Kyocera DuraXT / DuraPro
DuraXT Reception?
I have used an i580 since it was introduced (actually I've had 3 in a row after the previous one died) because it was the Nextel phone with the best reception. But the Nextel antenna nearest my house has been decommissioned.
I'm going to have to switch from Nextel to Sprint and am considering the DuraXT. I'm on the fringe of the nearest Sprint antenna. In the past, the Sprint phones which I have tried at my house have not gotten good reception.
How does the DuraXT reception compare to the i580 reception?
How does the DuraXT reception compare to other Sprint phones reception?
Thanks,
Sandy
I'm going to have to switch from Nextel to Sprint and am considering the DuraXT. I'm on the fringe of the nearest Sprint antenna. In the past, the Sprint phones which I have tried at my house have not gotten good reception.
How does the DuraXT reception compare to the i580 reception?
How does the DuraXT reception compare to other Sprint phones reception?
Thanks,
Sandy
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It's as good as any sprint Direct Connect phone is going to be, just louder speaker. Honestly try it, and if you have issues call the airrave department and they will send you a free signal booster.
The Walkie will not be as good as Nextel in its hey day. People just have to accept that.
The Walkie will not be as good as Nextel in its hey day. People just have to accept that.
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Duckman, Thanks for the info.
I do not use Direct Connect.
I just use the regular talk features. How are they?
Sandy
I do not use Direct Connect.
I just use the regular talk features. How are they?
Sandy
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The absolute champ for reception of the recent-model Nextel phones is the i365, with "rubber-ducky" antenna. I have carried both the i580 and the i365 with rubber ducky antenna, and the latter wins hands-down in terms of reception. With the i365+rubber antenna, I have been able to make calls in areas where the coverage map shows no reception, and where the i580 gets no signal. Although it can't work miracles, in my experience the i365+rubber antenna is as good as you'll ever get for Nextel iDEN reception these days.
Sprint doesn't sell any new iDEN phones, but if you buy an i365 off ebay or wherever, they might switch over your existing i580 number to the i365. Call Sprint cust svc and ask if they can still swap numbers among existing Nex...
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Sprint doesn't sell any new iDEN phones, but if you buy an i365 off ebay or wherever, they might switch over your existing i580 number to the i365. Call Sprint cust svc and ask if they can still swap numbers among existing Nex...
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Hi cellphonesaretools, I had totally forgotten how good the i365 is, especially with the replacement rubber ducky antenna, so thanks for reminding me how good it is: Nextel's best phone for reception!
In any event, I will have to switch to Sprint by 06/30/13, and probably even sooner. Nextel reception has already decreased in my town, and it is going to get worse in a few weeks -- on Aug. 8 -- when the two antennas closest to my house will be deactivated, according to what I have found out from Sprint Tech Support. That's why I'm looking for info on the DuraXT.
I'll call Sprint to see if my SIM Chip with my number will work in an i365. If it will work, that could "buy" me time before having to buy a Sprint phone. Perhaps Sprint wi...
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In any event, I will have to switch to Sprint by 06/30/13, and probably even sooner. Nextel reception has already decreased in my town, and it is going to get worse in a few weeks -- on Aug. 8 -- when the two antennas closest to my house will be deactivated, according to what I have found out from Sprint Tech Support. That's why I'm looking for info on the DuraXT.
I'll call Sprint to see if my SIM Chip with my number will work in an i365. If it will work, that could "buy" me time before having to buy a Sprint phone. Perhaps Sprint wi...
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Where I am located (CA), we went through a two-week period of problems with iDEN signal a couple of months ago as they were converting some of the local towers' resources from iDEN to CDMA, but since that period the iDEN signal has been as good as it has ever been (I've been with Nextel continuously for ten years).
Since this is a highly poplulated region, with quite a few companies still using Nextel, that has probably acted in our favor and although they have converted some antennas from iDEN to CDMA, they have not actually completely shut down any iDEN towers here. Or if they have shut down any of the original iDEN towers, they have made up for it by increasing signal strength on the remaining antennas, because overall the iDEN service...
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Since this is a highly poplulated region, with quite a few companies still using Nextel, that has probably acted in our favor and although they have converted some antennas from iDEN to CDMA, they have not actually completely shut down any iDEN towers here. Or if they have shut down any of the original iDEN towers, they have made up for it by increasing signal strength on the remaining antennas, because overall the iDEN service...
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cellphonesaretools, That's great info. Thank you very much.
This is very interesting: "I know for certain is a Nextel iDEN tower (I know because of Nextel/Motorola's ability for the user to find the exact GPS location of the tower to which they are connected, and the use of Google Maps to plug the lat/lon coords into to locate the tower)." I did not know about that.
Do you have a link that explains, or would you please tell me, how to find the exact GPS location of the Nextel tower to which I am connected?
