Conference terri::cars_uk

    Car phones range from about �99 to what ever you want to pay, depending
    on where you buy it. The carphone warehouse in London have in the
    resent past advertised phones for that amount. The cost of running it
    depends on the company you by the air time off. Racal used to charge
    �75 per quarter plus a standard �10 call charge per quarter and then
    calls on top of that . A typical bill for a quarter on a phone that was
    not used very much was �120+. I don't think racal are the cheapest for
    air time. This was about 2 years ago so things may have changed so
    what.
    
    
    Garry

    
    A look through the glossier 'Fast Car' type mags usually reveals a
    number of companies who will supply and install a phone for free,
    subject to you taking out a contract with them.
    
    Mark

I have a car phone using Cellnet. The line rental is �25 + VAT
per month.

However my boyfriend says he recently saw someone advertising
 for �10 per month (sorry no details at present).

Karen

    You have to look at the whole deal.
    Mercury charge 25 per month then calls at 33p per 30 seconds. All plus
    VAT. Some companies charge for calls that do not connect and use finer
    billing intervals.
    It can be very hard to compare one company with another - but that is
    the purpose of competition in a commodity market.
    
    Andrew

    From experience.....
    
    Mercury Carphones is the "Digital Approved" supplier. They supplied and
    installed a Nokia Talkman (Fixed mobile 'phone with hands-free kit)
    with a glass mount aerial (extra over the base kit) into my car
    recently. Cost was �150 and the network connection charge was waived.
    The Vodaphone chappie spent 4 hours installing ("Why do I get all the
    Renaults?" he kept muttering) so at their normal rate of �35/hr the
    phone cost was �10......
    
    Running costs depend on the useage: I have a monthly charge of �22.50
    for the network connection and then units clocked on top of that. Costs
    for business use can be drastically reduced by the inclusion of the
    user's number in the Digital "Closed user group" which gives access to
    the DTN network. Using this facility my last bill showed a 177 unit
    call cost �3.15, a 113 unit call �2.00 and a 9 unit call 13p. A similar
    non-DTN 9 unit call made within an hour or so of the other 9 unit call
    I mentioned cost �1.13. ALl cahrges are subject to VAT.
    
    Your mileage may vary.......

    re .4
    I got this slightly wrong.
    Mercury charge 25 pounds per month network access.
    33p for first min then 16.5p per � min inside M25
    25p for first min then 12.5p per � min outside M25
    10p for first min then 5p per � min off peak.
    Itemised billing is free - others charge.
    As Dick said if you are going to call the office regularly get yourself
    into the closed group.
    
    Andrew

>>> Costs for business use can be drastically reduced by the inclusion of the
>>>user's number in the Digital "Closed user group" which gives access to
>>> the DTN network.

It's probably worth observing that outgoing calls from DTN's to mobile numbers 
also get routed through the gateway, automatically, thus saving money both
ways.

Where it falls down a little is that, while I can use my poserphone to call any
DTN number anywhere in the world for less than it would cost me to call home, 
only UK DTN users can call *me* on the cheap.   Anybody else has to do it 
the (very!!) expensive way.   

To be fair, that's a rule imposed by the telecomms authorities, nothing to do 
with DIGITAL.  Something to do with us not setting up in competition with BT.
Mind you, looking at their profits, maybe we should.....;-)

Ian

    
    Something else to be aware of is the phone divert facility on
    voda/Mercury. If you divert your car phone to another number and
    someone calls you and is routed through then the call is actually
    charged for twice!! Once to the person who called you (show as a normal
    call on his bill) and once to you (show with a 'T' in front of the
    number on your bill!!!!!!!!)
    
    	Adrian (someone who doesn't like giving money away)

    re .8
    
    Well that seems OK.
    
    The voice messaging service which is now available is free. Think about
    it.
    Before this was available no call was made - or billed.
    Now:-
    1) Your caller makes a call to voice box and is billed.
    2) You reply and are billed.
    Now is the service free?
    
    Andrew

    re .9
    
    My service provide makes a charge for recovering the stored message.

    Therefore:-
    1) Your caller makes a call to voice box and is billed.
    2) You recover message and are billed.
    3) You reply and are billed.

    It has to be good for somebody!
    
    David

    
    Can someone advise ( no jokers please !!! ) as to which power cable on
    a car phone goes where !.
    
    It is fully installed to the point of tapping into the ignition etc.
    I have a red ( live - I know that one ) and another blue one plus
    earth. 
    
    Red and earth I know, I am assuming that as the blue is also fused - 
    rated at 5a that this is switched live feed ?., Iv'e only installed 
    radios before and used to be an engineer( not a safe one though )
    so Im not completely dim ..  ha     :-) :-)
    
    
    Cheers.
    
    GaryW.
    
