Tri-mode? All Digital? Something fishy is going on here
I just purchased the Samsung SCH-a650 from a local Verizon store as it seemed to have the best price/features ratio of anything they had for sale... All the in-store placards and info about phone stated it was a tri-mode (2 types of CDMA plus analog AMPS service)... Being able to access the old analog networks is important to me as I often go camping in places like West Virginia or upsate New Hampshire where analog AMPS is the only option... I realize that the celluar companies are eventually planning to convert all the analog networks to digital... But for the next couple of years I'm sure analog AMPS will still be the only way to connect if you're in the boonies...
Anyway, I get home and the first thing I notice is that the outside of t...
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Anyway, I get home and the first thing I notice is that the outside of t...
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Analog mode is a very last resort for the phone. It will stay in digital mode w/ even 1 or maybe 1/2 bar of signal strength.
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schnozejt said:
Analog mode is a very last resort for the phone. It will stay in digital mode w/ even 1 or maybe 1/2 bar of signal strength.
I don't mind analog being the "very last resort"... I just don't want the phone to be programmed (or re-programmed) by Verizon so analog is totally disabled for incoming calls... and like I said, I'm suspicious (maybe even paranoid!?!) when the box says "you can't make a 911 call unless you're in a digital area" and the user guide calls it an "ALL DIGITAL MOBILE PHONE"
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The only programing that is done to the phones is by the manufacturer. And it's programmed to go into analog mode on at a last resort basis
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In a nutshell,
The phone is a tri-mode phone. It will grab and hang on to the digital signal for as bloody long as it can.
A good test of this is travelling from Austin, TX to Reno, TX. My phone held its digital signal all the way down to 1 bar before it hit the analog signal (which was at full strength).
So don't worry about it. You'll get digital signal almost anywhere and don't worry about the analog signal. You won't see it unless you go to say for example central Nevada, central Idaho, central Montana.
The phone is a tri-mode phone. It will grab and hang on to the digital signal for as bloody long as it can.
A good test of this is travelling from Austin, TX to Reno, TX. My phone held its digital signal all the way down to 1 bar before it hit the analog signal (which was at full strength).
So don't worry about it. You'll get digital signal almost anywhere and don't worry about the analog signal. You won't see it unless you go to say for example central Nevada, central Idaho, central Montana.
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OK... I'm not "worried" about the quality of the analog signal... I just want to make sure the phone will make use of it (for receiving calls) when it's the only thing available in a remote area... Again, I ask (anyone from Verizon listening?), why do the box and user guide act like this phone (Samsung SCH-a650) won't work with an analog network ??????
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al5432 said:
OK... I'm not "worried" about the quality of the analog signal... I just want to make sure the phone will make use of it (for receiving calls) when it's the only thing available in a remote area... Again, I ask (anyone from Verizon listening?), why do the box and user guide act like this phone (Samsung SCH-a650) won't work with an analog network ??????
Does it say anywhere on the box and user guide that it won't pick up AMPS?
Put it this way, if you have that phone, and at ANYTIME the "D" for Digital signal, goes to an "A" on the screen, then it is in analog mode(AMPS). The ALL DIGITAL phones(dual band) do not show "A"
From what I see on the specs, it will pick up AMPS if needed.
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Digital Pimp said:...al5432 said:
OK... I'm not "worried" about the quality of the analog signal... I just want to make sure the phone will make use of it (for receiving calls) when it's the only thing available in a remote area... Again, I ask (anyone from Verizon listening?), why do the box and user guide act like this phone (Samsung SCH-a650) won't work with an analog network ??????
Does it say anywhere on the box and user guide that it won't pick up AMPS?
Put it this way, if you have that phone, and at ANYTIME the "D" for Digital signal, goes to an "A" on the screen, then it is in analog mode(AMPS). The ALL DIGITAL phones(dual band) do not show "A"
From what I see on the spec
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I'm from VerizonWS. There are no intentions of any sort to sell you a digital phone and say it's tri-mode. You will ever hardly see it go into analog. Yes, it's true that if you call 911 when your phone shows the "A" sysmbol it call through; it will only call 911 if you see a 1x or D.
