Hi all,
I am in the process of getting a Cingular 8525 after my old one was stolen. I am looking on ebay and see there are serveral 8525's for sale. One in particular has a TNT 2.0 ROM. From what I read it sounds very interesting and reliable.
I am very interested with the custom ROMs that can be installed on the phone. I have fully read the wiki help guide (http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Hermes) so I have a really well idea on how to do this. I only have a few questions hopefully I won't get flamed for.
1. Upgrading the rom is as easy as running the utility? Lets say I bought a phone that came with factory rom. I would just use the RUU follow the instructions and phone gets flashed?
2. I also read about a CIM Unlocker which leads me to my next questions. I really don't need the SIM unlocker since I will be using the same provider but good to do so anyways just incase. But the CID unlocker states "you will be allowed to flash ANY Hermes Shipped ROM" this means that I first have to use the CIM unlocker to even flash/cook any custom ROMs?
3. "Shipped Radio ROM" I don't quite understand what this is. the wiki states "The radio ROM provides improvements on the GSM radio stack and this has effect on GSM signal, AT command interface, GSM data modem (3G, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, etc...) functionality that is controlled by the Radio Interface Layer (RIL). The radio stack has nothing to do with WiFi or bluetooth -- it is only for the GSM/WCDMA part of the device."
Would I really need to worry about this if I install a custom ROM? Meaning won't the ROM have the latest radio? Or if a new Shipped Radio ROM gets released I can upgrade it without it interfering with the current ROM I have (etc TNT 2.0)?
Sorry for the extremely long post, but I like to fully understand everything before I make a huge purchase like this. Any help is extremely help. Thanks in advanced.
th3oriesfus3d said:
Hi all,
I am in the process of getting a Cingular 8525 after my old one was stolen. I am looking on ebay and see there are serveral 8525's for sale. One in particular has a TNT 2.0 ROM. From what I read it sounds very interesting and reliable.
I am very interested with the custom ROMs that can be installed on the phone. I have fully read the wiki help guide (http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Hermes) so I have a really well idea on how to do this. I only have a few questions hopefully I won't get flamed for.
1. Upgrading the rom is as easy as running the utility? Lets say I bought a phone that came with factory rom. I would just use the RUU follow the instructions and phone gets flashed?
2. I also read about a CIM Unlocker which leads me to my next questions. I really don't need the SIM unlocker since I will be using the same provider but good to do so anyways just incase. But the CID unlocker states "you will be allowed to flash ANY Hermes Shipped ROM" this means that I first have to use the CIM unlocker to even flash/cook any custom ROMs?
3. "Shipped Radio ROM" I don't quite understand what this is. the wiki states "The radio ROM provides improvements on the GSM radio stack and this has effect on GSM signal, AT command interface, GSM data modem (3G, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, etc...) functionality that is controlled by the Radio Interface Layer (RIL). The radio stack has nothing to do with WiFi or bluetooth -- it is only for the GSM/WCDMA part of the device."
Would I really need to worry about this if I install a custom ROM? Meaning won't the ROM have the latest radio? Or if a new Shipped Radio ROM gets released I can upgrade it without it interfering with the current ROM I have (etc TNT 2.0)?
Sorry for the extremely long post, but I like to fully understand everything before I make a huge purchase like this. Any help is extremely help. Thanks in advanced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll just keep it pretty basic.
1. Most all of the cooked ROMs do use an RUU to install. So those are a basic "click to install" setup.
2. You have two options to flash any non-native carrier or cooked ROM. The first option is to CID unlock. The second is using the HardSPL method. The CID unlock is permanent, whereas the HardSPL method is not.
3. 90% of the time, cooked ROMs don't include the radio. So, that means it keeps your old radio intact on the phone. If you're having connection issues, try flashing more updated radio ROMs and test. Usually helps.
Hope that helps.
Just what I was looking for. As for the CID Unlock vs. HardSPL why wouldn't I want to use the CID Unlock vs. HardSPL which is not permanent?
th3oriesfus3d said:
Just what I was looking for. As for the CID Unlock vs. HardSPL why wouldn't I want to use the CID Unlock vs. HardSPL which is not permanent?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've sent you a PM.
TaurusBullba said:
I've sent you a PM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why? Aren't we worthy enough to hear the answer?
burkay said:
Why? Aren't we worthy enough to hear the answer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, don't be silly.
