I'm Confused

[RangerLG]

I live in Texas and use AT&T Wireless GSM. My current phone is a tri-band 850/1800/1900. I want to get a Motorola MPx200, but it says its only dual band 1800/1900. I know this phone was sold here in Texas and across the US. Will this MPx200 work here? I heard that most of the GSM phones here in the US use the 850 (800) band. Could someone please clarify this?

Edited April 22, 2005 by RangerLG

[mrp04]

no I think most phones dont use that band... But with a little hack you can unlock it for the mpx200

[Gowcra]

I dont know crap about bands. But id love 2 learn, any good sites guys?

[RangerLG]

Well, I know here in the US, the bands for GSM are 850 and 1900 MHz. What I am not sure of is if this phone will get a signal where I am at. I do not want to purchase a phone with poor or no coverage. Also, what I have learned is that AT&T requested Motorola remove the 900 band from their phones so even if you do unlock the 900 MHz band in the software, it is still not present on the hardware. These are US phones with AT&T branding.

[Veedems Veteran]

ATT supports the 1900 band still, but in limited fashion and WILL NOT expand it any further. You would be much better off getting a phone that supports 850.

[Gowcra]

Chris, where can I find out info on bands? I tried google but nothing seemed to be what I wanted! Any ideas Mate

[Veedems Veteran]

I don't know. Any info I learned, I just picked up from random sources. Generally, 850 is the better band anyways since it penetrates walls much more effectively.

[Gowcra]

I don't know. Any info I learned, I just picked up from random sources. Generally, 850 is the better band anyways since it penetrates walls much more effectively.

585814488[/snapback]

ok cheers mate

[gnuman]

Thats why people who buy 5.8Ghz cordless phones get lousy reception is because of that fact as well...

People would be best to stick with 900Mhz or 2.4Ghz since they can still penetrate walls.

[RangerLG]

Check out this info on GSM frequency bands:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_frequency_ranges

[linsook]

AT&T requested Motorola remove the 900 band from their phones so even if you do unlock the 900 MHz band in the software, it is still not present on the hardware.? These are US phones with AT&T branding.

585814308[/snapback]

at&t did not ask moto to remove 900 (thats absurd)... simple untrue. most new moto models are quad band. (see 400-v3 850/900/1800/1900).

anwyays the dual band will work. northamerica runs on 1900/850. euro, asian, pacific use 900/1800. although having 4 bands is better than 3 and having two bands supported is better than 1. you'll be fine, otherwise, why would they sell it.

Edited April 23, 2005 by linsook

[Veedems Veteran]

at&t did not ask moto to remove 900 (thats absurd)... simple untrue. most new moto models are quad band. (see 400-v3 850/900/1800/1900).

anwyays the dual band will work. northamerica runs on 1900/850.  euro, asian, pacific use 900/1800. although having 4 bands is better than 3 and having two bands supported is better than 1. you'll be fine, otherwise, why would they sell it.

585816457[/snapback]

did you not read my post? First of all, the 900 band was removed from the phone, but was added back in with software hacks. Secondly, getting an ATT phone that doesn't support 850 is a poor decision, as of now. The reception quality is not that great and will not get better since they are only puuting up 850 towers now.

[linsook]

i wasnt replyign to you.

[Gowcra]

:laugh: :shifty:

did you not read my post? First of all, the 900 band was removed from the phone, but was added back in with software hacks. Secondly, getting an ATT phone that doesn't support 850 is a poor decision, as of now. The reception quality is not that great and will not get better since they are only puuting up 850 towers now.

585817946[/snapback]

YOU TELL HIM CHRIS! YOU GOT DA POWER! :laugh:

[Veedems Veteran]

i wasnt replyign to you.

585817952[/snapback]

You may not have been replying to me, but you were giving incorrect information to the guy. It's just bad advice to tell him it's ok to get an phone that doesn't support 850.

[linsook]

incorrect info? of course having 850 is good. and yes they be only putting up new 850 and not expanding on 1900. but 1900 worked. telling him haveing a phone that jsut supported 1900 is a bad choice is incorrect. you could say havign 850 is bette but you cant sit there and tell me getting only 1900 is bad.

edit: before 850 was introduced there was 1900... it worked. and its still there. so a dualband that only has 1900/1800 supported is fine. but with 850 its just better. we have the same phones, the v551. before this i had the e715. it was triband. and 1900 only for northamerica. was it a bad choice in a phone? no. do i still use it yes? why? cause this motorola battery sux ass. do i like the 850 on the v551? yes. i get reception in the vault where my e715 wouldnt. so is having only 1900 supported bad? no. with 1900 and 850... its jsut better.

[RangerLG]

This is what I read on a forum:

Posted Apr 20, 2005, 3:46 PM ET

To MOTO200 and other owners of AT&T

There are figures - 1.8/1.9 under the battery on a label that means 1800/1900 GSM. Check up. If it is true - it's useless to try to fix it. Tribands were in the first deliveries of MPx200 to the USA, then under the order AT&T - twobands . Now, because of this trick with a network there's a hell of MPx200 from AT&T on eBay.

What is blocking 900 - no one told officially! But the thing is that AT&T asked Motorola to make changes in transceiver of the telephone (on the hardware level). So it's not possible to solve the problem on the software level. Condolences to all who bought the telephones from AT&T on eBay

[linsook]

This is what I read on a forum:

Posted Apr 20, 2005, 3:46 PM ET

To MOTO200 and other owners of AT&T

There are figures - 1.8/1.9 under the battery on a label that means 1800/1900 GSM. Check up. If it is true - it's useless to try to fix it. Tribands were in the first deliveries of MPx200 to the USA, then under the order AT&T - twobands . Now, because of this trick with a network there's a hell of MPx200 from AT&T on eBay.

What is blocking 900 - no one told officially! But the thing is that AT&T asked Motorola to make changes in transceiver of the telephone (on the hardware level). So it's not possible to solve the problem on the software level. Condolences to all who bought the telephones from AT&T on eBay

585825168[/snapback]

i c. well it doesnt matter really. we dont use 900 in north america.