• After witnessing the continued decrease of involvement in the SpotterNetwork staff in serving SN members with troubleshooting issues recently, I have unilaterally decided to terminate the relationship between SpotterNetwork's support and Stormtrack. I have witnessed multiple users unable to receive support weeks after initiating help threads on the forum. I find this lack of response from SpotterNetwork officials disappointing and a failure to hold up their end of the agreement that was made years ago, before I took over management of this site. In my opinion, having Stormtrack users sit and wait for so long to receive help on SpotterNetwork issues on the Stormtrack forums reflects poorly not only on SpotterNetwork, but on Stormtrack and (by association) me as well. Since the issue has not been satisfactorily addressed, I no longer wish for the Stormtrack forum to be associated with SpotterNetwork.

    I apologize to those who continue to have issues with the service and continue to see their issues left unaddressed. Please understand that the connection between ST and SN was put in place long before I had any say over it. But now that I am the "captain of this ship," it is within my right (nay, duty) to make adjustments as I see necessary. Ending this relationship is such an adjustment.

    For those who continue to need help, I recommend navigating a web browswer to SpotterNetwork's About page, and seeking the individuals listed on that page for all further inquiries about SpotterNetwork.

    From this moment forward, the SpotterNetwork sub-forum has been hidden/deleted and there will be no assurance that any SpotterNetwork issues brought up in any of Stormtrack's other sub-forums will be addressed. Do not rely on Stormtrack for help with SpotterNetwork issues.

    Sincerely, Jeff D.

Motorola E815 cell phone: antenna replacement

Joined
Jul 2, 2004
Messages
1,781
Location
Hastings, Michigan
Permit me a place to rant here. I own a Motorola E815 cell phone, a popular model that has served me well both as a phone and as a modem for my laptop. Recently, however, I lost the antenna. Since it screws right in, I figured I'd have no problem replacing it, right? Wrong. I went to several Alltel retailers, including Radio Shack, and none of them stocked replacement antennas.

So I went to Motorola's website, looked through their catalog, and guess what: no replacement antennas there, either.

I finally emailed Motorola's customer support, and the next day I received a reply. But before I got it, having business in our 28th St. shopping strip, I dropped in on a large Alltel store. Ta da! They had an antenna. Cost: twelve dollars. I screwed it in, in a matter of seconds, and have been a happy camper ever since.

Now, here's where it gets good.

Afterwards, I booted up my laptop and discovered the following email from Motorola: "Antenna issues are considered physical damage. Consequently, the repair will be only done for a $75 flat fee. The repair will take 12-14 business days. If it is considered beyond economic repair it will be returned unrepaired....You may prefer to take the unit to a local Motorola Authorized Service Center. Please locate the link below for a nationwide listing...."

According to their link, there's no service center within at least 100 miles of me.

I was livid. Rather than stock a simple replacement part that can be easily installed in a matter of seconds, Motorola was requiring seventy-five bucks and twelve to fifteen business days. I sent them another email letting them know how I felt about that, and here was their reply:

"Antennas are sensitive electrical components. Most phones require trained technicians with appropriate tools to ensure the antenna is installed properly, and operates optimally, providing the best reception while still operating well within the FCC guidelines. If installed improperly, the antenna may reduce the effectiveness of the phone, decrease reception, alter FCC determined guidelines, or void your warranty if damage is done to the phone. Therefore, it is a requirement that a Motorola authorized technician installs the antenna of your cellular phone."

Folks, we are talking about a simple part that screws directly into the cell phone in about five seconds. FIVE SECONDS. It's so easy a monkey could do it blindfolded, but Motorola is telling me it's really a delicate and arcane operation that can only be handled by a trained tech for seventy-five bucks plus shipping and two to three weeks of not having my phone.

According to Motorola's line of reasoning, I guess I need a tech on hand every time I plug in my mobile antenna as well. I sure wouldn't want to piss off the FCC when I'm out on a chase.

MY QUESTION: Are there any phone techs out there who can speak to this issue? Am I ranting about Motorola's customer support when in fact they gave me a truthful response? Or am I justified in feeling that, from start to finish, the company doesn't give a rip about jerking around their end consumers?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I am not a phone tech, but maybe they were thinking your phone was a model with an internal antenna?

The two phones that I have both have internal antennas and I am guessing that replacing those would take a tech to make sure it was done right.

David
 
I could see that, Dave, except for one thing: I was very specific in naming the model E815 when I corresponded with Motorola. It's a popular model, and anyone in technical support should be familiar with it.

I don't doubt that many models do in fact require a tech to make antenna repairs. I'm sure such repairs can be exacting, and in those cases, Motorola's repair approach makes sense. But adopting it as a one-size-fits-all policy is completely unacceptable when it comes to a popular phone like the E815, whose antenna simply screws in and out. In this case, the procedure is similar to replacing batteries in a flashlight or installing a new 60-watt bulb in a lamp. It isn't a repair issue; it's a parts issue, and evidently, a customer care issue.
 
Back
Top