Best cell phone/plan for pilots

Year 2006 version

I am wondering what is the best plan for getting coverage at the many
rural locations we fly into? Right now I have a Verizon plan and a
CDM8900 phone. It has analog roaming, which seems to do pretty well.
Among the rural locations I have gotten service at are Greenville Maine
and LaMalbaie (Charlevoix), Quebec (although I dont remember actually
if it was analog or digital reception at these locations)

The problem is that my current phone is getting close to needing
replacement (cracked display etc) but Verizon offers primarily
all-digital phones. What are other peoples' experience with reception
at rural airports and towns? Do you end up in lots of places that are
still only analog service, or is that rare these days?

thanks

Marc

On 10 May 2006 22:02:22 -0700, "marc" wrote:

Among the rural locations I have gotten service at are Greenville Maine

I can testify that I did *not* get cellphone reception at Greenville!

I think most of those who did had Verizon.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
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In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

My family and I have been through most of the cellular companies, and the
one thing they have in common is poor coverage in remote places. In our
experience Verizon is the least bad...decent coverage throughout the US.

Rod

"marc" wrote in message
ups.com...
Year 2006 version

I am wondering what is the best plan for getting coverage at the many
rural locations we fly into? Right now I have a Verizon plan and a
CDM8900 phone. It has analog roaming, which seems to do pretty well.
Among the rural locations I have gotten service at are Greenville Maine
and LaMalbaie (Charlevoix), Quebec (although I dont remember actually
if it was analog or digital reception at these locations)

The problem is that my current phone is getting close to needing
replacement (cracked display etc) but Verizon offers primarily
all-digital phones. What are other peoples' experience with reception
at rural airports and towns? Do you end up in lots of places that are
still only analog service, or is that rare these days?

thanks

Marc

"marc" wrote in message
ups.com...
Year 2006 version

I am wondering what is the best plan for getting coverage at the many
rural locations we fly into? Right now I have a Verizon plan and a
CDM8900 phone. It has analog roaming, which seems to do pretty well.
Among the rural locations I have gotten service at are Greenville Maine
and LaMalbaie (Charlevoix), Quebec (although I dont remember actually
if it was analog or digital reception at these locations)

The problem is that my current phone is getting close to needing
replacement (cracked display etc) but Verizon offers primarily
all-digital phones. What are other peoples' experience with reception
at rural airports and towns? Do you end up in lots of places that are
still only analog service, or is that rare these days?

Hi Marc,

I just renewed my contract with Cingular for the third time. I pay a
couple extra bucks for the nationwide no-toll, no-roaming, rollover-minutes
plan, and an additional number for the wife. I have yet to find an airport
where I was not able to activate or cancel a flight plan or call FSS. I now
make all my personal and business long distance calls, home or away on the
'cell.'


Go Fly!

Casey Wilson
Freelance Writer
and Photographer

Followup, I've got a corporate pilot friend who's looking for a phone
rec (any service provider) that he can get good weather maps on. I
think he wants more than the tiny radar GIFs, any suggestions? He's
not rich, so no $800 phones.

Treo? Blackberry? What're you guys using?

Ben Hallert
PP-ASEL

If you want coverage in the boonies, you need a satellite phone. There
are two providers. The units are bulky and the time is expensive. It
doesn't replace a cell phone. Basically you just buy it and keep it in
the plane for emergencies. But it works ANYWHERE there is a view of the
sky. One of the services has a northerly limit, but it is north of the
artic circle. The other even works at the north pole (south pole too).

Cell phone coverage varies a bit from area to area, some companies are
stronger in some locations. AT&T used to have the best coverage,
Verizon seems to be the best now, but check the coverage in the areas
where YOU fly.

Ben Hallert wrote:

Followup, I've got a corporate pilot friend who's looking for a phone
rec (any service provider) that he can get good weather maps on. I
think he wants more than the tiny radar GIFs, any suggestions? He's
not rich, so no $800 phones.

Treo? Blackberry? What're you guys using?

I have a Treo 600 right now. The resolution of the screen isn't good
enough for weather maps. The 650 has twice the resolution and would be
really good for that. My next phone will be Windows based. I like the
Treo's but the screen is too small. I have decided on the Verizon
XV6700. It has the bigger screen and runs Windows Mobile 5. I have WM5
on my Dell Axim and like it.

On 10 May 2006 22:02:22 -0700, "marc" wrote in
. com::

It has analog roaming, which seems to do pretty well.

It's tough to find a provider that currently offers analog cellular
phones, so it may be worthwhile to keep the one you have.

A while ago I flew into Lincoln County, Nevada (1L1)* located near
Panaca, and camped about 10 miles west of the airport. I was out in
the middle of the desert a long way from civilization, and didn't
expect to get cell service, but Sprint let me call home through analog
roaming.


* http://www.airnav.com/airport/1L1

Larry Dighera wrote:
On 10 May 2006 22:02:22 -0700, "marc" wrote in
. com::

It has analog roaming, which seems to do pretty well.

It's tough to find a provider that currently offers analog cellular
phones, so it may be worthwhile to keep the one you have.

In some areas, it's getting tough to get an analog channel.

marc wrote:
Year 2006 version

I am wondering what is the best plan for getting coverage at the many
rural locations we fly into? Right now I have a Verizon plan and a

Marc

I use a Tracphone and it appears to piggyback upon whatever service is
available. So if anybody has service, it has service.I fly out of
small and rural airports and have yet to fail to get a signal.

I do send mostly text messages. That's convienent because you can key
in "Leaving Potosi" or "Arriving Cross City" and then transmit just
before I take off or soon after I land. Keeps my wife informed (my
version of flight following.)

John Hudson Tiner