Registered: Feb 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 25

As you know I also got a new modem with Rev B and updated to Rev C and I consistantly get a serial error every time I remove th modem and reinsert it. I called Omnisky. They recommended that I do a hard reset and then just reload the omnisky and nothing else. I did and I got the serial error everytime. I have not had a chance to call them back to continue the debugging. I am also getting Fatal errors and Netlib errors when I am using my mail and shut the the thing down. The only thing is after using it for a day or two the errors seem to go away or at least I don't get them as often. Must be the self healing process. I think I am with you. When I get my 200 rebate I am going to drop it unless they can come out with fix real soon. You know this plug in concept is great except that the two modules I use the most have problems. Omniksy and GPS (can't find a good app that does route planning. Solus Pro 2 would have been nice but it don't run on the platinum. Hmm, pay all that money and what'd get......)

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 25

Rev C Update

So I spent a couple of hours with the guys from Omnisky this morning. After a hard reset and just the Omnisky installed, I was still getting the Serial Error, 0x0308. The result is they are going to send me another modem and if that one doesn't work then they think its the Visor. Their logic is after 3 modems it can't be the modem it must be the Visor. So I am off to prep the Visor folks and let them know what's going on.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 211

I know exactly what you guys are talking about.

When I had the Visor Prism, CONSTANT Fatal Errors, Always had to do Soft Resets When removing the Minstrel S, Dropped Signals AAALLLL the time . I was pissed and hardly Ever even had it with me.

Then I got a Visor Edge. Now, maybe The Omnisky Modem Likes B&W better than Color or something because That is the only solution I have come up with cuz' I Just plugged it in (After a Restore and conversion of Color to B&W versions of Software) and Wow! It hauls! The Minstrel S Works Flawlessly!!!. No problems removing it, No Fatal Errors, No dropped signals . I'm In Heaven! I have it with me 24/7 just crusin' da web without any worries. I just Can't understand how changing to a B&W device did all that! Does anyone have any Ideas?

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Cascade, MD
Posts: 74

My latest solution to the serial errors and crashes has been to use the Power Switch to shut down the modem. I usually leave the modem in the Platinum and, using the Power Switch to turn it off and the Minstrel switch to turn it on, I have had no crashes and no serial errors either!

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 25

I don't think its the black and white becuase I have a Platinum and I have serial error all the time. If I leave it in I don't get the errors and it works, almost flawlessly (some problem with getting My Omnisky to retrive my information but not errors). But that defeats the purpose of having the Visor and the spingboard. I think it is more the Edge and maybe the version of the software or the design of the spring port that have resolved the problem?

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 25

The Modem Saga continued....

So I got the new modem on Friday. It was on Rev B so I downloaded Rev C. Ran the updater and then did a hard reset. Plugged the modem in and got a Serial Error. Called Omnisky. They said that the problem must be with the Visor. However, they said to return the old modem and keep the new one but to wait about 30 minutes until the reset my account before I used it. So I waited. More like about 2hrs. Went and plugged the modem in and it worked. Okay, maybe luck. Removed and reinseted and it still worked. No serial errors. Go slow now... Browsed My Omnisky. Removed and reinseted the modem and it worked, no serial errors, no fatal errors. Did this all Friday afternoon and night and not once did I get a serial or fata error.

On Sat when I decided that it was functioning on the clean Visor, I thought I would try to resotre. Plugged in the back up module. When I restored it did not restore some of the files (OS network files) because they had been updated. Unplugged the back, plugged in the Omnisky and it worked. Damn, could it be fixed? Browsed the web, even got my My Omnisky setup. Did the remove and reinsert several times and no problems. Well decided to push my luck and went for mail. Connected but got an error, device not provisioned (seen that here some where and will have to track it down). I shut the modem down using Minstrel and got a fatal error and had to do a soft reset. Thought to myself, well here we go. Removed and reinseted the modem and it worked. And it is still working like a charm. I don't know what happened and have not been able to talk to Omnisky since Friday. The modem is working flawlessly. No Serial Errors, no fatal errors (at least for no apparent reason). I get my My Omnisky when I click on it. Hope this lasts cause I am enjoying the hell out of it. The final test will be the GPS modem. I think I will wait until Monday, after I talk to Omnisky and get my mail working. Keep you all posted and let you know the final outcome. Hope all of you who are having problems and getting replacement modems have the same success I just had because when it works its great.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 25

The final Chapter ???

