[GUIDE][REF]Enable 850 Mhz band with any modem version for I9000M

sp991 · Apr 19, 2011

Ok guys I don't want to take credit for any of this, the credits for this discovery goes to a captivate user in USA named shoman94. Here's his post.

I'm just reporting it here so a lot of canadian galaxy s users (I9000m) will save some search. The method to enable this frequencies is pretty simple but you need to have the recovery 2e version not the 3e that comes on UGJL2 firmware version from Bell. So if you still on stock firmware and want to play arround with modem version to see if you can find a better HSPA+ connection or a better GPS, I recommend you flash the last Speedmod Kernel via odin so you have clockworkmod recovery and the ability to apply update trought zip file not signed.

The method goes like this and it is good for I9000M / I9000T. (Might not work for I9000B as there is a tv tuner antenna so the modem firmware must be different and will not work for I9000 due to hardware limitation)

You need to have a modem that comes with 850 mhz enable (UGJL2, TLJL3, UGJK3, UGJK4, UGKC1). So if it's not your case just flash one of these modem first.
Put your phone on 850 mhz only mode. To do this just dial *#2263# in samsung dialer to enter the band selection utility. Enter menu [2] WCDMA Band en press on [5] WCDMA 850 (FDD V) and it should tell you W850 Only.
(Optional) You can dial *#0011# in samsung dialer to verify that you phone is realy using 850 band.
Reboot in recovery and update your modem with BVJJPD or BVJJPG version and reboot into android
(Optional) You can dial *#0011# in samsung dialer to verify that you phone is realy using 850 band.
Reboot into recovery and update your modem with the version of you choice (XXJVK or ZSJPG or XXJQ1 or BUJS1 or XXJVE etc) and reboot phone to android
Repeat step 2 and 3 and you should have network connection on 850 only. If it's not the case then you miss something and need to start again from step 1
If everything is good dial *#2263# again to reanable all the other fequencies so your phone can chose the strongest one depending on where you are. To do so select line [1] AUTOMATIC and it should said Select GSM & WCDMA All Bands. Then touch you optical menu button and hit back. Select Line [4] COMBI BANDS and click on the only one without asterisk ([8] WCDMA 850 (FDD V)).
Enjoy any modem version with 850 Mhz enable

Here a link to download the modem needed in step 1 and 4. There is also this site wich is good to find any of the i9000 modem version. Ironically they put UGJL2 modem under captivate folder even if it's use for I9000m.

Mod : It would be nice to have it pinned or at least added to the list of How to's and Guide.

Freija · Apr 19, 2011

Will this also work on JVK/B? Are there any special procedures necessary for Gingerbread?

sp991 · Apr 19, 2011

Freija said:
Will this also work on JVK/B? Are there any special procedures necessary for Gingerbread?

Could not say as I haven't tried GB yet. But If you can install zip from sdcard in recovery I think it will work. This would need confirmation from other user but I'm currently using JVK modem with JS8 (2.2.1) so the other way arround should work too but I can't confirm. Make a complete backup with clockworkmod (data + system) so if it doesn't work you could just restore the system partition and everything will be fine.

redzone321 · Apr 19, 2011

could you attach the necessary modem files to your first post? or maybe a link to them

will help make it stickyable!

sp991 · Apr 19, 2011

redzone321 said:
could you attach the necessary modem files to your first post? or maybe a link to them

will help make it stickyable!

Done, I've added the links to find all the zip file needed to change modem trought recovery zip flashing.

shedox · Apr 19, 2011

will this work on i9000GT ?

Freija · Apr 19, 2011

sp991 said:
Could not say as I haven't tried GB yet. But If you can install zip from sdcard in recovery I think it will work. This would need confirmation from other user but I'm currently using JVK modem with JS8 (2.2.1) so the other way arround should work too but I can't confirm. Make a complete backup with clockworkmod (data + system) so if it doesn't work you could just restore the system partition and everything will be fine.

In theory your process should work. However, I may be doing something wrong, but the gingerbread boot loader does not allow older-CWM flashing of the modem files I have found. If there is a kernel that allows flashing of older CWM files, or if I can find the .bin files of the BVJJPD or BVJJPG so that I can flash them with Odin, it should most likely work.

At this time though, I can tell you that flashing a Froyo modem such as UGJK4 on JVK/B Gingerbread works. This is the configuration I'm running right now, and my 850 MHz band seems fully operational.

hunky-d · Apr 19, 2011

pardon the noob question but I'm on a local carrier (GCI in Alaska) and my phone doesn't get 3G when I travel to areas where it exists (I'm rural). I think they want to charge for adding 3G, even though it exists only when traveling.

