On Field Cell Service...

[Onebadhawk]

I think this is a great idea for a thread...
Especially since my phone is getting blinky and it's about time to replace it..
My cell service is provided by Verizon..
I have always heard that's the best cellular coverage at the remote places we often find ourselves..
Now some of the other cell service providers are claiming that they "service 99% of all the Americans that Verizon services"...
And of course I'm totally sick of my phone bill,, it's just too high..
I have my phone, my wifes phone, my wifes ipad and we have a jet pack that gives us wifi for our laptops when were away at a launch... Her ipad and the Jetpack are both $10 / month...
I am off the contract and need a new phone.. A new phone will be expensive with Verizon..
If I go to another provider, like Sprint or T Mobile who are both advertizing like crazy in the northeast
they will offer me fantastic deals to come over to them,
knowing that when my wife's 2 year contract is up she will come as well..

The bottom line...
I would like to hear how the cell service is on everybody's home field from all the different cell providers,,
particularly Verizon, Sprint, and T Mobile...

Thank you always guy's.......

Teddy

 

[DavidMcCann]

AT&T- good at site, spotty in field at potter.... I'm mostly happy. It's dead at smuggler's though.

 

[djs]

I have sprint, and it's very hit and miss in Princeton. Data connection is non existent. Signal is better up in Bong.

 

[jd2cylman]

I have 2 iPhones. One for me and one for work. Work is At&T. Crappiest service in crap town. Horrible coverage in Chicago metro area and outlying areas. My personal phone is Verizon. Better coverage everywhere EXCEPT the GF's house and surrounding mile or so (Wayne, IL). There the AT&T phone is slightly better, but that's the only place where the AT&T is actually better. The Verizon is spendy, but it works... So... YMMV. That being said.... Ever since I got rid of my flip phone, the "phone aspect" of "smart phones" seems to be last on any mfgr's list of features. Camera, processor speed, memory, app friendly and all that crap. All seems to come before phone quality I think.
Yeah, I sound old. :wink: I resemble that remark...

 

[Lowpuller]

If everybody is comparing themselves to Verizon, what does that tell you.............

Verizon has always worked well for me..

 

[Onebadhawk]

AT&T- good at site, spotty in field at potter.... I'm mostly happy. It's dead at smuggler's though.

I'm pretty sure the field at Potter is where I was told Verizon is pretty much your only shot...
What "site" is it good at Dave ?? I think it's not so great on the field..

Teddy

 

[Onebadhawk]

Yeah,, I remember hearing that when I was out at MWP..
Your much better off with Verizon,, the others are hit or miss...

Yep,, dats a good point Low...

Teddy

 

[terryg]

Verizon has always been better at any field I have used. I have a pay as you go Verizon LG smartphone that I got on sale at Best Buy for $39 that is the best phone I have ever had.

 

[DavidMcCann]

Ted- both launch sites we park at I get coverage. Usually at the pads too.

 

[JJSR]

Excellent thread idea Ted,
I'd have too say here in North Jersey (no surprise) we have good service across the board.

 

[markkoelsch]

I have Sprint. I get pretty good signal at Bong. Conversely, at Princeton it is not good at all.

 

[MClark]

Verizon is the only service at Black Rock, we even get text and data at the BALLS launch site!
There is some good coming from Burningman.

M

 

[FMarvinS]

Hi Teddy,

I use T mobile and the coverage at the ICBM field and surrounding area in/near Camden, S.C. is pretty good. I buy my "open" phones at Apple and they can be used with any service (just need to change micro SD card. There is unlimited usage without additional charges unlike its competition. However, after a certain amount of usage the speed reverts to 2G from 4G. By using your own phone without contracts you can switch service providers as desired. The yearly cost of "free phone" with a 2 year contract is significantly higher than your upfront purchase of a phone (either iphone or andriod) and subsequent non-contracted service. Most non-contracted service is$40 to $50 per month per phone. Verizon charges $150 for 3 lines with a limit of 22 gigs; however, there is also an additional $60 charge.

Rewgards,
Fred
L2, ICBM, S.C.
KG4YGP

 

[3stoogesrocketry]

I dropped all contracts 2 years ago. I am now a straight talk fan. They use Verizon towers . I have yet to find a place where I don't have service . My data plan consists of 10g data unlimited for 50 a month . No contracts , no need to pay if your not using it.

 

[chrisudy]

AT&T works fine on my iPhone in Geneseo. I had a non-rocketry friend switch from Verizon to Sprint to save money. Great idea until he found out that he gets no sprint service in his house...

 

[jimzcatz]

I have Sprint Note , I had LTE at Potter for LDRS. I had the Note 3 then. Note 7 now should be fine.