    ( all to save myself 85 notes )

    Gary,
    
    I know you used to be an engineer .... (The Steak House Hemel
    Hempsted.. ring any bells?), but from past experience... the blue wire
    is the one that sets off the bomb.
    
    Bob
    
    (Yeah I know it was a serious question, but to be honest I paid to get
    mine fitted and saved my self a couple of days of heart ache.)

�85? What a rif-off, it's �55 round here and they come to you.

Dave.

    
    
    Steak house Hemel Hempstead ?.
    
    
    Ha - I remeber- 
    
    
    God I hate celery.
    
    
     Now where does the blue wire go again..
    
    It has already cost over a hundred notes to date. 70 to get it
    installed, she writes the car off - they wanted 70 to take it out
    again. -  No thankyou. I can manage.
    
    Two weeks later - new car and more money to fit it again ?.
    
    I don't think so.
    
    GaryW.

    
     The weekend is fast approaching, I managed to put off doing it last
    weekend but I don't think I can get out of doing this weekend as she has
    gone without for a month now. I think I really ought to put it in so
    ...
    
    
     Where does the blue wire go ??. Is it switched live for phone power or
    what   !!!.
    
    Hopefully someone somewhere can advise ....
    
    Thanks 
    
    GaryW

	Could this be for illumination of the buttons ????

	There is a similar wire for car stereo's to light it up when you put your
lights on.


Andy

    Why don't you treat yourself to a testing screwdriver, and try the
    wires out?
    
    Laurie.

    
    What make/model of phone is it?
    
    Geoff

    
    Re Laurie - 
    
     even I know that a cable connected to nothing will show nothing no
    matter what you touch it with :-).
    
    The blue cable is attched to the phone at the mo not the car !
    
    
    Andy - Cheers Andy -
    
    What I'll end up doing is seeing what comes to life when the main feed
    is connected.
    
    Geoff - 
    
           Its an NEC, 'fraid thats all I know without looking at it again
    - and if I do that it may give someone ideas that Im actually going to
    do something with it !!.
    
    
    Thanks all - 
    
    GaryW

    	Gary,
    
    	If it helps at all, you're welcome to examine my car phone. You 
    	can even deinstall it and save me �55 if you want!
    
    	Ian.

     Thanks Ian, 
    
     are the cable joins to the ignition easily accessible ?.
     If it means removing half the dash then thanks for the offer but ..
    
     As for de-installing it - what do you drive ?. It really is a piece
     of P*ss to remove.
    
     Cheers,
    
     GaryW 3905

    Gary,
    
    Is it about three years old or so?
    
    If it is, it's almost certainly an NEC 11A. It uses a 3 wire system for
    the power. 2 x 12V and earth. I think you said you know which is the
    earth.
    
    One (the red) is the permanent +12V. The other is the switched +12V line.
    This can either be connected to the ignition auxilary (radio) position
    or just crimped to the red wire.
    
    If it's connected to the ignition switch, the phone will switch off
    when the ignition turned off. It will not power down if switched off
    when a call is connected however.
    
    When the blue wire is connected to the red wire, it will need to be
    powered up/down using the PWR button on the phone.
    
    Geoff

    
    Geoff 
    
    I want your babies- 
    
    thanks for your information.
    
    -                                               
    
    
    Ian -  thanks for letting me look at yours !!!!!
    
    GaryW

    Gary
    
    I believe that Geoff is correct.  On my phone there are only two wires
    (black and red) that are connected directly to the battery terminals
    (installed by Mercury).  This was installed at the dealers prior to
    delivery.
    
    The dealer questioned this wiring arrangement as the car kit includes a
    battery charger for the phone which is permanently on even if the
    ignition is off. Mercury stated that this is not an issue as the kit
    has a "smart charger" which switches off when the phone is fully
    charged"
    
    There is therefore no wiring to the ignition.  And this is a Toyota
    Celica. Or Toy Motor Silly Car as some rude people call it.
    
    Regards
    
    Bruce

    
    Cheers Bruce.
    
    I think I'll do it on Saturday if thats the case.
    
    
    
    Gary

    
    
    Yeeeee   Haaaarrrrrrrrrr.

    
    
    Gary,
       can you recieve radio 1 on the phone now ?, I get a perfect BBC2 on
    the microwave, since I installed it... 
                                        :-)
    
    
    Alan.
    

    
    Alan, 
    
         thanks for the vote of confidence !.
    
    
    Gary

re .27; Radio Luxemburg closed down late last year.

They stopped broadcasting terrestially about a year ago, and couldn't
make a go of the satellite broadcasting.

Altogether now---

"We are the Ovalteenies, happy girls and boys..."

    re -1
         now that is bad news, what about radio Caroline, because the last
    time I repaired the vacuum I had a lovely reception from Radio Caroline
    and it needs alittle bit of work doing to it again.
    
    Alan