Motorola StarTAC 'Special Code'
Nick Poulden
ago, from my friend. I also bought a Virgin Sim card, and that has been
working fine for a year (Its a PAYG one). Now I am trying to put in a BT
Cellnet one, and when I turn it on, it says 'insert pin' so I put in the
one that BT Cellnet says, and that works fine. Then it says 'Enter Special
Code' so i try the pin again and it says 'Code must be 8 digits long'.
So, I ring BT Cellnet, who say ring Virgin. So I ring Virgin, who say Ring
Motorola. So I ring them, and they say Virgin have the code. I ring virgin
again, who say they will have to look up the code, and they give me an
email address. I send them a mail... and I get an email delivary report
error (the address does not exist). By now I am getting angry.. so I send
the...@virginbobile.com a mail.. and they say 'Enter your pin number'.
DUH! It needs to be 8 digits long!. So I send them another mail, and still
have no response.
Does anybody know where I can get this 'Special 8 digit code' or know what
I should do? Thanks.. Nick.
Hey
I don't know if the StarTAC is a dual band phone, but if it is, you need to
request the unlocking code for it from Virgin...Motorola call this the
special code.
They should provide this free of charge but it could take a few weeks to
arrive.
Evidently, your unlocked phone isn't so unlocked!
Oli
"Nick Poulden" <nick.p...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:2Z337.19039$WS4.2...@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
Michael Rodgers
news:tkpkcd4...@corp.supernews.co.uk...
> I don't know if the StarTAC is a dual band phone, but if it is, you need
to
> request the unlocking code for it from Virgin...Motorola call this the
> special code.
>
> They should provide this free of charge but it could take a few weeks to
> arrive.
Virgin never sold the StarTAC!
--
Michael Rodgers, Plymouth UK
http://www.network-southeast.co.uk - The NSE Page
http://www.ukrailwayfaq.co.uk - uk.railway FAQ
Glyndwr
> Virgin never sold the StarTAC!
Could it be one2one locked? Do Virgin SIMs work in a one2one locked
phone? Because that would seem to explain the problems the original
poster has...
--
-=G=-
Web: http://www.fscked.co.uk ICQ: 66545073
Beware the JabberBuckley, my son! The words that snipe, the lawyers that sue!
Jon Parker
news:2Z337.19039$WS4.2...@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
year
> ago, from my friend. I also bought a Virgin Sim card, and that has been
> working fine for a year (Its a PAYG one). Now I am trying to put in a BT
> Cellnet one, and when I turn it on, it says 'insert pin' so I put in the
> one that BT Cellnet says, and that works fine. Then it says 'Enter Special
> Code' so i try the pin again and it says 'Code must be 8 digits long'.
Is it by any chance the sim from an early U phone or pay and go best freind?
If it is then you are out of luck as the SIM will only work in the phone it
came with and no amount of special codes will help you.
You say that the phone is unlocked already so you should not need the
special code. I think this is the most likely explanation.
--
Jon Parker
g4...@mailandnews.co.uk
"Michael Rodgers" <nseINT...@network-southeast.co.uk> wrote:
>"Hey oli...@lineone.net>" <<removethistoemailme> wrote in message
>news:tkpkcd4...@corp.supernews.co.uk...
>> I don't know if the StarTAC is a dual band phone, but if it is, you need
>to
>> request the unlocking code for it from Virgin...Motorola call this the
>> special code.
>>
>> They should provide this free of charge but it could take a few weeks to
>> arrive.
>
>Virgin never sold the StarTAC!
>
I don't think there was ever a dualband Startac ?
It sounds like a locked 121 1800Mhz one
Has it ever had a Orange or other than Virgin/121 sim in it ?
Steve Terry
fonefreak
<g4...@mailandnews.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1U437.1028$Bp3.18222@news2-hme0...
>
> "Michael Rodgers" <nseINT...@network-southeast.co.uk> wrote:
> >"Hey oli...@lineone.net>" <<removethistoemailme> wrote in message
> >news:tkpkcd4...@corp.supernews.co.uk...
