C500 Dual SIM

[Guest jabbrwcky]

It's been a while since I've seen any posts in here about C500s or other windows mobile devices with dual SIM adapters. I thought I'd take the plunge and get a wee ghost dual SIM adapter after reading posts from one or two happy people who were able to switch SIM by going into and out of flight mode.

I sprang for this groovy item on ebay and got it installed with minimum fuss. Tested it on my old Nokia to make sure that both SIMs worked and the menu for switching came up OK, which it did. No power ups or downs, as promised.

Alas it was not the case with my smartphone; there is no menu (at least none that I can find) to allow me to switch SIM. And of course since this product needs to be switched on-line, I'm stuck with having to remove the dual-SIM, insert it in my Nokia, switch SIMs, remove and reinsert into C500!

Surely there must be an easier way. I'll give a chocky bicky to the person who comes up with it! ;-)

[Guest mark4130]

The one I use (the one where you cut the gold coloured piece out of your 2 sims and place them into a template) just requires you to turn on and turn off the phone. Phones on Orange, turn it off, turn it back on, phones on O2. etc etc

[Guest jabbrwcky]

The one I use [...] just requires you to turn on and turn off the phone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not this one; it's apparently above all that, claiming 'No need to on-off!'. Oh well, looks like I'll have to try a different kind then :-(

[Guest mcwarre]

No need to turn off the phone. Switching flight mode on then off again (quicker than phone reboot) has the same effect

[Guest James]

i think you can switch with the STK (sim tool kit) so it says.....

[Guest jabbrwcky]

i think you can switch with the STK (sim tool kit) so it says.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've run the STK and just get a blank screen so I guess either it's not working properly or it doesn't support the extra menus on the SIM. I wonder if it might work using the Qtek firmware instead of the Orange one? Not sure I could be bothered going to such lengths on the offchance that it might work tho :-|

[Guest usdiver]

I'm on o2 but want to be able to switch from o2 to orange...where can I get one??? are they good?

[Guest jabbrwcky]

I'm on o2 but want to be able to switch from o2 to orange...where can I get one??? are they good?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh they're excellent - when they work. I've actually figured that SimTKUI is not the thing to be launching; there's another app called SimTK (labelled 'Orange Plus' on the C500 menu, whatever that's supposed to mean) which will show me the correct menu (at last!) but when I press the select button to change numbers it doesn't actually *do* anything. So near and yet... just so far :-(

My only workaround is to enable the switched mode where it hops between the two networks at pseudo-random intervals. A handy feature, but not really what I was after; I had to stand in the queue at the cinema for 15 minutes before it switched to Orange so I could text 241 for my free ticket!!

[Guest filao]

Which dual sim holder did you get jabbrwcky ? Is it a non-cutting one?

[Guest Stevio]

Which dual sim holder did you get jabbrwcky ? Is it a non-cutting one?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have this one: http://home.wanadoo.nl/hverbij/website-pic1.jpg

It's a non cutting one. Put it in my Nokia 1100 it works, it gives me a new menu at number 12. Putting it in my Orange C500 it doesnt work, cause there is no new menu, where i can change between the two cards.

Edit:

I just updated my Dutch Orange SPV C500 to this new firmware and it works for me:

http://www.modaco.com/Install_newest_QTek_...00-t207547.html

It gives me a new menu called: 1. AUT. In this menu i can switch between the to SIMS. In this menu you check the sim you want to use (the one without a star before it). It doesnt changes in the menu while checking the other, but using flight mode on and off, gives me the possibility to switch between my Sims 1. Vodaphone and 2. Orange. (check now if the selection is changed in the menu)

Edited October 16, 2005 by Stevio

[Guest jabbrwcky]

It doesnt changes in the menu while checking the other, but using flight mode on and off, gives me the possibility to switch between my Sims

Kudos!!!! I had never ever *thought* of trying to use the SIM change menu while in flight mode. Here I was banging my head off a wall trying to do it online. It really is that simple; just switch to flight mode, load STK, set your options and exit flight mode; bang, you're online with the other network.

Many thanks; can now stop pulling my hair out. Gold star and a chocky bicky to Stevio! :-D

[Guest nevawlkalone]

Edit:

I just updated my Dutch Orange SPV C500 to this new firmware and it works for me:

http://www.modaco.com/Install_newest_QTek_...00-t207547.html

It gives me a new menu called: 1. AUT. In this menu i can switch between the to SIMS. In this menu you check the sim you want to use (the one without a star before it). It doesnt changes in the menu while checking the other, but using flight mode on and off, gives me the possibility to switch between my Sims 1. Vodaphone and 2. Orange. (check now if the selection is changed in the menu)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good to hera. Would it work with the c550???

[Guest jabbrwcky]

Good to hera. Would it work with the c550???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You don't need to have the Qtek firmware to access that menu; it should be available through the stk.exe in your Windows directory even if there's no link it your start menu.

Just use Resco Explorer or something to browse to it; the Qtek version of it might be easier to access - tho I haven't been able to get it to work, keep getting error stating "Upgrade Only - This nbf file cannot be used for your smartphone. Please get newer nbf file". But that's a problem for another day...

[Guest mostafa]

These things dont work on the Imate SP5.

Even if you restart the phone it still wont swap sims.

I did get tit do do it once, but that was after installing some software which restarted the phoen on its won. this then swapped the sims, but on restart/turning on flightmode then off it would no longer work.

Any ideas if this is something in the registray which does not completly powerdown the sim card, thus not allowing the ghost sim to swap?

[Guest jabbrwcky]

These things dont work on the Imate SP5.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the warning! Was considering an SP5 as an upgrade possibility but perhaps no more if it has SIM swapping issues.

Have you tried opening STK, selecting the change, going into flight mode, returning to STK, selecting the same change again, then taking it out of flight mode? That seems to work most reliably for me.

As for the registry setting for SIM power-down; not a clue, sorry!

Do let us know if you get it working...

[Guest mostafa]

new STK doesnt have any options to change anything. unless I am missing something.

I wonder if I can get an older version of STK that might work?

Anyone got a copy I can try (the version in my C500 didnt have any options like that either).

[Guest James]

The SDK is part of the SIM itself..

[Guest jabbrwcky]

new STK doesnt have any options to change anything. unless I am missing something.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're probably looking at the wrong thing; there's the SimTK.exe (as explained in these forums it's for SIM-specific features like checking your Payg balance) which normally doesn't show any options and then there's the STK.exe (in \Windows) which holds your SIM change menu. If you're not using the right one, try browsing to it directly with something like Resco Explorer and launching it.

[Guest mostafa]

All,

Good news regarding the dual sim on SP5, I have tried another dual sim(same make) and this works fine,

It seems the last one was a bit large and bowed when it was put in the sim holder of the phone this meant one of the sims was not in contact with the electrical pins in the dual sim adpater, thus only one of the sims would show when restarting the phone (or going in and out of flight mode).

BTW, I tried running SimTK.exe from the phone menu as well as through the \windows directory using smartexplorer, it still wont show any menu item/setting to switch sims (even when flight mode is on).

Maybe the SimTK.exe version with WM5 doesnt work as before?

regards

Mostafa