Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 64

What brand and model cell phones have people had success using to connect to the visor for wireless service? Much of this discussion is more technical than I am, but I am getting a new cell phone contract soon, and I thought I might as well get one that I could use with my visor (if I can figure out the rest....)

Thanks!

Marcy Fields

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

My setup

Marcy- I was in a similar situation where I was getting a new cellphone, nad wanted connectivity w/Visor. I just got my phone, and they finally turned on the web access functionality this moring AND (thanks much to this thread) I connected today for the first time! (I feel sooo proud!)

My set up is:

Motorola Timeport P8167 (comes w/wireless web kit)
Sprint Wireless Web access
Serial cradle
Serial DB9 gender changer (came w/wireless web kit from sprint)

Modem settings are:
Modem: Standard
Speed: 14,400
Speaker: Off
Flow Ctl: Off
Country: Other
String: AT&FX4

Web browser Avantgo (I was surprised at well it works)

good luck with your setup!

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 64

Congradulations and Thanks for the info. One of my choices for a new phone is a Qualcom with wireless web. Will any digital phone with wireless web ability work to connect the visor?

Marcy Fields

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

in a word - no...

Hi Marcy:

If you look through this thread, you'll see many trials and tribulations of others who found out the hard way that certain phones just can't seem to connect. I bought my Timeport based on it being, seemingly, the easiest way to get the job done. I did not want to have to also buy the null modem connectors and the EFIG board, as other have had to do with their Qualcomm Touchpoint phones.

My sprint service is kind of weird (I think) in that my Timeport does not have an internal modem, rather it knows that on a data call (web access) it is supposed to connect to a modem bank at Sprint somewhere. I do not know if that makes a difference, but I'm assuming that it does.

So, to be safe, you may want to get a phone that we know already works for others.

Good luck!

-Larry

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Cambridge, England, UK
Posts: 44

Re: My setup

quote:

---

Originally posted by LarryN
Marcy- I was in a similar situation where I was getting a new cellphone, nad wanted connectivity w/Visor. I just got my phone, and they finally turned on the web access functionality this moring AND (thanks much to this thread) I connected today for the first time! (I feel sooo proud!)

My set up is:

Motorola Timeport P8167 (comes w/wireless web kit)
Sprint Wireless Web access
Serial cradle
Serial DB9 gender changer (came w/wireless web kit from sprint)

Modem settings are:
Modem: Standard
Speed: 14,400
Speaker: Off
Flow Ctl: Off
Country: Other
String: AT&FX4

Web browser Avantgo (I was surprised at well it works)

good luck with your setup!

---

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 15

QCP-2700 to Visor - it's a "go!"

Okay, here's another Visor to PCS success.

I have an older PCS phone, the QCP-2700. I believe Sony marketed it as the 1920 at one point.

Hardware:
Sprint (Qualcomm) QCP-2700 phone
Data to Go phone cable
Serial cradle
Gender changer (null modem?) (included with cable package)

Software:
AvantGo
Palm OS modem setting in Preferences
Palm OS network setting in Preferences
Your own internet service provider (ISP)

I bought a Data to Go phone cable from Bell Mobility of Canada for $75 Canadian dollars (www.bellmobility.ca). That comes out to just over $50 US dollars at current exchange rates. Much, much, cheaper than from Sprint. Bell Mobility does not charge for tax and shipping. The package includes the cable, gender changer, couple of CD-ROM's, instruction booklets (in English and French), and a shipping label for returns. US destinations okay.

I think the connector in the package is a gender changer, not a null modem. I tested the pins and compared it with a null modem from Radio Shack. They don't correspond to each other.

Phone test:
I connected the phone to the Data to Go cable. Next, I attached the 9-pin connector to my desktop PC. I made sure the phone line is disconnected from my PC modem. I added a standard 19,200 modem driver to the modem list (Start, Control Panel, Modem, add, manual pick from list.) Then I dialed my ISP using the wireless phone. That worked!

Real thing:
I detached the serial connector from my PC and then I attached the gender changer to the cable and to the serial cradle. Then setup the Visor as follows:

MODEM
Modem: Standard
Speed: 19,299 bps
Speaker: Low (optional)
Flow Ctl: Off (important!)
Country: Other (important!)
String: AT&FX4
TouchTone

NETWORK
Service: Enter your ISP name (tap MENU icon, Service, New)
User Name: Same as your ISP account
Password: Same as your ISP account
Phone: Same as your ISP account

Put the Visor in the cradle and tap Preferences, Network, Connect. I'm in! I've had a problem once with the cradle locking up, but a soft reset managed to clear it. I also had a problem with a memory error when running AvantGo, but it went away after turning off the hacks and another soft reset.

I tried getting Mark/Space's serial cable, but I'm now told it'll be the first week of October before it becomes available. A note on Sprint's Wireless Web service: You are not required to sign up at $9.99 to test it. You will be charged approximately $.39 per minute (actual rate depends on your service plan). And for those of you still confused about modems on Sprint phones: A modem is NOT REQUIRED for Sprint PCS phones. The modem services are internal to the Sprint network. All you need is a serial connection that can translate Visor signals to the PCS phone.

Amazingly, the connection at 14,400 bps isn't as annoying as I expected. The smaller screen and the mostly text downloads makes the experience acceptable. Can't wait for the new CDMA data service...

Good info here - great thread! Sorry for being so wordy...

ThunderRay

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 64

Sounds great ...

Just when i was getting really excited about the possibilities... i discovered my contract with ameritech for my cell phone is not up for another year. And it appears from this post that Sprint PCS is the only cell service that has the capabilities to connect your phone with your visor. Well, I'm not done trying to get out of my contract yet.........

