Car phone

[DunItRight]

Exactly how do I activate my car phone and can I use a different provider?

 

[owlman]

Car phone?

 

[DunItRight]

2000 V8 sport.

 

[mikedeezy123]

I took that prehistoric lookin thing out. I would rather have the "space" in the center console. Plus I dont think you can hook it up anymore because its analog only and not E911 capable...i think.

 

[ToddG]

The phone was offered in the 2000-2002 models for a brief time, along with a "telematics" system. It had a bunch of nifty features, such as hands-free calling (voice recognition) and integrated operation through buttons on the steering wheel and microphone on the steering column. Not many people got it so there is not a lot of discussion about it here. Unfortunately, I believe Mike is right... the technology is out of date (no surprise there -- IIRC, it was a Motorola analog phone using Sprint I think). No one that I'm aware of has been able to convert the integrated components to a more recent model and/or digital mode. Sorry.

 

[DunItRight]

Damn! Well at least I know its sorta rare in a way..lol even if its prehistoric. I just liked all the fetures. The service is Verizon and when I try to use it I get the Verizon automated messages but I never sat and listened to it.


Thanks!

 

[402777LS]

It's analog, you can still get service, but it's spotty-all the cell co's stopped upgrading their analog equipment and expanding their analog service areas several years ago. I still have the orriginal when I bought my car new in '00, it's a dinosaur, but has neat features. No one has taken the time to convert the wiring for digital, it's just too much of a pita.

 

[MiStArEdX]

I took that prehistoric lookin thing out. I would rather have the "space" in the center console.

Does your MUTE button work or does it say "NO PHONE" on the stereo ???

 

[dubLS00]

Does your MUTE button work or does it say "NO PHONE" on the stereo ???

mine dont work.. jus get the no portable sign

 

[DunItRight]

I dont think it works unless you have a call, but I may be wrong.

 

[MiStArEdX]

I dont think it works unless you have a call, but I may be wrong.

So you do have it activated ??? That's only way you can have a call on this phone.

 

[DunItRight]

No, its not activated but if I try to use it I do get a verizon recording saying that its not activated. Mine says the same as what the others are saying, I just assume in order for it to mute for a call you need to have a call and we obviously don't have any calls.

But more importantly as I was saying I may be wrong.

 

[MiStArEdX]

Let's try this DunItRight...what happends when you do press the mute button. Does your phone come on ??? (Is that when you get the recording) What happends when you disconnect the phone and push the mute button ??

I used to get a recording too when I tried to use the phone (here the provider is ROGERS) but I was also able to get through to the provider and the provider only. This was a few years ago but I was able to talk to an operater testing the phone out. They wanted like 40 bucks a month to have the phone activated on an analog line. I wouldn't even pay $40 for the phone let alone per month to use it. :soapbox:
They told me I could have the service and call forward it to my digital phone to receive calls .... :bash: OKAY
I put like 14 man hrs and talked to like 20 different people (stereo techs and Ford reps) and no one and I MEAN NO 1 could tell me how to get the mute button to just MUTE while having this phone option. .

That's pretty sad. I even work for FORD and I couldn't get any satisfaction :Bang

 

[DunItRight]

Im leaving for work soon so Ill try all this out on lunch. I dont have the phone connected right now or I would do it, it would only take like 2 minutes but i took the phone out cause of the POS lame center console that seems to like to break really easy broke!

I am pretty sure you cant mute it unless the phoine is in use cause that is its whole purpose, right?


I know what I can do. Ill get customer service again and see what happens when I mute everything and all that stuff ( I dont like computer automated voices so Ill blast the stereo ), but if we cant use the phone than mute is pointless anyway.

 

[SoonerLS]

Don't bother. All of the cellular carriers are phasing out the analog networks, so it won't be long before it won't work at all. There was a big deal about this awhile back, because it's going to affect a bunch of OnStar subscribers. The carriers for OnStar are supposed to be discontinuing analog service on January 1, 2008; the FCC will no longer require analog cellular service as of February 18, 2008. AT&T is already decommissioning its TDMA analog network, and will drop all analog service ASAP; according to Wikipedia, Verizon has "noted" that it is "eager" to shut down its analog network ASAP, as well.

If you could get a conversion to digital, it might be worth it, but analog cellular technology is dead. It just hasn't finished twitching yet. (According to an '03 InfoWorld report I found, analog cellular network equipment was already out of production in '03.)