Thanks again,
Sandy
This is very interesting: "I know for certain is a Nextel iDEN tower (I know because of Nextel/Motorola's ability for the user to find the exact GPS location of the tower to which they are connected, and the use of Google Maps to plug the lat/lon coords into to locate the tower)." I did not know about that.
Do you have a link that explains, or would you please tell me, how to find the exact GPS location of the Nextel tower to which I am connected?
Thanks again,
Sandy
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From the Nextel standby screen, put your Nextel iDEN phone into "Trace Mode":
1) In fairly rapid succession, press these four buttons on your phone:
# * Menu right-arrow (pound sign is lower right, star is lower left, main menu button is ususlly near the D-pad, and "right arrow" is the D-pad's right arrow button)
2) You should now be in a new menu with Trace Mode at top of menu. Cursor down to either "Tx Status" or "Rx Status", then press OK button at center of your Nextel iDEN phone's D-pad. ("Tx" = transmit, "Rx" = receive, either will do for this exercise)
3) You will see a bunch of numbers that gives the signal strength, the individual antenna number to which your phone was connected at the moment you did the f...
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1) In fairly rapid succession, press these four buttons on your phone:
# * Menu right-arrow (pound sign is lower right, star is lower left, main menu button is ususlly near the D-pad, and "right arrow" is the D-pad's right arrow button)
2) You should now be in a new menu with Trace Mode at top of menu. Cursor down to either "Tx Status" or "Rx Status", then press OK button at center of your Nextel iDEN phone's D-pad. ("Tx" = transmit, "Rx" = receive, either will do for this exercise)
3) You will see a bunch of numbers that gives the signal strength, the individual antenna number to which your phone was connected at the moment you did the f...
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Actually, there are many such useful menus available on Sprint phones. My favorite one on my LG phone is the ##CDG2# menu & ##DEBUG#. Both offer similar feature access as a Nextel in trace mode.
There's also a lot of free stuff available, like rumkin.com that allows you to download homemade ringers and other media.
The very best feature on my LG is the fact I can still force roaming when I'm in a fringe area by going into the CDG2 menu.
By the way, you can get rubber duck antennas for older Sanyo phones as well.
There's also a lot of free stuff available, like rumkin.com that allows you to download homemade ringers and other media.
The very best feature on my LG is the fact I can still force roaming when I'm in a fringe area by going into the CDG2 menu.
By the way, you can get rubber duck antennas for older Sanyo phones as well.
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I searched the Sprint Kyocera DuraPlus user guide (133 pages) and could find no instructions as to how to use the phone itself to obtain one's current GPS location (lat. & lon. values using GPS satellite signals).
The DuraPlus user guide gives info on extra-cost GPS services (Navigator and Family Locator) and also explains the 911 locator capability, but nowhere can I find how to use the DuraPlus standalone as Nextel phones can be used for obtaining one's current location. Can you give instructions on how to make a Sprint phone read out the phone's current GPS coordinates, without using any of the extra-cost services and having to have network signal?
The user guides for Nextel phones give clear instructions on how to use Nextel's stan...
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The DuraPlus user guide gives info on extra-cost GPS services (Navigator and Family Locator) and also explains the 911 locator capability, but nowhere can I find how to use the DuraPlus standalone as Nextel phones can be used for obtaining one's current location. Can you give instructions on how to make a Sprint phone read out the phone's current GPS coordinates, without using any of the extra-cost services and having to have network signal?
The user guides for Nextel phones give clear instructions on how to use Nextel's stan...
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To access latitude and longitude, press ##CDG2#, then select field tests and service screen. While Sprint didn't publish this info in an instruction manual, it's easy enough to google.
Sprint's GPS won't work without a network signal...but it will work indoors and outdoors where a signal exists. It's nice that Nextel has off-network items that function, it's not so nice that you have 3X less coverage to perform the basic purpose a cellphone is designed for...to make and receive calls.
Sprint's GPS won't work without a network signal...but it will work indoors and outdoors where a signal exists. It's nice that Nextel has off-network items that function, it's not so nice that you have 3X less coverage to perform the basic purpose a cellphone is designed for...to make and receive calls.
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gloopey1 said:
To access latitude and longitude, press ##CDG2#, then select field tests and service screen. While Sprint didn't publish this info in an instruction manual, it's easy enough to google.
Sprint's GPS won't work without a network signal...but it will work indoors and outdoors where a signal exists. It's nice that Nextel has off-network items that function, it's not so nice that you have 3X less coverage to perform the basic purpose a cellphone is designed for...to make and receive calls.
Thanks for the tip on field test mode with Sprint phones.
Regarding the "3X coverage" remark, which is just parroting of the Sprint press releases, all I can say is there are very few places I've travelle...
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cellphonesaretools said:
...Really, this "3X coverage" stuff is a complete bunch of Sprint PR nonsense, trying to make themselves sound big-time while they struggle to get their CDMA network upgraded for decent PTT performance nationwide, to entice the remaining 5,000,000 Nextel users to switch over to Sprint. Remember, it's not just quantity, it's QUALITY, i.e. PERFORMANCE.
