Taking a flashed smartphone from SF to Las Vegas. Will I get text and talk?

[brownewill]

I am leaving tomorrow to Las Vegas from the San Francisco Bay Area. I have a Sprint Samsung Epic 4G that has been fully flashed over to MetroPCS including internet (The 4G speed doesn't work, of course, and I'm on the regular $40/month plan).

The last time I took a Metro phone (not my flashed smartphone, but a basic MetroPCS branded one) to Las Vegas, only texting worked and they told me there was nothing they could do as the phone had to be reprogrammed before leaving the state of California.

This time I want to make sure everything works before leaving the state.

I called various flashing stores and have gotten different answers from all of them.

One store told me the band is completely different in Las Vegas since they are on a newer network and Bay Area phones won't work for talk.

Another store told me I had to switch my number to a basic MetroPCS phone and then switch it back to my smartphone when I return.

Another told me that all I have to do is update the PRL before leaving for Las Vegas by using:
*22804 and then selecting #5 from the prompt.
Then repeating the process once arriving in Las Vegas.

I checked my flashed Samsung Epic 4G phone and it currently has PRL version 3025. Does this need updating?

So what's the deal for using flashed smartphones from San Francisco in Las Vegas? Is it possible and has anyone done it successfully using a flashed phone (not one from MetroPCS)?

 

[chicano]

I will be in the exact situation. I have a flashed Samsung S2 as well. I did a lot internet searching and so far people say it works. I'm heading to Vegas for a military training for 4 days and would hate to get no service what's do ever. I reside in Stockton. Can anyone or you post your experience? According to metro's site, text, talk and web works out there.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2 Beta-5

 

[ChazzMatt]

IF Metro runs CDMA in Las Vegas on AWS frequencies (1700/2100) then phones flashed from Verizon or Sprint will not work. That's why people who buy flashed phones in Florida find they can't use them in AWS markets like New York or Philadelphia. The flashed phones don't have the necessary chipsets to handle the AWS bands.

The "traditional" CDMA bands are 800/1900. But in some markets Metro entered they couldn't get access to those frequencies, so they use AWS and push the CDMA signal on those frequencies. Metro's branded cell phones are manufactured with both CDMA and AWS chipsets. "Flashed" phones don't have those chipsets built in.

That would be the only reason your phone wouldn't work there.

I found this information from MetroPCS to dealers, dated from 2008:

This means a handset purchased in Las Vegas will operate in all other MetroPCS markets. However a non-AWS phone will not operate in Las Vegas unless TravelTalk is enabled.

So it is an AWS market, but having TravelTalk (Verizon roaming) will still let you use your phone.

 

[chicano]

Well..., my flashed Sprint Samsung Galaxy S2 had no talk or data out in Vegas. Only text. Once out of Vegas, I got talk and data back. However, no 3g in most areas. I drove from California to Nevada. I had metro's service about 95% on the way there.