here are a couple things you can try and achieve if you have overwrote your carriers epst data by running another carriers customization script such as a sprint rom.exe
if you never wrote down your epst data there are a couple guides that can get you close
this guide has alot of good settings for epst for uscc
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=23948
if you get your time to sync automatically...
ex: if you dont have to set your time and date after you flash the rom then you know you made some progress
if you can also dial *228 and get USCC on their and they are trying to do an automatic roaming update that is also good progress
so those are 2 things you can try and look for while trying to get your epst settings correct when you have
NO CELL SERVICE.
there might be more....also one more thing if you run the DcD USCC carrier cab and you dial *228 and still cant get a hold of that USCC message about the automatic roaming update then you probably need to change the banner from sprint to uscc
hit the phone button to bring up your dialpad and look in top left corner
if it says sprint when you dial *228 you will probably get sprint message
what you have to do then is change the banner with QPST from sprint to US Cellular.
the guide above is great help
but i had no way of knowing what i was changing was actually working until i did get time and date to set automatically and *228 gets you message saying something about it will try and update and it will take 50seconds and mine i couldnt get to complete...think i need cell service for it to acutally work.
i also wanted to ADD
i was able to get a PRL update from my cell carrier after changing the unlock code with qpst to 000000
so there are quite a few things you CAN check for if you do not have cell service (your not actually paying any carrier any money...not activated is what that means i have learned)
(1) you can call *228 and get uscc (that is a plus)
(2) if you can get the time and date (to sync automatically after you select the timezone and hit next) that is also good....it will sync at the desktop or w/e you call it
(3) you CAN get PRL to also update.
so those are all good things to look for if you overwrite your epst with the customizations script from sprint and never had anything wrote down.
just follow the guide in the link uptop because without that info....it would be hard to do any of those 3 tests
also i dont know where i learned about setting the unlock code to 000000 and also US Cellular qith QPST but it does work!
those guys get all the credit i just wanted to make a topic basically so someone with no cell service can kind of tourbleshoot a little and make sure they are on the right path to fixing their epst settings.