disagreement is good

[Nadine]

cell phones save lives

I have US Cellular also, and use an old Nokia model---5165 I think. Reception is spotty for me. I've considered changing to another company or another phone. I keep mine turned off and only use it to communicate my location, or call for help. A cell phone saved my life when I fell off a cliff and broke my leg on Mt. Mansfield, VT. I had to be med-evac'd off the mountian by the local rescue squad. I could have easily gone into shock and died.
Now I hike with a phone all the time. I haven't had to call for help since my broken leg in 1999.

Nadine

 

[Periwinkle]

Re: Can You Hear Me Now?...Best Cell Service in the Whites?

HELLLLOOO. Some obviously had bad reception on the intent of this thread. Please, if you'd like to discuss cell phone use/misuse, start a new thread for that purpose. I do not want to be the instigator of the next great cell phone debate. I am looking for specific information useful to me.

What I had asked was:

I'm looking to be able to phone home to check in from overnight locations, e.g., Guyot, Madison, Lafayette, Galehead, etc.

If this wasn't clear, maybe it bears further clarification. What I am asking is if anyone has used a cellphone or checked signal reception out of sheer curiosity at or near the following locations:

• 
  Guyot Shelter
  Madison Springs Hut
  Greenleaf Hut
  Galehead Hut

The clarification of "check in" is: I am looking to call home to let my husband know I have arrived at my intended destination. The way this works is: phone is turned off; phone is padded and packed in a zip-lock bag; after arriving at destination, phone is removed from pack; after walking out of earshot of any other person, phone is turned on; some wandering for service/signal is usually required; hit "home" button; have one minute conversation, i.e., "Hi, honey, I'm here....yes, I'm fine, doing well....yup, everything's fine...okay, I'll call you tomorrow when I get back to the trailhead....love you too, bye." THAT's what I want the phone for. A piece of mind on an overnight, particularly when I solo.

I am still very interested to know if anyone has used a cell phone from or near these locations and the carrier to determine if there is a specific carrier with better service. That is all. My thanks to those that have replied along those lines. As to the general cell phone use debate: The horse is dead. I repeat, the horse is DEAD. Stop beating the poor thing. If you haven't beaten the horse yet and feel the need, please do it out of my earshot on a different thread. I can't stand animal abuse. If there is continued equine abuse on this thread, I will delete it myself.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and any further information.

P.S. Peakbagr: I assume when you said you hoped this thread was about cell service from roads that was so that you could give it a quick death as that would not be at all VFTT-like.

 

[Mike D.]

Ok, I have used a cingular cell phone at crag camp w/ no problems so would assume that on madison or adams it would work. Is that better.''

 

[JohnL]

I have Verizon Wireless service and I have made successful calls from:

Mt Lincoln
Mt Flume
Wildcat D
An open spot up on the Carters somewhere
Crag Camp
Mt Adams
Mt Field
Mt Avalon
Mt Jackson
Lookout near summit of Mt Galehead
Mt Willey
Trail between Crag Camp and Grey Knob

JohnL

 

[rambler]

Though there are dead areas such as from the road through Pinkham Notch, I had good reception from various surrounding trails and peaks, Franconia and Crawford Notches and on the Long Trail in VT with Verizon.

 

[Jasonst]

I have found with my Verizon phone that there is a signal almost everywhere (especially all of the major ridges) EXCEPT down in the valleys in the Pemi. O yeah, and about that horse...

 

[SherpaKroto]

Periwinkle: I'll go along with Verizon for the Whites. As others have said, you will get excellent reception from most ridges. I also agree with gettign a phone that has analog connectivity. Exceptions that I recall were South Weeks, E. Sleeper, and Nancy. Interestingly enough, it is terrible at my cabin in Maine where ATT, Cingular, Sprint and US Cellular all work well. Go figure.

 

[Rob S]

Not only does Verizon seem to be the provider of choice in the Whites, but also in the Catskills. While reception is spotty in the valleys, I've always had a signal on the summits.

 

[dave.m]

I've found a Verizon phone with analog capability and a regional/national plan with no roaming charges is the best. I think that Cingular (who's customer service was so awful that I will never, ever do business with them again, ever) is switching over to pure digital on most of their phones. They were (past tense) the next best in terms of Northeast coverage. Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile are all digital only (I believe) and give the worst coverage.

 

[Peakbagr]

Peri,

From reading some of the responses, all I can say is that I'm grateful that the majority of the 'good reception from these summits' replies originate in the Whites, and not the ADKs, my home range.

 

[Grumpy]

Check the topic . . .

Peri, From reading some of the responses, all I can say is that I'm grateful that the majority of the 'good reception from these summits' replies originate in the Whites, and not the ADKs, my home range.

