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Recycling Old Cell Phones (redux)?

Posted by Cliff on from the please-keep-them-out-of-landfills dept.

Tweakmeister asks: "With the product cycle for cell phones being what seems like months, is there any use for old phones? How about pagers? A search reveals some initiatives to recycle them or send them to foreign countries. Have you found any alternative uses for old cell phones?" We last touched on this subject in this previous article, from two years ago. Have any new ideas shown up on the horizon, since then?

36 comments

  1. Keep one in your car. by Pathwalker · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Any cell phone, even one without service, can call 911.

    The old beat up cell phone (with an auto adaptor, or a single use emergency battery) in your glove box may save your life someday.

    1. Re:Keep one in your car. by Kizzle · · Score: 1

      If I remember correctly, you can call the operator and place collect calls. Am I right?

      --
      Hacker Media
    2. Re:Keep one in your car. by The_Laughing_God · · Score: 1

      While there was a law mandating 911 access on deactivated phones, I've been told that (unlike analog cellphones), many or all of the most recent generation of digital phones do not. I doubt this is a change in the law (I'd think that I'd know if it were), but don't know if it's an oversight in current implementations of digital cellphone networks (how far down the priority list do you think *that* bug is?), or a semi-deliberate dodge.

      Ordinarily I would investigate the roots of this apparent illegality myself before reapeating the tale, but since my aging parents have become enthusiastic cellphoe users (who'd never let their service lapse, as they often did in the 90's), researching it has become a lower priority for me personally. It's been empirically demonstrated to me twice, by two different techies using recently deactivated digital cellphones, but I still remain a bit skeptical - phones/networks *do* break down.

      This might be a good cause for the community to pursue, if it is widely verified.

      More importantly, it's something we should all know, in the event of an emergency.

    3. Re:Keep one in your car. by jquirke · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yes, any GSM phone is required to be able to make a call to '112' whether a SIM / PIN code is present or not. It simply sets the "EMERGENCY" cause establishment in the CHANNEL REQUEST message, and it is up to the network to decide whether or not to allow emergency calls (most do).

    4. Re:Keep one in your car. by Profane+Motherfucker · · Score: 1

      Yes. With Verizon Wirless for example you can dial *611 for customer service, 911 for emergencies. If you try and dial any other number, on the Verizon Wireless network, they route you to an operator. To make a call you must have a credit card, and it costs at least $1 per minute.

      It varies by the network, but you still can make calls with a CC.

  2. Donate them locally by balamw · · Score: 5, Informative

    There are various programs to collect used cell phones for various causes, one that makes a lot of sense is the Call to Protect which will benefit the victims of domestic violence.

    Balam
    1. Re:Donate them locally by StillDocked · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I concur, and in most cases the donation is tax deductable. Not only do you create an excuse to buy new hardware, you also are doing something good for someone else, and receive a deduction for the full cost of the cell phone at purchase. This is a win-win-win situation.

    2. Re:Donate them locally by Gopher · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I also concur. You may want to ask Rape Crisis teams or women's shelters in your area if they want phones as donations. My sister-in-law volunteered as a counsellor for one, and they always accepted donations of cell phones.

    3. Re:Donate them locally by jjshoe · · Score: 1

      this is the best way to go, its where i always pass cell phones on to. definatly a worth while cause. just having the cellphone can make a big difference in how the women feel moving about day to day

      --
      -- botsex is {grep;touch;strip;unzip;head;mount} /dev/girl -t {wet;fsck;fsck;yes;yes;yes;umount} {/de
    4. Re:Donate them locally by foog · · Score: 1

      I've always been skeptical of the effectiveness of these programs. If someone can't keep it together well enough to afford a pre-paid cell phone, do you really expect them to keep it together well enough to remember to carry the cell phone and to keep it charged?

    5. Re:Donate them locally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hear they are building a beowulf cluster of java enabled phones.

  3. Old Analog pnoes are great for 911 by zulux · · Score: 1

    Here in the US*, any cell phone, regardless of network and acount status can call the 911 emergency number.

    Old Motorola flip phones with a cheap $9 car charger make a great present for thos who can't afford a cell phone for emergency use.

    *Some European countries are not so enlighented - they don't care if you die with a cell phone in your hand, only if you can pay your bill.

    --

    Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.

    1. Re:Old Analog pnoes are great for 911 by Gordonjcp · · Score: 1

      *All* European GSM networks are required to allow you to make calls to 112. Without exception. Oh, and as an added bonus, since the call setup packets are flagged as an emergency call, you can kick people off the celltower if it's busy.

  4. How about ... by one9nine · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Use it to make and receive calls. I've had my original cell phone for almost three years you insensitive clod.

  5. the companies themselves.. by zogger · · Score: 1

    ...should make a phone that can be as easily upgraded as any desktop box. That would be nice, take your old phone in, they swap out the necessary components, or you can do it, "upgrade" to the latest and best. Then at least only part of the phone becomes trash.

    Conversely, an easy mod to make a useable FRS radio would be nice. Probably real hard and illegal, though.

    Cell phone to > music file player? Tablet PC adapter? Garage door opener, universal remote control?

    My beef with new phones is they are all too small now, it's ridiculous, can't hardly see the dang buttons very good now, even with bifocals. Bytes it, new cell phone designs need to pass a geezer test before being released, hahaha! Special "geezer edition", 50% bigger phone and buttons and screen, room for a bigger batt then, too!

    Kinda like realising you really WOULD rather drive a cushy roomy crown vic then a fast rice burner.

    I still got one of them bag phones, ya know, I still like it. Don't use it, but I like it, room inside the bag for a small laptop and some other junque with a little creative re arranging.

