Cell coverage for favorite riding areas

[Joliet 0]

It's time to upgrade phones and I am wondering what service has the best coverage where you usually ride?

I am currently using Sprint and it seems ok, but i am wondering if there is something better. Also what is your favorite, durable make and model of phone. Thanks, Ken

[SCHWINN 0]

verizon has had the best coverage for me.

[bikeslut 1]

When we "did" the Phantom Trail II, my Blackberry with Nextel service was the only cell phone with coverage, if i remember correctly... For all my time spent crashing, I am fairly easy on phones... I have only had to replace my blackberries for upgrades and lost units (Chicago taxi cab)

I currently have cingular, and I think that applies to the quantity of locations where I can get coverage

It's terrible... ANY wall blocks the signal... and underpasses... and passing trucks. I investigated costs to improve reception in my office... $3000 for a "repeater" or antenna... I forget exactly what it was...

[slosher 0]

I use att. I have ridden alpine to Ocotillo Walls. When I was lost and had to get towed out the gps in my BB gave the 911 operator my exact location.

[dirt dame 561]

I currently have cingular, and I think that applies to the quantity of locations where I can get coverage

I used to have Cingular and I had coverage everywhere, but I also had an old Nokia that had old technology. They finally phased out that service a couple of years ago and I had to upgrade. I have Verizon now and I don't get doodly squat with it. No more calls from the desert or the bottom of a canyon or the middle of Lake Morena, etc. If I ever get any money, I am going to get a satellite phone. Then I can call people from all over, including Troy Meadows.

[Yeti 0]

I currently have cingular, and I think that applies to the quantity of locations where I can get coverage

I used to have Cingular and I had coverage everywhere, but I also had an old Nokia that had old technology. They finally phased out that service a couple of years ago and I had to upgrade. I have Verizon now and I don't get doodly squat with it. No more calls from the desert or the bottom of a canyon or the middle of Lake Morena, etc. If I ever get any money, I am going to get a satellite phone. Then I can call people from all over, including Troy Meadows.

Huh, I get great coverage with Verizon. I suspect a lot of has to do with which phone you have. Both my Motorola Q and LG Voyager get great coverage.

[PastaPilot 17]

If you go to the T-mobile website you can see where the coverage is right down to street level detail. I've also been the only one with a working phone on a few rides. And I must say the customer service is really good. To prove a point my girlfriend is a Sprint customer and hung up on her cust service after spending 10 minutes on hold. I told her I could talk to a human within 1 minute and sure enough I did it in 1 min 7 secs!

good luck with whichever you choose Ken. All I can say is I'd avoid Sprint. Everything else seems good.

[dirt dame 561]

Huh, I get great coverage with Verizon. I suspect a lot of has to do with which phone you have. Both my Motorola Q and LG Voyager get great coverage.

My phone is an LG. Not sure what model. It doesn't have it written on it anywhere. It's a couple years old, and people have remarked that it's a good one. I'm not into all the technology of electronic and computerized gadgets. My big deal is motorcycles.

[bluefin2na 0]

Verizon is great in and around Coral canyon, morena area, campo. Stops right at hwy8 and buckman springs turn off, then picks up again after the bridge crossing.

NEXTEL is best, radio com has no problems even deep into mexico to panama, its open all the way