The question has been asked and answered so many times already I wanted to keep this thread short and let it "die off".
But! Since you asked, CID unlocking will void your warranty. Using HardSPL will not since it allows you to flash any ROM despite your CID status (locked or unlocked).
Related
Hi,
So i just got my MDA compact III (HTC Artemis) and I have noticed that people upgrade them to windows mobile 6.
Unfortunatley this is my first WM phone so I don't understand all these technical terms (ROM, Cooking, CID etc)
can anyone help me? is it worth upgrading? how do i back all my info up? what happens if it goes wrong?
thanks in advance.
COngrats on your new phone.
It is always worth it to upgrade to WM6.
There are 2 kinds of locks: CID and SIM.
SIM locks prevent you from using say a TMO phone on ATT.
CID unlocks prevent you from flashing a new ROM (like a wm6 distribution)
You can use some backup utility to well, back up. Search the forum for one.
If something goes wrong, you can just reflash the RUU, which stands for ROM Upgrade Utility. It has the "default" rom that you get from your new phone.
Thanks. This helped a lot.
Where do I get the WM6 distributions from? how do I install?
does the RUU come with the phone or do I download it from somewhere?
With all due respect to fzzyrn IT IS NOT ALWAYS WORTH UPGRADING!
Since this is your first WM phone and you just got it you should take a few weeks and get to know it.
There rule to follow here is: if it is not broken do not fix it!
WM 6 has only a few small new features (major one being HTML email support) which you may find you do not need.
First thing you need to do is to read the WiKi. You will find detailed explanation about terms like ROM, CID and SIM unlocking there.
Then if you are still determined to upgrade you should be aware of the following risks:
1) If you bought your phone through a cell company changing ROM even to an official version from HTC will void your warranty!
2) You must take care and read the instructions that come with the update you are using. Preforming update incorrectly, having battery run out or phone disconnected from your computer will result in a "bricked" (unusable) device!
3) Some WM 6 ROMs, change your device hardware ID. If you have purchased any programs that lock on to that ID during registration they will stop working.
Now for your phone there are two options:
1) Official update on HTC site (if I am not mistaking should be out already, but I am not sure)
2) "Cooked" or unofficial ROMs. Look for instructions in Artemis forum.
Keep in mind that ROMs are device specific. There is no such thing as generic / universal ROM.
Also keep in mind that various ROM versions including official WM 6 have different bugs. There is no answer to which is best or a guarantee that you like any of them better than your original WM 5 ROM.
Hi!
I’ve just received my phone back from AT&T Repair Center. Sent it there because of “No GSM” problem. Guess I was experimenting with ROMs and radios too much. Anyways, now I have my 8525 with virgin WM5 installed on it and I don’t want to mess up the phone again, ‘cos my life without it was really miserable. But I really got used to WM6 (I was using Pandora 9.1 for couple months prior to breakdown). So I would like to upgrade the ROM to WM6, but do it as safe as possible. As far as I now, it is better to flash latest official AT&T WM6 ROM before flashing any modified ROM. I did check Mr.Vanx guide, but I couldn’t find the answer to my question – it guides you how to flash modded ROMs, however I couldn’t find info about how to flash original ROM.
So , could anybody quickly guide me through the process of doing it SAFELY, please?
Hard-SPL – should I do it before I do it anything else (before reflashing original AT&T WM5 with original AT&T WM6). I still do not understand what is this “Hard-SPL” , the only thing I know is that it can potentially prevent bricking bricking the phone, have no idea what exactly it does though
If I remember right, you cannot choose Hard-SPL when using Official AT&T ROM upgrade utility. Should I extract the nbh file and put it into a folder with Custom RUU Wrapper in it and run it from there?
From SD card or via ActiveSync? Which is safer? Is Hard-SPL needed if flashing with SD card?
Should I install the complete AT&T WM6 ROM or install vp3G ROM without a radio, so radio is left untouched (it is 1.40.30.00 now)
So it all comes to the question - What is the safest installation sequence?
1) WM5 -> WM6 from SD card
2) WM5 -> WM6 via ActiveSync
3) WM5 -> Hard-SPL -> Official AT&TWM6 from SD card
4) WM5 -> Hard-SPL -> Extracted nbh from official AT&T WM6 coupled with Custom RUU wrapper via ActiveSync
5) Other
Thank you!