 

[Onebadhawk]

Hi Teddy,

I use T mobile and the coverage at the ICBM field and surrounding area in/near Camden, S.C. is pretty good. I buy my "open" phones at Apple and they can be used with any service (just need to change micro SD card. There is unlimited usage without additional charges unlike its competition. However, after a certain amount of usage the speed reverts to 2G from 4G. By using your own phone without contracts you can switch service providers as desired. The yearly cost of "free phone" with a 2 year contract is significantly higher than your upfront purchase of a phone (either iphone or andriod) and subsequent non-contracted service. Most non-contracted service is$40 to $50 per month per phone. Verizon charges $150 for 3 lines with a limit of 22 gigs; however, there is also an additional $60 charge.

Rewgards,
Fred
L2, ICBM, S.C.
KG4YGP

This is very interesting..
I do know and understand that providers of even "unlimited" service throttle you back when your usage gets too high,,
my wife and I never have that problem, we're not heavy users.. The most we use is when we're at a launch and we're using that Jet pack..
The Micro SD card change,, I remember years ago if you bought a phone for one service it wouldn't work on another service..
I particularly remember this with Sprint and Verizon,, is this still the case,, or do all cell phones work on all networks now ??
We're at $150 for the 4 lines now,, my wife is saying that's not that bad, I think she may be right,,
though when you first switch over I'm sure you'll get some substantial incentives that'll reduce your bill significantly..
Last, the up front purchase of a phone can hurt,, I'm big on saving a few bucks where I can
but spreading out the cost of a phone over 24 months can be appealing..

Excellent thread idea Ted,
I'd have too say here in North Jersey (no surprise) we have good service across the board.

Heyy,, how are you Joe ??
Yeah,, thanks man,, I thought the same thing,,
this thread can be quite useful for many across the board...

I have Sprint. I get pretty good signal at Bong. Conversely, at Princeton it is not good at all.

Yeah Mark,, When I was at MWP I heard the same from a few,, no service from Sprint,, Verizon good / no probs though..

I dropped all contracts 2 years ago. I am now a straight talk fan. They use Verizon towers . I have yet to find a place where I don't have service . My data plan consists of 10g data unlimited for 50 a month . No contracts , no need to pay if your not using it.

Now how do ya like that,, lol..
This is having your cake and eating it too,, lol..
I don't get though-- 10g data unlimited-- 10g or unlimited ??
But no matter, I don't think we'd use that much..
But at $50 / month / phone line I don't see a great savings over what I'm paying now...

AT&T works fine on my iPhone in Geneseo. I had a non-rocketry friend switch from Verizon to Sprint to save money. Great idea until he found out that he gets no sprint service in his house...

Oh man Chris,, have I heard this one before...
This is way too common of a story..
And what the heck are you supposed to do after you've signed a contract and get home and find this out...
My wife used to be on the Sprint network,, she liked it,, said it was pretty reliable...

I have Sprint Note , I had LTE at Potter for LDRS. I had the Note 3 then. Note 7 now should be fine.

Wow Jim,, me too,, I have a Note 3,, I guess it's 4 or 5 years old now and getting pretty linky,, lol..
Heyy,, hows the field at Culpepper ?? That's another one I have always wanted to make a launch at...
That and the South Carolina field...

Teddy

 

[Marc_G]

The main contribution I have to this thread is DON'T waste money on a shiny brand new phone just because your current phone is getting sketchy. Go to swappa.com and get a "good" or "mint" condition phone there for a lot less than a brand new phone. Most of my phones in the last three years or so have been bought there. I get phones that are one year past launch and they cost half of what the latest and greatest cost. Of course Android phones depreciate faster than iPhones, so are a better value there (as everywhere). I don't recall if you said which flavor of phone you carry so I can't get more specific.

As far as networks, it's all about where you are. For me, in the Indianapolis area, ATT is marginally better than Verizon was, out and about. Definitely it's better in my home. The capper that made me switch was that in the building where I work, it's like a Faraday cage, but there are ATT repeaters so we get signal for ATT. No other carrier works well in there, so it was a no-brainer to switch.

Good luck!

 

[Steve Shannon]

Our launch site was cellphone challenged for years. Then I picked up a Wilson booster and all of a sudden I was not only able to place calls, but I was able to access the Internet.
Now Verizon has expanded their infrastructure and we get workable service even without the booster.


Steve Shannon

 

[Hobie1dog]

I dropped all contracts 2 years ago. I am now a straight talk fan. They use Verizon towers . I have yet to find a place where I don't have service . My data plan consists of 10g data unlimited for 50 a month . No contracts , no need to pay if your not using it.

First time I have heard of that, thanks. Now I need to find someone local who has it for confirmation that it works around here great.

 

[3stoogesrocketry]

First time I have heard of that, thanks. Now I need to find someone local who has it for confirmation that it works around here great.

Go to your local wallyworld for more info or visit straighttalk.com The phones start at 10 dollars and go up in price/style . I like it because there is zero commitment . 10 gigs data , unlimited calls / texts . Runs at 4g LTE . If you decide you don't want / need your service for up to one year they save your number . To reactivate you simply pay for a months service.

