Using the built in cell phone without On-Star in your H2

[Peter]

Is there a way to use the cell phone that is integrated into the H2 for calling people other than On-Star? I did a search before posting this and found a few posts where people say they use On-Star to connect to personal numbers but have to go through On-Star operator. I'm interested in using the cell phone without going through On-Star. Is there somewhere I can connect a keypad to dial? I carry a Sony-Ericsson T68i cell phone in my pocket but I was hoping to benefit from the longer range and hands-free of the phone built into the H2. Anyone here know a way to achive this?

Thanks,
Peter

[Peter]

Is there a way to use the cell phone that is integrated into the H2 for calling people other than On-Star? I did a search before posting this and found a few posts where people say they use On-Star to connect to personal numbers but have to go through On-Star operator. I'm interested in using the cell phone without going through On-Star. Is there somewhere I can connect a keypad to dial? I carry a Sony-Ericsson T68i cell phone in my pocket but I was hoping to benefit from the longer range and hands-free of the phone built into the H2. Anyone here know a way to achive this?

Thanks,
Peter

[NSXTC]

You don't have to go throught the Onstar operator. Just click on the left button and say 'dial'...number... and 'dial' again.

The number is displayed in your info center.

[Peter]

Wow! That is too cool! Thanks. I need to go find my On-Star instructions. Do you know if there is a number assigned to the phone? Can someone call me?

[H2Jim]

It is actually pretty slick. When I got the H2 I thought it was going to be sort of a gimmick, but it really is pretty nice. In addition to the dial/number/dial command, you can set up a voice-recognition phone book. Dig out the manual and give it a read.

I don't use it too muck because I have a gazillion minutes on my cell, but it nice to have (for the next time I let my cell run dead!)

[NSXTC]

Hey Peter, why not call your personal cell phone using the Hummer's Cell. Your Hummer Cell should show up on your personal.

Yes, people can call your Hummer. Their voices will be played through all 9 speakers. 8) When they call, your blue onstar button will flash. Just hit the button and you're live.

[Big Z]

Peter, upon purchase onstar provided 30 day free trial of cell service. After that, there are different package rates that can be added at any time, if you sign up. I just get the 100 minutes for fourty Bucks, good anywhere, anytime, for the Year. Each Onstar equiped vehicle has it's own Phone number.

[hinten]

turn on Onstar, say "my number"
Onstar will read you H2 telephone number to you and display on the LCD in your dashboard.

[TonkaH2]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Big Z:
I just get the 100 minutes for fourty Bucks, good anywhere, anytime, for the Year. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dang, I must be a cheap. . . person. That's pretty steep to me.

-Jack
Yellow H2 adv. on order [forever]
Alaska to ??? June '03
www.sunspotnatural.com (http://www.sunspotnatural.com)

[Big Z]

Believe me I don't use the minutes very often. It's basically forty bucks worth of--Just In Case--And if it takes a year to use-- O well--Just a little extra convenience For emergency use only. Like, if my wife can't reach me on the cell--left on the desk--she calls the Hummer.

[Steve R]

I was at a Hummer sponsored thing in Santa Barbara and they had rep's from On-Star to answer questions. They told me that there was no way to call the car and that only outgoing calls were possible. They also said the system was strictly on-star and we can't integrate our own cell phones for this purpose. We get some free minutes to start with, but it's not great pricing...that's for sure!

It is pretty neat....like living in space!

A buddy of mine, Cary, is all into Cell phones (it's his business)....let me see what I can find out.

[1 bad h2]

HEY STEVE,
I WAS AT THE ONE IN HALLANDALE FL,AND THE ONSTAR REP YOUSED MY CELLPHONE TO DIAL HIS H2 TO SHOW ME HOW IT WORKS, INCOMING CALLS ARE POSSIABALE I SEEN IT DONE....I DONT KNOW WHY THEY WOULD TELL YOU ITS NOT???