And please, do not send me to search, I did... Just pick the number Thanks again!
i vote for 3
Are you crazy I was like u I instead got a new 8525 from Craigslist, but anyways came with WM5
and THE ABSOLUTE 1st THING I DID WAS HARDSPL : 2.10.Oli and then the ABSOLUTE best ROM for AT&T customers is vp3G's WM6 v3.62 AT&T ROM but I have an older Radio like 1.16.00.00 but I am scared to FLASH my radio to 1.54 so till I grow the balls to flash my RADIO I'm gonna STICK WITH 1.16 and vp3G's WM6 v3.62 AT&T ROM like he says "AT&T WM6 sweetness without all of the suckiness"
if you are simply wanting to use stock at&t wm6 just us activesync and open up your update package. you can then use hard spl if you wish to falsh a custom rom
brorex said:
if you are simply wanting to use stock at&t wm6 just us activesync and open up your update package. you can then use hard spl if you wish to falsh a custom rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree wholeheartedly with this advice. HardSPL is a great utility, but if you have your mind set on the stock AT&T ROM (I've been using it for months, and it's not that bad), then simply use the one that's legit, and don't mess with anything else. This way, if something DOES go wrong, it should still be fully covered under warranty.
-pvs
pvs said:
I agree wholeheartedly with this advice. HardSPL is a great utility, but if you have your mind set on the stock AT&T ROM (I've been using it for months, and it's not that bad), then simply use the one that's legit, and don't mess with anything else. This way, if something DOES go wrong, it should still be fully covered under warranty.
-pvs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're actually fine with flashing hardspl (for xda rom cooked upgrades) and flashing back to stock ATT rom if you're sending your phone back for a replacement. I've done it twice within my 1yr warranty coverage.
I never had any issues with ATT receiving my broken phone and telling me they would not honor the warranty. I received my replacement phone and I'm fine.
$0.02
pvs said:
HardSPL is a great utility, but if you have your mind set on the stock AT&T ROM (I've been using it for months, and it's not that bad), then simply use the one that's legit, and don't mess with anything else. This way, if something DOES go wrong, it should still be fully covered under warranty.
-pvs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replies guys!
So HardSPL is not necessary if I want to flash AT&T ROM on AT&T phone? It can provide some additional safety only when flashing custom ROM? Is vp3G's WM6 v3.62 AT&T ROM considered to be "Official" or "Custom" from the HardSPL point of view ("Derived from AT&T Final WM6 ROM (3.62.502.3)")? I have to admit that I am a little afraid to mess with the radio. As of now, I am leaning towards flashing vp3G ROM (OS only) from SD card without HardSPL.
P.S. My phone is not under warranty anymore. So when I came to AT&T store asking if my phone can be fixed (No GSM), they offered me to buy a new phone
All you have to do is plug into activesync and flash it.
It doesn't matter because the WM6 AT&T official rom doesn't need to be hardspl or anything
nemets said:
As of now, I am leaning towards flashing vp3G ROM (OS only) from SD card without HardSPL.
P.S. My phone is not under warranty anymore. So when I came to AT&T store asking if my phone can be fixed (No GSM), they offered me to buy a new phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you decide to go with vp3g, you should definitely flash HardSPL first. That is NOT an official ROM. Don't get careless, now. Warranty or not, you don't want a brick.
-pvs
If you decide to go with vp3g, you should definitely flash HardSPL first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THAT IS A MUST!! vp3g IS THE BEST ROM 4 us AT&T customers
I have a Touch Diamond branded by telstra after reading looking through the forum for a while I can't find an answer to a perplexing question ....
Has anyone tried to change the rom on a telstra branded TD to the vodafone rom?
Or has anyone changed to a custom rom with a telstra branded and to what success?
Thanks everyone in advance for help.
While I haven't tried the Vodaphone Rom I have tried a number of other ROM's Dutty's, Swifts, Panosha's Simple, and now Hikari ( i don't like the Tf3d). All have worked well on the Telstra Network. I can't see why it won't work on the Vodaphone network. My nephew's work fine on the Optus network.
To be really honest the only extra functionality you will gain from the Vodafone ROM is the Vodafone specific software and the theme.
If it's just the theme you are after I suggest browsing this forum for one.
Alternatively if you're after the Vodafone ROM for Vodafone SIM... I'd skip that and jump straight onto one of the custom ROMs. The phone performance is a HEAP better than any of the telecommunication company's stock ROMs.
Food for thought.
