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You CAN sync Motorola v551 with iSync

rdowns

rdowns

macrumors Penryn
Original poster
Jul 11, 2003
27,397
12,521
A number of forum members have commented on this problem and another member sent me this "hack" to make it work. Just finished syncing all my contacts to the phone through iSync and it works like a charm. Here's how:

Control-click on the iSync app
Show package contents.
Drill down as follows to the the MetaClasses.plist file in...

/Applications/iSync.app/Contents/PlugIns/ApplePhoneConduit.syncdevice/Contents/PlugIns
/PhoneModelsSync.phoneplugin/Contents/Resources seems to be a list of phone models and identifiers.

About 700 lines down is the V551.

<string>"Motorola CE, Copyright 2000"+"GSM900","GSM1800","GSM1900","GSM850","MODEL=V551"</string>

<string>"Motorola CE, Copyright 2000"+"GSM900","GSM1800","GSM1900","MODEL=V551"</string>

Make those say MODEL=V551J.

Delete all relevant pairings in Bluetooth prefpane and on the phone, re-pair the phone and then guess what? It works...
 
That looks like a careless mistake by Apple or Moto. I had a V551 for a year, was unable to iSync to it, then replaced it with a V620 which works just fine.
 
rdowns said:
A number of forum members have commented on this problem and another member sent me this "hack" to make it work. Just finished syncing all my contacts to the phone through iSync and it works like a charm. Here's how:

Control-click on the iSync app
Show package contents.
Drill down as follows to the the MetaClasses.plist file in...

/Applications/iSync.app/Contents/PlugIns/ApplePhoneConduit.syncdevice/Contents/PlugIns
/PhoneModelsSync.phoneplugin/Contents/Resources seems to be a list of phone models and identifiers.

About 700 lines down is the V551.

<string>"Motorola CE, Copyright 2000"+"GSM900","GSM1800","GSM1900","GSM850","MODEL=V551"</string>

<string>"Motorola CE, Copyright 2000"+"GSM900","GSM1800","GSM1900","MODEL=V551"</string>

Make those say MODEL=V551J.

Delete all relevant pairings in Bluetooth prefpane and on the phone, re-pair the phone and then guess what? It works...
Click to expand...

Are the edits to the MetaClasses.plist file? Can those be made using TextEdit.app?

Thanks.
 
micvog said:
Are the edits to the MetaClasses.plist file? Can those be made using TextEdit.app?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Never mind... I saw your post in the 10.4.1 thread.

Thanks! If this was /. I would give you points! :D
 
I found something very interesting here which lets me think that you can create external plugins for iSync instead of hacking the plist file inside iSync and install them in /Library/PhonePlugins. Maybe someone can do a "phoneplugin" to support those phones we don't know.
 
I was able to sync right away but I couldn't transfer files via bluetooth file exchange. I added the J to the plist file but it didn't change anything.
 
BrianR said:
I was able to sync right away but I couldn't transfer files via bluetooth file exchange. I added the J to the plist file but it didn't change anything.
Click to expand...
Strange. I can sync and transfer files from the phone to my Mac and from my Mac to my phone without problems.
 
I'm having the same issue, I can get the V551 to be recognized by the mac (running tiger) but when I try to browse files nothing returns or I get an error. I have tried removing the pairing from the phone and the mac and repairing, tried turning the phone off and on again, performed the edit changing V551 to V551 J and it still doesn't work. All I want to do is get the photos off of the phone. As it is now I have to connect my phone to my pocket pc via bluetooth transfer the pictures then connect my pocket pc to the mac via bluetooth and download the pics that way....big hassle. I'm wondering if the upcoming update for Tiger will fix this.
 
i just bought a v551 from cingular, and have been using isync to sync my contacts and calendars with the ibook in my sig. I have also been using the blue tooth file trasfer utility to make wall papers in photoshop and using quicktime pro to create my own ringotnes. The hack mentioned before, i sued it so my gf could sync her v220 with a imac g5, but so far i have been unable to find anything that will let me transfer wallpapers and ringtones to her phone.
 
jeffgtr said:
I'm having the same issue, I can get the V551 to be recognized by the mac (running tiger) but when I try to browse files nothing returns or I get an error. I have tried removing the pairing from the phone and the mac and repairing, tried turning the phone off and on again, performed the edit changing V551 to V551 J and it still doesn't work. All I want to do is get the photos off of the phone. As it is now I have to connect my phone to my pocket pc via bluetooth transfer the pictures then connect my pocket pc to the mac via bluetooth and download the pics that way....big hassle. I'm wondering if the upcoming update for Tiger will fix this.
Click to expand...

It's V551J, no space after the J. I don't know if you just typed it wrong or edited it wrong. Check that.
 
Nope I typed in wrong in the forum, right in the file

ITASOR said:
It's V551J, no space after the J. I don't know if you just typed it wrong or edited it wrong. Check that.
Click to expand...
 
WHAT THE HELL!!?!?

I have a motorola v551 and i can't get it to sync at all!!! nothing is recognizing it! not the computer, nothing....but my comp does find other bluetooth devices! but when i have it search for my phone...NOTHING...and isync can't find it either?! any one have any advice???
 
wrxguy said:
I have a motorola v551 and i can't get it to sync at all!!! nothing is recognizing it! not the computer, nothing....but my comp does find other bluetooth devices! but when i have it search for my phone...NOTHING...and isync can't find it either?! any one have any advice???
Click to expand...

The V551 has two firmware versions, this problem effects the later version. If you can't sync, try the hack in the first post. Also check out Apple's forums, there are 2 or 3 related to this.
 
I just got one of these phones from Cingular yesterday. My poor old computer doesn't have bluetooth installed so I would have to get the USB adapter. Glad I didn't get the adapter yesterday.
 
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