Cell phone reception

[IgoslowUgoaround]

hola foley
-waves-

i use a razor and t-mobile is my network... i am in the same boat with you in that if i was really in trouble my cellphone does NOT have a signal in places i would need help the most .... on the valley floor and about the first third up C2C i have great reception, but the rest of the way up nada... nadadamn thing even on the hike from the tram to the peak... i DID get one text message on the hike to the peak but the signal was soo infrequent as to be practically useless... i was unable to respond to the sender until i came down... i got a great deal though on minutes and messaging though so MOST of the time i am happy -shrugs-... if i spent a LOT of time in the wilderness i guess i would get a satellite phone...

[phydeux]

Be prepared for your backcountry reception ot get worse. Cell phone signals, like the television signals, will be chaning to all-digital in the next few years. Simply put, the digital signal takes up less bandwith, so more digital signals can be transmitted. The trade off is the digital is not as strong. Since most cell service is in/on/near population centers & major highways, cell companies probably aren't too concerned with the small fraction of persons using phones in the backcountry. PErsonally, I don't have a cell phone; I'm not that paranoid of the world around me, nor my abilities in the backcountry.

You might have to start relying on yourself and good judgement, good preparation, and assessment of the risks invovled on your intended route vs. your abilities (terrifying, isn't it! ).

[Hikin_Jim]

Dude, accidents happen. Even the best and smartest sometimes get a bad spin of the roulette wheel. A cell phone isn't a crutch (if used responsibly); it's a potential life saver. My dad had a kidney stone attack in the back country. Completely debilitating; unable to walk -- and my dad could deal with pain. Never saw it coming; he'd never had one before in his life. One of his party hiked to a spot with cell reception and got him 'vacked out. It happens to the best, brightest, and toughest -- which is not to say that there aren't tourons out there that go out with out a clue and dial 911 when they stub a toe.

[GDannyboy]

I've been with Cingular (Now AT&T) for many years now and just completed a hike to the 5K level on the C2C trail last weekend. I kept in touch with friends during my hike (I was hiking alone) and found, that as long as I had a line of sight to the desert floor, I got reception, so there was about twenty minutes, at most, that I couldn't call/text. This weekend I'm heading all the way to the top, so I'll have better information for you then.

Also, I just noticed that AT&T has installed and new Wi-Fi service at the top of the tram and at several other state parks (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23780), so I'm assuming that I'll have phone services there too.

Generally speaking, AT&T should have the best coverage in Southern California as they are formerly LA Cellular (AT&T Cellular), which was purchased by Cingular, now AT&T again.

When I lived in the San Bernardino Mtns (Lake Arrowhead), this was the situation, AT&T Mobile had the best reception, the Cingular, then Verizon. Last time I was up, which was after Cingular's (now AT&T) purchase of AT&T Mobile, my reception had inproved greatly.

That said, I'm holding off on getting the iPhone. AT&T will not allow you to carry cell phone insurance on the iPhone, something that I've always had on all my phones, which has helped me greatly when I've dropped a phone or when the software went tits up.

[phydeux]

Dude, accidents happen. Even the best and smartest sometimes get a bad spin of the roulette wheel. A cell phone isn't a crutch (if used responsibly); it's a potential life saver. My dad had a kidney stone attack in the back country. Completely debilitating; unable to walk -- and my dad could deal with pain. Never saw it coming; he'd never had one before in his life. One of his party hiked to a spot with cell reception and got him 'vacked out. It happens to the best, brightest, and toughest -- which is not to say that there aren't tourons out there that go out with out a clue and dial 911 when they stub a toe.

Yeah, I get the "20-20 hindsight" viewpoint all the time when I bring up persons dependance on cell phones (they don't call them "Crack-berries" for nothin!). Hindsight is always perfect, and those heroic incidents make for great stories and rationalizations. And the stories make great sales pitches for cell phone companies.

But the points of my post are 1) if you're looking for perfect cell phone service in the backcountry, you're not going to find it, and barring installation of intrusive cell towers, backcountry cell service actually might get worse in the future - you might have to get an expensive, nad much heavier, satellite phone if you must stay "connected"; 2) Cell phones seem to have made pre-trip risk assessment and planning lost arts, and in the future you may just have to figure out these "arts" all over again, and discover your tolerance for risk, if you want to venture out into remoter places.

While I'm at it, I'll also throw in a rant about persons with $400 GPS units (with $100 software packages) who don't have a clue how to use them!

[IgoslowUgoaround]

wow dude you are all fired up ... the only reason i posted in this thread was to contribute my experiences with reception to somebody who asked ... thanks for the info about the changes to come about cellphone signals though phydeux

[Hikin_Jim]

But the points of my post are ... 2) Cell phones seem to have made pre-trip risk assessment and planning lost arts ...

I definitely agree with you there. There's no excuse for not doing your homework before you go out. If one is deliberately choosing not to properly plan and prepare, "oh, I'll just use my cell phone if anything happens," then I think any condemnation is well justified.

[Foleymo]

Thanks for all the good information. The reason I started this thread was because I was looking into dumping my cell provider.

II just figured that if there is a cell phone out there that gets good reception on the mountain, that would be a good one for me to have.

[GDannyboy]

I've been with Cingular (Now AT&T) for many years now and just completed a hike to the 5K level on the C2C trail last weekend. I kept in touch with friends during my hike (I was hiking alone) and found, that as long as I had a line of sight to the desert floor, I got reception, so there was about twenty minutes, at most, that I couldn't call/text. This weekend I'm heading all the way to the top, so I'll have better information for you then.

Well, I did hike from Ramon to the top of the tram yesterday and the afore mentioned 'black' area was the only that I found on the hike up. It occurs when you get behind a ridgeline at about 4900 feet but doesn't last very long at all. Oddly though, once you get to the top of the trail and away from the ridge line you loose cell service totally. I even found the service at the tram spotty, at best. So much so that I had to use text instead of voice. The wi-fi worked, however, so sending an email or surfing the web is no problem. The situation was the same at the bottom tram station.

[GDannyboy]

But the points of my post are 1) if you're looking for perfect cell phone service in the backcountry, you're not going to find it, and barring installation of intrusive cell towers, backcountry cell service actually might get worse in the future - you might have to get an expensive, nad much heavier, satellite phone if you must stay "connected"; 2) Cell phones seem to have made pre-trip risk assessment and planning lost arts, and in the future you may just have to figure out these "arts" all over again, and discover your tolerance for risk, if you want to venture out into remoter places.

While I'm at it, I'll also throw in a rant about persons with $400 GPS units (with $100 software packages) who don't have a clue how to use them!

I totally agree with you here Phydeux, but would like to add that any electronic equipment used out in the wild should never be a substitute for the traditional 'arts of hiking and camping'. I certainly own and use a both (a cell phone and gps); however, there is no replacement for risk assessment, land nav skills (map reading and compass use knowledge), etc. Electronics can be and are effective tools, but they should never be the totality of ones experience and knowledge.