<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> <pre><b> Base camp: 00 43 664 763 0255<br> Top camp: 00 43 664 582 5229 - incoming calls and texts only. <br> Top camp: 00 43 664 871 6782 - what it uses to send texts and make calls (from 2018) </b> </pre> <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>For some years (including 2018) we have been using the "B-Free" mobile scheme provided by the A1 company. We get reception even inside the Stone Bridge bivvy. (In 2011 we tried using another provider which picked up the T-Mobile network, however the reception was not as good as B-Free.) <p>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>Robust phone<img src="t/ruggear-p860-explorer-02-th.jpg" align="right" margin="5px"></h3> We use "feature phones" with real buttons not smartphones with touch sensitive screens. The top camp phone is particularly robust Russian <a href="https://www.gsmchoice.com/en/catalogue/ruggear/p860explorer/gallery/"> "RugGear explorer p860"</a> with yellow plastic case and rubber grips, a talk time of 10 hours, and a stand-by time of 18 days. It has 2 SIM slots whcih is really useful when we fail to renew last-years SIM in time and have to buy a new one (2018). <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 (~€10 for a new SIM with &euro5 of credit). The phone cannot be used in the last month, but renewal is cheaper than starting from scratch. "Renewal" is just a matter of buying another €20 credit.</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> ("0 BALANCE" in the contacts list in the phone book). 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 buy a "B.Free" A1 top-up at the Post Office (closes 1200-1400 forlunch). We used to be able to get this form the supermarket, but no longer (2018). 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> </ul> <p>You should be given an "aufladecode", which may require scratching off a panel at lower right back of card) or just a long "till-receipt" strip with AUFLADEWERT: EUR 20.00 at the top. </p> <ul> <li>Dial <b>0800 664290</b> (if you're lucky someone might have put this in the phone address book possibly under the name "0 ADD CREDIT" or "_ ADD CREDIT")</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 (in German), and press 2 to confirm code is correct.</li> <li>Press "No" (red key) twice to end the call.</li> <li>Check the balance on the phone has been increased by calling <b>*101#</b> (or "0 BALANCE") <li>This is all confirmed as working correctly in 2018. </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> <li> Commonly used numbers are put at the top of the contact list ("phone book") in each phone by prefixing the name with "0 " or "_", e.g. "0 ADD CREDIT", "0 BALANCE", "0 BASE CAMP" etc. </ul> <hr /> </body> </html>