My reputation on the line

What to do with a Motorola MicroTac phone

  • Activate it and use it

    Votes: 1 11.1%

  • Send it to a museum

    Votes: 2 22.2%

  • Send it to me

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • E-bay it.

    Votes: 6 66.7%
  • Total voters
    9
Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
Ever have one of those days? During a big clean out at the church, a box was found under the stage, with a Motorola MicroTac phone and full accessories. The box was for a much newer phone, so obviously it was someone upgrading. Noone knew who left it, or why, or even when. Well, long story short, it was sent to me to "see if I could do anything with it".

and that's the rub. I cracked the codes and got it back to factory default. Now the question is ... what now. Do I activate it and secure my reputation for another year ... or leave it as the museum piece it is and chance people thinking I couldn't get it working?
 
Who cares what the peasants think. You know darned well somebody is still using one, Ebay it.
 
I have broken cell phone codes before, but my friends tricked me to think it was theirs. I wouldn't do it otherwise, and in fact I wouldn't do it for them again.
 
Here's what I would do, call someone on the phone book of the phone and let them know I have it and they can come by to pick it up if they want to.
 
Activate it and give it to FatherM as a gift. Maybe he can use one for pastoral emergencies.
 
Luis G said:
Here's what I would do, call someone on the phone book of the phone and let them know I have it and they can come by to pick it up if they want to.
Click to expand...

I did that once for a jackass that left it at the restaurant I worked at...he came up accusing me of stealing it. WTF? Why would I call you?
 
Museums are always looking for quality pieces that are too old for much anything else.
 
tonksy said:
I did that once for a jackass that left it at the restaurant I worked at...he came up accusing me of stealing it. WTF? Why would I call you?
Click to expand...


Jeez, you guys have some real specimens up there :eek:
 
I don't know about Canada, but in the US, it would be illegal to activate that phone now because it's not GPS-enabled/E911 capable. It's legal to still use one if it was activated before that regulation took effect... but if it's de-activated, it can't be re-activated.
 
Inkara1 said:
I don't know about Canada, but in the US, it would be illegal to activate that phone now because it's not GPS-enabled/E911 capable. It's legal to still use one if it was activated before that regulation took effect... but if it's de-activated, it can't be re-activated.
Click to expand...

Thought that aplied to new phones manufactered after jan 05 (?)
 
Inkara1 said:
I don't know about Canada, but in the US, it would be illegal to activate that phone now because it's not GPS-enabled/E911 capable. It's legal to still use one if it was activated before that regulation took effect... but if it's de-activated, it can't be re-activated.
Click to expand...

All phones have to be GPS enabled? I wasn't aware that the one I just got was.
 
Edited to remove stupidity, I thought you were talking GSM instead of GPS.
 
highwayman said:
Thought that aplied to new phones manufactered after jan 05 (?)
Click to expand...

No non-GPS phone could be activated after January 2005 (that took effect while I was working at RadioShack). Plenty of phones made before January 2005 were capable of it. If you have a non-GPS phone that was activated before January 2005, then it's grandfathered in and can still be used. But if it's ever de-activated, then it cannot be re-activated. It's illegal and no carrier will allow you to do it.

Spike, on your phone somewhere is a setting to switch between "location on" and "E911 only."
 
So, all those old phones being donated to battered women shelters & such are useless?
 
Chances are if you activate it it is not upgraded to the new towers and such that have been added onto that network. Your reception would be lousy.
 
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