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 64

Or....

Hhm... Just had another thought on this subject- My cell phone company is switching phones on us soon- to Nokia. If I was able to get a phone with a modem and wireless web, could I connect? Does anyone know?

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 15

WaC cable didn't work...

A buddy of mine had a Wayne cable. I tried using it for my QCP-2700 setup (previous post) and no luck. Visor does dial up my ISP, but no "handshaking." Maybe I missed something in a previous post. This must be related to that "handshaking" power problem that went over my head... I guess the WaC cable and the serial cradle are electrically different. Does anybody know if the Mark/Space cable will be more like the serial cradle (that worked for me)?

T-Ray

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 64

Yea!!! I worked it out and am getting a Sprint service contract. So, soon i will be going wireless with my Visor (I hope!). I have read on this thread that people use proxiweb and avantgo to surf the internet. I assume I also need an ISP? I have AOL at home- what is the scoop on the new software that allows you to use AOL on your Visor? Also- any word on the Markspace cable?

Thanks
Marcy Fields

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marcy Fields
Yea!!! I worked it out and am getting a Sprint service contract. So, soon i will be going wireless with my Visor (I hope!). I have read on this thread that people use proxiweb and avantgo to surf the internet. I assume I also need an ISP? I have AOL at home- what is the scoop on the new software that allows you to use AOL on your Visor? Also- any word on the Markspace cable?

Thanks
Marcy Fields

---

Marcy, congrats on the new phone. Those contracts are tough to get out of most of the time. As for my connecting, I use Avantgo thru my PPP ISP connection...Mindspring. You may want to look at this thread, it has some specific information regarding AOL connectivity. Good luck!

AOL connectivity thread

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
Posts: 181

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marcy Fields
I have AOL at home- what is the scoop on the new software that allows you to use AOL on your Visor?

---

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hacienda Heights, Ca
Posts: 302

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marcy Fields
any word on the Markspace cable?

---

__________________
Bret Snyder<BR>If you don't know where you're going,<BR>You'll probably end up somewhere else.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Southern California, USA
Posts: 41

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marcy Fields
...I have AOL at home- what is the scoop on the new software that allows you to use AOL on your Visor?...

---

__________________
<img src="http://www.handspring.com/products/visorprism/images/PrsmLgPct02.jpg" align="left" width="115" height="115">Brent Dax
[email protected]

Visor Prism, USB recharging cradle, Win2K
I wish I could post from AvantGo...

<B><-- Cobalt Blue is really cool!</B>

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Here
Posts: 213

Visor --> Nokia 5190 ---> Internet

I am looking to follow the beaten path of anyone that has successfully enabled connection from the Visor to Nokia 5190 (Voicestream). Any success stories here? What connectivity and software is required from the Visor to the 5190?

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 64

ATL cable?

Any word on whether the ATL serial cable in the article in the news section would work to connect to the cell phone data cable? I was planning on waiting for the markspace cable... But just wondered.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 3

SprintPCS Touchpoint to Visor

I've read the thread but am a bit confused still.

I have a Touchpoint2200 mobile phone, SprintPCS with wireless web service, the Sprint wireless connection cable kit, a Handspring Visor, no serial cradle yet but I can get one, an iMac with OS8.5, Netscape 4.5 for Browser and Mail. AvantGo on my Visor.

What do I do to connect my mobile to my Visor and e-mail and surf the web wireless?

In other words, step-by-step what do I do? Sorry, I am not the most gadget minded.

Do I--
on the Handspring:
under modem prefernces--
turn flow control to "off"
select "other" for country (when I am normal sync'g w/ my iMac do I need to change those settings back?)

buy a Visor serial cradle (is it male or female? my connection kit from Sprint is female?)

leave everything off and hook up the mobile to the connection cable, the connection cable to the cradle

(do I need a null modem) (or a cable from Mark/Space, if so which one?)

turn on the phone then the Handspring

what software do I tap? Mail? AvantGo? do I need to download some other application to do the e-mail and the surfing?

(I haven't figured out how to sync e-mail yet w/ my iMac)

again, am a bit non-gadgety and have not quite mastered the e-Mail part of hot snc'g to my iMac

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 3

works but now hotsync doesn't

Ok, I was able to use the hookup of Visor serial to null modem to srintPCS cable to TouchPoint2200 and go wireless!

But now my iMac-USB-Handspring won't HotSync? Says can't make the connection. Help!

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 30

I've been trying to hook my Visor Dlx up to a Megahertz pocket 14.4 serial modem via my serial cradle for a few days, with little or no sucess. I keep getting the "modem not found" or "serial port already in use" errors. I've tried both with and without the standard radio shack null modem adaptor, or a dual headed laplink cable. still nothing. I can talk to the modem directly via hyperterm on my computer so I know that is working.
I've even tried hooking the Visor to the serial port of the computer to try to see what it is sending to the modem when it dials. Still nothing.
So, this brings me to my questions:
What is the exact setup that will get a typical modem to work?
and
What exactly do the settings in modem setup change?
IE, what does country/custom modem do?
What does flow control do, being that there are no handshaking pins - -is it just XON/XOFF?

Thanks,
-Adam

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 64

Markspace cables shipping?

OK-
I see on the Markspace site they are taking orders and shipping the first batch of handspring cables. But the first batch is sold out and if you are just ordering now you can't expect to get it until mid to late November. So are any of you getting one from that first batch?? If you are let us know how the cable works! I'm thinking of going ahead and getting the serial cradle so I can finally go wireless and not wain another month....