Im on NextG with Telstra and i have tried nearly every rom here except vodafone.. but the only one flaw with using a unbranded telstra rom is being able to access bigpond.. like with foxtel and all that.. just doesnt pick it up as being a 3.5G phone.
i dunno why.. but i have just put it back to telstra rom and modded it completely myself. if i knew how to take like an image of it i would and post it up here but i wouldnt know one thing about cooking roms lol
I have a Telstra branded Diamond and am using it with an Optus SIM.
When I first got the phone I couldn't get it to accept the Optus settings for Internet access.
So... I upgraded it to one of the cooked ROMS. (Dia Duit and Duttys were tried)
Since then I haven't gone back to the standard ROM and enjoy the better performance.
loki429 said:
I have a Telstra branded Diamond and am using it with an Optus SIM.
When I first got the phone I couldn't get it to accept the Optus settings for Internet access.
So... I upgraded it to one of the cooked ROMS. (Dia Duit and Duttys were tried)
Since then I haven't gone back to the standard ROM and enjoy the better performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you run Connection Setups? I got my Voda and Optus to work. Try again.
luckyluke1137 said:
Im on NextG with Telstra and i have tried nearly every rom here except vodafone.. but the only one flaw with using a unbranded telstra rom is being able to access bigpond.. like with foxtel and all that.. just doesnt pick it up as being a 3.5G phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're talking about the Bigpong 'free to browse' page being different the all you need is to change the 'custom user agent' setting in Opera... see here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2688822&postcount=260
But anyway... to answer the OP, I've flashed a stack of ROMs from here and am currently happy with CT's latest (HD version). Just remember to keep the original specs (Radio & ROM version no.s) in case you need to revert for warranty.
thanks for all the help
thanks for all your comments
I bought the touch diamond second hand, and didn't realise till after I'd parted with the money it was branded (HUGE newbie mistake) but I haven't bought a new phone for 6 years since I got the Nokia 6620.
I use a vodafone sim, and have it working pretty well, just the last lot of telstra locked stuff annoys me. Thanks to this fantastic forum I have been able to change and unlock most of it. Biggest thing is some things just won't work on it, because the current Telstra rom is 1.38.841.5 (vodafone rom is 1.96.XXX.X) and experience a fair share of the modding apps & cabs have problems or simply don't work.
I was thinking of the vodafone one simply because I'm with them. Also when I was first trying to unlock it talked to HTC and they said I couldn't use the vodafone rom on my telstra branded because the hardware in the telstra one is different to the vodafone one.
Thanks for the help, can anyone suggest the best custom rom, & what else do i need to change roms? I've got a bit of a IT background, just not with phones.
Really love this little phone, and I see potential for tf3d, but long way of modding to get it as I want it.
Thanks again everyone.
I have a similar question, thought I'd save wasting a new thread and post it here.
I've had a Telstra branded Diamond for a few months now, using it with a 3 Mobile SIM, and have had no worries until a couple of days ago, when I started roaming, and haven't been able to reconnect to the three mobile network since..
Any ideas??
The only question regarding Telstra branded Diamonds is returning to original SPL 1.38 for warranty reasons..
just one more thought
another question or two...
If I upgrade to another custom rom will I still have to unlock it after the hard reset?
I've been looking and think I've found the rom I want, but can't find a definitive link for hard spl. I've read the thread that everywhere directs me to and the links that I think are for the unsigned hardspl has the headind stock spls, or am I just misreading this.
Also does anyone know if CT 6.4 is signed or unsigned?
Guys - I understand the confusion surrounding upgrading and flashing ROMs as it was only recently I was in the same position.
So in an attempt to make it a little easier for those reading here I will pass on what has worked well for me...
1. Flash HardSPL as downloaded from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=93362&d=1213719705 (it's unsigned but don't worry about that... it saves headaches if you want my opinion)
2. Download the ROM of your choice (as stated earlier - my preference is currently CT's v6.4HD... fast, stable and HD, what more do you want?)
3. Once you have the ROM, extract the .nbh file and rename it to DIAMIMG.nbh and copy this to the root of your internal storage on your Diamond
4. If you're ready to flash (meaning you've backed up whatever you wanna save) then hold the vol down and back button and press the reset button together until you see the tri-colour screen... you're then in the bootloader
5. The phone will search for the .nbh file you placed in memory and ask you to press the power button to confirm you want to flash... obviously you want to do this so sit back while it flashes
6. Once done, reset the phone and perform a hard reset (this is recommended by most ppl although I haven't always done it and never had any issues)
Now enjoy setting your phone up with a custom ROM...
