vB Easy Archive - Found Old CDMA StarTAC - can I activate it on Verizon?

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Found Old CDMA StarTAC - can I activate it on Verizon?
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Posted by: gags1892

Self-explanatory lol...would I be able to activate it? should I try?

Posted by: talk2em

i guessing so

but you sure its CDMA and NOT TDMA?

Posted by: gags1892

It says "digital" inside the phone's flip, has a HEX/DEC #. How do I know for sure?

Believe the model # is a 7867.

What services USED to be CDMA? I know Sprint and Cingular did. I think this phone is Sprint branded, and doesn't have a SIM slot...

Posted by: gags1892

Nevermind - just tried to activate it online by inputting the DEC, and it's a no go

Posted by: ChanceWells

Most carriers wouldn't actovate it because it doesn't have GPS. The goverment basically says you have to have 95% compliant phones on your network that due voice.

Posted by: scottmac112

Also, if it's an old enough StarTAC, it might only have AMPS, and not Digital, or 1xRTT, or even EVDO (on a StarTAC, hah!). Anyway, that's probably the problem.

If it says Digital on the phone, then Verizon should activate it!

Posted by: DARPA

Quote:

Originally Posted by gags1892

Self-explanatory lol...would I be able to activate it? should I try?

I was able to re-activate one of my StarTACs on Sprint while my main phone was being replaced. It was a "Dual Band" Digital CDMA and AMPS for roaming unit. The girl on the phone had to dig for documentation on the unit ... but after a bit of digging we were able to get it back up and running. In a matter of fact, after the new phone arrived Sprint offered to keep the old StarTAC online on a "seasonal" plan for backup at $5.00 a month. Not a bad idea for old people that just may need a phone for an emergency or perhaps a company that needs to have a spare unit on hand. In any event, that sort of proves that they will surely allow the StarTAC on the network as an active phone.

Sprint didn't seem so strict about the E911 stuff, though was diligent in letting me know the phone would not be able to pinpoint my location in the event of an emergency. Verizon on the other hand seems to teach their employees to outright reject non-E911 units from a first hand experience I had while accompanying a friend to a Verizon store in where we were trying to get them to re-activate an old phone while their new unit was repaired. It was a digital phone.. so you would think they would activate it but no luck. Then again, we didn't persist that much.

I suppose it is hit or miss in regards to the what sort of employee you get - likely the ones that actually used StarTACs will be likely able to help. The young ones may not even know what a StarTAC is, ha ha.

The StarTAC line was one of my favorites! I had the original AMPS unit and later ended up with a couple SprintPCS Dual CDMA/AMPS units. Great phones and tons of accessories! A few years ago there was a rumor that a StarTAC anniversary phone would hit the shelves but never did make it in America. From what I was able to tell, it only hit in Korea and was an extremely very nice looking phone!. One of the things I always liked about the StarTAC design was that it form fit into you hand and had a very comfortable ear piece .. unlike the flat surface types they make today.