What cell phone compnay has the best coverage in the MA/RI areas when boating? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Mr. Sandman · 10-15-2003, 01:44 PM

I have celleular and it kinds sucks. which do you like?

likwid · 10-15-2003, 02:11 PM

cell reception from the west end of naushon to cuttyhunk to westport harbor almost down to sakkonet is non-existant

and i've tried this on 4 different phones/services

UserRemoved1 · 10-15-2003, 03:16 PM

Verizon has best coverage on water by far, and if you got no service around Naushon/cuttyhunk you better buy a new fone cuz mine works great!

Rip Runner · 10-15-2003, 03:24 PM

Sandman where you fish, don't bother with Sprint, in fact where anyone fishes, don't bother with Sprint! I would go as far to say that Sprint has the worst coverage in NE than any other major carrier.

Mr. Sandman · 10-15-2003, 03:28 PM

I had sprit...switched to cellular but that ain't much better in terms of coverage.

I need to good local coverage...this hello? hello? are you there? crap is a pain in the butt.

likwid · 10-15-2003, 03:33 PM

In Cuttyhunk harbor I've never had a signal, but it clears up if you go atop the hill.... And yes, I'm on Verizon right now :P

UserRemoved1 · 10-15-2003, 03:38 PM

If you got no sig there then you got cheap fone. Sorry to say but if you spend the moola and get a decent fone it will work fine for you....this is my main business...plugs don't put food in my fat belly

Ask Bigcat....he just changed carriers and went with the $39 special....he was complaining about crappy calls etc and I told him what to do....get a better fone. He did and couldn't believe the diff he got....Most of the stuff on the market is cheap garbage....you get what you pay for.....more $$$ means better filtering, better rx front ends etc....translates to better call clarity.

UserRemoved1 · 10-15-2003, 03:39 PM

btw, that post wasn't meant to put you or anyone else down either, don't take it that way.....this is what I do for a day job. At my last job before I went out on my own I was responsible for 286 radio sites in New England......All of which got rolled into Nextsmell....and I went out on my own.

likwid · 10-15-2003, 03:51 PM

Personally I'm not worried about cellphone coverage on the islands...

Boat has both vhf and SSB.

Not sure what I'm gonna get for my next cell...
Any thoughts on the nextel like Verizon phone they have now?

UserRemoved1 · 10-15-2003, 03:56 PM

honestly? It stinks. Audio sounds crummy, too slow...and more.

likwid · 10-15-2003, 04:05 PM

I had a Nextel for a while and really loved the walkie talkie function it had.... was handy while running around

But Nextel's network blows chunks

Fly Rod · 10-15-2003, 04:44 PM

I don't know about down your way but CINGULAR IS THE BEST UP AROUND GLOUCESTER ,MASS.

When I was looking it took me a month to decide which company to go with. CINGULAR HAS THE MOST TOWERS.

My wife went to AT&T she can't use her cell phone in the house and I can with CINGULAR.

BUT ! ! remember there still are dead spots no matter who you go with.

And !!! cell phones aren't a reliable souce with the COAST GUARD. They still say to use # 16 on the vhf. Also you may want to put your cell phone in a zip lock just in case you end up in the water.

Fly Rod · 10-15-2003, 04:58 PM

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& !!

I'm not knockin ya, but no phone is cheap!!!

The $ 39.00 dollar phone is only an introductory offer , only.
That same phone becomes a $139.00 phone if you damage it with moisture. You being in the bussiness know that the one year warranty SUCKS !!!!

Caught a 43 " striper on fly rod a year ago in September. bought the phone a year ago July. Called a friend of mine when fish was caught,went to put $39.00 phone back on belt, fell in water, that $39.00 phone same type phone cost me $139.00 to replace.

Van · 10-15-2003, 05:05 PM

Sandman,
ATT in my area.

As for damage to the phone, I bought the insurance for 2.99 a month.

Phone replaced with newer model FREE !!!!!!
Just tell them it was lost (not damaged)..
Its not a warranty..

UserRemoved1 · 10-15-2003, 05:06 PM

All phones are subsidized when sold new...it was started way back when the cell carriers were trying anything possible to attract people to their networks.
A $139 fone is a cheap fone....trust me on that one. You can't expect quality receiver filtering etc with a $139 fone. You can't even expect it for a $200 fone....You have to get into the $300 price range to get a decent fone with quality components. It's like the old adage says....you get what you pay for....

