Cell phone usage

[PSU]

I know this has been discussed before, however coverage changes often. I use Verizon (and have used Sprint) and have never had coverage with both of these carriers on the west or central part of the lake. I plan on spending more time at the lake in the future and want to ascertain the best coverage carrier for business purposes.

Thanks in advance!

[jparrucci]

I currently work for a dealer that sells both Verizon and Tmobile. I decided to go with Verizon just for the fact that it does have some decent coverage up on Vermilion. Our place is on Breezy Point Road (Frazer Bay) The reception at the cabin is pretty good. I usually have 2 bars or so. I am even able to access the internet options on my phone to check weather/sports/news which comes in handy with no TV stations that come in well. Tmobile has recently added an 850 band coverage in the area. Tmobile used to stop coverage in Virginia, now it appears to cover much of the Vermilion area. You would need a phone with the 850 band, which not all Tmobile phones have. And I also do not know the extent or quality of that coverage. I know there are many spots on the lake that my Verizon phone does not work at all. I had Sprint for years, and never had any luck at all, and I had numerous phones as well as many relatives with Sprint phones, could rarely make a call at all. ATT&T/Cingular has some coverage up there, but my brothers phone was spotty at best, and never had the coverage of my Verizon phone. I know the coverage is good all the way up to Orr and Pelican Lake, because I used it up there duck hunting. Hope this helps.

[TomWehler]

Some new to the lake clients I have get great service, some get none.

Forget what service they use as my mind is full of other more fun things by the time I need the Techinical stuff that might help us or you out come winter.

Verison on our little Island works good most of the time last 9 year?

Windy days can be a trip.

Then again it goes in and out even on calm, pretty days too.

Sometimes at 9 PM it is clear as a school of Walleyes munching around my dock, but then everyone knows thier are NO FISH by our docks.

Figures.

Sometimes If I stand in a certin spot in our little cabin kitchen, lean over bench table to the north, turn my head West and to the sky a bit while at the same time sort of reach out an grab the Captain Lamp my Mom painted us I can get calls and sometimes dial out.

Silly down side is I'm so twisted up I can't do much else for hours.

Hounds just laugh!

Really!!!

Good hunting & lets us know what YOU come up with.

Oh yeah, no internet on the island.

But then would have it no other way, ever.

In case I REALLY ever needed someone, I just turn up the Amp and let R Fly or fire up the GRILL.

Those two things seem to always bring company.

T.

[MT Net]

Ah, cell phone acrobatics in the morning to loosen up for a day of casting on the boat!

We have Verizon, and like Tom, works most times, other times a lot of dropped calls. Sometimes 2 cans and a string works best.

Maybe the wind carries the conversation out over Big Bay. Might explain why so many people gather out in the middle, listening in on the latest gossip?

Either way, we're pretty happy with Verizon. Still, cell phones aren't 100% 100% of the time.

[Lazy Mike]

I am on the West end and couldn't get reliable service until I purchased an external antena. It wasn't expensive and It easily plugs right into the cell phone.

[slick814]

I've had Sprint, not all that great on the lake, but now with Cingular, I've got really good coverage, except for a small dead spot on the North side of Ely Island. As long as I can see the tower on the East end, I'm in great shape. Used it as far West as Moose Island area, a little to the West of that, and had 4 or 5 bars all the time, so I'd think that it would be pretty good on the West end.

[PSU]

Thanks everyone. I think I need to check power (band) of my phone. Verizon has never worked for me (island in Frazer across from Retreat), however it may be more of a quality phone issue (and maybe antennae (sp?)) than anything else. I am planning to get a phone with e mail and internet connectivity (Treo, Kyocera)to allow me to spend more time on the lake and try to get limited work done up there.

Anyway, much appreciated.

[Captain Ken]

If you get a phone, get one with a little port so you can hook up an external antenna. Wilson electronics makes one and they really work. You buy the antenna nad then hook an adapter cort of about a foot long to it depending on what kind of ohone you have. They are on teh net, but I buy mine at the flying J truck stop. They don't always have the adapter thing. It adds 2 bars to teh signal The only problem is that the phones seem to be built not to take the pulgging in and out and sometimes the antenna port breaks on the phone. Guy at the electronics store in Cook told me he sees that alot regardless of phone. If that breaks it sometimes shuts the whoe phone antenna system down and then NO reception even under the cell tower.