Really, it's true, otherwise their competitors would already be filing lawsuits challenging such claims.
I can tell you that where I live, which is the eastern part of the US, Nextel has never had better coverage than anyone. I have a work issued Nextel that I must set to auto-forward calls, otherwise I would miss lots of them.
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Luck of the draw, I guess.
Several of my relatives have Sprint, and traveling in New England my Nextels have delivered better performance overall than their CDMA Sprint phones. Same thing when I tried a Sprint CDMA phone for a 30-day trial a few years ago, right alongside my Nextel phone throughout southern CA, and the Sprint phone's performance was NOT as good as the Nestel's, so I turned in the CDMA phone at the end of the trial. Verizon is better than Sprint in terms of network quality & coverage, and yet there are places when my Nextels have had coverage but not the spouse's Verizon. I have personally carried AT&T and T-Mobile at the same time I've been carrying my Nextel, and without one iota of doubt, the Nextels delivered vastly b...
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Several of my relatives have Sprint, and traveling in New England my Nextels have delivered better performance overall than their CDMA Sprint phones. Same thing when I tried a Sprint CDMA phone for a 30-day trial a few years ago, right alongside my Nextel phone throughout southern CA, and the Sprint phone's performance was NOT as good as the Nestel's, so I turned in the CDMA phone at the end of the trial. Verizon is better than Sprint in terms of network quality & coverage, and yet there are places when my Nextels have had coverage but not the spouse's Verizon. I have personally carried AT&T and T-Mobile at the same time I've been carrying my Nextel, and without one iota of doubt, the Nextels delivered vastly b...
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Yeah, a network with no roaming agreements is really going to cover more areas than others that do. Makes sense, I guess, if you happen to live in Fanboyland all the time.
Toto, I don't think we're In Kansas anymore...the Nextel has a signal!
Toto, I don't think we're In Kansas anymore...the Nextel has a signal!
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Gloopey old boy (or old girl, as the case may be), once again, you've shown you are not capable of comprehending the written word, you've jumped to an illogical conclusion, and resorted to jabs and name-calling. I'd try to explain it to you again, but we've been down this path before, and history has shown that there is no reasoning with you where Sprint is concerned. Truly, I pity your friends & co-workers.
Adios, Herr SprintBoi.
NEXTEL. Done.|
Adios, Herr SprintBoi.
NEXTEL. Done.|
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cellphonesaretools said:
NEXTEL. Done.|
I couldn't have said it any better myself! 😁
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BTW, the author of this gem of a post (that would be you, gloopey) has absolutely no place to call anyone else on the planet a fanboy:
https://www.phonescoop.com/carriers/forum.php?fm=m&f ... »
Talk about über-Sprint-fanboyism/fanatacism...embarra sing Sprint fanboyism. How much of a bonus did Sprint give you for penning that little gem?
Yes, iDEN will be gone in a year, but Nextel can hold its head high, having lived its life with integrity and leaving a genuine track record of industry-leading performance on all fronts (until Sprint took the reins). Any entity with self respect & integrity would rather be a deceased hero than a living loser. Sprint is, always has been, and apparently always will be, in the loser category.
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https://www.phonescoop.com/carriers/forum.php?fm=m&f ... »
Talk about über-Sprint-fanboyism/fanatacism...embarra sing Sprint fanboyism. How much of a bonus did Sprint give you for penning that little gem?
Yes, iDEN will be gone in a year, but Nextel can hold its head high, having lived its life with integrity and leaving a genuine track record of industry-leading performance on all fronts (until Sprint took the reins). Any entity with self respect & integrity would rather be a deceased hero than a living loser. Sprint is, always has been, and apparently always will be, in the loser category.
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cellphonesaretools said:
BTW, the author of this gem of a post (that would be you, gloopey) has absolutely no place to call anyone else on the planet a fanboy:
https://www.phonescoop.com/carriers/forum.php?fm=m&f ... »
Funny, I don't remember ever denying that I'm a fan of Sprint. You, on the other hand, are and don't even know it. That's because Nextel IS SPRINT! As much as you'd like to believe the two are separate, it just ain't so.
The other part to all of this is that you forget that Nextel WILLINGLY sold their company to Sprint. Nobody forced them to abandon their "former path of greatness." They decided for themselves that a big wad of cash was more important than what might happen dif...
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gloopey1 said:
The other part to all of this is that you forget that Nextel WILLINGLY sold their company to Sprint. Nobody forced them to abandon their "former path of greatness." They decided for themselves that a big wad of cash was more important than what might happen differently with PTT under a Sprint led regime. In other words, if anyone is to blame for Nextel's demise and later problems under Sprint, it's Nextel.
I'll agree to that, Nextel sold themselves to Sprint willingly, so Nextel is 100% to blame for THAT aspect of the equation. I've posted before that Tim Donahue (former Nextel CEO that presided over the sale to Sprint) should be so ashamed of himself he should renounce his US citizenship an...
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