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  • bwframe

    Loneranger
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    Having had a recent phone failure and an acquaintance that lost their phone for a day, I wonder what INGOers are using for "burner" or backup phones?

    Is there a modern day economical way to keep an extra phone around without booking into some sort of required usage/payment?
     

    Herr Vogel

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    Jun 10, 2018
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    Prepaid cellphone and minutes card. Charge the battery, keep it in the glove box, and forget it's there until you need it.
    Most prepaid services give you so many minutes or so many days of service before they require you to re-up. So redeem the card and activate the phone just prior to use.
    Also, any phone capable of connecting to the tower will by law place a call when you dial 911, regardless of service plan or the lack thereof.
     

    bwframe

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    I was hoping that in the modern day there was an alternative to starting a countdown clock to expire your purchase and force another one?
     

    10-32

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    I have an app called text free on my tablets. They assign you a number that you can text from and make calls from. To make calls, you can either buy minutes or watch short videos/ads to earn minutes. You'll need a tablet with a cell connection or a wifi connection. If your tablet doesn't have a built in mic, you'll need a headset with a mic. You also need to send at least one text a month to keep the number.
     

    churchmouse

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    I have an app called text free on my tablets. They assign you a number that you can text from and make calls from. To make calls, you can either buy minutes or watch short videos/ads to earn minutes. You'll need a tablet with a cell connection or a wifi connection. If your tablet doesn't have a built in mic, you'll need a headset with a mic. You also need to send at least one text a month to keep the number.

    We have 3 tablets between us. The daughter has 1 for the 12 year old and we have 2. That app is on all of them.
    The terrorists (avatar) have discovered it and send text and call each other. 1 goes to the back of the house and the other in the family room. It is hilarious.
     

    rhino

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    I was hoping that in the modern day there was an alternative to starting a countdown clock to expire your purchase and force another one?

    If you buy a prepaid phone and keep it in the package and unactivated, will the minutes you get with it still expire?
     

    SmileDocHill

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    Mar 26, 2009
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    Westfield
    This is somewhat unrelated and constitutes a thread jack but any cell phone conversations make me think of what my brother in law is using.

    A company in CA bought the brand/name "Palm" and has a phone that looks and functions like a full smart phone but is the footprint slightly larger than a credit card (but thickness like a regular phone). It looks so handy. It fits in a shirt pocket! Comes with (or can easily be obtained) a battery booster since you obviously sacrifice some battery life.
    I can't find an image that allows cut and paste, but it is an easy google image search.
     

    KellyinAvon

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    We have 3 tablets between us. The daughter has 1 for the 12 year old and we have 2. That app is on all of them.
    The terrorists (avatar) have discovered it and send text and call each other. 1 goes to the back of the house and the other in the family room. It is hilarious.

    Cans and string, meet 2019.
     

    KellyinAvon

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    Prepaid cellphone and minutes card. Charge the battery, keep it in the glove box, and forget it's there until you need it.
    Most prepaid services give you so many minutes or so many days of service before they require you to re-up. So redeem the card and activate the phone just prior to use.
    Also, any phone capable of connecting to the tower will by law place a call when you dial 911, regardless of service plan or the lack thereof.
    ^^This!^^ My old LG "candy bar phone" gets charged once a week.
     

    bwframe

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    If you buy a prepaid phone and keep it in the package and unactivated, will the minutes you get with it still expire?

    The only problem with that is that once you activate, then you are obligated to use it up (with the different phone number,) before it expires. It just seems more complicated than it could be? Using the burner, that will expire, will likely involve extra voice mails and calls or txts explaining who you are? Then you go back to your known number and there is more confusion.

    Seems as though you would be working hard to not break into that backup phone to start the clock on the next minutes purchase? That also wouldn't be conducive to not returning home when you forgot your regular phone. Also not near as apt to hand off the backup to someone else in the same circumstances.
     
    Last edited:

    4651feeder

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    Oct 21, 2016
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    On these older phones kept in a ziplock bag for just in case; am I correct in thinking if they are not at least 4G/LTE, voice calls will not function on them after 2019?
     

    rhino

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    Mar 18, 2008
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    The only problem with that is that once you activate, then you are obligated to use it up (with the different phone number,) before it expires. It just seems more complicated than it could be? Using the burner, that will expire, will likely involve extra voice mails and calls or txts explaining who you are? Then you go back to your known number and there is more confusion.

    Seems as though you would be working hard to not break into that backup phone to start the clock on the next minutes purchase? That also wouldn't be conducive to not returning home when you forgot your regular phone. Also not near as apt to hand off the backup to someone else in the same circumstances.

    I was thinking of having it just for backup/emergency use.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
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    I wonder if there is not something you could do with your sim card to duplicate it? With your sim card, could you not activate any phone compatible with your service?

