phones in car

Voice Stream tells me that I cannot use the same number on 2 phones.
Why not? I have several phones on the same line at home.
Or is Voice Stream just trying to collect more money?

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It's a security thing. For some years now when you turn on your phone, your number and a hardware ID number are sent out. If two numbers show up, its a security breach (someone just cloned your phone) and your account will be frozen. As I remember, no dealer is allowed to make a phone with a number that is already in use.

A built-in car phone usually has more power, allowing you to make calls in more remote areas. Also, a roof-mounted or trunk mounted antenna will have more gain/power.

Check out the selection of antennae at Alternativewireless. I use a Rangestar in my Golf. It helps to pull in signals that I wouldn't get without an antenna, yet it installs inside the car.

Reason for a cell phone warning. Engine ECU is shielded against NOT tiny phone output.
The reason for caution is manufacturer's inability to test all possible ways and locations where these little devices might be while driving.
At handshaking there is powerful burst via cell phone antenna. At that moment there is slight danger of corona. Meaning that microwaves could trigger a fire or indeed damage some electronics that is not shielded with thick aluminium box as ECU. There is plenty of that in every car.

jesus! that sounds all like crap to me, no offence... but i have been using my cellphone in my car for almost a year now, and i have not had any problems, nor heard that i shouldnt use it in the car!!! i use it constantly! and no problems.

also i think this may be hinting towards the older cell phones/cheaper ones. my freind had one that when he got a call would warp a monitor, and make a subwoofer humm! mine on the other hand does nothing. hell i wear mine in the hospital, which i work at ;p dont tell

I have a 2000 Jetta GLS TDI 4 door sedan
I am thinking about getting a 2002 Jetta wagon TDI
My owners manual says I must not use a cell phone in the car unless I have
it attached to an outside antenna
I would like to have a phone in a new station wagon, with an outside areial.
I have a Nokia phone now with Voice Stream carrier.
Would prefer to have an extension phone. Simply cannot use 2 phones at once.
Voice Stream tells me that I cannot use the same number on 2 phones.
Why not? I have several phones on the same line at home.
Or is Voice Stream just trying to collect more money?
Can a phone dealer hook up a car with the phone inside and the aerial outside,
using the same phone number as I have now?

My cell phone works fine in my car. Only problem is that I DON'T WORK WELL when I'm driving on the phone. So I either take a real quick message, or pull over to call.

I don't know why an outside antenna is needed in the TDI. It might improve reception, but I haven't had any problems with reception in side the car.

I think that warning probably pertains more to the phone's signal buggering up the car's ECU while driving. I don't know if that's a real concern today. The shielding should be adequate to protect the ECU from the phone's tiny output power.

<<I picked up a fresh Nokia 5165 a month or so ago. The guys sold me an antenna very much like this that just sticks to the roof of the car by means of a powerful magnet. I certainly can make calls in locations where previously I could not. A $25 investment that was well worth it, IMO. I also prefer to have the phone's power output away from my brain and sitting on top of the car!

I don't know what the US phones are like, but here in the UK you can make the network forward the call to a different number if the phone is switched off.

Therefore you set phone A to forward to phone B if A is switched off, and phone B to forward to phone A if B is switched off. In that way a caller gets through to the one that is switched on, whichever number they use.

I also have a hands free kit, which I think is fine for receiving calls while I am driving.

In Europe all of the car manuals tell you not to use a phone in the car without an external aerial, and everyone ignores it.

I think that it is the car manufacturers covering their arses.

That said, you will get better reception and cook your brain less with an external aerial.

[ February 21, 2002, 02:10: Message edited by: christi ]

you can have more phones on one line at home, but thats because they're physically all running on the same actual physical line. cell phones don't work like that. it's a security feature as explained above. some carriers, like verizon, allow you to "share" the same phone service on several phones.

Why would you need 2 phones? Just get a Nokia car kit. In fact, get one for each car and move the phone between cars as needed. You don't mention which model Nokia you have, but they have full car kits which support external antennas for most models.



[ February 21, 2002, 13:33: Message edited by: msauve ]

I had this issue with my phone. I was told (and I believe them) that the high frequency radio waves from the phone bounce around inside the shell of the car, therefore subjecting you to greater radiation which may or may not be harmfull - depending on whose scientific research you read. Also, the radiation may cause malfunction of the airbags. Depending on the age of your car, you may have a roof aerial which may have a spare lead attached for connecting a phone aerial wire. These combination roof aerials have a 'spiral' of wire up the aerial length on the outside. Not all phones can be connected to an external aerial i.e. not the phones own aerial.

Hopes this helps
(info is from a UK perspective)