> >> I don't know if the StarTAC is a dual band phone, but if it is, you
need
> >to
> >> request the unlocking code for it from Virgin...Motorola call this the
> >> special code.
> >>
> >> They should provide this free of charge but it could take a few weeks
to
> >> arrive.
> >
> >Virgin never sold the StarTAC!
> >Michael Rodgers
> >
> I don't think there was ever a dualband Startac ?
> It sounds like a locked 121 1800Mhz one
>
As far as I remember there were no dual band starTACs unless perhaps the
last one, the 130 was?
Thought this only ever came available on Voda and Cellnet so would not have
been SP locked.
The other StarTACs, the 70 (Orange mr501) and the 85 (mr701) and the 121
Royal(?)in there somewhere were all single band phones.
ff
Michael Rodgers
news:9iilh6$is2pt$1...@ID-97581.news.dfncis.de...
> > Ime having problems with my old StarTAC. I bought the phone unlocked a
> year
> > ago, from my friend. I also bought a Virgin Sim card, and that has been
> > working fine for a year (Its a PAYG one). Now I am trying to put in a BT
> > Cellnet one, and when I turn it on, it says 'insert pin' so I put in the
> > one that BT Cellnet says, and that works fine. Then it says 'Enter
Special
> > Code' so i try the pin again and it says 'Code must be 8 digits long'.
>
> Is it by any chance the sim from an early U phone or pay and go best
freind?
No.
> If it is then you are out of luck as the SIM will only work in the phone
it
> came with and no amount of special codes will help you.
A phone with that problem doesnt ask for a special code, it just wont find a
network.
> You say that the phone is unlocked already so you should not need the
> special code. I think this is the most likely explanation.
No, its utter tripe.
AB
My StarTac is dual band.
It's currently working it's way around my friends and family as a short term
replacement phone due to a bizzare series of accidents and thefts of their
original handsets.
It's accepted Orange, VF and One to One so far, and I'm sure I used to have
a BT Celnet card in it.
AB
Jon Parker
news:9iiob9$jbgl1$1...@ID-43430.news.dfncis.de...
> No, its utter tripe.
No michael it is not. A while ago I placed my mother-in-law's BTC pay and go
best friend SIM into a nokia 5110 and got the message 'SIM card not
accepted' which is the nokia equivalent of motorla's 'enter special code'
--
Jon Parker
Michael Rodgers
> > No, its utter tripe.
>
> No michael it is not. A while ago I placed my mother-in-law's BTC pay and
go
> best friend SIM into a nokia 5110 and got the message 'SIM card not
> accepted' which is the nokia equivalent of motorla's 'enter special code'
Please explain why my Cellnet U sim will go into both a 5110, 6130 (Yes, I
know its 1800) and a 7110, but just not find a network? Also, please explain
when the Motorola StarTAC was offered on U?
Jon Parker
> Please explain why my Cellnet U sim will go into both a 5110, 6130 (Yes, I
> know its 1800) and a 7110, but just not find a network?
I can't explain it. I gues this is just the SIM's way of telling you its not
going to work. The old Cellnet PAYG phones where the credit was stored on
the handset, the SIMS were made to that they were completely incomptaible
with any other handset. The one that belongs to my mother-in-law (pay and go
best friend, phillips c12) popped up with 'SIM card not accepted' when
placed in my old ex-contract (ie unloked) 5110.
> Also, please explain when the Motorola StarTAC was offered on U?
Before my time I'm afraid! AFAIK it wasn't. The original poster states that
'he bought it off a freind unlocked' That does not mean that he bought it as
a U phone.
--
Jon Parker
Michael Rodgers
> > Please explain why my Cellnet U sim will go into both a 5110, 6130 (Yes,
I
> > know its 1800) and a 7110, but just not find a network?
>
> I can't explain it. I gues this is just the SIM's way of telling you its
not
> going to work.
I think you had a locked 5110. Every early Cellnet PAYG SIM I've tried in
another phone has gone in fine, but has just not located the network.
