What you'll receive.

How to use the Ultima Box

First I want to say that the activation pdf that comes with the Ultima Box is a pretty good set of instructions, but it leaves out some information. It also comes with another pdf that further serves to confuse new users. This isn't good, especially when you spend some $200 to buy an Ultima Box.

The way the pdfs are written now they force you to go to the Ultima Box support forums and start reading threads to figure out several issues: incorrect file names for things you need to download, not being able to connect to their server without editing a specific Windows system file, and some contradictory instructions as well. This didn't cut it with me. I now had to read and hope I found solutions to my problems. And if you don't find a solution you have to post a question and hope that someone knowledgeable answers your question. Maybe someone will finally answer you tomorrow, or the day after that... So I decided to write my own instructions so that someone who has never used an Ultima Box before, could learn to use it quickly. Sometimes when users' manuals are put together by a company, they are written by someone who is fully versed in the operation of the piece of equipment they are writing about, so they take a lot for granted and forget that the reader has no familiarity with the piece of equipment.

I wrote these instructions after I had already stumbled through the pdfs and the forums and updated and activated my Ultima Box, so a few screen shots that I'd like to show you, I can't because I can't undo what I've already done. But these instructions should really help you out, especially if you are having any problems. And from the looks of the Ultima Box forums, there are a lot of new customers who are very, very confused out there. Of course most of them aren't even reading the pdfs anyway. Maybe some of them will find what I've written here, read it and share it with others.

These directions may not be 100% error free since I wrote them after I had set up my Ultima Box. I have done my best to make sure they are techincally correct at every single step and I feel they are. If you find a problem, let me know so I can check on it and amend these instructions if necessary. You can email me at hacktheL7@yahoo.com.

Before using the Ultima Box and the MotoRocker program to repair or unlock phones you must first register your Ultima Box, install the latest firmware on it (Version 1.11 as of January 1, 2007), and download the latest files for the Ultima Box and the latest version of the MotoRocker program which is (Version 1.06 as of January 1, 2007).

Connect the power supply cable to a USB port on your computer and connect the other end to the top of the Ultima Box. The screen on the Ultima Box should now light up indicating it's on.

Press and hold the "ENTER" key on the top of the box and then press and release the "RESET" key on the left side of the box. The screen will now display the BOX ID, the Signature (may not show if this is your first use and you haven't updated the firmware yet) and the firmware Version like this:

Now go to this URL: http://members.turbo-support.com/users/register.php and fill out the form. Where it says "Your box serial or activation code:" enter the BOX ID number you saw earlier. This is a 28 character alpha numeric string.

Once the form is submitted you should get a response email immediately. This email will have an activation link in it you need to click so you can log into your new account. If instead after submitting your form you get an error about your serial or activation code not being valid then you need to contact whomever you bought your Ultima Box from and get them to request an account activation for you. If they do not help you in a timely manner then send an email to legija@legija.net with your BOX ID and reseller's name and the problem will get taken care of.

From now on when you go to http://members.turbo-support.com/ you'll need to login.

Now you can access the support area where you download files needed to work on phones or you can access your user control panel where you can find your Ultima Box password, which you'll need later. Note your IP address restrictions. I've logged in from two completely different IP address blocks, I don't know how many you are allowed to have listed in your account though. This is a theft deterrent feature.

Log into the support area and download the following files:

     Ultima Box\MotoRocker_106.rar
     Ultima Box\UBOXClient_v1.11.exe
     and
     Ultima Box\Moto Rocker Files\Cable Driver\PL-2303 Driver Installer.exe

Additionally, you may receive instructions with your Ultima Box that tell you to download the "Ultima Box Setup.exe" file. You can download and run this file, the problem is it will install an older version of the MotoRocker program (Version 1.03). It will however install the correct version of the UBOXClient (Version 1.11). If you use this method, simply replace the outdated MotoRocker program with the newer version in your program files folder. Keep in mind any program shortcuts made by the "Ultima Box Setup.exe" file will still point to the older version of the program.

If you decide to use the "Ultima Box Setup.exe" (you can also just run the "UBOXClient_v.1.11.exe") you'll get the following set up screens:

Click "Next >".

Click "Install".

Click "Finish".

Two program shortcuts will be placed on your desktop. Don't forget later on to use the more current version of the MotoRocker program.

Ensure that any firewalls on your internet connection will allow the UBOXClient to communicate with the server. Now start the UBOXClient_v1.11.

Click "Settings" and then "Connection..."

Enter your BOX ID into the "BOX ID:" field and your Signature into the "Variable password": field. If you have no signature displayed on your box (remember when you checked earlier?), then simply enter "FFFF-FF-FF" into this field. This is a fake BOX ID I'm using for illustration purposes.

Click "OK" when you're done.

It should now say "Connected BOX:" followed by your particular BOX ID Number. Now click the "Scripts Directory" button. The program will connect to the server.

