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Thread: Cellular Phone Facts

  1. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by the_Jayman
    Luka is the bald dude that I kept waking up at 2 in the morning because the Palace Penthouse Hot-tub was fucked up. Right?
    Luka is also the guy i keep waking up when i come back from the clubs at 5 in the morning because my lazy ass doesnt want to use a key to open the front door... well that was before the little hole in the door with the pull string door lock contraption...

  2. #22
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    I was guilty of that too. I didn't even know I had a key to the gate until my last night! My fault. ops:

  3. #23
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    Bad News and Good News

    The Bad News:

    My cell service here in FL is Cingular, and my phone is a Motorola V90i (I think). The last 6-8 months, my reception has been horrible . I've been thinking there's something wrong with the G&% D%^$ thing.

    I went to a Cingular Tech Center yesterday. Sumbitch :shock: . Seems my phone is just fine. Seems that, unbeknownst to me (and prolly thousands of other "loyal" customers), Cingular has been changing their network from CDMA to GSM. And along with the change, they have been replacing CDMA transceivers with GSM equipment, so now the coverage "map" for CDMA has totally shrunk to where I am on "Extended Service" all over the place-with crap reception. In fact, where I live I am lucky to get any signal at all...

    BASTARDS!!!! You can't even get a CDMA phone any more. When all the current CDMA contracts expire, CDMA is history

    Soooooo...armed with this information, I'm headed to my local Cingular sales office to get a NEW phone (equivalent in quality as my current Motorola) on their GSM network-and I'm guessing it's gonna be very close to free.

    Maybe I'll quit saying "can you hear me now" on my cell.

    The Good News:

    I'll have a GSM phone! Won't this be DR friendly with just replacing the little chip in it? What will I have to do to use my new phone in the DR? Verizon or Orange?

    The rental (which I still have...what a friggin' boat anchor) from Orange is a POS.

    Input appreciated...

  4. #24
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    You'll have to use Orange Dominicana since it's the only provider in DR that uses GSM.
    Make sure when you buy the GSM phone that it is sim lock free.
    Providers have a nasty habit of locking their phones to their service only. If your phone is not sim lock free it will not work with the DR chip/sim.
    You'll then first have to have the phone unlocked.
    If it is simlock free, you can just get a little sim/chip at the Orange shop in Dr and put it in there, presto you will have a dominican phone......

  5. #25
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    Re: Bad News and Good News

    Quote Originally Posted by Reel Deal
    The Bad News:

    My cell service here in FL is Cingular, and my phone is a Motorola V90i (I think). The last 6-8 months, my reception has been horrible . I've been thinking there's something wrong with the G&% D%^$ thing.

    I went to a Cingular Tech Center yesterday. Sumbitch :shock: . Seems my phone is just fine. Seems that, unbeknownst to me (and prolly thousands of other "loyal" customers), Cingular has been changing their network from CDMA to GSM. And along with the change, they have been replacing CDMA transceivers with GSM equipment, so now the coverage "map" for CDMA has totally shrunk to where I am on "Extended Service" all over the place-with crap reception. In fact, where I live I am lucky to get any signal at all...

    BASTARDS!!!! You can't even get a CDMA phone any more. When all the current CDMA contracts expire, CDMA is history

    Soooooo...armed with this information, I'm headed to my local Cingular sales office to get a NEW phone (equivalent in quality as my current Motorola) on their GSM network-and I'm guessing it's gonna be very close to free.

    Maybe I'll quit saying "can you hear me now" on my cell.

    The Good News:

    I'll have a GSM phone! Won't this be DR friendly with just replacing the little chip in it? What will I have to do to use my new phone in the DR? Verizon or Orange?

    The rental (which I still have...what a friggin' boat anchor) from Orange is a POS.

    Input appreciated...
    RTFPost!

    You need to have your GSM phone unlocked! In terms of unlocking, Nokia is the easiest.

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by jd_mine
    You'll have to use Orange Dominicana since it's the only provider in DR that uses GSM.
    Make sure when you buy the GSM phone that it is sim lock free.
    Providers have a nasty habit of locking their phones to their service only. If your phone is not sim lock free it will not work with the DR chip/sim.
    You'll then first have to have the phone unlocked.
    If it is simlock free, you can just get a little sim/chip at the Orange shop in Dr and put it in there, presto you will have a dominican phone......
    It's illegal to sell unlocked phones in the US. Pay enough and companies can change laws in the US!

  7. #27
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    Here in Holland phomes are only locked if you get them for free or at a reduced rate with a subscription. Pay full price and they will be simlock free.
    Anyone, if the phone is not the newest of the newest, you can always get it unlocked for $15 or by yourself by surfing the internet......

