Calling All Motorola 9575 Users

Any Motorola 9575 users out there having difficulty (or success) in sending text messages from their device? I have a somewhat long-winded question.

I use a Motorola 9575 with my Telstra sim. I can make and receive voice calls ok but cannot send text messages – I get a “SMS message failed” notification on the screen.

I get this error message when I try to send a simple text message, and also when the device tries to automatically send a GPS location by text message (on start-up) to a preconfigured “Quick GPS List”.

Observation: When I put my Telstra sim in the 9575 it strips the “plus” character from the 61 Telstra Message Centre number prefix used in domestic mobiles. I’m unable to re-insert the “plus” when the sim is in the 9575.

What I’ve tried:

o Sending texts from the 9575 to Telstra and non-Telstra mobiles, and I’ve also tried with/without the “61” destination country code

o The Telstra Message Centre number without the “61” – my Motorola device doesn’t allow the “plus”

o The Iridium Service Centre Number: my 9575 won’t accept the “plus” prefix to 88 1662900005. The other prefix format to this number - “00” - doesn’t work. I get the same error message.

Any suggestions about what I may have stuffed up (apart from selling my 9505A) would be welcome!

George_M