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Support Frequently Asked Questions

Airo handsets run Windows Mobile® 6 Professional as their operating system. Microsoft® has collected many frequently asked questions including how-to guides on making phone calls, managing your contacts, setting up email, and browsing the web, on their web site.

General
How do I turn on my unit?
How do I turn off my unit?
How do I charge my unit?
When I plug my unit into a wall outlet, it doesn't charge.
What do the LEDs represent?
How do I change the volume?
Do I need a data plan from my wireless carrier?
What does the Emergency Rescue button do?
How do I use my headset?
Can I use an external GSM antenna to boost my wireless signal strength?

GPS
Can I use an external GPS antenna to boost signal strength?
How do I let software applications communicate with the GPS?

Settings
My unit is running slowly or locking up.
How do I change the brightness of the screen?
My screen keeps going blank.
How do I set the date and time?
How can I lock the screen of my unit?
How do I perform a soft reset of my unit?
How do I return my unit to the default factory settings?
How do I see which applications are currently running on my unit?
How do I remove third party applications from my unit?
Can I program the hot keys on the front of the unit?

Power and Battery
What is the battery life of the unit?
How can I get more life out of my battery?

Connectivity
How do I synchronize my unit with my PC?
How do I use a memory card to move files to and from my unit?
Does the USB support peripheral devices?
Does the unit support Bluetooth®?
How do I set up my unit to connect to a Microsoft Exchange mail server?

How do I turn on my unit?
The power button is on the top right side of the unit as you look at the screen. Press and hold the button until the startup screen appears.
How do I turn off my unit?
Windows Mobile® 6 Professional doesn't support an absolute "kill" feature. However, the unit can be put into sleep mode by pressing the power button. This will allow your unit to continue to receive calls without running any other processes.

The handset also provides a flight mode, which will turn off the cell phone capabilities of the handset. To put your unit into flight mode, hold down the end button with the red phone icon for five seconds. You will then be prompted for confirmation.
How do I charge my unit?
Snap the plug into the wall charger (if necessary), plug the charger into an outlet, and plug the other end of the cable to the USB port on the bottom of your unit under the rubber seal. The bottom LED will flash orange to indicate that the phone is charging and will light solid orange when the handset battery is fully charged. Your handset will also charge when connected to a PC through the USB data cable, but this method of charging is much slower than charging from a wall outlet.
If you are not near a wall outlet or a PC, you can use Airo's portable charger with your unit. The portable charger runs on four AA batteries and is available from Airo.

NOTE: You void your warranty by using any charger with your unit that did not come from Airo, as third-party chargers may damage your handset.
When I plug my unit into a wall outlet, it doesn't charge.
If the bottom LED does not start flashing after you connect the unit to the wall outlet, press the power button on the handset.
What do the LEDs represent?
There are four LEDs on the front of the unit. The top one is the notification LED which will flash red to indicate system alarms or reminders. The LED below that represents the GSM status; it will flash green if there is limited access to the cell network, or if the unit is in standby or idle mode. This LED will also light solid green during a call. The third LED indicates the GPS status; it will flash amber when the unit successfully has a GPS fix. The bottom LED will flash orange during charging and will light solid orange when the handset battery is fully charged.
How do I change the volume?
The volume up and volume down buttons are on the left side of the handset, just above the PTT button. You can also adjust the volume by tapping the volume icon at the top of the touchscreen.
Do I need a data plan from my wireless carrier?
If you want to use your unit for more than making simple wireless calls, then yes.
What does the Emergency Rescue button do?
The Emergency Rescue button is located at the bottom of the right side of the unit. Airo Wireless, in conjunction with its partners, can provide a personal emergency service. Out of the box, pressing the Emergency Rescue button will connect you to a web site explaining the service. Once configured, the button can be used to transmit your GPS location and connect a voice call to an appropriate call center.
How do I use my headset?
Plug the headset into the headset port under the rubber seal on the bottom of the unit.
Can I use an external GSM antenna to boost my wireless signal strength?
Yes. You can purchase an external GSM antenna from Airo or use your favorite. Plug the external GSM antenna into the port on the back of the unit under the rubber seal.
Can I use an external GPS antenna to boost signal strength?
Yes, although the internal GPS antenna in the unit should be more than suitable for most uses. External GPS antennas can be purchased from Airo, or you can use any external GPS antenna with an MMCX connector. The external GPS antenna port on the unit is located under the rubber seal above the volume buttons.
How do I let software programs communicate with the embedded GPS?
The GPS on the unit can be accessed through port COM8 with a baud rate of 115200.
My unit is running slowly or locking up.
If your unit is running slowly or locking up, it may be for one or more of the following reasons:
  • Applications running in the background while not in use can tie up a great deal of the handset's memory. These applications can be closed by using the running programs list on the handset. Applications will need to be closed regularly to ensure memory stays free.
  • Your processor may be running too slowly in order to save power. To change its performance, tap Start and then Settings. Click on the System tab, then tab Power. On the Processor tab, change the setting to Maximum Performance.
  • Any software not approved by Microsoft® should be used at your discretion, as Airo cannot support such applications. Software that hasn't been certified by Microsoft® may not have been tested thoroughly and can prevent your handset from functioning correctly.
In most cases, a simple soft reset will solve your problem.
How do I change the brightness of the screen?
Tap Start then Settings. Go to the System tab and tap Brightness. There you will be able to set the brightness of your unit both while on battery power and while connected to a power source. Note that the power consumption will increase the brighter you set your screen, resulting in shorter battery life. In heavy sunlight, setting the brightness to maximum will result in an easier time seeing what is on the screen. You can try several brightness settings to find the combination of brightness and battery life that works best for you.
My screen keeps going blank.
In order to save battery life, you can configure your unit to turn off its backlight after a certain time of inactivity. There are two settings: one for when your handset is connected to an external power source and one for when your handset is running on battery power. Tap Start then Settings, then go to the System tab. Tap Power and then go to the Advanced tab. You can set both timeout settings from this screen.
How do I set the date and time?
Tap Start and then Settings, and go to the System tab. Tap Clock & Alarms to set the date and time on your unit.
How can I lock the screen of my unit?
To simply lock your screen to prevent random taps from doing anything, tap your stylus on Device unlocked on the Today screen. To unlock the screen, tap Unlock on the lower left corner of the screen, then tap the Unlock button or press the * key.