> The old Cellnet PAYG phones where the credit was stored on
> the handset, the SIMS were made to that they were completely incomptaible
> with any other handset.
Not completely, you could still read the phone book etc.
> > Also, please explain when the Motorola StarTAC was offered on U?
>
> Before my time I'm afraid!
Then why suggest it was a U phone if you dont know? ;)
Jon Parker
> "Jon Parker" <jon.p...@vizzavi.net> wrote in message
> news:9ik46f$jiru5$1...@ID-97581.news.dfncis.de...
> another phone has gone in fine, but has just not located the network.
No, I did not have a locked 5110, as i said. I have even read the phone
using nokiatool and it is most definitely NOT locked.
> Then why suggest it was a U phone if you dont know? ;)
I read it on here a while ago i think. There was a similar discussion about
6-8 weeks ago. Perhaps the original poster could tell us what sort of BTC
p+g SIM he is trying to use?
--
Jon Parker
R. Mark Clayton
"Hey oli...@lineone.net>" <<removethistoemailme> wrote in message
news:tkpkcd4...@corp.supernews.co.uk...
>
> I don't know if the StarTAC is a dual band phone, but if it is, you need
to
> request the unlocking code for it from Virgin...Motorola call this the
> special code.
>
> They should provide this free of charge but it could take a few weeks to
> arrive.
>
> Evidently, your unlocked phone isn't so unlocked!
>
> Oli
>
>
> "Nick Poulden" <nick.p...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> news:2Z337.19039$WS4.2...@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
> > Ime having problems with my old StarTAC. I bought the phone unlocked a
> year
> > ago, from my friend. I also bought a Virgin Sim card, and that has been
> > working fine for a year (Its a PAYG one). Now I am trying to put in a BT
> > Cellnet one, and when I turn it on, it says 'insert pin' so I put in the
> > one that BT Cellnet says, and that works fine. Then it says 'Enter
Special
> > Code' so i try the pin again and it says 'Code must be 8 digits long'.
This phone is locked to BT Cellnet. The message is the the Motorola
'phone's way of telling you it is locked and wants an [8 digit] unlocking
code.
Motorola and Virgin can't help you, and you can judge how much help BT
Cellnet are going to help you from the veracity of their response! If you
have lots of time, determination and £35 you might just get BTC to unlock
the phone. Otherwise take it to an unlocker.
If BT sold you the 'phone as unlocked, please post again.
> >
> > So, I ring BT Cellnet, who say ring Virgin. So I ring Virgin, who say
Ring
> > Motorola. So I ring them, and they say Virgin have the code. I ring
virgin
> > again, who say they will have to look up the code, and they give me an
> > email address. I send them a mail... and I get an email delivary report
> > error (the address does not exist). By now I am getting angry.. so I
send
> > the...@virginbobile.com a mail.. and they say 'Enter your pin number'.
> > DUH! It needs to be 8 digits long!. So I send them another mail, and
still
> > have no response.
> >
> > Does anybody know where I can get this 'Special 8 digit code' or know
what
> > I should do? Thanks.. Nick.
>
>
--
R. Mark Clayton
Michael Rodgers
news:9ilj44$kq1$3...@uranium.btinternet.com...
> This phone is locked to BT Cellnet. The message is the the Motorola
> 'phone's way of telling you it is locked and wants an [8 digit] unlocking
> code.
Does anyone ever bother reading the thread? Its NOT locked to BT Cellnet!
'Ime having problems with my old StarTAC. I bought the phone unlocked a year
ago, from my friend. I also bought a *****Virgin Sim card, and that has been
working fine for a year***** (Its a PAYG one). '
The Virgin SIM has been working fine for a year.
'when I turn it on, it says 'insert pin' so I put in the
one that BT Cellnet says, and that works fine. Then it says 'Enter Special
Code' '
The phone is asking for the PIN, and *then* rejecting the SIM becuase the
phone is locked, presumably to One2One.