<html> <head> <title>CUCC Expedition Handbook: Mobile Phones</title> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../css/main2.css" /> </head> <body> <h2 id="tophead">CUCC Expedition Handbook</h2> <h1>Mobile Phone Use Guide</h1> <p>After many years of using complicated radio systems of varying degrees of complication and reliability, we have finally settled on a foolproof method for communicating callouts from top camp to base camp: mobile phones. Cheap Austrian pay-as-you-go mobiles have sufficiently good reception on the plateau for sending SMS messages, and even occasionally for conversation.</p> <p>We are using the "B-Free" mobile scheme. (In 2011 we tried using another provider which picked up the T-Mobile network, however the reception was not as good as B-Free. B-Free has an annual renewal of the SIM which gets you the phone number and connection (plus some credit). More credit comes in the form of a receipt with a printed code or a card with a scratch-off secret number.</p> <h3>Annual renewal</h3> <p>This has to be done in less than 13 months otherwise it costs a more as you essentially have to start from scratch (~EUR10 for a new SIM with EUR5 of credit). The phone cannot be used in the last month, but renewal is cheaper than starting from scratch.</p> <h3>Checking credit</h3> <p>The simplest way (which doesn't require understanding a number read out to you in German) is to dial <b>*101#</b>. This doesn't actually make a call but results in you getting an SMS-like message containing the balance details. There's no charge for this.</p> <h3>Adding credit</h3> <p>If you need to buy more credits for a phone the simplest way is to just ask for a "B.Free" top-up at the supermarket checkout (Unimarkt definitely did them in 2016). They'll give you a printed receipt with the code to key in. See below for how to use it.</p> <p>(Other options we've used were: <ul> <li>go to the Hartlauer shop (on right of road to railway station, not far beyond the post office). Wave the phone and ask for a 'B-free Bon'.</li> <li>go to post office and ask for B.Free 10 euros for each phone.</li> </ul> <p>You should be given a aufladecode, which may require scratching off a panel at lower right back of card.)</p> <ul> <li>Dial <b>0800 664290</b> (if you're lucky someone might have put this in the phone address book possible under the name "Check balance")</li> <li>Listen to an audio menu and Press 2 (to select something)</li> <li>Then type in number on the scratch panel, followed by #</li> <li>Listen to the number read back to you, and press 2 to confirm code is correct.</li> <li>Press No twice to end the call.</li> </ul> <h3>Tips and Tricks</h3> <ul> <li>If you're in an area where reception is poor and you need to go to a particular spot to check messages, try dialling the balance request number (<b>*101#</b>) once there - this usually seems to trigger delivery of any pending SMS messages.</li> </ul> <hr /> </body> </html>