Quick tip from experienced punter.

[Astarter]

I'm looking for a quick tip from an experienced punter please. Through the years I've done a bit of punting but relatively little in comparison to some on here. But I'm about to go on a long term punting spree and I'm pretty set on it now! Anyway, the topic of punting phones has come up in the past. I'm just wondering if I'm missing out on something here. Surely a bulky phone is much more difficult to hide than a separate sim card. If all I want is a number to use to call out and put in booking requests would another sim not suffice? Maybe I'm missing out on something here but I need to start using a different phone number for punts. Will the change of sim be enough or does it actually have to be a separate phone?
Any help appreciated!

[Glesgaboy]

A separate phone has the benefits of
- no call trail for OH to spot
- if u lose it or its pinched on a punt no worries
- if a punt goes wrong u can't be ID'd from it
- if u forget to swap the sim u could get unwelcome in coming calls whereas a punt phone switched off, in the car boot etc is safer.

[Astarter]

A separate phone has the benefits of
- no call trail for OH to spot
- if u lose it or its pinched on a punt no worries
- if a punt goes wrong u can't be ID'd from it
- if u forget to swap the sim u could get unwelcome in coming calls whereas a punt phone switched off, in the car boot etc is safer.

A separate phone has the benefits of
- no call trail for OH to spot
- if u lose it or its pinched on a punt no worries
- if a punt goes wrong u can't be ID'd from it
- if u forget to swap the sim u could get unwelcome in coming calls whereas a punt phone switched off, in the car boot etc is safer.

Thanks for that. What is OH short for?
Unfortunately don't have the benefit of a car to hide a punting phone. I'm guessing whatever we do there is always an element of risk but I'm thinking different sim with different number will do for now. Up until now I've been relying on wg's not to contact me back because I use my real number. Nothing bad has ever come of it but no longer taking chances.

[trickytreacle]

OH = Other Half.

[Astarter]

OH = Other Half.

 Ta mate 

[storemansteve]

I used to use my normal phone but a lunatic escort who was not that keen on a review started phoning me at 2am, texting etc etc which is a bit of a bugger when the phone is by the bed !! Thank God for call blocking which i eventually discovered and also got the review off AW removed to shut her up - lucky escape.

[Astarter]

I used to use my normal phone but a lunatic escort who was not that keen on a review started phoning me at 2am, texting etc etc which is a bit of a bugger when the phone is by the bed !! Thank God for call blocking which i eventually discovered and also got the review off AW removed to shut her up - lucky escape.

Exactly my worry here. That's why I'm thinking of precautions now so as not to be foolish and let punting or a loony escort take me down!

[ickydicky]

a simple punting fone is not bulky and even without a car boot is easy to hide. its the best option

[bluetable]

Definitely get a simple punting phone, just like a £5 nokia from EE or something, that's what I use, saves so many worries when putting (don't do it very often now, can't find anyone I like in Aberdeen and money is tight with redundancy looming).
If you got another half, my recommendation is don't hide the punting phone, it raises too many questions that you can't answer, do what I do, I got it a few years ago as a 'festival phone', for taking to festivals and traveling abroad, she knows that's why I have it and it sits in the bottom of a drawer in the spare room along with loads of other cables and keys and the crap you can't throw away. I keep one of them 'sim converters' next to it, the ones you pop your tiny iPhone sim into, so that's for cover.
I keep the actual punting sim hidden away elsewhere in the house, not saying where!!, and just pop it in when it's time to use the phone, then take it out and hide it once I'm done.
I always make sure that I delete messages and call logs, and reset the phone when I'm done, just to be extra safe, that way if she finds the sim, I can just play dumb and say 'no idea, must be an old one or something'. Never happened yet but be prepared like the boy scouts say!!

[TheHillSweep]

If you got another half, my recommendation is don't hide the punting phone, it raises too many questions that you can't answer, do what I do, I got it a few years ago as a 'festival phone', for taking to festivals and traveling abroad, she knows that's why I have it and it sits in the bottom of a drawer in the spare room along with loads of other cables and keys and the crap you can't throw away.

I always make sure that I delete messages and call logs, and reset the phone when I'm done, just to be extra safe, that way if she finds the sim, I can just play dumb and say 'no idea, must be an old one or something'. Never happened yet but be prepared like the boy scouts say!!

+1 to this. My punting phone is very much obvious - most people have old phones from old contracts lying around so that's what mine is. Not suspicious at all - mine is also in the "cables and old electrical stuff" drawer. But really important to delete all the messages and calls though - OH is very welcome to switch it on if she wants and if she does she'll find nothing there.

[bluetable]

+1 to this. My punting phone is very much obvious - most people have old phones from old contracts lying around so that's what mine is. Not suspicious at all - mine is also in the "cables and old electrical stuff" drawer. But really important to delete all the messages and calls though - OH is very welcome to switch it on if she wants and if she does she'll find nothing there.

I didn't still have an old phone, so thats where the 'festival phone' came from, seemed like the best least suspicious way to get it into the house!!

Another idea if you want to sneak in a punting phone is to buy an old battered nokia 3310 or something off eBay, and announce to the OH that you 'found your old phone from years ago' in a box, or at your parents place, or something like that, no suspicious then, just you old phone your keeping for nostalgia!!  Make sure you don't keep it out in the open, though, like on your desk or something, because she'll notice when its gone from there, best keep it in the cables and crap drawer like HillSweep and me do, she's not going to notice if it's not in the drawer for a few hours.

But yeah!! Definitely delete everything off the phone every time!!

[ickydicky]

thats a good plan.

[auldie63]

Just a thought guys but remember to take the battery out the thing too. Else how do you explain to the OH that the thing still has a charge after years of lying in a drawer.