Contacted Omnisky and they fixed the device not provisioned error but now I get a Fatal Error everytime I access email. Called them again and they get the same error. The person told me he thought it was a bug in the software and was going to open a case. In the meantime I guess I am stuck doing a soft reset everytime I access mail.

So everything is working great but email. I tried my GPS and after removing it and reinseting the modem it is working great. Can't wait for mail to get fixed.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Cascade, MD
Posts: 74

Have you tried a 3rd party email app - Eudora, etc. - to see if that would work better? YY's email software crashed for me when I was with them and I used another app with no problems.

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Registered: Nov 1999
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 153

OS Mail is flaky

I have had variable results when using OmniSky Mail. It seems very susceptible to the quality of the connection and bombs if the connection is flaky. I use it very rarely now and have all of my accounts setup in MultiMail, including OS Mail, Earthlink, Excite, Cox@home, etc. The one thing that I do like about OS Mail is the 1k download. 1k usually covers most if not all of the message.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 25

Modem Saga -- Epilogue

Well this maybe it. I was in Terra Haute Ind. Tues/Wed and tried to get a connection and couldn't. So I went to Minstrel and shut the modem down. The shut down messages displayed and the screen cleared. As I was reaching to remove the modem I noticed the green tower light was still flickering but the system said it was shut down. So I click the Power Icon and turned the modem off which it did. No green light so I removed the mode and then reiserted it and got the serial error. I call Omnisky and walked them thru the problem. They had me enable the Auto Power off and disable the sleep mode and sure enough that solved that problem. After two days of no serial errors I called them back about mail. The person I talked to had me delete AOL instant messenger. I still got a fatal reset after deleting it so case left open. About two hours later I went back to mail, created a mail message and sent it. The modem initialzed while in mail, sent the message. I then went to Minstrel and shut it down and no fatal error. I reintialized while in Minstrel and went back to mail and then shut it down again and no fatal error. I remove/re-inserted and no serial error. It has been working perfectly (or I should say as it should) since yesterday afternoon (Avantgo included). No serial errors, fata errors, netLib error (I should stop here and be quite). So I will watch it for the week and see what happens before I try to reinstall AOL instant messenger.

At this point this is what ahs worked for me after getting the second replacement modem:
1) Always follow the golden rule. Shut down the modem from Minstrel. Exit the Minstrel app. Turn the Visor off and then remove the modem. The only thing I added per Omnisky is to enable auto power off and disable sleep mode before powering down. This has been working fine since Wed.
2) Deleted AOL Instant messenger and wait a few hours. Intitalize from Mail and it solved fatal errors and netlib errors since yesterday.
3) I am running with no problem additional apps like Launchem' and hackmaster.

At this point I don't know if the first or second modems were bad or whether it was just a problem with modem never shutting down completely and AOL Instant messenger.

I don't know if this helps anyone else but I will let you know how it is going after a week (I'm headed to CA so that will be interesting).

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Registered: Nov 1999
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 153

Welcome to California error

Be sure to let us know if you get the (I think?) serial error oxo38 when you for try to connect for the first time in California. It seems that each tme I change to a different city I will get the serial error or when I return to my home I will get it. Usually on the first time I try to connect. Then I go through the (Try to reconnect) or (Cancel) routine. I then have to reset the visor with the modem installed so that it will reset the modem and the visor. Keep a paperclip handy.

Also remember that the signal strength in an airport can be very different from one side of the concourse to the other. In the Southwest end of Oakland last night I went from no connection to easy and solid connection in the space of 30 feet. Didn't have to press my face against a window to do it either.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 153

Welcome to California error

Be sure to let us know if you get the (I think?) serial error oxo38 when you for try to connect for the first time in California. It seems that each tme I change to a different city I will get the serial error or when I return to my home I will get it. Usually on the first time I try to connect. Then I go through the (Try to reconnect) or (Cancel) routine. I then have to reset the visor with the modem installed so that it will reset the modem and the visor. Keep a paperclip handy.