If all it says at the bottom of the screen is "Connecting to server..." and it doesn't connect, then navigate to the "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\" folder and open the file called "hosts" in Notepad. Add this line to the file at the bottom: "89.111.192.106 motoserver.net".

Save the file. Restart your computer. Start the UBox Client program again. Now click the "Scripts Directory" button. The program will connect to the server. You will now see three folders: "Motorola", "RockerBOX" and "UltimaBOX".

Open the "UltimaBOX" folder, and double click the "Firmware_Update_v1.10.usp" file.

Select where you want to save this file (you might want to create a folder just for all the Ultima Box files), and after the download has finished, exit the "UltimaBOX" folder.

Now click the "BOX Activation" button.

The program will save the box activation file to an "Activation" folder, in the same folder where you started the UBOXClient program. I backed up mine and put it with the firmware update.

Next open the "Motorola" folder and download all the files there.

Now connect the USB storage drive that came with the Ultima Box to a USB connector on your PC. Format it to FAT16 (FAT if you use Windows XP).

Now find the files you saved earlier and double click each one individually and install them to the USB storage drive. This includes the firmware update file and all the unlocking files.

When you double click a file, this screen will appear:

Click the "Next >" button.

Make sure the path to the file you just double clicked is correct on this next screen. When it is, click "Next >". Accept the license agreement at the next screen and click "Next >".

Make sure your USB storage drive's path is selected in the drop down box. This is where the file will be installed to. Click "Next >".

At the next screen click "Finish".

It will extract the files and install them. Click "OK" when prompted.

Repeat this for all of your unlocking files:

...your activation file:

...and your firmware update file:

After all files are installed, remove the USB storage drive from the PC. You can now proceed to box firmware update and activation:

Connect the USB storage drive to the port on the Ultima Box labeled "MEM STICK", and press down on the four way control button. You should now see a screen that says "BOX SW Update".

Now press the four way control button to the right.

"Yes" should already be highlighted so press the "ENTER" button. It should update the firmware almost immediately. If it hangs for a few minutes, you can safely disconnect the power cable from the Ultima Box and reconnect it. Repeat the process and it should complete this time. I had to do this myself.

The Ultima Box should now be displaying the "Services" screen.

Push the four way control button to the right and the Ultima Box will ask if you want to activate it. "Yes" should already be highlighted so press the "ENTER" button. You have now updated and activated your Ultima Box.

The Ultima Box can now be used to unlock or repair phones (some might require a test point). As long as you have the files you need installed on your USB storage drive (and a portable computer or a battery to run the Ultima Box) you can work from anywhere with it. Some phones may require the Ultima Box be connected to your computer via the MotoRocker cable (this cable has a RJ-45 connector at one end and what looks like a speaker box in the middle and a USB connector at the other end) and/or use a testpoint to work.

How to use the MotoRocker program

Run the "PL-2303 Driver Installer.exe" you downloaded earlier. Reboot your PC afterward. Connect the MotoRocker cable to your PC's USB port, and install its drivers if requested. Mine didn't, it just worked right away.

Connect the power cable to the Ultima Box without the USB storage drive attached. Connect the other end of the MotoRocker cable to the RJ45 port on the Ultima Box. Start the MotoRocker program now.

You'll get a screen similar to this but with different serial and activation codes displayed:

Your Ultima Box serial number (BOX ID number) should be displayed correctly, but now you need to get the activation code for it. The activation code you need is the same thing as your Ultima Box password which you can get by logging in to http://www.turbo-support.com. Go to the "User control panel". Click the link under "Actions:" that says "Show Ultima Box Password". The password should now display next to your BOX ID number. Enter this password into the MotoRocker popup window and click "OK".

Run the UBOXClient, and click the "Scripts Directory" button. Open the "RockerBox" folder and download the "RFirmware_Update_v1.10.usp" file.

DO NOT download this file more than once!

You can install this file to any hard drive you want. You might want to make a backup of the file if you can.

Now switch to the "BOX Update" tab in the MotoRocker program, and select the "UpdateSW.rdf" file you've just installed. Press "Start Update" and wait until it's finished and the Ultima Box restarts.

After this step your Ultima Box will have a new signature field address. Take note of this. Each time you download RockerBox firmware, the signature will be changed. This means your variable password for the server will also be changed. It will always match the Ultima Box signature though. If you download RockerBox firmware by mistake, make sure you update the Ultima Box with that last file you downloaded, otherwise your account on the server will not work.

Note, the Ultima Box firmware adapted to work with the MotoRocker has a limited time of use. Every 32 days it will deactivate and you'll need to reactivate it by downloading the latest firmware from the server. This is done for anti-theft purposes at the server level.

Here is an annoying bug to watch for in the MotoRocker program. If you ever connect your Ultima Box and start the MotoRocker program, but no matter what COM port you select in the "Settings" tab it won't detect the Ultima Box after clicking the "Connect to BOX" button, try disconnecting it from the USB jack and reconnecting it. This happens to me all the time, even after being connected to the program and having performed work on a phone! Sometimes you have to disconnect and reconnect the cable several times before it will connect.

