Old cell phones collectors

I had, and used, an "AT&T" branded analog bag phone 'til relatively recently (ca. 2001). Our '93 Explorer has a hardwired cellular mobile phone in it (long since deactivated).

Anyone making vacuum tube cell phones for the retro market? :)
 
Is it even possible to get service on those old phones anymore? It would be really sweet to get one of those huge ones from the late '80s - early '90s, just for WTF conversation value, but I'd wanna be able to use it...
 
Nick_the_'Nole said:
Is it even possible to get service on those old phones anymore? It would be really sweet to get one of those huge ones from the late '80s - early '90s, just for WTF conversation value, but I'd wanna be able to use it...

It depends on how old the phone is, typically it cannot be used in the US anymore. Don't you know we plan it all that way? :)

The old Motorola brick phones are pretty vintage and funny to hold in your hand compared to the pieces of rice they sell now.
 
Actually, the brick phone is prolly the sort of thing I would use if I could get service for it. That or one of the old-style flip phones of only slightly smaller size. Definitely wouldn't lose something like that, and I doubt anybody'd steal it either...
 
I have a couple old Motorola flippers if you are interested in them. I will have to look through the stuff we keep stashed in the office.
 
I have a brick phone circa 1988 or so, 10 bucks on eBay.
It actually works but only to make emergency 911 calls and collect calls as well. They are handy to carry in a car.

Great conversation piece.

Regards,
crooner
 
We had some problems whith the old cell phones, here, in Romania too. The majority can still work in the actuall 900 MHz system (that inlcudes mine-I hadn't had money to buy me another cell phone-the old one failed-and for a long time I wish me a "brick"-but i must get for it new batery or to replace the elements from the old one), but some only worked only in the old 450 MHz. When the 450 MHz system was closed, many people couldn't use they celll phones any longer, and the shops remained with unsoled phones.
Fourtnley for me, a lot of the Romanian cell phones are "Nokia", so I "risk" to find components for it.
One day, while i was riding my bicycle i spoted in car a phone like this:
 
Yeah, I love the conversation value of the idea... Be at a party or somewhere and pull a beast like that out of my jacket, make a phone call... 'Twould be classic. And Dorokusai, if you do happen to find those flippers, drop me a PM, I actually might be interested.
 
The "cell" refers to the fact that each cell phone transmitter tower covers a certain small "cell" of area...and when you leave that tower's coverage area, you switch into the coverage area of the next nearest tower, so that continuous coverage can be obtained over a wide area using relatively low power at the phones and towers.

One thing about the old analog bag phones and car phones is that they were higher power (3 watts?) and would "get out" farther than the current digital phones which are 300 milliwatts or so...however it seems like in the modern day there are more and more towers being built so that is less of a concern....with my Cingular flip phone we have even been able to get a signal in fairly remote areas of New Mexico.
 
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@Nick the 'Nole: I want to take that "Nokia" of mine with me at the University, and start talking at it and move around to see the people reaction at my big "brick". I think unless one person wi'll ask me if it's for sale.
No way. I only exchange it.
Any opinion about this early "G.S.M." (I culdn't save the pic, so just go to the next adress:
http://www.bumerangiletisim.com/gsmtarihi/gsmtarihi.htm
I also found an "Dancall" Logic, but the price was quite big, and it hadn't no battery (not even a broken one).
Anyone have any ideea, where I cand find a pic of the first cell phone released by "Motorola"?
 
Now Telecolor, your Dancall? THAT is a brick. And it's just the right color for a brick, too!

Here's Motorola's first cell, from 1983. All 28 ounces of it:
7476_MotImage.jpg
 
No, Colortraker. I said I found a "Dancall" like that one, but it colour was grey. I woukd like to get my hands on an "Dancall" coloured like that.
O an cell-phone shop in Bycharest they have exebit some old cell phones, includig an giant "Hagenuk" MT-2000.
I thought the first "Motorola|" cell phone was a "suitcase", not a "brick".
What was the model name?
 
They called it the DynaTAC 8000X. It had 8 hours of standby time and one hour of talk time. And it cost $3,995. Yeah - $5 shy of FOUR THOUSAND. I wonder how much airtime cost back then. :yikes:
 
I heard it cost 3,000 $. But 3,995 $.... Uau. :naughty: That's quite a big sume of money even for the americans.
The first cell phones cost in Romanina about 700-1,000 bucks, a lot of money (that "Dancall" Logic was the cheapest in 1993, it cost 700 $). :cry:
 
Made an interesting find yesterday. Motorola Contour phone, from the early-mid '90s. Only problem is it doesn't seem to work, I plug in the charger and the phone flashes on and off every couple seconds. Does the same thing when I take the battery out. Oh, well, only out $5 if I can't figure out what's wrong with it, then back on the hunt for a different one.
 
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