Topic line for this thread says:

"Can You Hear Me Now?...Best Cell Service in the Whites?"

Whites. W-H-I-T-E-S.

Maybe that's why nobody has been writing about the Adirondacks . . . or Greens, for that matter. But now that those places have been brought up . . ..

Nah. Just kiddin'.

G.

 

[Jasonst]

Ouch... That's dangerous, picking on the moderator... I think Grumpy needs a VFTT timeout in the corner.

 

[dave.m]

From reading some of the responses, all I can say is that I'm grateful that the majority of the 'good reception from these summits' replies originate in the Whites, and not the ADKs, my home range.

Well, as they say, "Live Free or Die", or sumthin' like that.

Actually, my biggest gripe about cell phones in the backcountry is the lack of availability of a good strong signal. Jerks are jerks, as somebody else already noticed and I wouldn't condone the abuse/use of phones to disturb the peace of others or to put rescuers in harms way.

But frankly, in this day of GoreTex, white gas stoves and GPS units, I find the complaints of cell phones being an artificial instrusion into the backcountry as somewhat tough to defend.

 

[Mark]

I haven't tried from everywhere in the Whites (23 our of 48 summits), I have had good luck with Cingular (phone=Motorola V60T). The only place I could not get a signal so far has been on Rt. 3 between Rt. 93 and Twin Mt.

 

[Peakbagr]

Hey, I'm used to Grumpy picking on me !

I don't care where this thread began describing. I'm just afraid that it will spread to the Adirondacks.

 

[Periwinkle]

I don't care where this thread began describing. I'm just afraid that it will spread to the Adirondacks.

Please don't give anyone ideas! I'm trying very hard to keep this on-topic and specific if at all possible.

And I don't think that the fact that someone says they've made a call from a certain area means that they are making social calls. I don't think I'm the only person out there that would like to be able to have the ability to discreetly phone home to keep the loved ones from being anxious.

I also believe that like any other piece of gear, if you're going to spend the money, you should get something that works well.

The signal information shared has been very helpful. Again, my thanks to all those that have had the 'nads to come out of the cellular closet!

 

[Warren]

Peri,

From reading some of the responses, all I can say is that I'm grateful that the majority of the 'good reception from these summits' replies originate in the Whites, and not the ADKs, my home range.

Gee, and here I was looking for a way to politely ask to expand this thread to include the ADKs and the Catskills as well as the Whites as many of us go to all of these areas. Information like that could be really useful to those of us who might feel a need for an emergency communications device.

I mean, I've had several car failures going to a trailhead, a kidney stone attack 10 miles into the woods, found lost kids, travel solo a lot in all seasons, fallen into November-cold streams slamming my wrist in an almost too bad way, left a safe note with someone who forgot, almost exploded my ankle on several solo bushwacks in places where the ground merely appeared solid and had enough first aid training to realize I wouldn't likely be able to treat myself out of the more severe side of What Could Happen.

So I don't what I would prefer, another damn thing that needs a battery that's not as reliable as it needs to be or to find myself a posthumous case study on some internet board, but it could be nice to know what the options are and what to realistically to expect in terms of performance in any area of the NE backwoods.

And Peri, I really like the thread title.

 

[Periwinkle]

Warren,

I'm not completey sure of the intent of your message, other than that you like the "Can You Hear Me Now" bit.

As for service in NY, I wish you the best of luck in trying to solicit just that specific information. It's been hard enough trying to get the information I am looking for locally. I might seriously regret that limitation when I'm in NY in June....

As for emergency use, I haven't added that into the equation as I've found service to be so unreliable as to be undependable. It would be nice to know that I could depend on a cell phone, but until service is foolproof, I'm not even going to go there.

 

[Peakbagr]

Your original question asked about reception in the Whites. When the first reply came back about reception on the summits, it was time to for someone to step in. I'm sorry you disagree, but regardless of how YOU perceived the thread should develop, its my view that folks understand how trail and summit use of cellphones is seen by others.

 

[Jaytrek57]

Your original question asked about reception in the Whites. When the first reply came back about reception on the summits, it was time to for someone to step in. I'm sorry you disagree, but regardless of how YOU perceived the thread should develop, its my view that folks understand how trail and summit use of cellphones is seen by others.

With all due respect the orginal intent/question was RECEPTION until it was side tracked (?)in on the 4th reply...by you to express your views on USE (no previous mention by others about summits).

I respect your views on USE I really do...I share them in regards to people ABUSING their tools....BTW... I Always carry a cellphone, turned off in my pack. In the event of an emergency I have the potential for more options.

Reception in the Whites? I can't honestly say. Like I said...it is turned off in my pack and haven't had a big emergency since I have had it.

Peace.