[pct-l] cell phone/internet coverage and apps for Windows phone

[Rob Flynn]

Verizon is definitely better than AT&T overall.  There are areas where AT&T 
equals Verizon, and even some few places where it is better, but the 
majority of the time Verizon is better, especially the further north you go.

As for Windows Phone, the only map app that allows for offline topo usage, 
that I've found, is "Outdoor Navigation".  It allows you to preload maps 
from a variety of services.  You should choose Google Map Terrain, and then 
you have to manually drag a box around the area you want to download.  What 
I did was select the entire area around the PCT (California, Oregon, 
Washington) and choose the Low map setting, just to have a low-res overview 
of the entire region.  Then I chose smaller areas around the PCT in more 
exact detail, and downloaded those at the Medium setting.  Don't choose 
High, it offers no benefit over Medium (it does with other map types, but 
not Google Map Terrain).  Do this downloading over WiFi so you don't use 
your data plan.  It might take a few days, as the downloading can be quite 
slow, even over a fast connection.  Also, first go into the app settings and 
turn on the Keep Alive setting, so the WiFi connection will stay active. 
And keep your phone plugged in, because this will use a lot of battery 
otherwise.

Unfortunately I don't think there is currently any way to download 
Halfmile's waypoints and track data into the app, but it wasn’t that big a 
deal, as I only ever used the app maybe 15-20 times total, just to make sure 
I had taken the right turn from an intersection.  I carried Halfmile's maps 
in paper form, which I checked often at intersections and generally was able 
to determine where to go from that.  A few times the app did come in handy, 
and probably prevented me from adding miles going off the PCT on some random 
road/trail.  I just compared my position in the app to the paper map, and 
was able to accurately determine where I was and where to go.

Good luck!

InsGadget