Cell Phone Lossage

[figmo]

I have two cellular phones. One has been bolted into my car since 1987; the other is a newer Nokia digital phone. The car phone works; the two-year-old Nokia needs to be replaced because the power switch is broken. The previous portable cellular phone also only lasted two years.

The problem? If I had two digital phones I could severely cut down my cellular bills. I have astronomical cell phone bills right now; I could lower them to $60/month.

The gotcha? To install a setup in my car to cradle a portable phone in a way similar to the working-but-analog car phone it'd cost me around $350.00. Right now I don't have $350.00.

On the other hand, AT&T Wireless refuses to let me have a decent calling plan because they don't want to support the analog-but-working car phone.

I'm not sure what to do here.

Comments

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

Nobody wants to support analog.

$350 for a car kit??? I have a _nice_ car kit combo and it cost me less than $100 to put together. What is your phone make and model? "Nokia" what model number? 51XX or 61XX series?

My cell bill is $250 / month, but wow what I get for my money . . .

[johno.livejournal.com]

Have you considered just ignoring the built-in car phone and going strictly with a handset?

ATT currently has the best deal. Free Nokia 3360 with plans starting at $29.99 to get it. Once you cross $50 month you probalby won't ever use up the minutes.

We got free car charger, house charger and earbud headset as well.

[figmo.livejournal.com]

The $350 was for something I could set my Nokia phone into that had something resembing a Real(tm) handset and for installation of said device.

The price differential in the before and after of my cell phone bills would be 50% or more savings after that investment. I soooo do not like jiggling around a teensy cell phone in the car, whereas I can drive with two hands with a real-size handset. Ear buds and I do not get along (it seems to be hereditary; Mom can't use them either).

[figmo.livejournal.com]

If I do replace the analog phone it'd be with a Nokia 3360, as that's the "hot phone of the month." I'd also replace the other broken Nokia phone with it, and I'd get colored faceplates so Warren and I could tell the phones apart.

As for why not just go with a handset, it's the idea of me driving with one hand fumbling for the phone while trying to drive with the other. Right now I've got a real-sized handset I can cradle between my ear and shoulder, thus enabling me to keep both hands on the wheel. I can also reach down to the same spot and dial without looking away from traffic. I can't do that on a cell phone that's floating around loose in my car.

Ear buds also don't work for me (or my mother; it seems to be hereditary).

[johno.livejournal.com]

Earbuds natch. I can only wear a ear bud for a short time before it gets painful. There are full headsets with a standard lay against your ear speaker.

There are some speakerphone setups that let you pipe the sound out to a your radio and put the phone where you can reach it to key in the phone number.

Can you point me to the $350 phone rig?

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

Your cell shop sounds like they're snowing you. Really. Can you please tell me the specific model number of your phone so I can point you to exact prices & part numbers?

The official Nokia car kit, name brand, handset - cradle - voice mike in window post - $150, $200 installed at any car electronics shop. $350 is outrageous.

The car kit I have is a speakerphone cradle that plugs into the 12v socket. It cost me $20. Others (like the FM radio) are $40-$100. I've also been happy with real full-size headsets (2.5 mm jacks), same kind you use on work phones, and the Nokia to headset adapter is $10. Earbuds are a joke. You can use a mechanical holder with it (under $10 anywhere) if you want it to hold still. They make cradles which would let you use any RJ-11 house phone - costs $100 - for that Hello Kitty car phone.

I also have a AT&T Nokia 5160 which is useless to me. Want it? A broken power button may be a user-level repair - if I look at it for 5 seconds I can tell. Most shops will repair older

[figmo.livejournal.com]

Your numbers sound right. The bimbo at the AT&T office in Gilroy claimed it'd be another $150 to install that setup.

I just got my KLIV direct deposit today. I know what I'm doing tonight.

[figmo.livejournal.com]

drewitty appears to have the car setup I want. He paid around $200 including installation.

I'm guessing the bimbo at the AT&T shop was snowing me because, for whatever reason, she didn't want to do business with me. (The good saleslady/store manager was with other customers and was clearly trying to get her incompetent staffers to do some work.)