I found a reference how to enable it:
androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-s/258859-how-enable-850mhz-3g-network-frequency-your-samsung-i9000-galaxy-s.html

but I get an error saying the selection doesn't exist when trying to choose that 850mhz.
My carrier says it isn't enabled on SIM card. Am I S.O.L.? They have a Blackberry Plan for $30/month that says includes 3G, they have a $30 Android Smartphone plan that doesn't mention it either way, and then their basic $15 data plan I think doesn't mention it except they have a 3G option for $5 extra. Otherwise I only get Edge.

I've rooted the phone to install a couple things but haven't yet flashed any new firmware - it is buggy as heck (crashes a lot) so I'm reading the forums here - it is on baseband version XXJP2, thinking I may have to try something. Saw this thread and wondered if it would be of use to me.

thanks for patience, JD

sp991 · Apr 20, 2011

Shedox-d said:
will this work on i9000GT ?

Never heard of this model #. GT-I9000 is the international version and it will work on it if you are refering to this version.

hunky-d said:
pardon the noob question but I'm on a local carrier (GCI in Alaska) and my phone doesn't get 3G when I travel to areas where it exists (I'm rural). I think they want to charge for adding 3G, even though it exists only when traveling.

I found a reference how to enable it:
androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-s/258859-how-enable-850mhz-3g-network-frequency-your-samsung-i9000-galaxy-s.html

but I get an error saying the selection doesn't exist when trying to choose that 850mhz.
My carrier says it isn't enabled on SIM card. Am I S.O.L.? They have a Blackberry Plan for $30/month that says includes 3G, they have a $30 Android Smartphone plan that doesn't mention it either way, and then their basic $15 data plan I think doesn't mention it except they have a 3G option for $5 extra. Otherwise I only get Edge.

I've rooted the phone to install a couple things but haven't yet flashed any new firmware - it is buggy as heck (crashes a lot) so I'm reading the forums here - it is on baseband version XXJP2, thinking I may have to try something. Saw this thread and wondered if it would be of use to me.

thanks for patience, JD

First you need to have a modem version that supports 850 Mhz to be able to enable it (i.e. UGJL2, TLJL3, UGJK3, UGJK4, UGKC1). Once you have one of these modem you might have to add the 850 band in combi bands screen before you can actually select "only 850" in WCDMA screen. If you have JP2 modem you will be able to enable 850 only mode but you won't get any reception.

haloimplant · Apr 20, 2011

I wish someone could figure out what this procedure actually does, there must be some specific difference (in settings files?) after the phone has gone through this procedure. That difference could potentially then be applied directly.

I have a slight interest in trying the newer modems but can't be bothered to jump through this many hoops.

hunky-d · Apr 20, 2011

sp991 said:
First you need to have a modem version that supports 850 Mhz to be able to enable it (i.e. UGJL2, TLJL3, UGJK3, UGJK4, UGKC1). Once you have one of these modem you might have to add the 850 band in combi bands screen before you can actually select "only 850" in WCDMA screen. If you have JP2 modem you will be able to enable 850 only mode but you won't get any reception.

thanks sp991, Gives me enough to think about for a bit.. appreciate the info! /jd

sp991 · Apr 20, 2011

haloimplant said:
I wish someone could figure out what this procedure actually does, there must be some specific difference (in settings files?) after the phone has gone through this procedure. That difference could potentially then be applied directly.

I have a slight interest in trying the newer modems but can't be bothered to jump through this many hoops.

Once you have the file on your phone it take only 2 reboot time. 10 min max. It's not that hard and I've explained every little details so every one could follow these steps. Plus you only need to do it the first time you flash a modem that's not supposed to support 850. After that you can swich to any modem and still have 850 working.

shedox · Apr 20, 2011

aftter doing steps 1,2 and 3 i get no reception

(if i go back to 2100 mhz, i get the signal back).
thx anyway.

FuryriderX · Apr 20, 2011

To the OP, you might want to mention that this will NOT enable 850mhz on phones that do not have the hardware support!

I have enabled 850 on jvk and jvb modems with this method, they work fine with js8 froyo.

sp991 · Apr 21, 2011

FuryriderX said:
To the OP, you might want to mention that this will NOT enable 850mhz on phones that do not have the hardware support!