Like we said, the phone will only go to analog mode on a last resort basis, it will hang on for its dear life before switching to analog. Some phones have an analog only feature setting you can turn off and on w/ the phone; i'm not at work so I don't if your Sammy has that ability. I don't know what happened w/ the manual, but maybe Sprint has the same phone in a digital only model and you got that manual?
I hope this answer suffices.
Like we said, the phone will only go to analog mode on a last resort basis, it will hang on for its dear life before switching to analog. Some phones have an analog only feature setting you can turn off and on w/ the phone; i'm not at work so I don't if your Sammy has that ability. I don't know what happened w/ the manual, but maybe Sprint has the same phone in a digital only model and you got that manual?
I hope this answer suffices.
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I should proofread; the statement should read
"Yes, it's true that if you call 911 when your phone shows the "A" sysmbol it wont call through; it will only call 911 if you see a 1x or D (the digital network).
"Yes, it's true that if you call 911 when your phone shows the "A" sysmbol it wont call through; it will only call 911 if you see a 1x or D (the digital network).
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Dear Schnozeijt,
Regarding the Samsung SCH-a650 trimode phone, can you explain why it can make a forced analog call to a regular phone number but not to 911? Probably a lot of people want to buy trimode phones because they envision better usefulness in emergencies in remote areas.
Sorry if this has been explained before. I am new to this forum.
Waldstein
Regarding the Samsung SCH-a650 trimode phone, can you explain why it can make a forced analog call to a regular phone number but not to 911? Probably a lot of people want to buy trimode phones because they envision better usefulness in emergencies in remote areas.
Sorry if this has been explained before. I am new to this forum.
Waldstein
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I dont really get that. I dont sell Verizon, so i guess you guys need to explain it to me. Why cant you call 911 when you are in Analog.
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you can if you have a tri mode phone...but with an all-digital phone the phone does not work with calling capacities when in analog...same as if you have nextel phone and your off their network...you can't use the phone cause they don't have roaming agreements with any other carrier...thats the best way I can explain it
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Good description VZWman. Lemme simplify that a bit.
Dual mode phone can't pick up analog. You go into analog with a dual mode phone - also known as a digital phone - you will have no service. You can't make a physical call on a wireless phone w/o any form of signal.
Tri-mode phones pick up their digital frequencies AND the analog frequency so you can call 911 with it regardless of where you are as long as you can pick SOME kind of signal.
With us so far? This whole frequency thing got me confused when I first started in wireless too.
Dual mode phone can't pick up analog. You go into analog with a dual mode phone - also known as a digital phone - you will have no service. You can't make a physical call on a wireless phone w/o any form of signal.
Tri-mode phones pick up their digital frequencies AND the analog frequency so you can call 911 with it regardless of where you are as long as you can pick SOME kind of signal.
With us so far? This whole frequency thing got me confused when I first started in wireless too.
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Thanks schnozejt!
I ask the same question as Waldstein in his reply...
Also, I can understand that if you're in an analog only area of the country, a 911 call wouldn't be able to use the "new" GPS locator service (or whatever it's called)... But what will happen if you do press 9,1,1,SEND ? Being relatively new to cellphones, what happened in the old days when analog AMPS was the only service ? Did the phone just do nothing and connect to nothing if you tried to dial 911 ???
Finally, can you assure me that if I'm in an analog only area of the country that this phone (Samsung SCH-a650) will monitor the analog network and at least ring if someone is trying to call me? ... Again, I realize that a service like voicemail notification wou...
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I ask the same question as Waldstein in his reply...
Also, I can understand that if you're in an analog only area of the country, a 911 call wouldn't be able to use the "new" GPS locator service (or whatever it's called)... But what will happen if you do press 9,1,1,SEND ? Being relatively new to cellphones, what happened in the old days when analog AMPS was the only service ? Did the phone just do nothing and connect to nothing if you tried to dial 911 ???
Finally, can you assure me that if I'm in an analog only area of the country that this phone (Samsung SCH-a650) will monitor the analog network and at least ring if someone is trying to call me? ... Again, I realize that a service like voicemail notification wou...
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