U.S. Cellular's new National 3G Data Coverage requires ROM upgrade on TP2

[slochild]

U.S. Cellular (aka uscc, usc) enabled National 3G Data Coverage capability on July 16 for all postpaid data capable handsets (National 3G on Wireless Modems will launch at a later date).

• Starting on July 16, a new PRL for National 3G Data coverage will be available on the OTA Platform for customers to download.
• The HTC Touch Pro II (PPC 6875) and the HTC Snap (PPC 6175) require a software upgrade in order for the new 3G Data Roaming PRL to be downloaded. The software upgrade files are available at www.uscellular.com/htcupdate. Upon completion of the download, customers will need to perform a *228 to receive the most current national 3G Data Coverage PRL.

Data for the latest software version is shown below

HTC Touch Pro II
ROM version: 2.01.573.3
Radio version: 2.18.02WV
PRI version: 2.43
If your software version information does not match then you will need the update before the 3G Data Roaming PRL can be downloaded.




OK - Now for my questions: How can I get the new radio, etc., into my phone and still be able to use my ROM of choice? Is it possible to rip the info out of this new official ROM and "inject" it into another prebuilt ROM, or does the whole thing have to be recooked? Also, looking at the info that is supposed to be checked prior to being able to update to the nationwide prl: I know that the ROM version is just the name of the new one, and I see that the radio has been upgraded from 2.18.00WV to 2.18.02WV, but the PRI being upgraded from 1.63_027 to 2.43 has me at a bit of a loss. I guess what I'm asking is "what is a pri (not prl) and is the upgrade required for this new nation wide roaming to work?"


In short - HELP!


Thanks

[docchaos]

I am now back to stock, from MightyROM. This update worked well, and I will be reflashing as soon as I am back home (traveling for a week).
I would assume, flash the NEW stock rom, with radio update, then flash away again like normal.

[drewcam888]

flash the new stock rom. Then go back to your custom rom. The pri and radio will stay and the new rom will replace the stock rom

[slochild]

Well that's a relief - thanks for letting me know. I had it stuck in my head that the radio was cooked into the roms here.

So why do people talk about a rom being based on a sprint or VW radio,etc.? Is it an optional thing, or does no one do it and I'm just too slo to get it?

[slochild]

In my pathetic attempts to learn more about how roms are built and the structure I've found out the following:
The custom rom I use only has a windows.nb inside the .nbh (cool!)
The new uscc version is an exe that installs both a .cab, called "PPST_100519_RhodiumW_USC_2.43_41key.sa.cab" which I believe just adds a reg entry and runs a check for the entry to determine if it should continue on to the flash (but it may do more), and the .nbh which consists of spl.nb, splash.nb , splash2.nb, radio.nb, and windows.nb (of course the .nb file names differ depending on what program I use to extract them, but you get the point).

So, my question is this: Can I just make a new .nbh with only the spl and radio and thus maintain all my settings and still get the ability to download the new PRL? If not, why? If so, why the heck wouldn't have uscc done that in the first place?!

Thanks

[cg1977]

Originally Posted by slochild

In my pathetic attempts to learn more about how roms are built and the structure I've found out the following:
The custom rom I use only has a windows.nb inside the .nbh (cool!)
The new uscc version is an exe that installs both a .cab, called "PPST_100519_RhodiumW_USC_2.43_41key.sa.cab" which I believe just adds a reg entry and runs a check for the entry to determine if it should continue on to the flash (but it may do more), and the .nbh which consists of spl.nb, splash.nb , splash2.nb, radio.nb, and windows.nb (of course the .nb file names differ depending on what program I use to extract them, but you get the point).

So, my question is this: Can I just make a new .nbh with only the spl and radio and thus maintain all my settings and still get the ability to download the new PRL? If not, why? If so, why the heck wouldn't have uscc done that in the first place?!

Thanks

Sorry, I am just bumping because I am curious of this as well.

[razorloves]

the only thing different in the new rom is the pri and radio. the ppst cab file installs the pri. and then you can flash the radio seperate. i'm not able to test, but i have a hunch that all you need is the new pri. so, if you just update your pri, then you should be able to do the 3g roaming.

to update the pri, install the ppst cab, then open file explorer and navigate to windows folder and open the ppst file.

but...as recommended above by drewcam888, i think it's best to flash the whole rom, then flash to whatever custom rom you want.

[slochild]

OK, a ROM I wanted was released today anyway so this is what I did:
I did the *228 PRL update and it came out as version 17098. Then I ran the full uscc install. The radio went from 2.18.00WV to 2.18.02WV and the PRI went from 1.63_027 to 2.43_027. I then installed the new ROM I wanted and, as expected, nothing vital changed. I did the *228 PRL update again and it went to version 15096 (after a softboot of course).

So, the next test will be to just install the PRI on a stock phone and see if the PRL will change. Failing that, run the radio update too and then try again. Thankfully my wife also has a TP2 that hasn't even been unlocked yet. So, it will be a perfect test subject.

Questions: Will I need to unlock it prior to updating the radio? (since the PRI is just a cab file I'm not thinking it would brick a locked phone, but the radio likely will) I'm trying to figure out how the official upgrade works without unlocking the phones. Lastly, what is a PRI? I understand a PRL, but am not sure what a PRI is.

Okay, as soon as I can I'll try out the stripped down versions of the upgrade and will get back to you.

[razorloves]

Originally Posted by slochild

OK, a ROM I wanted was released today anyway so this is what I did:
I did the *228 PRL update and it came out as version 17098. Then I ran the full uscc install. The radio went from 2.18.00WV to 2.18.02WV and the PRI went from 1.63_027 to 2.43_027. I then installed the new ROM I wanted and, as expected, nothing vital changed. I did the *228 PRL update again and it went to version 15096 (after a softboot of course).

So, the next test will be to just install the PRI on a stock phone and see if the PRL will change. Failing that, run the radio update too and then try again. Thankfully my wife also has a TP2 that hasn't even been unlocked yet. So, it will be a perfect test subject.

Questions: Will I need to unlock it prior to updating the radio? (since the PRI is just a cab file I'm not thinking it would brick a locked phone, but the radio likely will) I'm trying to figure out how the official upgrade works without unlocking the phones. Lastly, what is a PRI? I understand a PRL, but am not sure what a PRI is.

Okay, as soon as I can I'll try out the stripped down versions of the upgrade and will get back to you.

yes, the phone must be unlocked to flash the radio.
the pri programs the nvram radio settings.

[ekubahn]

ya, all you need is the PRI update. Running it here in Tulsa on my USCC phone with the mightyrom I have had a cpl of quirky issues with txts but i think that was service issues and not the phone itself.