If you want more detail then I strongly suggest you search around and read... it takes time and effort but it's definitely worth it if you want to flash with confidence...
Cheers
not as easy
Sorry if anyone read this orginal post just getting jitters when something went wrong with hardspl flash.
But a soft reset later and its still works. But it raises the question if something bad happens when flashing the hardspl and bootloader doesn't work what can be done apart from throwing phone away?
I assume as long as the bootloader works you can manually redo incomplete rom install?
Something going wrong with hard spl install is my biggest worry, it was a nats ear from happening a little earlier so I'm asking these questions.
Oh & last thing with CT's 6.4 rom what is the real difference between original TF3d and HD? How is the increased screen resolution handled? Do you have to scroll down for the area I cant see, or is it cut off so you can not access it, or is it squished to fit the smaller resolution?
Greenion said:
Sorry if anyone read this orginal post just getting jitters when something went wrong with hardspl flash.
But a soft reset later and its still works. But it raises the question if something bad happens when flashing the hardspl and bootloader doesn't work what can be done apart from throwing phone away?
I assume as long as the bootloader works you can manually redo incomplete rom install?
Something going wrong with hard spl install is my biggest worry, it was a nats ear from happening a little earlier so I'm asking these questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as you can access the bootloader you should be able to sort out the phone... personally I've never had an issue with flashing (and on average I've flashed my two Diamonds (a 130 and 100) an easy 30-40 times).
My preference with flashing is to do it from the internal storage (seems the most logical in terms of reliability - and is also by far the fastest) but I'm not sure if HardSPL can be done that way - if it is possible I'd be strongly recommending it - USB connections are just too dicey for something that serious.
Greenion said:
Also does anyone know if CT 6.4 is signed or unsigned?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the OliNex 1.4 hard spl and I can flash CT's ROM without any problem.
done
Well it done.
A little easier than I was expecting but just as concerning, but over now.
Finally went with CT's 6.4 Original, I can always change to the HD or just add one of the HD add ons.
Everything is running smooth and well. Finally all the testra crap is gone.
Thanks to everyone for their help and kind advice.
This is a GREAT forum, its been a fantastic help and resource.
Till next time
How do you flash the new 2.03 ROM? I have tried with the executable from HTC and it gives me an invalid ID error.
Windza said:
As long as you can access the bootloader you should be able to sort out the phone... personally I've never had an issue with flashing (and on average I've flashed my two Diamonds (a 130 and 100) an easy 30-40 times).
My preference with flashing is to do it from the internal storage (seems the most logical in terms of reliability - and is also by far the fastest) but I'm not sure if HardSPL can be done that way - if it is possible I'd be strongly recommending it - USB connections are just too dicey for something that serious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, as the title says.. I'm pretty new to this game and it's pretty frustrating, trying to trawl Google and this forum for something which can tell me about what a Radio Image is.
I want to use one of MoDaCo roms, which is used in the Online Kitchen as it's pretty nifty to pick and choose what you want, and what you don't! (I'm not so much of a fan of the Sense UI, been using another UI).
I'm confused about the Radio Image, being on Orange and in the UK, should I include the "32.41.00.32U_5.08.00.04" or, if I install the ROM without it, will my phone work properly, or get locked? I'm currently on "32.30.00.28U_4.05.00.11".
Sorry for sounding like a newbie, it's because I am! But I'm getting there slowly
Dan.
Being on Orange you can't install any other radio than what your phone is provided with, shame really. You can purchase an unlock code and then flash any radio you want though.
Thanks for the clarification! Muchos appreciated. That's pretty strange, so after you purchase an unlock code, you can flash any radio, and it'll be unlocked for good? Now that's impressive
the radio is not the radio you think of like an fm radio
the software radio controls communications within the phone, this included GSM, 3G, WIFI, BLUETOOTH etc
with the latest roms this updated radio is required as it contains features the rom needs, an outdated rom will therefore not be compatible anymore.
remember that once flashing a radio to never interrupt the process, the phone will reboot several times by itself and seem to be turned off but once you've flashed the radio just do NOT touch it, it will restart itself i promise or else you could end up with a brick
yes with orange you need to first unlock your phone and then you can install whatever radio/rom your heart wishes
You're both stars, and that is exactly what I will be doing! Mm, I've never ended up with a HTC Paperweight, let's hope this doesn't occur!
