Analog-to-Digital?

[DJR8819]

-I currently have a 2005 LGVX8000 activated on Verizon Wireless, but I've had this Panasonic car phone in my backseat in my car for a while and it works when powered up via cigarette lighter and when I call 611 I hear a Verizon Wireless prompt. I know this phone is Analog, so my question is...Has anyone ever heard of an older analog mobile phone being converted to digital so that it can operate on a modern CDMA network? Can this be done? Is there just a chip in the phone that makes it operate on a certain band, be it digital or analog, can that be altered replaced with digital components that will allow it to be recognized and picked up on todays digital CDMA networks? Any help whatsoever is greatly appreciated!

[Jay2TheRescue]

As far as I know you cannot upgrade an analog phone to digital. If so I'd be upgrading my Motorola DynaTac brick phones.

-Jay

[walkguru]

Wirelessly posted (Walkguru's: Opera/9.50 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.0.9800/209; U; en))

im with jay, dont think so.

[Quint101]

The analog only phone is now a brick as Verizon (or any other CDMA carrier) will not activate any deacivated analog only phones as they are not E911 capable.

Furthermore, the netwirks are going to shut down the analog networks any day after 02/18/2008... so the phone will be dead soon

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by Quint101

The analog only phone is now a brick as Verizon (or any other CDMA carrier) will not activate any deacivated analog only phones as they are not E911 capable.

Furthermore, the netwirks are going to shut down the analog networks any day after 02/18/2008... so the phone will be dead soon

Yeah, but the OP was asking if he could upgrade it to new technology.

-Jay

[Mobile Mike]

I have a feeling that attempting to upgrade it from analog to digital would be hideously expensive...

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by Mobile Mike

I have a feeling that attempting to upgrade it from analog to digital would be hideously expensive...

Yeah, I really don't think its possible.

-Jay

[DJR8819]

-Thanks for all your replies guys, I figured I'd take a shot and see if this could be done but I guess its looking like a no. Last night however I did find a site called AmericanRoaming.com for the recently developed American Roaming Network which allows you to use your older analog car phones by buying prepaid minutes with a credit card or money order etc. And I tested my phone and it goes to their company voice prompt so that was cool I can only call from it not receive but that's better than nothing. They say they get 10 million calls a month so I guess I cant be the only one with a phone like this who wants to use it? And they plan on servicing "in 2007 and beyond" so seems like a good deal. You can buy minutes at .25/minute from $10-$1000 worth. Any one else heard of or use this?

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by DJR8819

-Thanks for all your replies guys, I figured I'd take a shot and see if this could be done but I guess its looking like a no. Last night however I did find a site called AmericanRoaming.com for the recently developed American Roaming Network which allows you to use your older analog car phones by buying prepaid minutes with a credit card or money order etc. And I tested my phone and it goes to their company voice prompt so that was cool I can only call from it not receive but that's better than nothing. They say they get 10 million calls a month so I guess I cant be the only one with a phone like this who wants to use it? And they plan on servicing "in 2007 and beyond" so seems like a good deal. You can buy minutes at .25/minute from $10-$1000 worth. Any one else heard of or use this?

Sure, as long as you can connect to an analog tower you can use it, but if all the carriers in your area decide to discontinue analog then your phone will stop working.

-Jay

[BillRadio]

Originally Posted by DJR8819

Any one else heard of or use this?

Verizon has announced they will no longer support ANY analog calls as of February 18, 2008. I wouldn't invest in an old phone knowing it will stop working entirely in less than 7 weeks. There is a complete report on the End of Analog.

[DJR8819]

Originally Posted by BillRadio

Verizon has announced they will no longer support ANY analog calls as of February 18, 2008. I wouldn't invest in an old phone knowing it will stop working entirely in less than 7 weeks. There is a complete report on the End of Analog.

-I did hear about this, in fact my mom's OnStar carphone stopped working in her 2002 Cadillac DeVille and they're charging her $200.00 to upgrade it, I don't see why she should pay that fee, but whatever. Anyways, I understand the conversion to digital to meet today's cellular needs, but it kinda sucks I won't be able to use the cool car phone. I guess I'll just use it up to that date and if it stops working its no big deal. It was just for fun to have a secondary phone in the car to use if my digital LGVerizon phone had poor service or a weak battery. I only spent $30 for the 120 minutes I bought for it so no big, they'll be used by February. The analog phone always has five bar service too, ah well. I'll still e-mail American Roaming Network to see what they say about the cut-off date.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by alarmonboard

Check out Cartel Mobile Solutions they have what you are looking for.

