I just got me Dash, activated my SIM, and tried connecting to the Dash over USB/serial on a Mac using CoolTerm. All I get is the following:
+EVENT:LOG,50,5,DEBUG,39,Retry delay before modem bootstrapping:
+EVENT:LOG,15,5,DEBUG,5,90000
This repeats with the last number decreasing by 10000 until I finally get:
+EVENT:LOG,81,5,DEBUG,70,Bootstrapping (1/14): Init modem (can sometimes take several minutes).
And then it starts over.
I never get any statement about it sending data to the Cloud.
Hi, do you have the antenna connected?
Actually, does it ever get beyond step 1? Do you have the SIM card inserted and activated?
Never mind, you said you did. Haha, sorry. Um yeah, check the antenna.
Hmm yea - this is odd.
Some background on your situation:
The Dash needs to complete the 14 step bootstrap process before it’s able to send anything to the cloud. We fully test every Dash before shipping them out, to make sure they’re able to reach 14/14 and successfully send to the cloud, so it’s odd that something happened during shipment. It is not normal for a Dash to get stuck on step 1 and then reset.
The retry delay is a mechanism we put in place so that the Dash does not attempt to connect to the cell network too frequently. We’ve found that a SIM will sometimes become temporarily banned if it attempts to reconnect too often, so the retry delay is a safeguard against this. You’ll often see this when the Dash is reset.
We’ll get back to you shortly on what could be going on here. Any additional information you might be able to provide (unpacking state, handling, usage) would be helpful.
You may want to try re-inserting the SIM and making sure it’s snug.
-Pat
I took the SIM card out and reinserted it. Now I get this:
+EVENT:LOG,24,5,DEBUG,13,ICCID loaded:
+EVENT:LOG,30,5,DEBUG,19,8944501006151402650
+EVENT:LOG,23,5,DEBUG,12,IMEI loaded:
+EVENT:LOG,26,5,DEBUG,15,353162070598264
+EVENT:LOG,53,5,DEBUG,42,Bootstrapping (4/14): Init event handling.
+EVENT:LOG,57,5,DEBUG,46,Bootstrapping (5/14): Wait for carrier signal.
+EVENT:LOG,57,5,DEBUG,46,Bootstrapping (5/14): Wait for carrier signal.
+EVENT:LOG,57,5,DEBUG,46,Bootstrapping (5/14): Wait for carrier signal.
+EVENT:LOG,57,5,DEBUG,46,Bootstrapping (5/14): Wait for carrier signal.
+EVENT:LOG,57,5,DEBUG,46,Bootstrapping (5/14): Wait for carrier signal.
+EVENT:LOG,57,5,DEBUG,46,Bootstrapping (5/14): Wait for carrier signal.
+EVENT:LOG,57,5,DEBUG,46,Bootstrapping (5/14): Wait for carrier signal.
+EVENT:LOG,36,5,DEBUG,25,Modem event: signal found
+EVENT:LOG,42,5,DEBUG,31,Modem event: Network registered
+EVENT:LOG,57,5,DEBUG,46,Bootstrapping (6/14): Establish operator link.
+EVENT:LOG,48,5,DEBUG,37,Bootstrapping (7/14): Config network.
+EVENT:LOG,44,5,DEBUG,33,Bootstrapping (8/14): Config APN.
+EVENT:LOG,51,5,DEBUG,40,Bootstrapping (9/14): Config IP address.
+EVENT:LOG,51,5,DEBUG,40,Bootstrapping (10/14): Link up (1 of 2).
+EVENT:LOG,51,5,DEBUG,40,Bootstrapping (11/14): Link up (2 of 2).
+EVENT:LOG,39,5,DEBUG,28,Modem event: Data registered
+EVENT:LOG,61,5,DEBUG,50,Bootstrapping (12/14): Link verification (1 of 2).
+EVENT:LOG,61,5,DEBUG,50,Bootstrapping (13/14): Link verification (2 of 2).
+EVENT:LOG,67,5,DEBUG,56,Bootstrapping (14/14): Enter serial passthrough mode. OK
+++
+EVENT:LOG,38,5,DEBUG,27,Opening connection to cloud
+EVENT:LOG,42,5,DEBUG,31,Data successfully sent to cloud
Super! 
Awesome! 
Yea we’ve found that the seating of the SIM can sometimes cause weird issues like that.
Important side note: Always make sure the power is off on your device before re-seating the SIM!
I had the same problem! I didn’t actually know which way the SIM card went in, and it wasn’t explictly stated in the Getting Started manual. It turns out that it goes in contact side down and beveled edge first. Hope that helps someone out there!