I have enabled 850 on jvk and jvb modems with this method, they work fine with js8 froyo.

All the i9000 have the same hardware, it's just that software is not there on some version. Do you really think samsung will have made a chip that support 850/900/1900/2100 and another one with only 900/1900/2100. Complete waste of time to change the assembling line plus there is report of people with i9000 having reception on 850 band with this method.

sp991 · Apr 21, 2011

shedox said:
aftter doing steps 1,2 and 3 i get no reception (if i go back to 2100 mhz, i get the signal back).
thx anyway.

If your operator uses 2100 frequencies it might not be using 850 too. Here in north america, operators use 850 and 1900 frequencie so we need to have both available but if your operator doesn't broadcast on 850 then you wont have any network!! My guess is that your operator uses 2100/900 or 2100/1900 frequencies or maybe they only have one. Where are you from?

dcarr622 · Apr 21, 2011

sp991 said:
All the i9000 have the same hardware, it's just that software is not there on some version. Do you really think samsung will have made a chip that support 850/900/1900/2100 and another one with only 900/1900/2100. Complete waste of time to change the assembling line plus there is report of people with i9000 having reception on 850 band with this method.

Sorry sir, but you are completely wrong.

Samsung has a variety of modem chipsets used in their Galaxy S phones worldwide.

In the USA, Captivate has 850/1900/2100. Vibrant has 1700/1900/2100.

Elsewhere I believe the regular I9000 has 900/1900/2100 and the I9000M has 850/1900/2100.

There is not just one model and there is no way to activate a band on a phone whose modem is not compatible.

I wish all phones just had all bands (Nokia and Apple do the best job of this) but we are not there yet unfortunately. I too would think it would be more economical, but there could be other reasons like carrier lock in (i.e. in the US you can't switch a Vibrant to AT&T or a Captivate to T-Mobile without loosing 3G coverage).

shedox · Apr 21, 2011

sp991 said:
If your operator uses 2100 frequencies it might not be using 850 too. Here in north america, operators use 850 and 1900 frequencie so we need to have both available but if your operator doesn't broadcast on 850 then you wont have any network!! My guess is that your operator uses 2100/900 or 2100/1900 frequencies or maybe they only have one. Where are you from?

i have checked it, my operator support 850 mhz.
i guess its a hardware thing wich i cant change.

sp991 · Apr 21, 2011

shedox said:
i have checked it, my operator support 850 mhz.
i guess its a hardware thing wich i cant change.

Who's your operator? I'm wondering because 850/2100 combination is pretty uncommon.

sp991 · Apr 21, 2011

chambo622 said:
Sorry sir, but you are completely wrong.

Samsung has a variety of modem chipsets used in their Galaxy S phones worldwide.

In the USA, Captivate has 850/1900/2100. Vibrant has 1700/1900/2100.

Elsewhere I believe the regular I9000 has 900/1900/2100 and the I9000M has 850/1900/2100.

There is not just one model and there is no way to activate a band on a phone whose modem is not compatible.

I wish all phones just had all bands (Nokia and Apple do the best job of this) but we are not there yet unfortunately. I too would think it would be more economical, but there could be other reasons like carrier lock in (i.e. in the US you can't switch a Vibrant to AT&T or a Captivate to T-Mobile without loosing 3G coverage).

That's why I said I9000 refering to i9000/i9000m/i9000t. The galaxy S in the US are all f***ed up. I Don't understant why samsung has to made such different model.

Then how do you explain that it's impossible to have 850 band working on any modem other than UGJL2, TLJL3, UGJK3, UGJK4 or UGKC1 without using this method. Be my guest and try to get 850 band on JPJ, JVK or any other european modem without using this methode in the first place. If you already did then it's not valid as the 850 band will stay. But I can confirm you that if you skip the part about BVJJPD or BVJJPG and then you try to turn on 850 band in the service mod with JVK you will never get reception on 850. I've tried it before I found this method on captivate forum.

So I might be wrong but I think it just a firmware limitation or compatibilities that blocks 850 bands when you have european or asian modem.

Flashing BVJJPD or BVJJPG does something special and after that you have 850 available regardless of the modem firmware you use.

If the limitation is realy hardware then samsung is complettly stupid but they seems to have learn their lesson as the SGS 2 is advertise as HSPA+ 850/900/1900/2100.

But I don't think we have any way of confirming any of these theory out of any doubt so I'll change my first post.

[GUIDE][REF]Enable 850 Mhz band with any modem version for I9000M

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