i need to change
???
> (it had something to do with take my phone number out and put another
> in). And i know enough to clear out the phone book and all. After
that
> alls he needs to do is make sure the phones battery is charged.
> Anything else im overlooking here ???

Make sure you have a car charger in the car and a good Li-Ion battery.
Li-ion will hold the charge longer setting around. Practice, practice,
practice, making phone calls and using the unactivated phone, so it can
be used in a real life situation.
One can get familiar with the billing system without entering the final
credit card number. My SBC calling card (home phone + PIN) used to work
just like a credit card, without the CC security issues, especially in
analog land.

Have important numbers programmed in the phone already and teach your
dad how to use one digit dialing and send/end. A paper address book may
also work for well for older adults.

Set the phone to Auto A or Auto B, whichever seems to connect to the
American Roaming network. It costs $2.99 min and $1.99 set up fee
around here. Verizon phones don't forward to the ARN around here, so
they only work when set to analog ATT/Cingular A side. Or just use and
old ATT TDMA phone like I do.

I know you don't want a prepaid, but just for general info here goes...

Can't overstate the value of having a call back number for an
"emergency" phone, as compared to a credit card calls on an unactivated
cell.
Prepaid is the way to go for a cheap phone with a registered number.
Tape a Dymo label with the phones number on the front, for easily
finding the prepaids phone number for people who use a cell phone
little.

I got a bunch of my older family members and friends young kids on
Callplus, using Nokia 5150/6160 phones. Have one myself for backup.
Renewing them all at once makes life easier.
In general, learning about cellular and prepaid recharging all at once,
is very complicated for newbies. I just teach them to call once WITHIN
every 30 days and program their phone books. I've continued recharging
for those with hearing, visual or technological handicaps.

-
David

REFERENCE
Cheap Prepaid

http://cell.uoregon.edu/cheap/

Prepaid Compare

http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm

These guys sell a $10/90 day card for ATT TDMA Multi-network phones
Who knows how long the TDMA/ANALOG network will be supported by
Cingular?

Also buying a $40 card to get the cheap per minute rate and then using
the $10 cards for rollover works. Can be a hassle though.
The ATT free2go or Tracfone plans that have a one ~$100/year pay, will
likely be the simplest plan for many people who have a tad more money.

CallPlus Prepaid Cell Phone Pins Buy

http://www.pharosint.com/CallPlus_pins_buy.html

There's a new prepaid plan that uses the Verizon network. The 25 cents
for EVERY call and frequent recharges for small minute buys is the
downside. Might be of some use for all those old Verizon phones laying
around, but the price seems a little high. But you get the Verizon
network. Initial phone Activation can be as cheap as $1 so I might try
one!

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

FCC Takes Steps to Improve the Ability of Public Safety Agencies to
Assist Wireless Callers Using Non-Service-Initialized Phones

http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Wirelin [...] eleases/20

Washington, D.C. –

"The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a Report and
Order that takes further steps to improve the ability of public safety
answering points (PSAPs) to respond quickly and efficiently to calls
for emergency assistance made from a wireless mobile telephone.

Specifically, the Commission addressed issues associated with the
inability of a PSAP to call back a 911 caller who is disconnected when
that caller is using a non-service-initialized (or non-initialized)
wireless telephone.

Non-initialized wireless telephones are phones that are not registered
for service with any Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) carrier.

Because carriers generally assign a dialable number to a handset only
when a customer enters into a service contract, a non-initialized phone
lacks a dialable telephone number.

Examples of these types of phones include "911-only" phones as well as
unsubscribed cellular phones distributed by donation programs to
at-need individuals, such as victims of domestic violence.

Specifics of
Today's Action: The Commission took the following actions in the
adopted Report and Order:

- determined that at this time it is still technically infeasible to
require carriers, and manufacturers of 911-only phones, to develop and
implement technical solutions that would provide PSAPs with a call-back
number for calls from non-initialized phones;

- required that non-initialized handsets donated through
carrier-sponsored programs and newly manufactured "911-only" phones be
programmed with the code 123-456-7890 as the "telephone number," to
alert a PSAP that the 911 call is being made from a wireless phone that
lacks call-back capability;

- required that non-initialized phones be labeled to alert the user to
the lack of call-back capability. Carriers and manufacturers must
design a prominently displayed and clearly worded label and affix it to
each donated or manufactured non-initialized handset.

The label should be designed and affixed to withstand the length of
service expected for a non-initialized phone. The label should
effectively alert the caller that the phone can only be used to dial
911, that the 911 operator will not be able to call the user back, and
that the user should convey the exact location of the emergency as soon
as possible;

- required that public education programs be instituted by carriers and
manufacturers to more fully inform users of the limitations of
non-initialized phones.

Part of their programs must include a notice, in addition to the label
affixed to the phone, which is provided at the time the phone is
transferred to the user.

The notice should give a more detailed explanation than the label
affixed to the phone of the limitations of non-initialized handsets,
including distinctions between service-initialized phones and
non-initialized phones. Education programs may also include training
for carrier employees to also orally advise users of donated
non-initialized phones of their limitations.

Manufacturers of 911-only phones may set up consumer information
"hotlines," where trained employees can respond to any consumer
questions.