    1. Re:the companies themselves.. by bildstorm · · Score: 1

      Driven the Crown Vic. Still like my <racist_remark>rice burner</racist_remark> better.

      Kinda like if I go to a club, then having a small phone that I can simply answer is much nicer than looking like a fool with a big lump in his pants.

      --
      The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. - G.B. Shaw
    2. Re:the companies themselves.. by walt-sjc · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I'll take my Q45 "rice burner" over a pile-of-crap crown vic any day.

      But back on the topic at hand...

      I would REALLY like to see some way of altering the frequency to run at 900M or 2.4G and use these things as a much-better home cordless. US Cell phones are pretty close to these frequencies arn't they?

      In fact, it looks like this is just a nokia cell phone that's been adapted for exactly this use. Probably special software and such, but the basics are there.

      Seems to me that someone could come up with a home / business model cell tower head end - maybe based on a software radio system that runs on unlicesensed frequencies.

    3. Re:the companies themselves.. by b96miata · · Score: 1

      Software radio for this level of sophistication is quite expensive. And no, US cell phones are not close to these frequencies. 800mhz/1900 mhz is the norm for analog/digital. The phones are so tightly integrated, including the parts that regulate frequency, not to mention the complexity of the base station, that what you are describing would be really not cost effective. Taking traditional (possibly downsized) cordless phone components and putting them in a pretty plastic shell is another matter, which is the story behind the engenius.

    4. Re:the companies themselves.. by dtldl · · Score: 1

      www.vertu.com, not exactly your average joe phone, but since the case is jewel encrusted solid gold/platinum/silver etc. the insides can be swapped out for the latest technology. Assuming you can afford the £16k for it.
      If you'd spend that on a phone though i bet you'd have enough redundant earnings to be upgrading the inside monthly.

    5. Re:the companies themselves.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course, you don't go to those clubs where every fool has a big lump in his pants, right?

  6. It's hard when ... by .milfox · · Score: 1

    foreign countries have better cell phones than we've got. :P

    And who would really want to saddle 'em with CDMA? Ewwwww! ;P

    Serioulsy, the 911 backup idea is a good one, if their batteries can still hold charge, of course.

    1. Re:It's hard when ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You stupid cunt. GSM is TDMA based, moving towards CDMA2000. Nice try fuckface. CDMA is the future.

  7. Batterd women's shelters by barzok · · Score: 4, Informative

    I seem to recall hearing that battered women's programs/shelters give phones to their clients. In the US (or maybe it's just New York), all cell phones must be able to connect to 911 even if they're not set up with a subscription. So, if someone's in trouble, they have a free call to 911 no matter where they are.

  8. DUPE by aztektum · · Score: 0

    Here

    --
    :: aztek ::
    No sig for you!!
  9. 911 by Apreche · · Score: 1

    Cell phones, old ones, new ones, any phone whether it has service or not, whether anyone is paying for it or not, even the ones on demo in the store (if the batteries are charged) is required by law to be able to make 911 calls. Take old cell phones and cell them as "emergency only phones". Sell them as is or rewire them to have one button that just dials 911. The law says that it has to work.

    --
    The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
  10. Skeet. by cybermace5 · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Pull!"

    *BLAM*

    "Can you hear me now?"

    *maniacal laughter*

    --
    ...
  11. EBAY by mpechner · · Score: 1
    I just sell them on ebay. I've always gotten reasonable money for 2YO technology most of the time.

    Paid for a nice dinner anyway.

  12. Holy crap! by jarran · · Score: 2, Funny

    Send pagers to foreign countries? Are you insane? Aren't foreign countries full of terrorists who are just desperate to you foreign pagers to orchestrate the killing of freedom lovin' people?

    1. Re:Holy crap! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Freedom, come on. Bunch of bloody war mongers I say.

  13. One thing I plan to do by mivok · · Score: 1

    when I replace my current phone (in a few months - how nice of the phone company to give me a new phone for free). I'm thinking of leaving it connected to my computer as a dial-in modem (use a pay as you go sim, so there are no running costs), and have remote control over gsm for the pc.

    Of course, this cant be done with all phones, just those with a GSM modem, but in a few months that could very well be the norm.

    Another nice idea for a phone connected to the pc would be to get the pc to respond to incoming sms messages, which is doable on some phones I know of (ericsson t68(i) can have messages read via bluetooth/ir, but of course, just using the t68i as a bluetooth remote would work).

    Hmm.. if theres any available, I guess you could even run a wap gateway on your computer when dialling in, for say computer status info etc.. DIY mobile isp.

  14. just one.. by josepha48 · · Score: 1

    they make great doorstops.. ;-)

    --

    Only 'flamers' flame!

  15. Lions Clubs recycle in my area by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In my area, the Lions Clubs collect cell phones for recycling as emergency phones.

    http://www.lionsclubs.org/lions/EN/clublocator/s ea rch_form_state.jsp

  16. Dial-in Support ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You need to check with your cell provider. Some systems will not work as in-dial data unless they have an additional data number associated with the handset/sim.

    This manifests itself as 'the phone rings when called, but the attached DTE device is not aware of the call'.

    Here in Australia, the cell providers will enable this feature, but will charge for it.

    Typically it's an addional $10 per month on top of your normal monthly charges.

    Also, your cell provider may use a different tarrif schedule for such calls.

    So beware - you could end up spending some 'real' money on this :-(

  17. throw them at the homeless by AssFace · · Score: 1

    I like to leave them like a breadcrumb trail as I walk in new areas. That way I can always find my way home and I won't get attacked by wolves... or is it witches in candy houses?
    Either way, old phones are a lifesaver that way.

    --

    There are some odd things afoot now, in the Villa Straylight.