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Telus Mike, Nextel iDEN Test Mode and Other Secrets
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This page gives info on how to access iDEN handset test information plus other tips. Motorola iDEN phones and services are sold by Telus Mobility 'Mike' (Canada), Southern LINC (USA), Pacific Wireless (USA), Avantel (Columbia), MIRS Communications (Israel), and Nextel Communications (USA, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Philippines, Mexico). Combination iDEN/GSM units are also sold by DNA Communications (Singapore), Korea Telecom Poweltel (Korea), and Fujian Trunking Radio Telephone (China).

i1000 To access the test menu from any older generation (ixxx) handset, quickly press the following keys in sequence:
Volume Menu Menu Menu -> Menu Menu ->
Volume
Down
Menu Menu Menu Right
Arrow
Menu Menu Right
Arrow

For the i1000:
Volume Menu ->
Volume
Down
Menu Right
Arrow
For various other models:
# * Menu ->
# * Menu Right
Arrow
Thanks to: Rob Mitzel (i700) and John C (i85s) for the debug mode codes


For the i1000 (Eagle) and the i500/700 (Osprey) units:
# * Menu Menu Menu <- Menu Menu <-
# * Menu Menu Menu Left
Arrow
Menu Menu Left
Arrow

Factory Test (alt MODE) on these units: Initiate the keypad test (hold down 1,2, and 3 while powering on) and then during the Audio Loopback test hold down 1,2, and 3. On restart the message alt MODE will flash on the screen every few seconds. Repeat the same procedure to return your phone to normal. Note that for Eagle phones you need to open and close the flip while going through all the buttons at the end in order to complete the test mode. For the Osprey you need to plug in the DC charger and wait until you see 'OK' and then unplug it to complete the keypad test.

Thanks to Bill Miller for providing test mode information on the Eagle and Osprey models


Complete system test (most models):
(Phone OFF), Hold down any row of keys (1+2+3, 4+5+6, etc) and turn the phone ON
Credit: K. Rahnama
To access the diagnostic mode on the I30:
#, *, MENU, JOYSTICK-right (Do these keystrokes fast)
Credit: R. Rivenbark
To access the diagnostic mode on any of the older iDEN phones (pre-i1000):
VOLUME DOWN, MENU, MENU, MENU, left, MENU, MENU, left (this is the reverse of the test menu routine)
To access the diagnostic mode on any of the new models (i1000+, i700+, i550+, etc):
Hold down any three keys in a row across.

The unit will enter the test mode and can be stepped through the various functions with the keys and buttons. At the end of the test, power cycle the unit to return to normal function. This test will check various phone functions, including LCD display, speaker, earphone, microphone, LEDs, vibrator, backlight and all of the buttons and keys. Credit: S. Smith for the newer models and Grog for the older models


1.The following test screens are based on the FIELD TEST MODE of an i1000plus. Other iDEN phones may give different screens.
Phone Model
i1000plus

Exit Trace
iDEN phone model

Hitting the Trace button will cause the screen to alternate between normal mode and test mode every 2 seconds or so. Note that the screens shown while in test mode are static. Doing a trace will update screens to the lastest information.