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Don Tomas
    It's illegal to sell unlocked phones in the US. Pay enough and companies can change laws in the US!
    DT,

    It is absolutely legal to have unlocked phones. Period. If you buy a new phone outright that is not through a particular carrier it will be unlocked. I'll give you one better, if you got a free phone and you have lived up to your contract companies like Cingular will give you the unlock code.

    If anything, carriers are getting sued for locking phones, even ones that they didn't give the customer.

    The phone is yours...you can do it what you will, break, give it away...whatever as long you pay the bill.

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by dogwood
    Quote Originally Posted by Don Tomas
    It's illegal to sell unlocked phones in the US. Pay enough and companies can change laws in the US!
    DT,

    It is absolutely legal to have unlocked phones. Period. If you buy a new phone outright that is not through a particular carrier it will be unlocked. I'll give you one better, if you got a free phone and you have lived up to your contract companies like Cingular will give you the unlock code.

    If anything, carriers are getting sued for locking phones, even ones that they didn't give the customer.

    The phone is yours...you can do it what you will, break, give it away...whatever as long you pay the bill.
    I agree it's legal to have an unlocked phone, it's legal to have it unlocked as long as your contract doesn't state differently. As for a code to unlock it, only Nokia can be done by codes, every other phone is a hardware cable unlock. Hell Motorola even charges you for each unlock!

    As for buying a phone outright, again something you can do on the net buying from eBay or a foreign company but not something you will be able to buy at a local phone store.

    Even better is the fact some phone models can be re-locked wirelessly and I know that AT&T does that if able!

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Don Tomas
    Even better is the fact some phone models can be re-locked wirelessly and I know that AT&T does that if able!
    You're right...I heard about that with AT&T.

  11. #31
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    Re: Bad News and Good News

    Quote Originally Posted by Reel Deal
    The Bad News:

    My cell service here in FL is Cingular, and my phone is a Motorola V90i (I think). The last 6-8 months, my reception has been horrible . I've been thinking there's something wrong with the G&% D%^$ thing.

    I went to a Cingular Tech Center yesterday. Sumbitch :shock: . Seems my phone is just fine. Seems that, unbeknownst to me (and prolly thousands of other "loyal" customers), Cingular has been changing their network from CDMA to GSM. And along with the change, they have been replacing CDMA transceivers with GSM equipment, so now the coverage "map" for CDMA has totally shrunk to where I am on "Extended Service" all over the place-with crap reception. In fact, where I live I am lucky to get any signal at all...

    BASTARDS!!!! You can't even get a CDMA phone any more. When all the current CDMA contracts expire, CDMA is history

    Soooooo...armed with this information, I'm headed to my local Cingular sales office to get a NEW phone (equivalent in quality as my current Motorola) on their GSM network-and I'm guessing it's gonna be very close to free.

    Maybe I'll quit saying "can you hear me now" on my cell.

    The Good News:

    I'll have a GSM phone! Won't this be DR friendly with just replacing the little chip in it? What will I have to do to use my new phone in the DR? Verizon or Orange?

    The rental (which I still have...what a friggin' boat anchor) from Orange is a POS.

    Input appreciated...
    Sorry to quote yer entire post. I have Cingular as well , and it is near useless when I travel to the FLA panhandle. When I found out about the "partnership" with Orange, I thought..hmmmm. maybe this sucker will work in DR. So I tried it down there...it turned on, gave me correct time date..but said it was only available for 911 service ( big help in DR). So when I got back home, my smarmy little resell shop guy says "well if it's seeing that, it should work, you just need to get a number activated". He advises me to call Tech and ask for an "international expert". I do..and Shit..they have NO idea what I'm trying to do. Basically they say it can't be done with what I have, (an LG 4120 ) which is contrary to what their website says.Not worth the effing trouble, imho. I'm just gonna buy something down there, and gift it to a novia when i leave. My other cell is nextel service ( and a Motorola similar to what you are deep sixing) and it is a paper weight in DR.

  12. #32
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    I went to a Cingular store today, and after listening to their lame excuses, showed them evidence of my problem.

    They sheepishly agreed the CDMA network was not what it once was, and offered me a significant discount on a GSM phone.

    The good news is that Motorola has a phone similar to my V60 (not V90 like I said before), but much better-a V400. AND it's an "international" phone. It is not "locked". All I hafta do is go to Orange, get a chip and some minutes, and ~voila~...I'm telephonically Dominican cellularized.

    And I have an excellent signal where I didn't before.

    I LOVE a happy ending!

  13. #33
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    Re: Bad News and Good News

    Quote Originally Posted by RearWindow
    Quote Originally Posted by Reel Deal
    The Bad News:

    My cell service here in FL is Cingular, and my phone is a Motorola V90i (I think). The last 6-8 months, my reception has been horrible . I've been thinking there's something wrong with the G&% D%^$ thing.

