My summer 2005 Vacation: Verizon and Tracfone Coverage Review

[Gamer03]

Here is my review while on my recent trip with my family. This review covers the dates between July 8 and July 26. The coverage report is a comparison between Verizon (their native network, US Cellular, Illinois Valley Cellular, and Alltel) and Tracfone (both Cingular Orange, Cingular Blue, and Cellular One).

Coverage Report:

July 8, 2005:

Indianapolis, Indiana:

• I received a strong Verizon signal was about 15 miles west of Indianapolis. I then picked up US Cellular’s signal until I was 10 miles east of Danville, Illinois. The signal that I received from the tower was for the most part average while on I-74 West. At times, I didn’t have a signal unless I pulled up my antenna and could clearly see the tower. Tracfone, on the other hand was awesome all the way from Indianapolis to Danville.

Winner: Tracfone

July 8 to July 11:

• My Verizon phone was bellow average while in Danville, Illinois. The only time I received a strong signal (4 bars) was when I was within line of sight of the tower for the county. My Tracfone had a stronger useable signal everywhere that I went.

Winner: Tracfone

July 11, 2005:

Danville, Illinois to Bloomington, Illinois:

• I received a strong signal on Verizon Wireless while in downtown Champaign and at ISU in Normal, Illinois. On my Tracfone, I also received a strong signal.

Winner: Tie between Verizon and Tracfone

Bloomington, Illinois to Chicago, Illinois:

• I received an average signal on my Verizon phone while on I-55. I started roaming on Illinois Valley Cellular Network 105 miles outside of Chicago on I-55. I picked up a Verizon signal about 40-50 miles outside of Chicago on I-55 On the other hand, my Tracfone received an excellent signal on I-55.

Winner: Tracfone

July 11-13:

• Both Verizon and Tracfone had the same excellent coverage in Chicago (Gold Coast, Loop, Michigan Avenue, Watertower Place, and Marshall Field's)

Winner: Tie between Verizon and Tracfone

July 14, 2005:

Chicago, Illinois to Wausau, Wisconsin:

• I received a very strong signal on my Verizon signal both close to the suburbs on Verizon. Once outside of Chicago on I-90/94 and then on I-90, I was roaming once outside of Chicago on US Cellular’s network. I still had an excellent signal once we I picked up I-39 North. Once out of the suburbs of Chicago and on I-39 North, my Tracfone was roaming on Cingular Blue.

Winner: Verizon

July 15, 2005:

Wausau, Wisconsin to Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin

• I was roaming on Alltel while on my Verizon phone and Cellular One while on my Tracfone. Both phones were equal in signal strength in terms of the ability to make and receive calls.

• Once I got into Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin, I was not able to make or receive calls on my Verizon. The lodge we stayed in was from the 1930s, so the winner in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin was Tracfone

Winner: Tie between Verizon and Tracfone while driving to Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin

Winner (while in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin): Tracfone

July 16, 2005 to July 23, 2005:

• On July 16, we drove down to Star Lake, Wisconsin and stayed in our rental home that we shared with my uncle, aunt, and cousin. Verizon was roaming on Alltel at the house, and my phone was receiving -79 db signal. My Tracfone didn’t have a signal, unless we drove 8 miles from the house.

Winner: Verizon

July 23, 2005:

• We drove from Star Lake to Bloomington, Minnesota on Wisconsin 29 West. Both phone received the same type of useable signal.

Winner: Tie between Verizon and Tracfone

July 23 to July 26, 2005:

• Both phones had a full signal while at our hotel and in the Mall of America. The only time both phones lost a signal was when we went on the Hiawatha Line train from the Mall of America to the Warehouse District and then back. I lost a signal on both phones while in the tunnel near the Lindbergh Terminal stop. Verizon was the first one to receive a signal while at the edge of the tunnel

After having two phone and comparing both of them while on vacation, I would have to say that Verizon and Tracfone (Cingular Orange, Cingular Blue, and Cellular One) both were pretty equal in terms in coverage areas and reliability.

[Andy]

Awesome coverage report! I love reading them. If traveling across the country, it's always good to have more than one carrier with you, since one might work at one point or another where the other does not.
Welcome back home, hope to see you around a little more. How was your vacation?

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Andy84094

Awesome coverage report! I love reading them. If traveling across the country, it's always good to have more than one carrier with you, since one might work at one point or another where the other does not.
Welcome back home, hope to see you around a little more. How was your vacation?

Thanks Andy. It is good to be back. It is also good to finally have permanent internet access.

My vacation with my family was cool. I went to some cool places, stayed in a lodge from 1933, shot a 20 gauge shotgun for the first time (I hit 5/25 targets which isn't bad considering it is my first time and the shotgun was a right-handed one and not a left-handed one). I also got to spend time with my uncle and dad while my mom, sister, aunt, and cousin went shopping. I also went to the biggest mall in the world (and the stores that I like, I have here in my city, so it was cool but not real cool).

I also went to the underground aquarium at the mall of america, and saw some sharks, turtles, and other fish. I was also able to touch a sting ray in a pool (people were able to walk around the "Circle of Life" (since it was a circular pool) and touch them)).

I didn't catch any fish, but my dad and uncle did.

So overall, I had a great time.

[Shizam76]

Nice report....you had good service most of the time it seems.

You drove right past me on I-55 when you went from Bloomington to Chicago

[Mobile Mike]

Great report, Gamer. I agree with Andy about the value of comparative info regarding the service quality of Verizon and Tracfone for you. Welcome back! You were missed!!

