scoobynutta555

Does anyone know if these can be bought in 'working' order? Im on about the old 80's handsets that were literally the size of a house brick.

Want to find out sim compatability etc etc, but surprisingly cant find out much info on these

David Lock

I've got an early 90's Nokia (2210 I think). Can still get these in good condition on e-bay for a few quid. Car got broken into and kids picked up phone and slung it in footwell in disgust

Iwan

Most of the really old ones will be TACS (analogue) so won't work any more as the networks were shut down (so the frequencies could be re-allocated).

Older GSM mobiles should still work though.

Clarebabes

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...362030593&rd=1

Search on "old mobile phone"

boomer

As Iwan said,

80's phones were analague TACS, and didn't use SIMS. The signal wasn't encrypted either, so a scanner could easily pick up (half of) conversations.

Digital (GSM, or initially PCS) phones appeared in the early 90's - firstly with Mercury's One2One (inside M25 only), and soon followed by Orange.

mb

scoobynutta555

I had a look on ebay this morning for them. Theres a few on there alright, its a shame that none can work now as mentioned above. Might there be a company that can 'recycle' these phones so they look like a brick on the outside, but inside they are compatable with digital technology.

With the way things are getting smaller and smaller, Id like an old brick, just to be different, and I can remember when they first came out, such memories!

pslewis

I still use my brick ...............

Its all you need!

Pete

apples24

iTrader: (1)

i remember when used to go the car auctions and all the traders had the big portable ones that wasa the size of a shoe box with a handle to carry, they had a handset and cord like a normal home phone lol lol


going back some years that is

i had a contact phone in 1992 think my number started 0870 or somin like that

Lum

If you want one just for the purpose of being a brick (that works) look for a Nokia 9000 or 9000i. You'll also get a free PDA in the process

http://inet.uni2.dk/home/soren-larsen/orig/9000.htm

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I got a Motorola Startac flip phone in the loft somewhere (analogue) It's quite suprising how small it is....it is only slighty bigger than an Ericsson Z600...just with a huge flexy aerial

scoobynutta555

cheers lum, but im after the old 'brick', the wireless, handheld one of the first mobile phones, literally brick like!

Turbohot

Can i just say that hang on to them! They will be worth a good money in next 10 yrs! if you wannu, you can give them to me

john_s

iTrader: (1)

I remember my uncle having an early car phone; it had a box of tricks in the boot about the size of a briefcase.

We've got one of the early Nokia orance phones (5.1?) in the office (though not in use); that looks like a brick compared to my 6230. I think the museum piece still works, but the battery is almost past it.

John.

gsm1

You should have asked earlier, mate, I just sold a boxed Ericsson R250s, it would have been right up your street. Look out for one if you can on Ebay.

Those models used to transmit 10watts or something crazy.

john_s

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, ISTR the hand book said stay (something like) 15 inches away from the aerial when using the phone.

AJF

iTrader: (1)

i remember selling them in 1982 with upto 10 year contracts most people went for the 5 year contracts
the commisson the dealers got was huge at the time

Adrian

wiltshire_boy

Sounds to me like you are after a Motorola 4500/4800 transportable.

I also used to sell these on 5 or 10 year lease purchase, sigh, those were the days.

Roy.

Budgie

iTrader: (4)

iv'e got the original orange phone
the one before the nokia 5.1
still works
in good nick also

budgie

OBH6UK

Used to have one of those as a company phone for evening and weekend callout. God it was heavy.

Still have my NEC P100, my first own analogue mobile.

GC8

Motorola made their first GSM phone in the 'brick' stylee; very similar and usig the same batteries as the 8500/8800 bricks; it was called the '3200 international' from memory. It was a cracking phone for signal reception; mine worked over Snake Pass and Woodhead which my Sony Ericsson wont do now 12 years on!

Simon

damian666

When one of the key features of the P100 was 'DTMF dialling tones' you know it was ****e!