Sure- the same way cutting off your head "solves" a headache.

It doesn't fix the root of the problem- why can't the phone make a call
in analog mode?

Call Sprint and make sure your phone and account is setup properly?  You
should be able to make a call in analog.  Sprint has no analog coverage
of it's own- analog roaming is the only reason your phone supports analog
in the first place!  Perhaps your phone has the wrong PRL (one meant for
a digital-only phone, maybe?)

This happens to me all the time when I travel in weak signal areas
(particularly Mexico).  When there is digital and analog service on
the same tower my phone will often drop a weak but working digital
signal in favor of an analog service which looks a bit stronger to
the phone but doesn't actually work when you try to make a call.

A digital-only phone will fix this, but at the expense of losing service
other places where there is analog, but no appropriate digital, service.
Such places still exist as well.  For a better solution, my LG phone
(from Verizon) has a test menu which allows you to force the phone
to digital-only, when that works better, while allowing you to go
back to automatic when analog is all you have.  If you can find a
phone from Sprint with the same function this would be perfect.

Dennis Ferguson

It is very likely that every where you go you will have digital
service available to you.  Only you know if that is so or not.  If it
is, then getting a digital only phone will be just fine for you.  It
also makes the phone less complicated.  It works smoother.  Uses less
battery.  Misses fewer calls.  Etc.

One possible factor is that analog signals may be much stronger from the
tower than they are from your handset.  In other words, your handset "sees"
an analog signal, but is too weak to transmit a usable signal back to the
tower.  (My handset operates at a maximum of 200 milliwatts, while bag
phones (AMPS) push out several watts of power.)

Just a thought.