Island phone

[captaind]

I top up my Digicel with 1200 Ja every three months. But I give the minutes to the kids so I always need to top up before I arrive.

[NKY]

I top up my Digicel with 1200 Ja every three months. But I give the minutes to the kids so I always need to top up before I arrive.

Just reminded me of something....

Digicel has an option for scheduled top ups on their website if you want to keep your sim active and keep the same number without having to rremember to top it up on a certain date.

[butch]

Thanks for all the help everyone....I used to do that with Alfred too Craig but unfortunately he is no longer with us...RIP my friend. Anyway I'm wanting to have one to own so I will look into this a littel more. NKY is that for northern KY....I'm right across the border if it is!

[NKY]

NKY is that for northern KY....I'm right across the border if it is!

Do international providers work on a different band than gsm850 and gsm900??

Yes sir! Right next to the Airport drive away from to get a cheap flight.

Also, if the dual bands match the provider used it will work. For example, here are the bands for Digicel:

Jamaica GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz CDMA 1900 MHz

Not sure about Lime though.

Hope this helps!

[butch]

another question....LLAP...you said you have a dual band phone? I read where that works in the US....but when you get to Jamaica will it work not being a tri or quad band?? Do international providers work on a different band than gsm850 and gsm900?? Do they work on the 1800 or 1900 bands only?

[LLAP]

another question....LLAP...you said you have a dual band phone? I read where that works in the US....but when you get to Jamaica will it work not being a tri or quad band?? Do international providers work on a different band than gsm850 and gsm900?? Do they work on the 1800 or 1900 bands only?

Butch
I have a dual sim - quad band phone. I can put both the US sim card and the Jamaica sim card in at the same time and choose which one I want to use ann it is quad band so it will work in any country.

[butch]

Thanks NKY...that does help! Now I know what phone specs to look for here. I'm over in Lawrenceburg but driving to Dayton this time to get a cheaper flight. CVG is killing me with those prices. Sunwing was sold out but would like to try that direct flight out sometime.

[Melody]

The last week of November, I was pleased to discover that Mega Mart in Montego Bay has a Lime desk in the store....and they apparently had one of those awesome specials running, got a Samsung phone, SIM, and $100j in minutes for $999j....not bad for under $12!

I agree, (especially for that price) it's nice to have your own phone. My first trip I had a loaner, and was wondering about how dirty it was. Now, I can save my Jamaican phone numbers to the phone and have my contact list ready to go with each visit.

I have used eztopup once since my return, but wanted to do it again and wasn't able to log in....even the password reset didn't work.....I didn't write down all my details when signing up the first time, but seems weird that none of my usual passwords work. I even tried used an alternate email to start the process over, but got a message that I'm already registered. Sent in an email to their help desk last weekend, but haven't had a response. Eztopup appears to be a separate company that Lime uses for customer's online topups. That's the only thing I've found so far that is preferable to Digicel, their own site allows topup, and has worked great when I've used it to topup a friend's phone.

LLAP, I'm curious about what you mentioned about not needing to topup online to keep the SIM active. I'm traveling to Jamaica again in 3 months, so wanted to keep it up and running for my next trip. Why do you remove the SIM card between visits?

[LLAP]

LLAP, I'm curious about what you mentioned about not needing to topup online to keep the SIM active. I'm traveling to Jamaica again in 3 months, so wanted to keep it up and running for my next trip. Why do you remove the SIM card between visits?

My old phone would only hold one sim so when I returned home I put my US sim back in. The phone I have now holds two sim cards and I can select which one the phone uses so I do not have to take one out and put the other in anymore.
As far as keeping it active. After we're done using the Lime sim I do nothing to keep it active. I use the online etop a few weeks before we return and we have been good to go for the past 3 years. Each top up has been just short of one year from our last use of the Lime Jamaica sim.

[Melody]

As far as keeping it active. After we're done using the Lime sim I do nothing to keep it active. I use the online etop a few weeks before we return and we have been good to go for the past 3 years. Each top up has been just short of one year from our last use of the Lime Jamaica sim.

Well, that's interesting.....thought you had to either keep adding minutes every month or so, or else it wouldn't remain active and you'd have to buy a new SIM when returning to Jamaica. Were the remaining minutes from your last trip still there when you put your SIM back in to prepare for your new trip? If so, I won't need to topup online at all before leaving for my next trip, everything should be good to go, with plenty of minutes remaining. Or, is it just the minutes that expire, but not the SIM?

update: Went on Lime's website and found out that if your account doesn't have a balance, you have 60 days before it is deactivated. If it hasn't been used, but has a balance, all you need to do is topup within 365 days and you're good to go. I've emailed for confirmation/clarification, as when your minutes expire, you no longer have a balance, right!?
But if as LLAP says, your SIM stays active for 365 days, without having to topup every month or two, that is an awesome perk for us travellers!