Also remember that the signal strength in an airport can be very different from one side of the concourse to the other. In the Southwest airlines end of Oakland airport last night I went from no connection to easy and solid connection in the space of 30 feet. Didn't have to press my face against a window to do it either.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 25

So I arrived in Sacarmento on Monday PM and connected with no problem at all (at the client site not the airport). Things were working fine until Tuesday. Then it went down hill. Started having problems with mail which led to fatal errors and then serial errors. Got so bad that I did a hard reset and tried from scratch but that didn't work. Called Omnisky and they could not help with the serial errors (reinstall the Rev C updater was the answer) but they did do something to get mail going (I still think they do something back there that is causing these problems but I am sure that is just the consiparcy theory side of me coming out. The problem is I don't know how to explain how it can run so great for days and fall completely apart). From that point on I have not had a single error (Fatal or Serial). What I did notice before I called Omnisky was that when I inserted the modem the green light over the tower would come on, flicker and then go out. So it looked like the modem was not getting turned on and I theorize that that was causing the serial errors. As I said I have not had a single error since Tuesday. Once again, just when I was ready to toss the thing into the Pacific it starts working like a charm. Tonight I did synch (including Scout)and so I will see what problems I run into. Back to CA tomorrow for the week and I will keep you posted. Someday I am hoping that this thing will start working 99% of the time so I can stop sending all these boring messages and move on to something else. It seems like I have dedicated my life to this thing and getting nothing in return.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 25

SSDD

Well back to CA last week. Once again everything worked fine until Thursday. Then I got serial and fatal errors. It cleared up somewhat on Friday but I have not been able to get MyOmnisky to work. Have to wait till Monday to call. At this point I am believing it has nothing to do with my modem or visor but has to do with Omnisky. BTW. I get great reception when in CA. I just wish someone could tell me why it goes from working great to down the tubes and I do nothing different from one time to the other.

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Registered: Nov 1999
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 153

I gave up on MyOmniSky long ago

I gave up on My OmniSky and ScoutSync pretty early on. Coordinating the preferences on the Visor and on the OmniSky web site confused the poor little visor. ScoutSync didn't (I believe) hold onto a clear enough signal long enough to be able to delete the old What's New and replace it with the new What's New. When they change it I just do a desktop sync (like the tech rep at OmniSky told me to do) and add the new content and images. I seem to have transferred a number of things that I used to get on OmniSky like weather, sports, and local news to the saved preferences in Blazer 1.1. Love the color and the speed of Blazer.

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Phoenix Arizona
Posts: 74

Well,
Here's another story.

I live in Phoenix, Az and bought the Omnisky modem, set up the service and the upgrades, and, couldn't even connect -- at all! I returned the modem to Fry's Electronics the next day for a refund.

I have tried for over a week to get through to Omnisky to disconnect / cancel my account. I e-mailed them and was told I have to call. I called, and hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, -- and finally got through.

They have already charged my credit card for $360 -- although I thought through their literature they would bill monthly.

This was a nightmare -- and I would highly recommend to anyone to NOT GO WITH OMNISKY!

I was on the Palm VII for a year and the service was very good -- including the customer service.

I'll be glad when this nightmare is over.
dave

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: NH
Posts: 25

Re: I gave up on MyOmniSky long ago

quote:

---

Originally posted by dtplink
I seem to have transferred a number of things that I used to get on OmniSky like weather, sports, and local news to the saved preferences in Blazer 1.1. Love the color and the speed of Blazer.

---

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Registered: Nov 1999
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 153

Is it a portal or a gateway?

Blazer from Handspring is a portal but not a service provider. When you launch the Blazer application you will connect to their site, when you leave you will drop the connection.

OmniSky is an ISP. An internet service provider. They are the gateway through which you can surf and access other ISPs and portals such as Handspring/Blazer.

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 293

Blazer is not a portal, it's a browser.

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I Love My Prism!

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 153

Handspring is a portal with Blazer as the front end.