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

My vacation with my family was cool. I went to some cool places, stayed in a lodge from 1933, shot a 20 gauge shotgun for the first time (I hit 5/25 targets which isn't bad considering it is my first time and the shotgun was a right-handed one and not a left-handed one). So overall, I had a great time.

Hi Gamer great report. I very much enjoyed reading it. Glad you had a great time. I am right handed but left eyed (yeah I know ), so I hold my shot gun like a left hander but instead of a LH gun I use my 20 ga. over under. It's funny my first time at trap shooting was 5/25 .....must be the norm.....LOL

Looks like you needed both phones and you had coverage everywhere in Northern WI, that's great. Thanks for doing all the research and putting the info together.

Well, you didn't drive as close by to me as you would have if you took I94 but I did see your wave and I waved back.

Great to have you back on the boards.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

Thanks Andy. It is good to be back. It is also good to finally have permanent internet access.

My vacation with my family was cool. I went to some cool places, stayed in a lodge from 1933, shot a 20 gauge shotgun for the first time (I hit 5/25 targets which isn't bad considering it is my first time and the shotgun was a right-handed one and not a left-handed one). I also got to spend time with my uncle and dad while my mom, sister, aunt, and cousin went shopping. I also went to the biggest mall in the world (and the stores that I like, I have here in my city, so it was cool but not real cool).

I also went to the underground aquarium at the mall of america, and saw some sharks, turtles, and other fish. I was also able to touch a sting ray in a pool (people were able to walk around the "Circle of Life" (since it was a circular pool) and touch them)).

I didn't catch any fish, but my dad and uncle did.

So overall, I had a great time.

Wow, sounds like you had a great time. I've never been to the Mall of America, I'd like to go one day though. I have shot before, though, while on vacation in Germany. I can't remember exactly what kind of gun it was, but I had some lucky shots .
Good to have you back on the boards, permanently.

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Shizam76

Nice report....you had good service most of the time it seems.

You drove right past me on I-55 when you went from Bloomington to Chicago

Thanks Shizam.

Yep. I saw the exit for Joliet. Did you see me waving?

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by lbmike212

Great report, Gamer. I agree with Andy about the value of comparative info regarding the service quality of Verizon and Tracfone for you. Welcome back! You were missed!!

Thanks lbmike.

I am definitely glad that I had two funs to compare coverage for my report.

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Charlyee

Hi Gamer great report. I very much enjoyed reading it. Glad you had a great time. I am right handed but left eyed (yeah I know ), so I hold my shot gun like a left hander but instead of a LH gun I use my 20 ga. over under. It's funny my first time at trap shooting was 5/25 .....must be the norm.....LOL

Looks like you needed both phones and you had coverage everywhere in Northern WI, that's great. Thanks for doing all the research and putting the info together.

Well, you didn't drive as close by to me as you would have if you took I94 but I did see your wave and I waved back.

Great to have you back on the boards.

Your welcome Charlyee.

Like I told lbmike, I was glad that I had two phones.

I am glad that you saw me waving.

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Andy84094

Wow, sounds like you had a great time. I've never been to the Mall of America, I'd like to go one day though. I have shot before, though, while on vacation in Germany. I can't remember exactly what kind of gun it was, but I had some lucky shots .
Good to have you back on the boards, permanently.

Yep. I had a great time. The Mall of America was cool, but it was huge. Each floor is like a mile long from one side to the other. And I walked on all 3 floors (the 4th floor is were the theater is and some sport bars) so each day I came back to the hotel pretty tired.

I like our mall in my city. The stores that I went to in the Mall of America are the same stores that I have in my city.

Thanks for the welcome back Andy.

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

Thanks Shizam.

Yep. I saw the exit for Joliet. Did you see me waving?

Yep! Sure did see ya!

Had I known you were going up 55 from Bloomington....I would have stepped away from work for lunch with ya.....I only work about 3 miles from the Joliet exit and I-55

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Shizam76

Yep! Sure did see ya!

Had I known you were going up 55 from Bloomington....I would have stepped away from work for lunch with ya.....I only work about 3 miles from the Joliet exit and I-55

Well, we didn't pass the Joliet exit until 4 pm or right around there. So you were probably getting close to getting done with work (if you weren't already).

I thought that I posted that I was going that way before I left. Maybe I didn't.

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

July 15, 2005:
Wausau, Wisconsin to Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin

• I was roaming on Alltel while on my Verizon phone and Cellular One while on my Tracfone. Both phones were equal in signal strength in terms of the ability to make and receive calls.

• Once I got into Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin, I was not able to make or receive calls on my Verizon. The lodge we stayed in was from the 1930s, so the winner in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin was Tracfone.

Gamer, I just realized what you said about Land O' Lakes. This is a first where in rural WI (specially in the northern part) there was GSM coverage but not CDMA. I am surprised but at the same time very happy to know that GSM is getting more advanced in WI.

Just for clarification you did not have Verizon coverage anywhere in Land O' Lakes and not just inside the lodge, right?

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

Well, we didn't pass the Joliet exit until 4 pm or right around there. So you were probably getting close to getting done with work (if you weren't already).

I thought that I posted that I was going that way before I left. Maybe I didn't.

Yep...I would have got off at 430pm....so close. Not sure if you posted that....I know you were going from Danville area, etc up to Chicago...but didn't know what route.

Well...maybe next year! Or if I ever make to Florida soon (like I want to )

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by Shizam76

Yep...I would have got off at 430pm....so close. Not sure if you posted that....I know you were going from Danville area, etc up to Chicago...but didn't know what route.

Well...maybe next year! Or if I ever make to Florida soon (like I want to )

Yeah. If you make it to Florida, we will have to do lunch (provided that I don't have classes.... ).