[Hummie2]

Steve...

After reading these posts I went out and check my H2 for it's phone number. When I found out what the number was I called my wife at home and gave her the number. I told her to call me back at the H2's number and everything worked fine just like regular cell phone. Don't know why Onstar reps would tell you that you can't recieve incoming calls, mine did.

Don

[JCJ]

What about redirect the roof mic/speaker to use for non-On*Star hands free cell use?
Is it possible.
I ask this, because On*Star has no service (yet) in Aruba.

[JCJ]

The mic being the slotted thingy and the speaker the one with small holes?
And which antenna is the cell antenna and which is for radio reception?

[NSXTC]

Mic is the slotted thingy. Speaker is your Bose system.

Having a GPS on my ML, it looks to be the same antena as the driver side. This makes the passenger side the cell.

Isn't radio antena built into the windows?


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H2SUT.com
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[JCJ]

Wouldnt it be nice to redirect the GPS antenne and systems in our rig and use it w/ another GPS machine in order to get coordinates, speed, distances etc.

[Peter]

That would be great. Is this possible? Does anyone here know how to do it?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JCJ:
Wouldnt it be nice to redirect the GPS antenne and systems in our rig and use it w/ another GPS machine in order to get coordinates, speed, distances etc.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Steve R]

Okay...got some answers, but you guys have figured out a lot on your own.

First off, as already figured....you CAN call the car! (The rep was a hot little cutie...but obviously she didn't know her stuff!).

My buddy Cary tells me that all you have to do is call your home from the H2....your caller ID will tell you what your H2 phone number is. So YES, you can call your H2!

Cary says the voice recognition system is actually over at On-Star and NOT in our H2's. It's On-Star's computer listening and doing that for us. He says there is no way to integrate our personal cell-phones into the speaker-phone system we already have. Btw, our on-star works through our stereo systems...be careful when replacing these units.

Cary very much recommends keeping the On-Star system, they apparently have a unique agreement with ALL cell-phone providers for roaming...which means we can hit ANY cell-phone repeater/antenna and get signal. He explains that where most cell phones may not work, On-Star probably will. The downside, it's an old-fashioned analog signal...not digital. His advice is to maintain the On-Star for some minutes and save them to use when req'd.

[Hummie2]

Steve R...

Thanks for info. Glad to hear signal is analog instead of digital. Lots of times digital chops off in fringe areas and analog still gets through. Our old analog phone got out a lot better in fringe areas than new digital phones do.

Don

[Steve R]

Hey Don,

Good point. Seems like digital is an all-or-nothing approach to communication...either you have signal or you don't. Whereas analog lets you crap-out and fade like a CB signal.

I wish the on-star wasn't so costly to operate as a cell phone. I mean...why use costly minutes on their unit when I have a cell phone with virtually free minutes in front of me?

One thing that was very cute: my 3 year old daughter and I were traveling down a street that is known for heavy christmas decorating (lots and lots of lights!). So she's digging it and checking out everything...and I decide to call my wife at home and let her hear all the excitement.

So I use on-star and call home. My daughter is blown away when she hears hers mothers voice coming from everywhere in the H2. Then she, my daughter, decides to speak back to my wife. Not seeing a microphone, she just leans forwards and starts talking into the air-vent!!!

Despite telling her and pointing to the microphone over my head....she insist on having some semblence to a microphone and continues to talk into the air-vent. Kids are too cute sometimes!!!

[Hummie2]

Steve

Cute story. You know those air vent do kind of resemble the mouth piece on old time wall mounted telephones.

Don

[TonkaH2]

Well, maybe not to talk into, but sucking on, now, that's different!

[Steve made me say that. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif]

-Jack
Yellow H2 adv. on order [forever]
Alaska to ??? June '03
www.sunspotnatural.com (http://www.sunspotnatural.com)

[RasterMaster]

Any way to tell when this will be available in my area?

Check out the OkC Chapter Page!