Doro phone problem

I googled this and found this page of questions and answers.
crowdsupport.telstra.com.au/t5/iPhone-6-6-Plus/My-phone-is-showing-SOS-only-why-is-this/td-p/25838

Could it be that he hasn't used the phone recently? I have a spare old pay as you go phone which got 'struck off' and had to be re-connected by customer services. It showed 'emergency calls only'. I now have a reminder in my diary to send a text from it to my other phone each month to avoid this happening again.
I hope you get your Dad sorted, it will be a worry for him.

My husbands doro says the same at home but there is no signal here. As soon as he goes somewhere that has a signal the message disappears and the phone works normally.

Mine says SOS only when the signal is totally zero.....happens a fair bit here in deepest Herefordshire.

thanks everyone. Father does use it most days so I don`t think lack of use is the problem. I think it must be down to a fluctuating signal - I wondered if the horrible weather might make it worse but when I suggested that to husband he looked at me as if I was an idiot! I think I will ask at the care home if they know which network has the best signal there.

Please tell your OH that bad weather can affect a mobile phone signal considerably. "The weather may affect the strength of a signal, due to the changes in radio propagation caused by clouds (particularly tall and dense thunderclouds which cause signal reflection), precipitation, and temperature inversions." Also smart phones are smart not just because they are computers but because of the technology that goes into enabling them to get as much information as possible from the signals they receive. The Doro may just not have the same capability as more sophisticated phones (I don't know though). Rather than contact Doro, contact EE, they should know about their signal strength. I was a mobile phone engineer for some years. I have a few tales to tell about trees growing into the line of sight (between phone masts) and, in the early days, how the strength of a signal in an area went up and down with the gas holders!

I should have said that the strength of the signal went up and down inversely to the gas holders!

I have a doro, I replaced my lost nokia that I have recently found...... The doro is good in as much it has a very loud ring. The signal is rubbish, so I am going back to my nokia......incidentally my doro is a family joke my family thinks it is hilarious. All I need is a basic phone.

When I got my Doro phone, my daughter said derisively "oh, you've got a festival phone". It does me though, I only need a basic phone, I hardly ever use it.

I had a dora which i mAde a lot of fun of, it being so straightforward with its helpful in case of emergency button. I didnt often use it.
I must have complained too much because this christmas my husband bought me an iphone. The complete opposite of simple old dora, the iphone is too complicated and i require constAnt repeated instruction which fpdrives everyone mad. Serves me right for ,
complaining? Perhaps!
The dora is in the drawer though......?? In case of emergency!!?

While my mum was alive, I also bought her a Doro and programmed it with just 5 numbers so that she could talk to me, ring our house if I didn't answer, call a taxi etc. Unfortunately, there is what I consider a major design fault in the Doro. The button that ends the call, also turns the phone off if you hold it down. Mum was always turning it off and couldn't turn it on again. It was a waste of time. I'm really sorry that smart phones aren't smart enough to appear simple to use by everyone. I don't think it will be long though before there will be a 'personal assistant' that will sit in the corner of a room and can be triggered by voice commands to make (and receive) phone calls. I sometimes wish I hadn't retired from telecoms, there are probably really exciting things going on that I am no longer party to. Sigh.... what a geek!

silverlining48, I should say that the iPhone does have the ability to make calls for you. Ask someone to activate Siri on it for you. To use Siri, press and hold the home button until it chimes. You can then say, "Siri, ring Mum". The number stored in your contacts list for 'Mum' is dialled. You may find this easier than try to negotiate menus to make a call. It's worth a try and you will be seen to be very cool! There are quite a few 'personal assistant' apps on phones now, Google Now and Cortana are others for Windows and Android phones.

Nanamg have you had a reply from doro?
I sent them an email today. Explained that the signal was bad, yet my nokia is ok using the same sim card.
I will post if they reply....I also told them I am with EE.

Panic over for me - for a while anyway. Went to see Father today - Doro working perfectly! Still haven`t had a reply from Doro though, so I can`t say I`m impressed with their customer service

I had a reply to my email....Doro say that the signal is not so good as Doro is GSM not 3G. So that explains it.
I am not impressed Doro mobiles are recommended for the elderly. Admittedly they are easy to use and LOUD.
I was in a situation where my daughter was picking me up from hospital, after a very exhausting day. It was 7.30pm I couldn't get a signal to ring my daughter. I asked Reception if they could ring my daughter for me. Only to be told that after 5pm they are not permitted to. I eventually received a signal by walking to the far side of the Car Park.

Thanks Anney - touch wood, Dad`s is still ok. I don`t know what I will do if it keeps happening - he doesn`t have the mental capacity to cope with anything more complicated

I don't think doro is responsible for the signal, can you change your provider.
This week my o2 didn't get a signal where we were but DH's doro- EE did.

I am with EE. Doro admitted in their email, that GSM isn't as good as 3G for receiving a signal.(No matter who the provider is)
Doro is recommended for the elderly, it includes ICI (in case of emergency) and asks for doctors details, and medication. Unfortunately this information is useless if the Paramedics can't receive a signal.
So I have no alternative.... I will have to change the Sim card and put it in my Nokia.

What I don`t understand is that my ancient Nokia also isn`t 3G, but it works when Dad`s Doro doesn`t - we are both on EE

Complicated isn't it EDDIECAT....Your Nokia must be very ancient if it isn't 3G..... Good to have 2 mobiles to choose from though.