    Could you not activate a tracphone or the like with your sim card and use from your normal account (and telephone number) vs the different number's minutes? Thus, not be on the clock to use up the "emergency" minutes with the different telephone number before they expire?
     
    Last edited:

    rhino

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    I wonder if there is not something you could do with your sim card to duplicate it? With your sim card, could you not activate any phone compatible with your service?

    Could you not activate a tracphone or the like with your sim card and use from your normal account (and telephone number) vs the different number's minutes? Thus, not be on the clock to use up the "emergency" minutes with the different telephone number before they expire?

    Yes, I used ATT-compatible "burner" flip phones with my ATT SIM card for many years. I'll do the same with my StraighTalk SIM.

    I must have misunderstood the concept of the topic! As long as the SIM card is functioning, you're good to go with anything that will function with it.
     

    russc2542

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    Oct 24, 2015
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    I was hoping that in the modern day there was an alternative to starting a countdown clock to expire your purchase and force another one?

    Pfft, that's a core principle of the modernity. If you aren't buying/replacing, they aren't making money. Phones, services, cars, computers, etc. If a company makes things that last, they only last till everyone that wants one has one.
     

    Hop

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    Jan 21, 2008
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    Very tricky but possible...
    Ham radio > SIP > Google voice > land line #.

    Even trickier is going in reverse.

    I'm not a HAM but have heard about people placing & getting cals.

    Using Tapatalk to annoy my INGO buddies cameramonkey & churchmouse. Hi!
     

    HoughMade

    Grandmaster
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    0   0   0
    Oct 24, 2012
    35,615
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    Valparaiso
    If you buy a prepaid phone and keep it in the package and unactivated, will the minutes you get with it still expire?

    No. Just don't expect to be able to activate it quickly in an emergency. It can take up to an hour, but usually about 10 minutes.

    ...and I have been using a prepaid cell phone (Tracfone) since 2003.

    You can always activate it and just purchase a 365 day re-up every year and forget about it the rest of the time. The cheapest way to do that is to buy some minutes, then buy the 365 service as an add-on to the transaction.
     

    Dead Duck

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    Apr 1, 2011
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    I have been wanting ti invest in a burner phone and some minutes to keep in a safe place. It's on my list.

    For super emergencies you can still use most old cell phones to call 911. I know for sure because when my girls were small, I was going to throw my old phones in their toy box. They liked those cheesy old games that were on them. But just to see, I tried to call 911 on them and they all got through. So toy box was a no-no.

    I do have them charged monthly (they'll last much longer) and put them all in various places. One in my coat, my man purse/backpack/go bag thing, my car console, my trunk (you never know until you're locked in in there), and my battle belt. The phones consist of a few flippers and a couple of the largish Nokias with the retractable antennas - just after brickphones. All original batteries and they still work great.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
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    No. Just don't expect to be able to activate it quickly in an emergency. It can take up to an hour, but usually about 10 minutes.

    ...and I have been using a prepaid cell phone (Tracfone) since 2003.

    You can always activate it and just purchase a 365 day re-up every year and forget about it the rest of the time. The cheapest way to do that is to buy some minutes, then buy the 365 service as an add-on to the transaction.

    Very interesting. How does the 365 re-up differ from the minutes purchase? Approx costs for these services?

    Wonder how this compares to my AT&T GoPhone service? I've been buying service monthly for fourish years.

    With the odd exception, I really don't talk on the phone much anymore. Communication is nearly all txt. Data (txt included I assume) is a huge factor though, as I send and receive a lot of pics and vids. Not to mention that the minicomputer in my pocket pulls and pushes a pretty fair amount of web data, e-mail checking and functions as TV/radio/jukebox when out and about.
     

    HoughMade

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    Oct 24, 2012
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    Very interesting. How does the 365 re-up differ from the minutes purchase? Approx costs for these services?

    Wonder how this compares to my AT&T GoPhone service? I've been buying service monthly for fourish years.

    With the odd exception, I really don't talk on the phone much anymore. Communication is nearly all txt. Data (txt included I assume) is a huge factor though, as I send and receive a lot of pics and vids. Not to mention that the minicomputer in my pocket pulls and pushes a pretty fair amount of web data, e-mail checking and functions as TV/radio/jukebox when out and about.

    With Tracfone, you can buy, say 60 minutes that gives you 90 days of service, or just buy 365 days of service that keeps the phone active regardless of the number of minutes. If you need more minutes, buy them. The service days that go with the minutes will add onto whatever service time you have, so if, for instance, you buy the 365 days and then, a couple of months later, buy 60 minutes that come with 90 days, those 90 days will tack on the end of the 365.

    So if I were to purchase 365 days on its own, it would come with at least 1,500 minutes and cost $125.00 (there are other options, but this is the lowest price stand-alone for 365 minutes currently). However, if I buy 200 minutes for $15.00 that includes 30 days, I can add the 365 days on for $49.99. I seldom use all my minutes, so this is what I do.
     
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