Motorola Startac MR501 Help

fortyaday

Hi all,I have an old startac mr501 which I am trying to bring back to life.I re-registered the sim card with orange (it's locked but that's ok) and was given a new phone number.All seemed well and I was going to put some cash on it when the screen asked for a 8 digit special code number and nothing will work until I do.

I have never had this special code number so have no idea what it might even look like. The sim card is credit card size and the whole card slides in the phone not the small break off type.This seemed to confuse the lady at orange and that's why she allocated a new number to the phone.

My questions are:- Is this code likely to do with the sim card or the phone itself,so would the answer lie with orange or motorola,and does anybody out there have any advice as to how to resolve this very irritating problem. Any info.would be much appreciated.Thanks.

hellyhelix

I have a Startac 70 which has never been used and is still in its original box - I'll see if I can dig it out later and see if the manual has any ideas.

redux

Have you had this phone for a long time, or acquired it recently?

I wonder if that is wanting an unlock code, though I think Motorola call this a subsidy code, which I think you'd have mentioned if it said that. I don't know how long an unlock code would be. If you've had that phone forever and used it on Orange before, it obviously wouldn't be locked anyway

There may be a SIM PIN required, but this is usually 4 digits, or some phones have security settings to require a phone PIN or security code. But a security code is probably 4 5 or 6 digits rather than that long.

In other words, I'm waffling, guessing, and these are just starter clues rather than a solution

I have a couple of old mr30 hidden away somewhere. I'll try and dig up a manual, which obviously won't apply directly to that phone, but might give some generic help

sparky93

I can answer that :-)

the moto is so old it dont reconise the newer sim cards.

i was luck with my orange mr30 in that i have a older active orange paygo sim, and it is happy with that. but pop a later orange sim in, and no go, subsidy code.......

fortyaday

The sim in the phone is the original and not been changed.

WelshPaul

The 8 digit special code is the subsidy code, it is locked to a different network or the sims have changed since the phone was released therefore making the phone think your using a sim from a different network.

Is there no free unlocking solution on the net for the startac yet? it's way old!