UserRemoved1 · 10-15-2003, 05:09 PM

yep! I second insurance. WELL worth it...I've had to have mine replaced twice...once to a puddle and once off a 7 story roof

Mr. Sandman · 10-15-2003, 06:11 PM

salty..
exactly what phone do you like? I have been buying cheaper phones to use on the boat (i mount mine externally right next to the vhf radio and consider them disposable) and my wife has the high end model($350 )...neither one gets much signal stength in menemsha harbor .
No matter how much $ you spend on a phone, if the coverage sucks where you are...you ain't going to get connected. I went to Verizon website to check coverage...
http://www.verizonwireless.com/ics/p...egory_id=20725

nextel looks like this:

http://nextel.com/cgi-bin/localMarke...i?market=mkt27

cingular: (I have this now)

http://onlinestore.cingular.com/weba...home_ma_ri.htm

sprint:
http://www.pacwireless.biz/images/spcs_boston.gif

There is some white near the western part of the vineyard and I am assuming that means poor coverage in the sound near the islands and offshore as well. But I will take your word on it...

I bought cingular because someone said it was better then sprint (my previous co).

Do you get a signal when you are fishing Nomans and Cuttyhunk?

(My sprint phone NEVER worked on B.I. the company told me each year that by the following year the entire state of RI would be covered including BI...when I left it still wasn't.

I think the problem is they need a few more cell towers ...one on cuttyhunk and one on nomans...that would cover us!

likwid · 10-15-2003, 06:53 PM

NO TOWERS ON CUTTYHUNK

Freaking yuppies are ruining it enough with more construction...

UserRemoved1 · 10-15-2003, 07:15 PM

For the best bang/buck the Motorola T720/30 series is as good as it gets....I dunno on the others as I have been CDMA digital for like 7 years now and won't look back. Better call clarity, better audio etc. I only lose signal on the sw/s side of Nomans. Everyplace else has good coverage.

ScottM · 10-16-2003, 12:58 PM

Sandman,
I've found Verizon to work the best on MV in general, with little to no reception in Menemsha/Lobsterville. I've got the LG VX4400 ($150?) and it works great. I get decent reception around Nomans - at least 2 bars, but Cuttyhunk nothing.

Raider Ronnie · 01-25-2005, 08:38 PM

If you want reception on the water nothing beats the old Motorola bag phones over the newer cell phones!!!

Goose · 01-25-2005, 10:52 PM

I usualy get good reception on cutty with nextel can't say that off the boat around cutty.

quick decision · 01-26-2005, 08:20 AM

I use Nextell for work so threfore its the coverage I USE ON THE WATER. I use it with mixes results. I went fishing on Stellwagon last summer and my buddies had verison and cingular and no ones phone worked.

Bronko · 01-26-2005, 08:38 AM

Sandman, I have had a couple of different carriers over the last few years. Verizon's network is the best. I am not a big fan of the company as I have had a horrible time with my business account. But, I will give them credit. Their cellular service is pretty darn good. Works great on the islands on all the sand I have walked. Hope this helps.

beamie · 01-26-2005, 10:06 AM

Hey Raider Ronnie,

I have a brand new bag type phone in my man cave just yelling at me to put it on the boat. The only down side is that it is analog and eventually you probably won't be able to use it at all. And I think they are hard to find people now that know how to program it since it is maybe 12 years old which is ancient in this field.

Have any of you guys checked out a site called www.alternativewireless.com They have external antennas and booster signal amplifiers for almost every phone. Though they are not cheap. Sounds like it would be the ticket for good coverage out on the bank.

Jon

MakoMike · 01-26-2005, 11:44 AM

If you really wan service anywhere on the water get a sat phone. Not cheap. We were trying to put together a group buy over on Noreast.com and the best prices I could get on the phone itself was around $500, but the serice is $40 a month for 40 minutes and you can't turn it off during the winter without paying a $100 service fee.

Currently I'm using t-mobile cell service with an old Nokia phone ( I don't know the model number) But I get good service all around RI sound and over to Montauk. Get 20 miles off and nothing.

Good N You · 01-31-2005, 01:29 PM

I have sprint. It kind of sucks on land in Dennis, Harwich and Chatham, and probably many other towns. Out on the water I get service east of Chatham for 20 miles. CC bay is fine also. There must be a tower near the water on the east side of the cape.

Bass Babe · 02-01-2005, 02:05 PM

Not enough bad things have been said about Nextel. Walkie talkies be damned, it always sounds like you're talking to R2D2 when you're trying to call someone from the water, and that's when it works at all. I would rely on my VHF for emergencies, write people letters while out on the water, then mail them when I get in. That's probably more reliable than any cell phone.

179 · 02-01-2005, 02:39 PM

I use Verizon and I have always had signal coverage even while fishing offshore spots like Acid Barge and Mud Hole.

macojoe · 02-04-2005, 07:03 PM

I have Cinglaur and it seems fine for the most part. I fish all around the Vinyard and all gets out well except Luca and that area.