Nextel's Off-network Walkie-Talkie

[kc8gpd]

Mototalk (or DirectTalk) is based in the 900Mhz ISM Band and is spread spectrum like said earlier in this thread so it cannot be monitored on any police scanner....believe me I know as I used to 1) used to work for Nextel & 2) know more about their phones than any sane person should

Do You need to be a registered subscriber to use the direct talk? or can i get a couple of used phones and use direct talk w/o nextel service?

 

[flyingwolf]

No you do not need to be part of the service.

I actually have my old I355 here (damn Text to Speach upgrade made it useless).

And I can use it along with my registered cell and they work together fine, it is actually a two way radio built into the phone.

If you are choosing the phone based on the performance of the Direct talk.

Go withthe I355 over the I275. The 275 only gets about a quarter mile, where as the 355 gets a good 2 mile sin the right conditions, and even further under great conditions.

We have both in this house. These are just my personal experiances.

 

[Thayne]

I bet you could, but only some of the newer models have that feature. nexthell may be able to turn it off--I bet somebody that knows for sure may answer you.

 

[KE4ZNR]

If you have the right knowledge you can go to a local Walmart and pick up a couple of Boost i415's or i450's and enable direct talk within them

 

[Bill2k]

If I'm using direct talk, can every other person with direct talk hear me or does it use the DC or phone number? I have a nextel with direct talk, I just never had to use the feature yet.

 

[KE4ZNR]

If I'm using direct talk, can every other person with direct talk hear me or does it use the DC or phone number? I have a nextel with direct talk, I just never had to use the feature yet.

Either/or....meaning that if you just park on one of the Direct Talk channels anyone on that Channel with the same "Direct Talk Tone" programmed in will hear what you transmit...but if you dialed up my phone using my PTN (Phone Number) in direct talk mode then only you and I hear the conversation, no one else...hopefully that makes sense

 

[Bill2k]

Yeah, that made sense. Thanks for the quick info!

 

[mkewman]

by the way, the "gps antenna" on some phones is actually the nextel or sprint logo on the back of the phone if it's not pointed to the sky, you'll either get a crappy fix, or won't get one at all.

am i correct ke4znr?

 

[E-Man]

I was told by a Nextel Rep, that the pull up Ant. is just for looks, and I have never noticed a improvement by extending it. Fact or Fiction?

 

[flyingwolf]

It isn't just for looks, if you pull it up you will notice a bit of drag right at the end of the antenna, this is the bottom on the antenna connecting with the rest of the antenna, now how much a difference in makes, I have seen it improve up to a bar when in the home depot (notoriously a large Faraday cage).

 

[N_Jay]

It isn't just for looks, if you pull it up you will notice a bit of drag right at the end of the antenna, this is the bottom on the antenna connecting with the rest of the antenna, now how much a difference in makes, I have seen it improve up to a bar when in the home depot (notoriously a large Faraday cage).

It is a 3 to 6 dB improvement (at least if they are still the same as the earlier iDEN pull up ant.

 

[E-Man]

I just took the Ant. off my i710 for the first time and it looks like there could be a small wire on the inside of the plastic Ant., but I have never noticed a difference in performance.

 

[N_Jay]

I just took the Ant. off my i710 for the first time and it looks like there could be a small wire on the inside of the plastic Ant., but I have never noticed a difference in performance.

Oh, no, not the whole discussion on just how little 3 to 6 dB makes? :twisted: :twisted:

You will ONLY notice it in marginal areas.

 

[E-Man]

No lets not, but I am suprised that no one makes an aftermarket monster antenna that replaces the stock one, my last cell phone antenna was not threaded like the i710.

 

[N_Jay]

No lets not, but I am suprised that no one makes an aftermarket monster antenna that replaces the stock one, my last cell phone antenna was not threaded like the i710.

Most aftermarket cell phone antennas are SMALLER than original because most people would rather have their phone look cutethan work well.

 

[KE4ZNR]

No lets not, but I am suprised that no one makes an aftermarket monster antenna that replaces the stock one, my last cell phone antenna was not threaded like the i710.

Actually if you do a google search you will find several different "higher gain" antennas designed for the i730/i710...might make a minute difference if you are on the fringe of signal coverage but will not cause "miracle coverage"

 

[hulka]

Wh do you think the "text to Speech" is useless? I kind of like mine since it tells me who is calling.

 

[E-Man]

Actually if you do a google search you will find several different "higher gain" antennas designed for the i730/i710...might make a minute difference if you are on the fringe of signal coverage but will not cause "miracle coverage"

I did a search, but I need that "miricle coverage" as my Nextel does not work at my house.

 

[flyingwolf]

Wh do you think the "text to Speech" is useless? I kind of like mine since it tells me who is calling.

On the i355 if you download and install the text to speech engine then you can no longer use custom ring tones with your phone, you are stuck with the factory ring tones, all others are set for a mandatory 1 volume, it is there, but nearly impossible to hear.

Motorola wont admit to this, but only spent about 30 seconds on the phone with me before sending me a new unit and telling me just to keep my old one and not worry about it.


And it also takes over the OK button on the phone, you can no longer reprogram that.

 

[hulka]

I do not have or use any custom ring tones. The only problem I had with the phone with and with out that upgrade is that if I enable the sims card lock it will not let me use direct talk feature. The phone will go into direct talk and then lock up cycle it self off and then back on again then off again and so on. I talked to nextel and they sent me to the Big "M" and they told me it eas a problem with the unit. I told them that this is my second phone and it is doing the same thing. They wanted me to drive it back to the service center to have them verify it. I said no I will just not use that feature. Service center it hour away from home.