Phone used wrong time zone when in Norway

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Bert Hyman - 06 Jun 2007 19:50 GMT

I borrowed an unlocked quad band Motorola V188 to use on a recent trip
to Norway. The phone was originally used with T-Mobile and had some
built-in T-Mobile apps, but it worked fine when I tested it with a
Cingular pre-paid SIM before I left, and also worked just fine with the
NetCom pre-paid SIM when I finally got to Norway.

However, if I left the phone in automatic time setting, it showed the
time of day in the US Central Daylight time zone throughout the entire
time I was in Norway. I could switch the phone to manual time setting
and force it to display the correct local time, but I didn't (and still
don't) know if the phone keeps good time when in that mode. I couldn't
find any setting for time zone in any of the phone's menus.

Also, the time on the phone was consistently about 1.5 minutes fast
compared to that displayed on my GPS receiver (and my watch which I'd
set to WWV just before I left).

Why did the phone act that way?

Signature

Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN bert@iphouse.com

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Lone Wolf - 07 Jun 2007 03:33 GMT

>Also, the time on the phone was consistently about 1.5 minutes fast
>compared to that displayed on my GPS receiver (and my watch which I'd
>set to WWV just before I left).

No idea about that, probably also wrong in US?

>Why did the phone act that way?

The phone will always show the time of your home network, unless it has
a setting, which you may have to manually select, to allow the SIM card
to update the phone to local time.

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Mike S. - 12 Jun 2007 19:44 GMT

>>Also, the time on the phone was consistently about 1.5 minutes fast
>>compared to that displayed on my GPS receiver (and my watch which I'd
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>a setting, which you may have to manually select, to allow the SIM card
>to update the phone to local time.

Additionally, many GSM operators do not support the automatic time update
function on their towers. In that case, the phone will continue to keep
time based on the last place from which it was set (manually or
automatically).

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Bert Hyman - 12 Jun 2007 19:55 GMT

> Additionally, many GSM operators do not support the automatic time
> update function on their towers. In that case, the phone will
> continue to keep time based on the last place from which it was set
> (manually or automatically).

Does this mean that the accuracy of the time will depend entirely on
a timebase internal to the phone? I couldn't find any way to manually
set the time in the phone (and I didn't have a manual), so the time
might get pretty far off over time.

I've since given the phone back to the guy I borrowed it from and
probably won't be travelling in Norway again for a long time, so this
isn't anything I'm likely to run up against again any time soon, but
it would be nice to know.

Signature

Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN | bert@iphouse.com

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Mike S. - 12 Jun 2007 20:27 GMT

>> Additionally, many GSM operators do not support the automatic time
>> update function on their towers. In that case, the phone will
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>Does this mean that the accuracy of the time will depend entirely on
>a timebase internal to the phone?

Yes, it will use its internal clock.

>I couldn't find any way to manually
>set the time in the phone (and I didn't have a manual), so the time
>might get pretty far off over time.

Settings ---> Initial setup ---> Time/date

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