jimmyg

I've got a 2002 G500 coming in three weeks, but I've got some questions about the phone option. In the US, you can only get the Motorola Timeport or V60 kits which only do TDMA/CDMA...but in Europe and the Middle East it is a GSM kit (not sure which phone). Could I pick up the GSM kit from the European G-class and have it installed in my US vehicle?

I use Cingular (GSM) and I'd rather not sign up with a new phone company just for my car...especially since Cingular lets you have more than one phone share your minutes.

Flashman

AT&T lets you share minutes across several family phones too.

jimmyg

True, but I want to stick with GSM and currently Cingular is the only one that has GSM in California. GSM is really the way to go...GPRS is available almost everywhere, SMS is great, and there is a much wider selection of GSM handsets available. I'm especially looking forward to phones based on Microsoft's Stinger platform like this one:
http://www.sendo.com/dev/index.html

Back to the point...I wonder if I can use the GSM phone kit for the European G500 in my US spec car. I first have to check to see if the Euro kit comes with a GSM phone which supports the 1900MHz frequency used here in the US.

Richard

Guys

US built cars are prewired with the wiring looms for the phones/VCS/CD - European ones arent, they are built at the factory if you order the option. (NB, ML is subtly different)

The European portable phone (currently) is a Nokia 6210, previousy 6150, and previously to that 3110

All those phones are either 900mhz or 900/1800mhz. You could order the phone kit without the phone (unlike USA, MB dont have special phones) - and then the adverts said the nokia 5xxx/6xxx phones were supported - MB then had hastle when the 6210 came out and it didnt work ;-) New controller needed. New controller definetly works with the 61xx phones, I never tried it with the 5xxx phones.

When using 1800mhz, a device called a "compenstator" is needed, to compensate for the long aerial cable - its basically a small amp I think.

You could buy the parts (I can find you a list if you want), but get the US compensator for 1900mhz and use that (they connect with 3 wires, gnd, + and "on")

However, whether the controller actually works with the US versions of the 5xxx/6xxx is anyones guess !!

There is someone on mbnz.org who looks like he is about to order the parts and try it

Hope that helps

R

Richard

Forgot one or two things

(a) Ive never looked into where things physically gon on the G class, Id expect it to be same as the other European mercs (i.e different to the ML)

(b) Nokia dont sell a tri-band phone, and they dont sell a 900/1900 or a 1800/1900 phone in the 5xxx or 6xxx series either.

R

jimmyg

You're right. They still only offer the Nokia 6210 kit which does not work with US GSM providers. What's strange is that Motorola has a tri-band GSM version of their V60 phone, but MB has always used Nokia phones in Europe.

Richard

I suspect that the Nokia 6210 kit (ie the controller and cradle) may work with Nokia 6190/6160 etc US phones - the 6210 kit works with the 6110/6150 and the 5110 and other european 51xx and 61xx phones, and the "software interface" changed between the 61xx and the 71xx and 62xx phones, so the controller that supports the 62xx supports quite a lot of very different Nokia phones.

The only way to find out is, (a) for someone to send me a US Nokia phone to try , or (b) someone in the US to spend the $300 odd on the bits to see if it works !

I do have a 5190, but its simlocked to FIDO (canada) and I dont have a SIM. My 6210 controller certainly turns the phone on, but the phone then says "wrong sim" so cant check any more than that.

Also, MB in Europe used to use Motorola phones for the "fixed phone" option and Nokia for the mobile - I think they use only Nokia now.

R

pleach

Richard,

I notice form your address that you live in Surrey. A little trip up to Blackbushe Sunday Market (Frimley) may solve your sim lock problem. I got my phone a US tMobile Motorolla unlocked for 5 quid and bought a prepay sim so I don't pay the rip off roaming rates when I am in the UK.

Hope that helps.

Tachini

Jimmyg,
AT&T has GSM as well.

MBenzNL

I just shipped out all needed OEM MB parts for a 6310i incar phone to the states...and it functions problemless in combination with the US bought 6310i (triband phone).

greetingz,

scorchie

All except for the handset clip ...

Which I will try to order Wednesday when I pick up other parts.

-s-

scorchie

When jimmyg wrote that (15 months ago), AT&T did not have GSM.

I love these "revived from the dead" posts.

-s-

pleach

Cingular wireless has also started to move over to GSM. I guess TDMA is on its way out. So I expect that MB will introduce a GSM phone shortly. TDMA has too many problems to compete against CDMA (Verizon, Sprint, et al).

oggle

I think you're talking about AT&T, not Cingular.

scottb8888

Steve:

Do yuou do phone installations as well as Command Consoles? If so what are the details?

pleach

No I do mean Cingular. Cellular one SBC etal were all early adopters of TDMA along with AT&T. All of these companies merged into Cingular. Cingular is converting over slowly to GSM in the markets with PCS licenses as GSM is a PCS only standard (in the US i.e. 1900Mhz).

oggle

Well here in LA, Cingular is all GSM now and AT&T is the only one still using TDMA (migrating to GSM now though).