[pct-l] Cell phones

[kdpo at pacbell.net (Ken Powers)]

We have an old phone and Verizon service. I keep thinking about joining the
new age, especially when my kids call and say "This is 1970 calling and we
want you phone back." Since they both have Sprint they want us to convert to
Sprint.

Recently I saw a survey about which service provider gave the best service.
Verizon was listed as the best service provide, but it still had lots of
complaints about coverage and service. That kept me at Verizon for a while
longer. After reading the comments in this thread maybe the old phone will
stay around a while longer.

My comments in an earlier post were along the lines of some of the recent
posts about spotty service. I still think the farther you are from town the
worse service you can expect. Don't tell me about looking down on Telluride
or Palm Springs. :) Let me tell you about the parking lot of the US Post
Office in Lima, Montana. No service, period. The post mistress informed us
there was no coverage in the entire valley (along I-15). Our scout troop
found no service in Lake Chabot Park about 5 miles from Oakland, Ca. - it
has hills on both sides of the camping area. When people ask if we carry a
cell phone on our hikes, I have been telling them that cell phone service is
spotty at best in the back country. When this thread started I hoped that
maybe the service was getting better, but I don't think so now.

Ken
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "chris G" <chgeth@yahoo.de>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2004 1:34 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Cell phones


> Being from Germany I have some questions about cell
> phones in the US.
> Apparantly I need a new cell phone for the US because
> you  use triband ones that are not common in Europe.
> When I buy a new cell phone in the US what provider
> should I use for best net coverage and reception?
> Will I generally have good reception on the trail or
> are there a lot of "white spots"?
> And if an emergency happens, whom do I call? Just 911
> or is there a special number for mountain rescue?
> Thank you,
> Christine
>
>
>
>
> Mit sch?nen Gr??en von Yahoo! Mail - http://mail.yahoo.de
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