Information regarding non-initialized phones can also be posted on
corporate websites. The Commission noted that these important steps
will alert the parties involved in a wireless 911 call of the need for
quick information as to the caller's exact location. This will help
increase the likelihood that emergency services can be dispatched
quickly to save lives.

Background on the
Issue: The FCC's E911

First Memorandum Opinion and Order issued in 1997 required CMRS
carriers to forward all 911 calls to PSAPs regardless of their
service-subscription status. At that time, the Commission acknowledged
that call-back capability may not be available for handsets not
presently serviced by a wireless carrier, such as those that have never
been service-initialized, or those for which the subscription to
wireless service has lapsed.

Therefore, the Commission limited the carriers' obligation in such
cases to delivering 911 calls to PSAPs, but stated that it would
revisit the issue at a later stage.

Two new developments have occurred since the Commission adopted its
original Enhanced 911 rules. The first is the institution of several
laudable donation programs, where older, unused, and unsubscribed
cellular phones are collected by various groups (both carrier and
non-carrier) and distributed to at-need individuals, such as victims of
domestic violence and other crimes, the elderly, and the infirm. The
second is the development and sale of a new type of mobile phone,
"911-only" phones, which are manufactured with only the capability of
dialing 911, and which cannot receive calls.

In April 2000, several public safety entities asked the Commission to
revisit the call-back number issue to determine if additional FCC
action is needed. The public safety agencies wanted to seek solutions
for situations where non-service-initialized wireless telephones may
not provide PSAPs with valid call-back number information, even when
wireless Enhanced 911 Phase I service has been implemented in an area.

In May 2000 the Commission initiated a proceeding to revisit the
call-back issue and this adopted Report and Order represents the FCC's
determination on the additional actions to be taken."

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

Thanks for all the feedback on this. Heres what i will do.
1) I will explain to father the different options. I will explain the
drawbacks of the non activated phone.
2) We will ride around and test the phone and see if it will reach the
ARN in a dependable manner.
3) if #2 doesnt work dependably then i will consider a low cost prepay
which will be my job to make sure the airtime card is good and make a
call every 30 days if call plus is used which would proberly be the
chaeapest option.
4) I won't rule out a second line of service on family plan but this
would have to be done at the start of a billing cycle although the
prepay option would be better in the event he somehow manages to loose
the phone and wouldn't require a contract . (hopefully not but he can
misplace things i will tell him to keep it in the glove compartment)

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

~Norbert~ wrote:
> Thanks for all the feedback on this. Heres what i will do.
> 1) I will explain to father the different options. I will explain the
> drawbacks of the non activated phone.
> 2) We will ride around and test the phone and see if it will reach the
> ARN in a dependable manner.
> 3) if #2 doesnt work dependably then i will consider a low cost prepay
> which will be my job to make sure the airtime card is good and make a
> call every 30 days if call plus is used which would proberly be the
> chaeapest option.
> 4) I won't rule out a second line of service on family plan but this
> would have to be done at the start of a billing cycle although the
> prepay option would be better in the event he somehow manages to loose
> the phone and wouldn't require a contract . (hopefully not but he can
> misplace things i will tell him to keep it in the glove compartment)
>


For #4 the billing cycle doesn't matter. And it also doesn't matter if
he looses the phone. You could either call CS and have the line turned
off for a lost phone or go to your account online and change the ESN. I
also wouldn't let the contract get in the way because you would be
eligible for a subsidized phone so you could get him a new phone. With
the family plan you wouldn't have to remember to recharge minutes or
make calls to keep the account active or any of that.

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

It is only $9.99 if it is the third phone on the family share.
$39.99 for one; $59.99 for two, $69.98 for three. What part of $9.99 for a
share line is confusing?

Oddly enough, VZW is embarrased enough that even when you sign up for a
$59.99 share package; when you see your bill, that first line is $49.99, and
the 2nd is now $9.99. It is like MAGIC, isn't it.

And to your question: You don't have to do anything if it is a 911 phone
only. Give them the phone, and it will work for emergency use. No
conditioning required. If anybody tells you different, they are sadly
mistaken.
--
dr. wireMORE (don't accept "less", demand "more" )
Wireless Consultant/Engineer & FORMER Midwest VZW Master Agent
Data, wi-fi, national access, smartphones, and home
computer healthchecks, stop worrying... just ask for the dr.

If you need specific help, leave your email address & we'll try to contact
you. Worried about leaving your email address..... yup, me too.
cingular<snip>@<snip>wiremore<snip>.biz<snip> remove the obvious please
"Patrick Cleburne" <reb@_rebyell.xcom> wrote in message
news:YnQ9e.13224$44.8526@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
> "~Norbert~" <Norbert_Rocks@webtv.net> wrote in message
> news:22710-4267C0CB-40@storefull-3131.bay.webtv.net...
>>I know this has been covered in the past .
>> I recently upgraded my old nokia 3585i to the LG 6100. (like the 3589
>> but with monochrome screen sold for alltel but worked on VZW).
>> I want to set the old phone up for my elderly father who only wants it
>> for an emergency such as if he breaks down he can call a tow truck. He
>> really doesnt want to pay anything and with prepay he would forget to
>> refill the cards and would loose the airtime.
>
> If Pop is worth $9.99 a month, add him as a Family Share Plan member. You
> can talk to each other all you want for free, he can ma