Did a seach on this one already and nothing came up.
What we are dealing with here is a 1996 analog (integrated) phone in an E320 with the antenna located on the left rear panel next to trunk [or for our UK friends, the "boot"].
Prior to activating the phone [which, contrary to some posts I have seen on the boards here CAN be done; at very cheap service rates and these older phones are much more powerful than the newer ones.....more on this at end for anyone with this type of phone who wants to keep it].
I turned the phone on this morning to enter some frequently used numbers and store them in the center unit. The 1996 system has a unit in the center panel (below the radio and covered with the wood grain...it stores frequently used numbers).
When you press the PWR button on the phone, the antenna raises up. After you complete using it, you press PWR and the antenna goes down when the system is shut off.
About 30 secs after shutting the system off, I got a audible tone, and the antenna went back up (the system turned itself on again). I shut it off using the PWR on the handset again. A short time later, I again had the system turn itself on and the antenna came up.
At this point I noticed that I had left the door open to the phone's integrated system that stores the frequently dialed numbers. Perhaps this was just a fluke, but I saw the "Pwr On" on the upper left corner of the center display. So the NEXT TIME I pressed the power off on the handset, I also SHUT THE WOODEN DOOR on the center console.
This time the antenna did not come back up.
I am hypothesizing that there may be a connection involving the door which covers that center panel phone control. However, I will say that the only way to get the antenna to come up at first is to press the PWR button on the Motorola handset. So that would seem to bust that hypothesis.
Any one here have experience with the E320 1996 analog handsets with the integrated system?
This is an intermittentent thing and has only happened once before. After two or three times, the antenna will finally cut off and stow itself when you cut the system off.
95% of the time I have no problems. Like there is a little elf in the antenna [yup, I am Icelandic.....you caught me....although I have never seen an elf or the "little people" as they are referred to in Island]
And for anyone who has an older E320 with an integrated phone system, don't scrap it. I got a great deal with a well known cellular company [3000 anytime minutes for 39.95]. I got the runaround when I tried to activate it, with most people telling me that NO ONE would deal with analog phones. This proved to be b*ll and all they wanted was for me to have them install a new cell system for 1500 to 2100 bucks. Yeah, right.
The fellow who activated my phone and was familiar with the Motorola models, told me that the system I had (analog) was the same system long haul truckers used and carried in a bag. He told me it was a 6 W system as compared to his 0.6 W cell phone. And I have to say that I have never had any cutoffs or poor connections when driving thru country areas, mountain areas or other areas where my cell phone shows no signal. It is a complete hands off system and now that my cell provider is offerring full hands off control using voice commands, I have a truly "hands off, no button press" system [except for when I start the car and press the PWR button on the handset].
Any ideas with the "demon" or "little person" inside the antenna??
- Jon