Eric

 

[Hobie1dog]

Go to your local wallyworld for more info or visit straighttalk.com The phones start at 10 dollars and go up in price/style . I like it because there is zero commitment . 10 gigs data , unlimited calls / texts . Runs at 4g LTE . If you decide you don't want / need your service for up to one year they save your number . To reactivate you simply pay for a months service.

Eric

I have a iPhone 6S currently.

 

[FMarvinS]

Hi Teddy,

As a follow up to my recent post. If you "google" cost of cell phone in 2 year contract vs. use of own phone without contract-you'll find several sites that show savings per cell carrier. If you purchase either a new or used phone that is "unlocked"-then most will be usable on most networks. However, if you try a committed Verizon phone on other networks-it is hit & miss. My family always acquires unlocked phones for the freedom & versatility offered.

Good luck,
Fred

 

[ksaves2]

Ummmmm, I use a phone to rarely talk on. I know some really need 'em. Got a Go Phone (AT&T) and spent $100.00 for 10 cents a minute plan and it's good for a year. I don't message or cruise the internet on a phone. Screen is too teeny-tiny for me.
I figure I pay $8.33 a month to have access to a cellphone. Not bad. The leftovers get rolled over too when I renew. AT&T have a $500.00 limit and I never burn up the $100.00. I just but a few bucks in to get it back to $500.00 and they give me another year.

I did spring for a Blu Studio G Plus because it was about $40.00. Got it rooted without bricking it and lament there is no stock ROM available online (in case I would ever brick it) nor is there a Cyanogenmod ROM available for it. I always like the
ability to restore a device before messing with it too much. The Nexus 6P is supposed to be the best in this regard but too pricey for my taste. Kurt

 

[Onebadhawk]

Our launch site was cellphone challenged for years. Then I picked up a Wilson booster and all of a sudden I was not only able to place calls, but I was able to access the Internet.
Now Verizon has expanded their infrastructure and we get workable service even without the booster.


Steve Shannon

Ya know,, that rings a bell..
I remember hearing about those boosters..
And it was positive,,
but outdoors ?? at the field ?? and it worked well ??
That's really great to hear...

I dropped all contracts 2 years ago. I am now a straight talk fan. They use Verizon towers . I have yet to find a place where I don't have service . My data plan consists of 10g data unlimited for 50 a month . No contracts , no need to pay if your not using it.

I spoke to a Verizon rep the other day,,
I asked about pricing of the phone with a 2 year contract,,
I was quite surprised when she said Verizon doesn't do contracts anymore..
Must be the direction the industry is taking..
They just charge you per month for the new phone..

Hi Teddy,

As a follow up to my recent post. If you "google" cost of cell phone in 2 year contract vs. use of own phone without contract-you'll find several sites that show savings per cell carrier. If you purchase either a new or used phone that is "unlocked"-then most will be usable on most networks. However, if you try a committed Verizon phone on other networks-it is hit & miss. My family always acquires unlocked phones for the freedom & versatility offered.

Good luck,
Fred

This is actually important to me..
I do like the idea that I'm not locked in to whatever I choose..
There's one problem,,
I'm interested in switching over to the dark side,,
this'll be a big change for me..
OK,, I'm going to type it,,
I'd like to try an iphone,,
whew,, ok,, there,, I said it..lol..
This phone is expensive,,
I was told I can buy it unlocked at any apple store..
If I buy it through Verizon it's locked to that system ?? and it won't work on another cellular provider's network ??
But if I buy it through Verizon I pay monthly,, like $15 or $20..
That's a whole lot easier then buying it outright all at once..

Teddy

 

[Lowpuller]

Teddy,

Do it, you will love it.

Go Verizon, you know it's gonna get the best reception and the up front cost hurt a lot less!!

 

[Bat-mite]

100% coverage on Sprint at MDRA fields. I was at Potter about 2.5 years ago, and I did not have coverage as I got closer to the field.

 

[cerving]

I can't help you with coverage in NJ, but I can tell you definitively that Verizon's coverage is far and away the best in remote areas. I haven't been to Black Rock yet (you probably need a satellite phone there!), but every other place I've ever been to (and that includes Eagle Eye) has had coverage with Verizon. At my day job, we use Verizon because we have to support technicians going out into rural farmland areas in Central California... Sprint does not work, AT&T is sketchy, and Verizon always works.

If you have a Verizon phone already, you CAN get an upgrade on a 2-year contract, but not at the Verizon stores. You have to go to Best Buy or Walmart, and you want to specifically ask for the 2-year contract price. You can get something like an iPhone SE for essentially nothing, just the cost of the sales tax (in CA, at least) and the $35 upgrade fee, which they'll put on your bill.

 

[mccordmw]

I have Sprint. I've had good coverage at:

Addieville, IL (STL Rocketry launch)
Princeton, IL (MWP launch)

No coverage at:

Walnut Grove, MO (NARAM launch)

 

[mccordmw]

Ooh. Wouldn't it be nice if launches (especially big ones like MWP) included service connection info with their launch info? Especially relevant when some people use GPS systems that need a cell signal.