[ickydicky]

Just a thought guys but remember to take the battery out the thing too. Else how do you explain to the OH that the thing still has a charge after years of lying in a drawer.

your on the ball today auldie

[daviebond]

I use an old smart phone (a few years old) that I found in one of my drawers at home. Got a PAYG sim card and reset the phone to factory settings so it wiped everything that was in the phones memory. Turned off any settings that could be used to track me etc.

[mavgoose]

Anyone who uses their own smart phone for punting.
Or an older smart phone.
Or even a cheap second phone, and your own phone is in your pocket.

Turn off Google location. I was able to view my movements. Including times in and out hotels to the minute. Scary stuff. Check your settings.

[Marmalade]

It really depends why you need it. Protecting yourself from a nosey OH is totally different to just protecting your number from a prossie. I've posted about Swytch on another thread. Found it cheap and reliable (an app that gives you a different phone number to call/texts from or receive calls and texts from). You can throw the number away and get a new one if you need to and without any hardware. If you use a smartphone check how to silence all texts and calls, and/or prevent them displaying. Would it were so easy to have a different number for all the bastards trying to sell me a phone upgrade!

[auldie63]

Would it were so easy to have a different number for all the bastards trying to sell me a phone upgrade!

Register your number with the Telephone Preference Service and a lot of the nuisance calls stop.
Anyone cold calling is supposed to check there B4 they do. Usually if they do call simply mentioning that your phone is registered gets you removed from their system and you don't hear from them again.
Any that persist you can report and they will take action.

[MrFox]

I'm thinking different sim with different number will do for now.

I keep meaning to get a punting phone but haven't got round to it myself (I'm a tight old git). Instead I use this app "Text Me", you can get it on Android or iphone. You can text and call from it using a temp number, and you can request new temp number if you want to ditch your current temp number. The app is password protected too and keeps all your call logs and texts inside, but you do need to register to use it. You get free credit and has always been enough for me. If you need to you can buy some more. Ideal if you insist on using your existing phone/SIM. And there is no SIM swapping about needed.

I've played it safe going for what I feel are safe punts, if I ever get to level Taz, or Seeker I will fork out for the punting phone, if you can afford it I do recommend it.

By the way, be careful giving out your own number. Just google it yourself and see how it can be traced back to you. 

[jedi master]

Got myself a punting phone after advice from uk punting threads just an old phone with a new sim card and being single no other half to answer to. so thanks again guys 

[webpunter]

I use this app "Text Me", you can get it on Android or iphone
Ideal if you insist on using your existing phone/SIM. And there is no SIM swapping about needed

If a 2nd mobile is a non starter then fine.  Fucking around changing the sim is a ball ache. And your other no. will trip to voicemail when SIM is out of the handset.  I bet you that somewhere along the line you'll fuck up using this app !

[bluetable]

Anyone who uses their own smart phone for punting.
Or an older smart phone.
Or even a cheap second phone, and your own phone is in your pocket.

Turn off Google location. I was able to view my movements. Including times in and out hotels to the minute. Scary stuff. Check your settings.

That's a big part of why I went with an old style nokia for my punting phone, I mean 'festival phone'!! It's probably trackable by PC Plod if they really want to track me, but the misses can't do it because it's got no apps except Snake and a calculator and alarm clock, basic as basic can be, but that's best - not chance of fucking yourself over by mistake or leaving a trail of hotel visits you can't answer for!!

Really don't trust these apps other people say the use, seems like a recipe for disaster, also you never know who's going to be in control of the company that runs it, could end up being owned by Facebook and then you're in trouble, Facebook would know all about your 'recreation activities', not ideal!!

One other thought for the punting phone, protects you a bit from PC Plod, not just mad prozzies, if there's a bad situation (like that murder in aberdeen a little while ago), PC Plod will definitely be able to pull your actual number from the app makers using a warrant, definitely not what I want, so best safe than sorry.  Sorry if that sounds grim or like I don't care, I do care and it was tragic, but I also don't want visits from the copper.

[webpunter]

only ever pay for top ups in cash & never register the phone

[Marmalade]

I keep meaning to get a punting phone but haven't got round to it myself (I'm a tight old git). Instead I use this app "Text Me", you can get it on Android or iphone. You can text and call from it using a temp number, and you can request new temp number if you want to ditch your current temp number. The app is password protected too and keeps all your call logs and texts inside, but you do need to register to use it. You get free credit and has always been enough for me. If you need to you can buy some more. Ideal if you insist on using your existing phone/SIM. And there is no SIM swapping about needed.

I've played it safe going for what I feel are safe punts, if I ever get to level Taz, or Seeker I will fork out for the punting phone, if you can afford it I do recommend it.

By the way, be careful giving out your own number. Just google it yourself and see how it can be traced back to you. 

Sounds good. Exactly the same as Swytch from what you describe. 

[Rumplestickin]

Register your number with the Telephone Preference Service and a lot of the nuisance calls stop.
Anyone cold calling is supposed to check there B4 they do. Usually if they do call simply mentioning that your phone is registered gets you removed from their system and you don't hear from them again.
Any that persist you can report and they will take action.

Maybe don't. If you have a few nuisance calls on your phone, it makes it easier to declare any calls to/from a provider as someone trying to sell you Viagra or 'no win, no fee'.

An SMS to a provider saying "Hey babe. See you at 2pm. Is oral without OK? And do you do anal? xx" is a bit more difficult. Avoid SMS where possible. Just call.

[godwulf7]

You could try a dual SIM phone.  There are plenty available, and fairly inexpensive.  Just stick something like 'Nokia dual SIM' into the search line of EBay, and loads come up.  You can put your normal SIM in, plus buy a pre-paid SIM for punting.  Adjust phone settings as required.  The dual SIM phones look identical to normal single SIM versions usually.  No need for a second phone!