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AT&T (ZTE WF720) Home Phone device is COOOOOL

Started by markosjal, December 23, 2016, 04:17:23 AM

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markosjal

I recently had the chance to pick up an AT&T home phone (Go phone?) device. This is a ZTE WF720.  This device was SIM locked to AT&T USA and I am in Maxico. A quick search of Ebay I found I could get the unlock code to about $2.50 bringing my total investment to about $10 USD , so I bought it, unlocked it and put a Movistar Hogar SIM in it (Mov istar Hogar offer a fixed number with a limited geographic range , instead of a mobile number which requires special dialing in Mexico) .

I tested the unit with an old Trimline rotary phone at first. Sorry guys no pulse dial support.

Later I tested with ATC Snoopy and was quite impressed with the call quality. I do not believe any bluetooth device will sound that good.

The call quality is AMAZING, at least with the Movistar Hogar SIM

I threw a phone and the device in the car as I went to put prepaid credit on the prepaid SIM . After doing so my cell phone battery was dead and had to make a call. As I stay out in front of the conveinience store I plugged the touchtone trimline into the ZTE home phone  and dialed my call . A few minutes after being on the phone i realized the stares I was getting talking on a Trimline phone in the car. Now just imagine if it was a phone much older still.

I need a an AE 880 for the car now with a pulse to DTMF converter.

I have tried many bluetooth devices in the car and most are not loud enough to hear with highway noise or coblestone roads.

Later, I plugged my lil Buttie Butt set into it and much to my surprise only 20 ma, Is that enough for an 880 on speaker and a pulse to tone converter? ATAs often are like 25 ma and I think Telmex shows 30, but never have seen 20ma on it.







Phat Phantom's phreaking phone phettish

andre_janew

Does your trimline have a 10 button keypad or does it have the 12 button keypad?

AL_as_needed

I can imagine getting put of the car at a rest area off the highway and holding a 500 talking to someone.....the looks on peoples faces must have been priceless!  ;D
TWinbrook7

AE_Collector

#3
How about a chrome 3-slot Payphone mounted on the dash of the car? :)
(maybe try hard not to be in an accident with all that steel mounted there)

I have no idea about the current required by an 880 speakerphone but being a line powered speakerphone my guess is that it would use more than 20ma. We always figured that 26ma was rock bottom current flow at the subs house.

What is the benefit of the Movistar Hogar service over conventional fully mobile service? Is it still a per minute charge but at a lower cost? Or does it offer a flat monthly rate within a small geographic area more like conventional landline service would provide?

Terry

markosjal

AE_Collector
In Mexico ,
local cell phones are dialed as 044 <AC> <Number>
long distance cell phones are dialed as 045 <AC> <number>
Local Landlines are dialed as <Number>, only 7 or 8 digits depending on city
long disttance is to landlines are 01 <AC> <Number>

There is an additional charge for calls to cell phones by the minute if you do not have cell phone calling included in your phone service.

Movistar Hogar is intended to be used like a landline service, or home phone service, with a non 044 number. It is effectively a fixed mobile service with a limited geographic region, inside the assigned area code only. I am also inclined to believe it is less compressed than traditional cell service.

the good news is a couple of years ago long distance was completely eliminated and providers must now terminate long distance calls at the local rates. This applies to Landlines and Cell

It is also lower cost without a minimum prepay. In otjer words to get 1 peso per minute on Telcel I need to recharge 200 Pesos . To get 1 peso per minute on Movistar I can only pay 30 pesos. Not sure about movistar's norma pepay rates but probably more like Telcels. 300 Pesos per month about 15 USD on a Movistar Hogar gets you unlimited Mexico USA and Canada calling.

I always have Movistar hogar SIMs because I use them to create SIP DIDs for people looking for a SIP DID from San Miguel de Allende Guanajuato or Puerto Vallarta Jalisco as I have gateways in both cities. The SIMs ,once activated can not be used outside the assigned city, but does provide a fixed number.


AL_as_needed
Check this out. I had a friend that was an ambulance chaser in  the 80s. He had a video camera and went to where there was a fire or an accident shot it and sold it to TV stations. He had one of these long after Cell phones became more common
http://weburbanist.com/2012/09/18/remember-millions-of-mobile-phones-in-the-1960s-you-should/

Andre_janew
It has 12 . I have never seen in person a 10 digit model phone of any kind that was DTMF
Phat Phantom's phreaking phone phettish