Pageone Minicall pager

A pager is used to receive digitised messages sent by radio. Paging is the original text messaging system and has now largely been superseded by mobile phone text messaging. Messages are sent either texting them from your phone or ringing the recipient's pager number. Messages are relayed through to a call centre where an operator takes the message routes it to the pager. On receipt the pager then beeps or vibrates to tell the owner that they have a message. The message text will then scroll across the screen and the recipient can read it and choose whether to save it or delete it. Unlike text messaging on a mobile phone the recipient has to find a phone to reply. The owner pays a one off fee to buy the pager, then there is nothing more to pay, no service charge, no line rental, only the cost of a battery every now and again. The sender pays the cost of messages sent. The number on the reverse of the pager is dialled to leave a message with an operator. The Pager ID is the last 6 digits of this number.

Several people have contacted me asking about this little device, it seems that there are quite a few of them lying unused and forgotten at the back of drawers. If yours has 01523 511 111 as the customer service number you will be out of luck; the number is unobtainable! The solution was to email Pageone and explain the situation and they will provide you with a new dialling code(07623 or 07654 but there may be others) Thanks to Stella and Matt for this info. Probably this is no longer correct.

When I last tried my pager it did not work. Even with a brand new AAA battery no current was being drawn by the unit. By undoing two screws in the battery compartment and some judicious use of a thin knife blade it was possible to open the case to reveal the problem. The battery compartment has two gold plated leaf springs which should rest against pads on the printed circuit board. One was not making contact but with a little twist this was easily rectified. The pager is now apparently working again but I have no need to contact Pageone for a new number. Steve Garth sent me a spreadsheet with pager and mobile phone numbers taken from an Oftel archive which no longer seems to exist, however, I have found the following more recent information which may be of use to some of you.

3.5.2 Migration path for existing paging codes

(Taken from Oftel site framework.doc dated 20 march 2001 )

How do I use it? User guide can be downloaded here