Also be advised that any file you put on the USB storage drive must follow the 8 + 3 character file naming rule. That means you have no more than eight characters before the file extension, otherwise the file won't be found by the Ultima Box, even if it's on the USB storage drive. 12345678.123 is the proper way to name all files. So get ready to rename everything you download from their server.

Now that you've made it this far, want to see how I repair a broken L7 phone that someone sent to me? Read on...

How I fixed my first phone with the Ultima Box

Someone sent me their L7 that they had damaged and I told them I would take a look at it. It was a Cingular model that originally had R4517 and the 0A.20 boot loader on it. They'd told me the did a lot of flashing on it and wound up mistakenly putting R4513 on it and it was stuck in boot loader / flash mode.

I tried flashing everything but the kitchen sink (sometimes just flashing the original software onto the phone will restore it) to try to fix it. Nothing I flashed would work so I decided to perform a testpoint on it. I headed for my tool box...

Ensure you have no static charge on your body before you being working on the phone. First remove the battery cover, battery and SIM.

Get a Torx screwdriver in T6 size.

Remove all four screws on the panel holding the circuit board in place.

Remove the panel that covers the circuit board.

There are four cables to disconnect from the circuit board. I'm pointing at one with a screw driver, but you should use your fingernail to remove them as they are very easy to disconnect. I'll show you the before and after of every connector being removed so you know what it looks like. Here's the first connector.

Now for the second connector. I've turned the phone around to make it easier to show the connector.

Now disconnect the third connector, the coaxial cable. Be very careful when reconnecting it, it is a very delicate connection and it's easy to bend the connection jack.

Now remove the circuit board from the phone housing.

Finally it's time to remove the last connector, the camera cable.

Once the cable is disconnected, grab the camera with your thumb and forefinger and pull it to the right (as seen here) to remove it from the circuit board.

Next mark the area where you will cut into the aluminum housing.

The Dremel is going to make a lot of fine metallic dust so I taped over everything but the part I'm cutting into.

I'm using the EZ456 cutting wheel, there are others you can use to do the job too.

Time to fire up the Dremel. I like this new model called the Stylus because it's easier to hold and control for a long period of time.

I've found the safest method is to keep the speed slow so you can better control the Dremel. You don't want to keep constant pressure on the housing you are cutting into. You want to keep lifting it up so you can always see how much you're wearing down the metal. Eventually a small hole will start forming. Stop at this point. I've found you can just use an exacto knife to pierce the metal at this point and bend it upward to crack it. Repeat this process for all three sides when you've worn the metal down enough and just bend the metal up out of the way. You do not need to completely cut through the metal. This metal is thin, it's about the thickness of five to ten foil chewing gum wrappers. It peels away pretty easy.

I made one big, ugly hole here but I wanted to get a good look around since I cut a much smaller hole on my first phone. You want to take care to brush away all the debris from the area you just cut open before bending up the metal. You might want to use compressed air to make sure there is nothing on the circuit board before you do anything else with it.

I used a 4X magnifying glass so I could get a good look at which circuit board I had since there are two. Compare yours to the examples on my site so you get the right test point location.

Here are the two images that GSMServer.com provides for the test points. Your circuit board will look like one of these images. Mine looked like the second one.

Next I put the circuit board back into the phone housing. Do not reconnect any of the connector cables though. I then set it on my desk so I could easily make the testpoint connection and put tape across the circuit board and attached it to the desk so it couldn't move when I later connect the battery and USB cable. In the picture you can see I have the phone taped down, the USB cable connected and an alligator clip attached to the metal that I bent up. The battery is standing by as is the probe I'll use to ground the test point. This probe has a wire that is connected to the alligator clip.

Next I'm going to use an Ultima Box and a program that comes with it called MotoRocker. After you start the program it should detect the box and whichever COM port you've connected it to. If it doesn't (and this is often the case with this program) continue to disconnect and reconnect the USB cable going from the PC to the Ultima Box until it does.

The "Settings" tab is where you connect your box at if it wasn't automatically detected.

Click on the "Service" tab. Make sure you select your software family version of your phone and your phone model under the "Settings" section. I also checked the "Connect over testpoint (TP)" box.

At this point I connected my probe to the testpoint on the circuit board. Holding it very steady, I inserted the battery. I then removed the probe from the circuit board and clicked the "Repair" button. Several messages will appear at the bottom of the screen like repairing, flashing core, etc. Finally I got a message like: repaired ok, replug the battery. What the program wants you to do is remove the battery and then put it back in.

I closed MotoRocker and started RSD Lite. I then flashed R4517_G_08.C4.25R_GSTROYBCIN01NA1A8.shx. The flash failed, but it did get installed onto the phone and the phone worked fine.

What you'll receive.