    I went to a Cingular Tech Center yesterday. Sumbitch :shock: . Seems my phone is just fine. Seems that, unbeknownst to me (and prolly thousands of other "loyal" customers), Cingular has been changing their network from CDMA to GSM. And along with the change, they have been replacing CDMA transceivers with GSM equipment, so now the coverage "map" for CDMA has totally shrunk to where I am on "Extended Service" all over the place-with crap reception. In fact, where I live I am lucky to get any signal at all...

    BASTARDS!!!! You can't even get a CDMA phone any more. When all the current CDMA contracts expire, CDMA is history

    Soooooo...armed with this information, I'm headed to my local Cingular sales office to get a NEW phone (equivalent in quality as my current Motorola) on their GSM network-and I'm guessing it's gonna be very close to free.

    Maybe I'll quit saying "can you hear me now" on my cell.

    The Good News:

    I'll have a GSM phone! Won't this be DR friendly with just replacing the little chip in it? What will I have to do to use my new phone in the DR? Verizon or Orange?

    The rental (which I still have...what a friggin' boat anchor) from Orange is a POS.

    Input appreciated...
    Sorry to quote yer entire post. I have Cingular as well , and it is near useless when I travel to the FLA panhandle. When I found out about the "partnership" with Orange, I thought..hmmmm. maybe this sucker will work in DR. So I tried it down there...it turned on, gave me correct time date..but said it was only available for 911 service ( big help in DR). So when I got back home, my smarmy little resell shop guy says "well if it's seeing that, it should work, you just need to get a number activated". He advises me to call Tech and ask for an "international expert". I do..and Shit..they have NO idea what I'm trying to do. Basically they say it can't be done with what I have, (an LG 4120 ) which is contrary to what their website says.Not worth the effing trouble, imho. I'm just gonna buy something down there, and gift it to a novia when i leave. My other cell is nextel service ( and a Motorola similar to what you are deep sixing) and it is a paper weight in DR.
    Cingular will definately work in the DR. I have used my friend's cingular phone in the DR. I was able to make calls home and DR calls while in the DR. However you will be roaming and will have to pay roaming fees.

    Try to upgrade your roaming before you next trip. Also make sure you have an international plan not a local plan.

  14. #34
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    If any of my Monger brothers have a Nokia GSM they need unlocked, I will do it for free. (I can do some other makes as well.)

    All you need to do is send me the IMEI code of your phone. (Press *#06#) Give me Make and Model and Carrier that it is locked to.

    I will email you the codes and instructions.

  15. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by tampabukkake
    If any of my Monger brothers have a Nokia GSM they need unlocked, I will do it for free. (I can do some other makes as well.)

    All you need to do is send me the IMEI code of your phone. (Press *#06#) Give me Make and Model and Carrier that it is locked to.

    I will email you the codes and instructions.
    Right on cool!

  16. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by tampabukkake
    If any of my Monger brothers have a Nokia GSM they need unlocked, I will do it for free. (I can do some other makes as well.)

    All you need to do is send me the IMEI code of your phone. (Press *#06#) Give me Make and Model and Carrier that it is locked to.

    I will email you the codes and instructions.
    I sent TampaBukkake my info that day, has anyone heard from him since then?

  17. #37
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    Just a question of curiousity..how much does it cost to buy a good cell phone in the Dominican?

    dapanz1

  18. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by dapanz1
    Just a question of curiousity..how much does it cost to buy a good cell phone in the Dominican?

    dapanz1
    pm "MAV" or "TheLostGringo" they own Caribbian Communication, a cellphone store near Domino and the Europa on Pedro Clisante in Sosua. If you bring a GSM phone they can unlock it and get it going for a nominal fee. I think I paid about $800 pesos when they helped me out.
    When you can think of yesterday without regret and tomorrow without fear, you are near contentment.
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  19. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by dapanz1
    Just a question of curiousity..how much does it cost to buy a good cell phone in the Dominican?

    dapanz1
    A lot, cheapest phones go for US$100. The phones are made in the US, SE Asia, etc. They are shipped in and have taxes added on, unless it's made in the DR it ain't cheap.

    Labor is also very cheap in the DR, puta or other types.

  20. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by Apostropheman
    pm "MAV" or "TheLostGringo" they own Caribbian Communication, a cellphone store near Domino and the Europa on Pedro Clisante in Sosua. If you bring a GSM phone they can unlock it and get it going for a nominal fee. I think I paid about $800 pesos when they helped me out.
    If you are going to travel out of Sosua off the beaten path bring an old Verizon/Sprint phone down and get hooked up with Verizon.

    Orange is GSM and coverage sucks.

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