Help! new wireless user in Port Townsend, WA

[sailinfid]

I will be moving to Port Townsend, WA soon and want to get a wireless plan before I make the drive across the country (from NY). This will be my first cell phone except for a brief period with Verizon pay-as-you-go. I don't talk on the phone much but this will be taking the place of a land line so I would like to get the best coverage possible. Anyone have any tips on what company to go with for the NE Olympic Peninsula? Does it make a difference what phone I get? I don't want anything fancy, just something that works.

[Steve B]

Originally Posted by sailinfid

I will be moving to Port Townsend, WA soon and want to get a wireless plan before I make the drive across the country (from NY). This will be my first cell phone except for a brief period with Verizon pay-as-you-go. I don't talk on the phone much but this will be taking the place of a land line so I would like to get the best coverage possible. Anyone have any tips on what company to go with for the NE Olympic Peninsula? Does it make a difference what phone I get? I don't want anything fancy, just something that works.

I would suggest either Verizon Wireless or Cingular Wireless.

[Chinasaur]

Originally Posted by sailinfid

I will be moving to Port Townsend, WA soon

D00d, not to hijack your thread..but why?

[Steve B]

Originally Posted by Chinasaur

D00d, not to hijack your thread..but why?

I prefer Seattle too, but LOL, PT is not that bad. LOL Maybe the guy likes PT.

[Chinasaur]

That sounded bad. My bad.

Anyway, I've ridden the motorcycle all over the ferries in and around Port Townsend, Island county, the Kitsap Peninsula, etc. I have Sprint and they are a good choice. Probably couldn't go wrong with Verizon either.

If I had it to do over, knowing what I know now, I'd go Verizon even with their slightly higher costs simply to avoid Sprint CS problems and their "contract extensions" every time you change your contract.

[Steve B]

Originally Posted by Chinasaur

That sounded bad. My bad.

Anyway, I've ridden the motorcycle all over the ferries in and around Port Townsend, Island county, the Kitsap Peninsula, etc. I have Sprint and they are a good choice. Probably couldn't go wrong with Verizon either.

If I had it to do over, knowing what I know now, I'd go Verizon even with their slightly higher costs simply to avoid Sprint CS problems and their "contract extensions" every time you change your contract.

I know what you mean. I had Sprint a couple of years ago. A couple of months into my service, I bought a new phone....at full retail price. So it cost me over $350. Yet, they made me extend my contract another two years. I was mad, but I wanted the phone so I accepted.

[Andy]

For the best possible coverage for a drive across the country I'd look into a CDMA phone from Tracfone or Alltel's Simple Freedom(if that's what it's called), or also Verizon Pay as you go(but Tracfone's coverage is larger because they use more networks to roam on).

[jones]

You will be driving from NY to WA?

[Fathead]

Get a phone that has analog capability. You'll be happy if you do, especially in the mountains if you have a problem.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Fathead

Get a phone that has analog capability. You'll be happy if you do, especially in the mountains if you have a problem.

Agreed!

[jones]

How about a GPS?

[Andy]

A map should do.

[jones]

Driving from NY to Washington State
i hope you use the Interstate Highways,
and not the Mountains.
Usually if you stay on the Interstate Highways
Digital Coverage has better coverage than Analog,
plus the New Towers going up Does Not
have Analog on them.
I have'nt used Analog
coverage in the last 2 years.
Carriers have stopped building Analog Networks.
How about Flares?

[Fathead]

Not a single carrier
in the us will promise
that he wouldn't ever need
analog driving across the
us even on the interstates
and it's always better
to have a backup
because who knows what
could happen?!?!

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Fathead

Not a single carrier
in the us will promise
that he wouldn't ever need
analog driving across the
us even on the interstates
and it's always better
to have a backup
because who knows what
could happen?!?!

Agreed.

[jones]

if you look at the Digital coverage map from WA to NY
the Interstate route is Digitally covered.
Unless of course you want to pass through the Mountains,
which antiquated Analog can't also cover.
I have'nt use Analog in 2 years
because Digital has Better coverage Now.
It's to know there's a Backup
but this analog backup is a False sense of security,
because of its static.
We have a sharing accomodations in the Mountains
and neither Analog or Digital works out there.

[Fathead]

If you don't trust the maps
which you shouldn't, and trust
experience, there are plenty of
holes in digital coverage in the
west on the interstates, in fact
i can think of 5 spots where only
analog works on the interstates
within 4 hours drive of where i'm
sitting right now. And the analog
signal works well enough to call
for help should he have an accident
or some major issue.

[Andy]

I agree with Fathead.
analog is still needed,
especially on something like
a cross country drive, and in
rural areas, Analog often does work
better than digital, because
analog is the only thing available.

[jones]

Originally Posted by Andy84094

Analog often does work
better than digital, because
analog is the only thing available.

5 years ago this is True.
2 years ago i have Not encountered a Rural Area
where there's Analog and No Digital Coverage.
And Honestly did you encounter an
area where there's Analog and
No Digital Signal LATELY?
Today it's the other way around
More Digtal Coverage Areas
than Analog since there's
more Digital Towers than Analog.

[Fathead]

I don't know why you aren't
reading my posts but just today
I had a flat tire and only had an analog signal
to use on my phone. It was on
I-86 just outside american falls, ID.

[jones]

ok i guess in your area.
analog diminishing

[jones]

Originally Posted by Fathead

I don't know why you aren't
reading my posts but just today
I had a flat tire and only had an analog signal
to use on my phone. It was on
I-86 just outside american falls, ID.

VZW LIED then
since they're Showing Full Digital Coverage
on their Coverage Locator
on I-86
This Map Does NOT even Show Analog
Coverage on I-86
so whose Analog Network Did you Use?

coverage

[KevinJames]

I Don't think I would go so far as to say any carrier "lied" on the maps. If you read those maps closely you will note that it plainly states the representations are a mere approximation and should not be taken as a statement of coverage.

Heck, even in city areas where coverage is more than adequate there will be "holes" due to buildings and other interference.

Analog is a good thing. I can't remember, now, seeing as I don't watch the industry that closely anymore, when is it that the FCC has given permissiont to the carriers to discontinue analog? At first I thought it was 2005 but that it was then pushed out to 2012. ?? (unsure)

[jones]

The question here was
Who's operating
this Analog Network on I-86?
since VZW is NOT showing
any Analog Coverage and
Fathead was able to
make an Analog call.

[Andy]