Faulty V3?

nockie3 · 06-06-2006, 18:22

Hi,
I think that my Dad has a faulty Motorola V3. He has had it on an 02 contract since this January.

When in our house (or any other part of the country for that matter) the phone struggles to get a signal or make and recieve calls. We swapped his sim card over to my 6230i and i have full signal on 02 here in my house, where he has 1 bar.

Could there be something wrong with the phone? This happens all around the country as he has to travel as part of his job.

What would happen if we were to phone 02 about this problem? Would they offer him a replacement handset straight away or send it off for repair? He cannot go without the phone as he needs to be contactable throughout the day.

Any advice?

Thanks

Yzup · 06-06-2006, 20:06

The problem could possibly be fixed with a firmware upgrade. You need a USB data cable (these are supplied with the phone), flashing software such as Motorola Flex Tools, and the firmware itself.

I de-branded my missus's brand new Vodafone V3 which I bought her yesterday. I've removed the Vodafone branding and unlocked the phone to take any sim card. I've have also enabled the video camera capability, which doesn't come as standard on the V3.

Its quiet easy to do once you've done it once.

Email me at dj_yzup@msn.com if you need to know more.

nockie3 · 11-07-2006, 00:54

Could this be a sim card problem? Can signal problems be related to sim cards?

Arent 02 supposed to have good uk coverage?

11-07-2006, 08:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by nockie3

Could this be a sim card problem? Can signal problems be related to sim cards?

Arent 02 supposed to have good uk coverage?

The SIM card does not pick up the signal - it's the phone that picks up the signal for the network. If only 1 bar of signal is being picked up, yet it's full on a different phone, it's definately the V3 where the issue lies.

The V3's aerial is built inside the handset. Try holding the phone right at the bottom just to see if the signal goes up - I had a Sony mobile phone and when I held it in my palm, my hand was covering the internal aerial and the signal bar went down.

If that doesn't work, it shouldn't be getting a signal so low, especially throughout the country. I'd say the best thing to do is to ring the customer service number for the contract (02) and tell them about this problem. They'll probably start fobbing you off saying "let us check the network status in your area" - but tell them it's everywhere you go.

It does sound like a faulty handset to me. A firmware update is unlikely to work - the aerial is an actual piece of hardware - the firmware is for the internal software features of the phone, so, best to ring O2 and tell them you've tried everything you think is possible.

Hope you get it sorted

06-06-2006, 18:22	#1
nockie3 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 1,463	Faulty V3? Hi, I think that my Dad has a faulty Motorola V3. He has had it on an 02 contract since this January. When in our house (or any other part of the country for that matter) the phone struggles to get a signal or make and recieve calls. We swapped his sim card over to my 6230i and i have full signal on 02 here in my house, where he has 1 bar. Could there be something wrong with the phone? This happens all around the country as he has to travel as part of his job. What would happen if we were to phone 02 about this problem? Would they offer him a replacement handset straight away or send it off for repair? He cannot go without the phone as he needs to be contactable throughout the day. Any advice? Thanks

06-06-2006, 20:06	#2
Yzup Banned User Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Winsford, Cheshire Posts: 158	The problem could possibly be fixed with a firmware upgrade. You need a USB data cable (these are supplied with the phone), flashing software such as Motorola Flex Tools, and the firmware itself. I de-branded my missus's brand new Vodafone V3 which I bought her yesterday. I've removed the Vodafone branding and unlocked the phone to take any sim card. I've have also enabled the video camera capability, which doesn't come as standard on the V3. Its quiet easy to do once you've done it once. Email me at dj_yzup@msn.com if you need to know more.

11-07-2006, 00:54	#3
nockie3 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 1,463	Could this be a sim card problem? Can signal problems be related to sim cards? Arent 02 supposed to have good uk coverage?

11-07-2006, 08:20	#4
iDRAGbehind Posts: n/a	Quote: Originally Posted by nockie3 Could this be a sim card problem? Can signal problems be related to sim cards? Arent 02 supposed to have good uk coverage? The SIM card does not pick up the signal - it's the phone that picks up the signal for the network. If only 1 bar of signal is being picked up, yet it's full on a different phone, it's definately the V3 where the issue lies. The V3's aerial is built inside the handset. Try holding the phone right at the bottom just to see if the signal goes up - I had a Sony mobile phone and when I held it in my palm, my hand was covering the internal aerial and the signal bar went down. If that doesn't work, it shouldn't be getting a signal so low, especially throughout the country. I'd say the best thing to do is to ring the customer service number for the contract (02) and tell them about this problem. They'll probably start fobbing you off saying "let us check the network status in your area" - but tell them it's everywhere you go. It does sound like a faulty handset to me. A firmware update is unlikely to work - the aerial is an actual piece of hardware - the firmware is for the internal software features of the phone, so, best to ring O2 and tell them you've tried everything you think is possible. Hope you get it sorted

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Faulty V3?