UTStarcom PPC6700 - Using Contacts for Dialing

[Guest Ron AKA]

I'm hoping this is a simple problem (which has not been asked too many times before) and you can help me. I'm in Alberta, Canada and I obtained this phone from Telus Mobility. It is similar to the Verizon XV6700, or Sprint PPC-6700, and is made by HTC. It uses the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. Link below if you are not familiar with it.

http://www.mobiletechreview.com/Sprint-PPC-6700.htm

If I dial a number by selecting it in Contacts and if I am at home and the number is local it works fine. However if I try to dial another area code, or when I go out of town and try to dial back to my home area code, the phone will not complete the call. I get a message that it is long distance and to try again! I syncronize my phone with a desktop Outlook and have nearly 1000 contacts with each having 2-3 numbers. They all have area codes, but I have not put a 1 in front of them if they are normally long distance. Previous to this phone I used an Audiovox SMT5600 supplied by Rogers. When I did this same thing (using the identical Outlook-Contacts database) there was no problem at all. I got a voice message warning me that I was dialing long distance, and I was to disconnect if I did not want to. But, it would still go ahead and complete the call if I let it.

With the PPC-6700 however, I cannot complete the call. I have to write the number down on a piece of paper and then dial it manually. I really hope there is a solution to this as it is sooo cumbersome. I can't believe you can have a gizmo this high tech and have to resort to this.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide. I don't know if this is an Outlook problem, Mobile 5.0 problem, or if it is a limitation of my phone carrier? Any and all help appreciated.

[Guest Ron AKA]

I did find a preventative solution, which those who are considering this type of phone should consider. When in Contacts (on desktop), click on Actions, Call Contact, New Call, then Dialing Options, and check off the box beside "Automatically add country code to new numbers". No idea why it is buried so deep in a non-intuitive location, but this adds the "+1" to every new entry. With this checked you can double click on the phone number of a contact and it brings up a box with the +1 added and all you have to do is accept it and save the contact. Still takes a lot of time, but that is what I did to get out of this silly situation.