Cell phone in mountains

[chuck botts]

To Chuck 78 Eleganza II, Lompac, Ca. Cell phone in mountains suggestion

We kept our old 3W cell phone for travel. We connect when others have
trouble. On one trip three years ago, we kept the phone on from San Diego
to the Canadian and it only dropped out once in northern CA going from US1
to US5 through the mountain passes on our way towards Grants pass. Each
time we came up out of the gorges, it reconnected. At one time, they used
to sell a booster to raise the current .3W hand held phones to the old 3W
standard. Booster was in the trunk. 3W power next to the head was
questionable.

Chuck San Diego, Ca.

 

[chuck will]

Thanks< is that what they refer to as a bag phone? or is it permanently part
of the vehicle? Do they still make them? Where would one look for one of
these? Thanks Chuck

> To Chuck 78 Eleganza II, Lompac, Ca. Cell phone in mountains suggestion
>
> We kept our old 3W cell phone for travel. We connect when others have
> trouble. On one trip three years ago, we kept the phone on from San Diego
> to the Canadian and it only dropped out once in northern CA going from US1
> to US5 through the mountain passes on our way towards Grants pass. Each
> time we came up out of the gorges, it reconnected. At one time, they used
> to sell a booster to raise the current .3W hand held phones to the old 3W
> standard. Booster was in the trunk. 3W power next to the head was
> questionable.
>
> Chuck San Diego, Ca.

 

[gary thurlow]

Chuck and whoever -

Go to flea markets and garage sales for the best deals on old cellular
"bag" phones. I picked one up for $5.00, activated for $25 but not "used".
By that I mean it was ready to use but had no service contract for
airtime. I carry it for emergency only. If you hit "0" or "911", you
still get connected. No monthly service charge. Best of everything, IMHO.

>Thanks< is that what they refer to as a bag phone? or is it permanently part
>of the vehicle? Do they still make them? Where would one look for one of
>these? Thanks Chuck
>

>> We kept our old 3W cell phone for travel. We connect when others have
>> trouble. On one trip three years ago, we kept the phone on from San Diego
>> to the Canadian and it only dropped out once in northern CA going from US1

- ----------------------------------'
Gary Thurlow
email to thurlow
St. Louis, MO
- ----------------------------------'

 

[chuck will]

I have two CB antennas, a radio antenna and an alarm for theft antenna. No Cell
Phone Antenna. I have tried the Nokia and another brand. I don't know how one
would hook either to an exterior antenna. I would like to have one if it would
work. Thanks Chuck

> Chuck
>
> Do you have an external antenna? I have a high gain antenna on my present
> motorhome. I got the same one our local paramedics use. I have very
> seldom seen it drop out. Everybody keeps asking -- am I really on my
> cell phone? The voice guality is very very good.
>
> Take Care
> Arch 76 GB IL
>
> > to the Canadian and it only dropped out once in northern CA going from US1
> > to US5 through the mountain passes on our way towards Grants pass. Each
> > time we came up out of the gorges, it reconnected. At one time, they used
> > to sell a booster to raise the current .3W hand held phones to the old 3W
> > standard. Booster was in the trunk. 3W power next to the head was
> > questionable.
> >
> > Chuck San Diego, Ca.
> >
> >

 

[chuck will]

Thanks, I will start looking. Chuck

> Chuck and whoever -
>
> Go to flea markets and garage sales for the best deals on old cellular
> "bag" phones. I picked one up for $5.00, activated for $25 but not "used".
> By that I mean it was ready to use but had no service contract for
> airtime. I carry it for emergency only. If you hit "0" or "911", you
> still get connected. No monthly service charge. Best of everything, IMHO.
>

> >Thanks< is that what they refer to as a bag phone? or is it permanently part
> >of the vehicle? Do they still make them? Where would one look for one of
> >these? Thanks Chuck
> >

> >> We kept our old 3W cell phone for travel. We connect when others have
> >> trouble. On one trip three years ago, we kept the phone on from San Diego
> >> to the Canadian and it only dropped out once in northern CA going from US1
>
> ----------------------------------'
> Gary Thurlow
> email to thurlow
> St. Louis, MO
> ----------------------------------'

 

[chuck will]

Good News is inevitable from this wonderful Net. Thanks chuck

> In a message dated 10/28/98 12:02:49 PM Central Standard Time,

>
> Thanks< is that what they refer to as a bag phone? or is it permanently part
> of the vehicle? Do they still make them? Where would one look for one of
> these? Thanks Chuck
> >>
> I had a bag phone (permanently installed) in my car for about 5 years. When I
> went to the hand held cellular phone, I commented about the problem service in
> out of the way places. Bag phone is more powerful than the hand held. The
> AT&T man said no problem. When he gave me my new cellular number, he also
> programed it into the bag phone with instructions that if I wanted to use the
> bag phone on a trip, to come in and they would activate it in about a minute
> and deactivate the hand held phone. Trip over, reverse procedure. No charge.
> Justin

 

[heinz wittenbecher]

FWIW: I use a Nokia 232 with the 3watt booster and tele-adapter. When in the
rig it's 3 watts and external antenna. In shirt pocket it's just another
pocket phone.

With ref to bagphones. The Motorola works great. Easy to connect external
antenna and rj11 adapter is also slick. I used one before I did the current
Nokia setup.

Heinz
'76 Transmode

>I have two CB antennas, a radio antenna and an alarm for theft antenna. No
Cell
>Phone Antenna. I have tried the Nokia and another brand. I don't know how
one
>would hook either to an exterior antenna. I would like to have one if it
would
>work. Thanks Chuck
>
>

>
>> Chuck
>>
>> Do you have an external antenna? I have a high gain antenna on my present
>> motorhome. I got the same one our local paramedics use. I have very
>> seldom seen it drop out. Everybody keeps asking -- am I really on my
>> cell phone? The voice guality is very very good.
>>
>> Take Care
>> Arch 76 GB IL
>>
>> > to the Canadian and it only dropped out once in northern CA going from
US1
>> > to US5 through the mountain passes on our way towards Grants pass.
Each
>> > time we came up out of the gorges, it reconnected. At one time, they
used
>> > to sell a booster to raise the current .3W hand held phones to the old
3W
>> > standard. Booster was in the trunk. 3W power next to the head was
>> > questionable.
>> >
>> > Chuck San Diego, Ca.
>> >
>> >
>
>
>

 

[heinz wittenbecher]

Another penny's worth:

This is just food for thought as I can't remember details/facts directly.

Most cell antennas claim a 3db gain while some claim 5. What I had not
realized until several cell folks told me is that the effective pattern is
very different in the two.

One is a horizontal pattern, i.e. flat-land and the other angles upward,
i.e. mountains (as most cell sites would be higher up). I can't vouch for
this 100%, which is why 'just food for thought' and I can't remember
which does what pattern.

I used to run with a 5db but I think my current one is 3db. It's kinda hard
to tell any difference unless you're local to the same area as new
cell-sites are going up all the time and coverage is getting better and
better.

Certainly no gaps encountered on my recent trip VR-Salt
Lake-Reno-Sacramento-Stockton-VR. The pain in the butt is trying to
determine boundaries and whether roaming is automatic or *18 needed. I chose
to stay with the wirecarrier (B channel) as I found early on that it was
much easier and cheaper to place LD calls while roaming with B. Probably
not a factor anymore.

This is just a tickler to bring awareness... I.e. I stand to be corrected
with the real facts .

Heinz
'76 Transmode