Registered: Mar 2002
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2

Handspring Deluxe, Motorola T280, GRPS

Somehow I ended up buying a Motorola T280 phone with a GRPS service from VoiceStream in the US. Also got the iStream package, if that's important. Was told it was supported, now it looks like not--not overtly, at least.

Basically, I want to use the phone as a GPRS modem for the Handspring Deluxe. They both have IrDA ports, but that's about all I know. The provided software/cabling says it only supports WinCE.

Anyone have any ideas on how to use the phone to connect the PDA to internet? I'm fairly geeky/anorak-ish, but mobile telecomm isn't my area.

Thanks.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 92

Presumably the phone has a modem in it, ie something that will respond to AT style commands?

Can you get it to dial an ordinary data connection from the Visor (remember you'll need something like IRLink from www.iscomplete.com to make IRdA to a phone work properly with a Deluxe).

If the phone has enough intelligence to do that, then using GPRS is simple - you dial a special number, typically *99#, to connect. You may also need an initialisation string that specifies the Access Point, which is usually the name of the ISP, for example 'orangeinternet' for one of the UK networks, and sometimes a modified dial string too, like ATDT*99***1#

It you search the net for AT GSM or AT GPRS commands, you should come up with the details. If you can't, I'll try to dig them out from my archive here.

Of course, if the phone doesn't have a built in modem that repsonds to AT commands, it may well be PocketPC only - but usually it's just the case that people simply don't want to offer support on some things, so they say that it's compatible only with the things they know about.

Nigel.

Registered: Mar 2002
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2

Hi, Nigel --

Thanks for the info. What IScomplete is telling me is that my Visor doesn't work with IrLink, because the visor is OS 3.0.5H, not 3.1. Drats. And, I found a page on Handspring that links to a page on VoiceStream (the cell phone carrier) which together explain exactly how to do what I want to do. (You're info seemed more specific, though. Geek-thought rules!

Anyway, I guess I'll have to dig into PalmOS or the net enough to find some IrDA (IrCOMM?) software that will work on v.3.0.5H, or at least find out why it doesn't work. I'm a little frustrated, but I can always use a cable. There's a place that sells cables for my phone that use the Springboard slot to connect. Might just try that to see if it works.

This link http://www.thesupplynet.com/product...cfm?prodID=6287 is one, and I've seen another.

Thanks.

P.S. If you could point me toward a technical explanation of IrDA/IrCOMM, etc., I would be much obliged.

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Posts: 44

IrLink does work with Visor Deluxe

I use IrLink on a Visor Deluxe to communicate with cell phones. It works fine. You used to be able to test out IrLink but they stopped doing the trial version. The other option is to use the freeware BeamLink.
HS has something on IrLink too: How do I configure a handheld running Palm OS 3.1 to synchronize using infrared? http://support.handspring.com/esupp...esType=RESEARCH

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Posts: 44

Oops read BeamSync for BeamLink...

BeamSync is the program I meant: http://www.tt.rim.or.jp/~tatsushi/p...e.html#beamsync

Make sure you use the irenhance.prc file too from Palm.

Registered: Mar 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 1

m280 IR

I was told by istream tech support that the IR modem capability doesn't work on the m280's.
You have to use the cables.

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