If you wish to lock your handset with a PIN to keep out unauthorized users, tap Start, then Settings, then Lock. From this screen, you can set the PIN as well as a timeout value. If the unit is idle for that amount of time, it will automatically go into locked mode with your designated PIN.
How do I perform a soft reset of my unit?
A soft reset allows your handset to get a fresh start, similar to rebooting a computer. This restarts your handset and adjusts memory allocation. All records and entries are retained after a soft reset. Unsaved data in open programs may be lost in some cases. Flip out the rubber seal on the bottom of the unit and insert the stylus into the small hole in the middle to perform a soft reset.
How do I return my unit to the default factory settings?
A hard reset removes power to your handset. This erases all records and entries, deletes all additional programs you have installed, and restores the unit's default factory settings. Never perform a hard reset unless a soft reset does not correct your problem. When you perform your next ActiveSync operation, you can restore any data that you previously synchronized to your computer or you can restore data that you backed up to a storage card.

NOTE: When you perform a hard reset, the date and time settings are not retained. Formats, preferences, and other settings are restored to their default factory settings.
  1. Hold down the Power button and the PTT button at the same time.
  2. While holding down both buttons, use the stylus to press the Reset button once. A warning message will appear.
  3. Release the Power and PTT buttons.
  4. Press the Volume Up key, wait for the second warning message to appear, then press the Volume Up key a second time.
How do I see which applications are currently running on my unit?
Tap Start, then Settings. Go to the System tab and tap on Memory. Go to the Running Programs tab to see a list of what applications are currently running on your handset. You can also stop any or all applications from this screen by highlighting the ones you which to halt and then tapping the Stop button. Similarly, you can end all applications by tapping the Stop All button.
How do I remove third party applications from my unit?
Tap Start, then Settings, and go to the System tab. Tap on Remove Programs to see a list of programs installed on your unit. Select the one you wish to uninstall and tap the Remove button.
Can I program the hot keys on the front of the unit?
Yes. Tap Start, then Settings, then Buttons. You can then assign any action to any button.
What is the battery life of the unit?
Standby time is 16.5 hours, talk time is six hours. GPS time can range from eight to 16 hours depending on the settings. These are merely guidelines, as your battery life will change based on which applications are running on your unit.
How can I get more life out of my battery?
There are several things you can do to improve your battery life:
  • Make sure no extraneous programs are running in the background.
  • Set your backlight only as bright as you need it to be.
  • Set the timeout for your backlight to a shorter time period.
  • Put the processor into PowerSave mode. Tap Start, then settings, and go to the System tab. Tap Power, go to the Processor tab, and select the PowerSave option.
How do I synchronize my unit with my PC?
If you have Microsoft Windows XP or lower, you must install Microsoft® ActiveSync 4.5 or higher to synchronize data between your handset and computer. This software is included on the CD you received with your unit.

If you have Microsoft Windows® Vista™, you do not need to install Microsoft® ActiveSync 4.5. You can use the Windows Mobile Device Center that comes with Vista to synchronize data.

Once you have installed ActiveSync, plug the USB cable into your unit, and plug the other end into a USB port on your computer. Then, simply follow the ActiveSync instructions on your computer to establish a connection between it and your handset.
How do I use a memory card to move files to and from my unit?
The handset is equipped with a miniSD slot under the rubber plug at the top of the handset. To insert a miniSD card, flip up the rubber seal and insert the card with the gold contacts on the bottom facing the rear of the handset. Make sure the card clicks into place. To remove the card, press down on the card until it clicks and releases from the slot. The stylus can be used to do this.
To access files on the memory card, tap Start, then Programs, and then File Explorer. Tap the My Device drop-down menu and select Storage Card. From this screen, you can also delete files from the memory card: tap and hold the stylus down on the file you wish to delete until the context menu appears, then tap Delete.

NOTE: A memory card is not shipped with the handset.
Does the USB support peripheral devices?
Yes, all peripheral devices that are certified for compatibility with Windows Mobile® 6 will work with the unit. Peripheral devices certified for Windows Mobile® 5 may work with the unit; please check with the vendor to see if the peripheral has been tested with Windows Mobile® 6.
Does the unit support Bluetooth®?
Yes, the handset supports Bluetooth ® 2.0, and all 2.0 devices should perform as expected with the unit.
How do I set up my unit to connect to a Microsoft Exchange mail server? ?
  1. Open the ActiveSync application from the Programs menu.
  2. If this is the first time you have set up a connection on the device, a screen may appear explaining that this device has the ability to sync directly with your company's Exchange server. On this screen, click set up your device to sync with it. If you have already set up an account on your device, from the Menu button at the bottom of the screen, choose Configure Server or Add Server Source.
  3. In the "Server Address" field, enter the exchange server and press Next. Leave the box checked that indicates that the server requires an encrypted (SSL) connection.
  4. Enter your Network ID and domain. Leave Save Password checked, and then press Next.
  5. Select the information you wish to sync wirelessly with the Exchange server, and then press Finish.