I'm thinking about flashing a cooked rom to my TP2 and before i take the plunge i want to check that i understand what has to be done
firstly i am not sure how to identify which type of Rhodium i have. its an orange UK handset.
once i have determined this i need to use the relevant hardSPL utility. am i correct in thinking that this simply enables you to install non official roms to the device? does it leave the existing rom intact or do i need to flash the new rom before the device can be used?
flashing the rom looks pretty straight forward, remove sim & sd card, sync with activesync / wmdc, run the custom rom.exe when complete power down device and replace sim & sd card, power on. anything i've got wrong here?
Finally i'd like to know a little about radio roms. is there a definative best one to use? what benefits are there in different radio roms?
Thanks in advance.
Ryan.
deejayry said:
I'm thinking about flashing a cooked rom to my TP2 and before i take the plunge i want to check that i understand what has to be done
firstly i am not sure how to identify which type of Rhodium i have. its an orange UK handset.
once i have determined this i need to use the relevant hardSPL utility. am i correct in thinking that this simply enables you to install non official roms to the device? does it leave the existing rom intact or do i need to flash the new rom before the device can be used?
flashing the rom looks pretty straight forward, remove sim & sd card, sync with activesync / wmdc, run the custom rom.exe when complete power down device and replace sim & sd card, power on. anything i've got wrong here?
Finally i'd like to know a little about radio roms. is there a definative best one to use? what benefits are there in different radio roms?
Thanks in advance.
Ryan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are whole threads dedicated to most of these questions.
please, take the time to use the forums search function.
it helps the fine staff at xda from answering the same questions over and over and over and over and over and over and over....
gets repetitious, and annoying.
so now that youve learned something new, make use of it and hopefully youll have a newly flashed rom within the next 10 mins
deejayry said:
I'm thinking about flashing a cooked rom to my TP2 and before i take the plunge i want to check that i understand what has to be done
firstly i am not sure how to identify which type of Rhodium i have. its an orange UK handset.
once i have determined this i need to use the relevant hardSPL utility. am i correct in thinking that this simply enables you to install non official roms to the device? does it leave the existing rom intact or do i need to flash the new rom before the device can be used?
flashing the rom looks pretty straight forward, remove sim & sd card, sync with activesync / wmdc, run the custom rom.exe when complete power down device and replace sim & sd card, power on. anything i've got wrong here?
Finally i'd like to know a little about radio roms. is there a definative best one to use? what benefits are there in different radio roms?
Thanks in advance.
Ryan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to the ROM Development forum and check the "Flashing ROM ... for NOOBs" thread. I think your answers will be there. The radio is flashed separately and will not affect the underlying ROM.
deejayry said:
firstly i am not sure how to identify which type of Rhodium i have. its an orange UK handset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's GSM I believe. Remove the battery, and it will show the model number under it: RHOD100, RHOD200, etc. Search on these forums to see which is which (I don't know off hand).
deejayry said:
once i have determined this i need to use the relevant hardSPL utility. am i correct in thinking that this simply enables you to install non official roms to the device? does it leave the existing rom intact or do i need to flash the new rom before the device can be used?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct, all it does is unlock the SPL, and allows the flashing of ROMs other than the official one(s) released by your carrier. Your ROM remains intact.
deejayry said:
flashing the rom looks pretty straight forward, remove sim & sd card, sync with activesync / wmdc, run the custom rom.exe when complete power down device and replace sim & sd card, power on. anything i've got wrong here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, that's pretty much it. Be sure to read the n00b guide, make sure your phone is charged over 50% for each step, don't let your PC go to sleep, etc.
Also running Task29 is optional, but highly recommended before you flash you new ROM. It wipes/formats the memory, so you won't have any remnants of the old ROM remaining (which might cause random bugs). See the Task29 stickied thread in the ROM forum.
deejayry said:
Finally i'd like to know a little about radio roms. is there a definative best one to use? what benefits are there in different radio roms?
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, there is no definitive best radio. The newest ones are sometimes the best. But it can be geographically dependent as well. It might take some trial and error to find the best radio for you (which gives the best reception and battery life for your area).
If your TP2 is GSM, than its easy to flash a new radio, it only take a minute or so, and it leaves the rest of the ROM intact, so you can easily try various radios to find the best one for you.