Motorola Cellphone Serial Numbering
-----------------------------------
The Mechanical Serial Number (MSN) [also called serial number, SN,
or even S], may be either 10 or 11 characters in length.  The first
3 characters constitute the Accounting Product Code (APC).  Typically
the APC is not of interest to the field, with a single exception: the
Express 850 is easily distinguished from retail Step-up models by its
APC of 572.  The fourth character is the location of manufacture.
The fifth character is the year of manufacture, and the sixth character
is the month of manufacture.  The next four characters constitute the
actual serial number of that telephone.  Finally, if there is no
eleventh character, the warranty period is one year; if there is an
eleventh character it stipulates a warranty period which may be
determined from the chart below.


Year              Month
Code   Year       Code     Month           Warranty Period Definition
----   ----       -------  --------       ----------------------------
 H     1983       A or B   January        A - 1 year     P - 5 years
 J     1984       C or D   February       B - 3 years    Q - 3 years
 K     1985       E or F   March          C - 5 years    R - 3 years
 L     1986       G or H   April          D - 2 years    S - 3 years
 M     1987       J or K   May            E - None       T - OEM telephone
 N     1988       L or M   June           F - 90 Days    U - 90 days(refurbs)
 P     1989       N or P   July           H - 3 years    W - 4 years
 Q     1990       Q or R   August         L - 3 years    X - 5 years
 R     1991       S or T   September      M - 1 year     Y - 3 years
 S     1992       U or V   October        N - 5 years    Z - 3 years
 T     1993       W or X   November
 U     1994       Y or Z   December



For example, consider a Series-III tranceiver: Model No. S2447B
                                               SN        194ERN6175
         place of 
        manufacture
            |
            | month of manufacture
            | |
   MSN:  194ERN6175Y
             |     |
             |     warranty period
             |
          year of
        manufacture


Using the date chart(s) above, the following info is easily determined:

  E ==> place of manufacture
  R ==> year of manufacture ==> 1991
  N ==> month of manufacture ==> July
  6175 ==> actual serial # of telephone
  Y ==> warranty period ==> 3 year warranty



Locating the Mechanical Serial Number (MSN)
-------------------------------------------

  Mobile Tranceivers (units with a handset):

    Series I or Series II Tranceiver      located on the front of the
    [big black or silver box]             tranceiver between the DB-25                                                 
                                          data-port and the round antenna
                                          connector

    Series III Tranceiver                 located on the top of the
    [slim black box]                      tranceiver unit toward the
                                          end with the antenna jack

  Handheld Portables:

    Older 8000's ["bricks"]               located on the bottom the handheld

    Newer 8000's and Ultra Classics       located on the back (behind the
                                          battery) near the top

    DPC's, Lites, Ultra Lites,            located on the back (behind the
    and Pocket Telephones                 battery) near the top     

-end