I am a current AT&T user, and I am switching carriers, I am trying to research the technology and best carrier. I live on Edwards AFB, Ca. and work 30 some miles away in Lancaster, and there are quite a few areas where I have no service, and with kids I hope I dont break down in an area I dont have service. If anyone can tell me or advise me where I can find out who has the best coverage in these areas, and the ones in between, I would really appreciate it, me and my kids.
I'd recommend that you use a carrier with available analog backup. Analog has a longer range than digital technologies. In your area, the carriers with an analog backup are ATTWS (TDMA/AMPS), Verizon, and Sprint PCS. If the majority of your usage will be in the Sprint PCS coverage area, I'd recommend that you choose them and subscribe to the Free and Clear America plan. They will roam on both Verizon and ATTWS; neither of the other carriers roam on each other. If you'll mostly be out of the Sprint PCS coverage area, your next best bet is probably Verizon. Even if you have a Sprint handset (that can use any available analog signal as well as the Sprint network), this does you little good if the signal isn't strong enough to use. An external antenna would be a good thing to obtain for your vehicle. Wilson Cellular makes excellent cellular antennas. Their best antenna for remote areas (other than the Yagi directional antenna) is the Trucker Antenna. It's a bargain, costing only about $50. Be sure to get a handset such as the Sanyo 7200, which has a connector for an external antenna.
I have traveled through the area and have received nothing less than full bars on Verizon. Also, Sprint is a good 2nd choice. Their signal works in most of the area, and their phones can roam farther out of town. Of course give either a good tryout within their testing period. -Bill
I think TProphet meant was A Sprint dual-band or tri-Mode phones will going into Analog unlike T-Mobile and some Cingular GSM phone that won't
That's exactly what I meant. I'd avoid any carrier/technology that doesn't offer an analog backup option (Cingular GSM, ATTWS GSM, T-Mobile GSM to name a few). In some areas, AMPS is still a necessity. This is a very remote, desert area. I wouldn't trust GSM to be available just yet, especially since the only 850MHz GSM is operated by ATTWS (which has alredy proven dissatisfactory to PCTechLis). I don't even trust CDMA to work; in many cases, you can't get a digital call through, but analog works fine on the same tower.
Just last month I was working in Mojave and the Red Cliffs rec. area. All over the roads up there, the 14 and the 58, my digital only Verizon phone got great service. Verizon is considered to have the best coverage in SoCal. However *at* Red Cliffs I got zero signal while a coworker got by fine with AT&T. I wonder if analog would have helped me, but I have never really been satisfied with analog (AMPS) service.
Tprophet, unless you have actually been on the route he is talking about, how would you know? Please, let somebody who has ACTUALLY been on that route be the one to reccomend a service to him
ILUVSOCAL, my sincere apologies. You're correct that I haven't been on Edwards AFB (or the Groom Lake site either, for that matter). I'm not in the Air Force, after all. I only researched the available options in his area on the Web before making general recommendations, which is what I thought the original poster asked for. I hang my head in shame and bow to your superior intellect. Since you're now apparently in charge of what I'm allowed to post, please delete my WirelessAdvisor account.
I, she, for those of you who referred to me as he, I have done research on the web, and I am asking for personnal recommendations, I am leaning towards Verizon, there is a Nextel tower on the base but I dont care for Nextel, I use it at work, I have my cell phone mainly for emergency's and if it doesnt get a signal it is no help. So please if you can help me make a good choice I appreciate any suggestions, references you can give me.
Well I AM in the Air Force...and Verizon works pretty good around there..make sure you get a phone with analog capability though. And to ILUVSOCAL...what are you doing recommending service if you aren't sure how the coverage is in that area? Sounds a bit hypocritical to me. Here is where he berates someone for recommending service and not being familiar with the area So I think you owe "rainbowboy" an apology
I didn't reccomend anything, I said to look into it, read more carefully next time before making claims that aren't true. "I would give Cingular a looksie too, though I'm not sure how the coverage is in that area" That's far from a reccommendation, it is a suggestion, little bit of a difference there. Then Tprophet came in and decided he knew it all, he's done this to me before, as well as calling me a liar, so if I get a bit miffed at his attitude sometimes, you'll have to bear with me Now, that being said, has anybody actually visited the route he is talking about and can say firsthand who is the best provider, whether it be Sprint, Verizon, Cingular or whoever?
Yep..sounds like you recommended a service provider to me..Cingular in this case. I bet the other posters on this thread would say the same thing. And like I SAID...I am in the AIR FORCE so I have been there..unlike any of you guys...and Verizon works well in that area.
..unlike any of you guys... *Ahem* I won't jump into who's "in the right" here, but I will go on record as saying both these jokers have annoyingly big pictures in EVERY post. lol It's about a mile down to the bottom of this thread when it should be 2 feet.