2.Hit the -> again to get to the next menu (and each subsequent menu):
SW Version
R28.01.01
Software version
3.
CP Version
06.02/08.00
CodePlug Version
An authorized iDEN representative or service center can upgrade your codeplug version by doing a 'phone write' from within an iDEN RSS (Radio Service Software) Agent Version.  The newest release of iDEN RSS is called 'Super Agent RSS' and can perform flash upgrades of the phone's software version (a function not available from within RSS Agent). RSS is not available to the general public as it allows changes to the phone's codeplug that can adversely affect the network.
Credit: Steve Smith
4.
IMEI[0]
0001004
IMEI prefix number
Gives first 7 digits of Internation Mobile Equipment Identification number. Hit MENU then NEXT to view the next seven digits. Entire IMEI is 15 digits with the 15th digit always being a '0'.
Credits: Ryan Bester and Steve Smith.
Andrés Federico in Buenos Aires tells me that the 15th digit sometimes is a 1, which he suspects to indicate NAM2. This seems to apply to iDEN handsets in both Brazil and Argentina.
5.
29.09 3F9-9
-00db -94 0
+22 +0 0
Signal strength, paging channel, and other signal values. More detail is given in screens below.
Line 1: Signal Quality, a combination of RSSI and BER; Current channel in use by unit
Line 2: Automatic transmit power reduction from full power of 0.6 watts; RSSI (received signal strength indicator) in dbM; "time advance" - probably a timing parameter related to distance from site and delay?
Line 3: Power amplifier temperature in degrees Celsius; Temperature change in last two seconds; Power cutback, where 0=full, 1=16% cutback, 2=33% cutback, 3=50% cutback or -3db, 4="full cutback" (probably an "off" condition) all due to temperature increases only.
6.
SQE/Carrier
29.09 3F9-9
Signal Quality Estimate. SQE is based on a calculation of: RSSI, FWD BER, REV, and BER. SQE ranges between 0 and 35: 28+ are very good, below 22 are very poor.
Carrier is the Broadcast control channel (BCCH) that the phone is currently idling on. This number is in hexidecimal and corresponds to a particular sector of a cell site. These numbers are shown on some of this site's maps as spines off the Telus Mike cell locations with the hexidecimal BCCH numbers (black lettering on orange background).
7.
Tx/Rx Power
-00db -94db
Transmission and Receiving power levels of handset
8.
Time 0/Freq
863712500
Frequency that handset is tuned to. In this case 863.712500 MHz
9.
Build Date
Fri Oct 22
Date of software build
10.
SW Type
MS-PDGY-GOL
Software Type.
11.
Disp Grp ID
000000
Dispatch Group ID
12.
Disp Ind ID
200523
Individual Dispatch ID
13.
RF Xtal
74
RF XTAL is a factory frequency set parameter
14.
Xtal Offset
FF
XTAL OFFSET is a frequency temperature compensation parameter
15.
Level Set
4B
LEV SET is a transmit power output set parameter
16.
RESETS[0]
List Empty
Reset log. Programming is 400; TX problem is RAAAA.
17.
ER Log[0]
0059AB07
ERROR LOG is a log of software errors
18.
Fatal Error/#
000000 00
Fatal error code number
19.
Radio Usage
42
Number of minutes that Direct Connect has been used for.
Credit: Morgan Deevy
20.
Disp Log
acpt 0000d1
f3
If your phone is outside a service area it will display rjct (Reject) in the second line then the phone is either broken or needs to be pushed through a DAP (Thanks to M. Lynne for the tip).
21.
Int Log
acpt 0000d1
INT LOG is a log of registration errors when the unit connects
22.
PD Log
No Info
Available
PD LOG is a Packet Data registration error log
23.
MIP Log
No Info
Available
MIP LOG is a Mobile IP registration error log

Other Tips and Secrets

Programming Mode
  • On the i500, i1000, i2000, and other models you hold down the MODE and MENU buttons during power-up to enable programming mode. Credit: T. Mustac

    Error/Channel Code
  • From the test menu select Error/Channel Code and switch it on to give the status of the phone in the lower right corner with one of five letters. P=Packet Data/Paging Channel, C=Control Channel, T=Traffic Channel, D=Dedicated Control Channel. Error codes are generated as numbers only when there is an actual network error. Credit: Ryan Walker and P. Murray

    Packet Data
  • In the MS Windows dialup network connection place "s=2" in the place of the phone number to dial and your Mike phone will default to a packet instead of a circuit switch and you will not be charged airtime. It seems that using this setup piggybacks the microbrowser. Credit: H. Sibble

    Programming Menu on i85s
    Hold down the two soft keys and powering the unit on will put the phone into "Ready to Program" mode and it will then ask you for a USB or RS232 cable connection. Credit: Rob

    SP lock status on i85s
  • Entering p*#36# will show the locked status of the handset -- careful since your handset is unlocked (most likely not), this code will lock it.
  • p*#32# allows you to enter an unlock code (you get 2 attempts and then you are locked out for 30 mins)
  • p*#63# which will lock the phone. Credits: Ryan Walker and Rob
  • Can anyone help me fill in some of the 'Unknown' screen functions? Do you know of any other secrets or tips for iDEN Handsets? If so, please email me and I will add them!

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