While that is nice, that still won't get their old analog phone activated.

JUST SO EVERYONE IS CLEAR ON THIS, THE NORTH AMERICAN ANALOG SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT AS A VIABLE NATIONWIDE NETWORK. THE SHUTDOWN DATE APPROVED BY THE FCC IS FEB 18, 2008. SOME SMALLER REGIONAL CARRIERS MAY KEEP THEIR ANALOG UP LONGER, BUT THE LARGE NATIONAL CARRIERS HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED THEIR INTEREST IN SHUTTING DOWN THESE NETWORKS AND REALLOCATE THEIR BANDWIDTH TO THEIR DIGITAL NETWORKS. ANALOG PHONES WILL BE USELESS IN A MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY BEYOND THIS DATE.


-Jay

[Jerro]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

While that is nice, that still won't get their old analog phone activated.

JUST SO EVERYONE IS CLEAR ON THIS, THE NORTH AMERICAN ANALOG SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT AS A VIABLE NATIONWIDE NETWORK. THE SHUTDOWN DATE APPROVED BY THE FCC IS FEB 18, 2008. SOME SMALLER REGIONAL CARRIERS MAY KEEP THEIR ANALOG UP LONGER, BUT THE LARGE NATIONAL CARRIERS HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED THEIR INTEREST IN SHUTTING DOWN THESE NETWORKS AND REALLOCATE THEIR BANDWIDTH TO THEIR DIGITAL NETWORKS. ANALOG PHONES WILL BE USELESS IN A MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY BEYOND THIS DATE.


-Jay

It will be interesting to see if Verizon (and others) issue a new PRL that deletes analog after that date. So, a trimode will only look for CDMA in the AUTOMATIC mode. In the past I have set my phones to CDMA only anyway.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by Jerro

It will be interesting to see if Verizon (and others) issue a new PRL that deletes analog after that date. So, a trimode will only look for CDMA in the AUTOMATIC mode. In the past I have set my phones to CDMA only anyway.

I would not be suprised.

-Jay

[RJB]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

While that is nice, that still won't get their old analog phone activated.

JUST SO EVERYONE IS CLEAR ON THIS, THE NORTH AMERICAN ANALOG SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT AS A VIABLE NATIONWIDE NETWORK. THE SHUTDOWN DATE APPROVED BY THE FCC IS FEB 18, 2008. SOME SMALLER REGIONAL CARRIERS MAY KEEP THEIR ANALOG UP LONGER, BUT THE LARGE NATIONAL CARRIERS HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED THEIR INTEREST IN SHUTTING DOWN THESE NETWORKS AND REALLOCATE THEIR BANDWIDTH TO THEIR DIGITAL NETWORKS. ANALOG PHONES WILL BE USELESS IN A MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY BEYOND THIS DATE.


-Jay

Jay you made that real clear with the caps and bold lettering wow. Anyways here is the straight source from the fcc if anyone is interested.
FCC: Wireless Services: Cellular Services: Data: Analog Cellular Status Reports

[RJB]

Originally Posted by Jerro

It will be interesting to see if Verizon (and others) issue a new PRL that deletes analog after that date. So, a trimode will only look for CDMA in the AUTOMATIC mode. In the past I have set my phones to CDMA only anyway.

Who knows but honestly that would be fine cause I really do think they will cut off about 98%. This is just my opinion though.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by RJB

Jay as clear as this was is there a need to do caps and bold lettering. Anyways yeah he is right about this carriers can volunteer to turn off their analog. Since the date falls on a saturday I am sure you can see alot of them maybe turning off on the following monday or even tuesday. Thanks.

I'm sorry about the bold all caps. Yes, Feb 18th does fall on a weekend, so you may get a few more days out of it, but it just seems that we have had a lot of people asking 'How do I get my analog phone activated" lately. You know I almost never do bold all-caps so this was a special exception.

-Jay

[RJB]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

I'm sorry about the bold all caps. Yes, Feb 18th does fall on a weekend, so you may get a few more days out of it, but it just seems that we have had a lot of poeple asking 'How do I get my analog phone activated" lately. You know I almost never do bold all-caps so this was a special exception.

-Jay

Yeah and I since edited my thread sorry if I came across as a jerk.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by RJB

Yeah and I since edited my thread sorry if I came across as a jerk.

Really? I didn't take it that way. I thought you were being sarcastic.

-Jay