Capt

[PSU]

Thanks Captain.......seems to be the way to go!

[Captain Ken]

jeez, I SWEAR I was not drunk when I typed that. I think it is cause I was using a different computer than my usual. Or, maybe I need to go back to typing school......

[DTro]

I was reading that a new tower was just put up near Hill Wood products outside of Cook, not sure if this will help out on the lake.

Guess it can't hurt.

[PSU]

Anyone know who's tower it was? Sprint? Verizon? anyone? I am buying one of those Treo 650's this week and want to make sure I get the best coverage.

Thanks

[MT Net]

PSU, For what it's worth, both the metro area and Vermilion area is part of out home territory with Verizon. No long distance, but roaming fees for other cell tower useage.

North of Cloquet there is a dead zone. Good info about the external antenna, Captain Ken.

Either way, I just might string out some soup cans with string and network with everyone here, sort of the old party line communications. Watch out for the string over Pike Bay.

[DTro]

Quote:

---

Anyone know who's tower it was? Sprint? Verizon? anyone? I am buying one of those Treo 650's this week and want to make sure I get the best coverage.

Thanks

---

If your asking about the new tower I mentioned. I believe it is owned by Cellular One, not sure which of the "big companies" it might be affiliated with.

[Inlander]

I checked the address for Hill Wood products and found it on mapquest just north of Cook. If that is the correct location of the new tower, I anticipate that it will help service at least on the West end of the Lake. If the tower is for Cellular One as reported, that provider provides GSM service. I know that Cingular Wireless roams onto the Cellular One network and can be verified by comparing the coverage maps provided by the two companies. Cingular subscribers roam onto Cell One networks free of charges. Generally, service on the lake appears to be an extension of coverage on the Hwy 53 corridor which seems to have continous coverage by some CDMA and GSM service providers all the way from I-35

Last summer I used Cingular service for the first time on the Lake and found that coverage was spotty and unpredictable in the West/Central area. I suspect service will improve with the new tower if it is located north of Cook and is operated by Cellular One. Also, if this is the case, As a GSM service provider, TMobile subscribers may have the benefit of better service, too. Their coverage map is the same in the area as Cingular and Cell One.

Sprint (and Qwest Wireless) do not have coverage in the area of the Lake, although probably can roam and pay minute charges onto the Verizon Network.

In previous years, I roamed onto the Verizon Wireless network, which was fairly reliable. Maybe Cingular Wireless service will exceed that level with the new tower.

[delcecchi]

That will be terrific, if it helps Tmobile. That is what we use and have never had service on head-o-lakes, or anywhere north of the 169/53 junction for that matter. I am hopeful.

[PSU]

Thanks Inlander.

I may make the decision to go with Cingular. I think they have good coverage across the country, but most importantly, it would allow me more time on our beautiful Lake Vermilion.

[garytheguide]

i have cell one...works well on the east end....got an antenna...a wilson trucker antenna and now it has really helped on the west end...

[Big D 1]

How about Midwest Wireless?

[PSU]

Never heard of it before, that is Midwest Wireless. Ordered Cingular this week and hope it works with my new Treo 650 on Vermilion in the Central part of the lake, i.e. island in Frazer Bay!!!

[WCS]

Midwest Wireless is the service of choice here in SE Minnesota. Remarkably, it seems to work just about anywhere there is an antenna. I actually had intermittent service at Glenwood Lodge up in the NE corner of Vermilion last summer. Had good service pretty much everywhere we fished once we got out to big bay.

[fisher_king2004]

I've had AT&T for years and now it's cingular. I use a tri mode phone(not GSM) and I have made calls from all over the lake. It gets a bit spotty in Niles Bay and north of Pine Island but Frazer bay was fine. If you are using a GSM phone I don't know if it will work.

[PSU]

Fisher......thanks for the information. I am going to show my ignorance, what is the difference between tri mode versus GSM? I am guessing tri mode is a combination analog/digital/? versus GSM which I don't know what this stands for.

Thanks

[delcecchi]

There are two digital technologies GSM and CDMA. Some carriers use one and some the other. International is mostly GSM. GSM Global System for Mobile communications. CDMA is Code Division Multiple Access.

GSM uses three different frequencies in the US, if I read the info right.

[TomWehler]

Still like what MT Net & I use.

Soup can, string, BINGO.

Upgrade from 15 oz can to 24 oz can on windy days.

Winter no need for any of this as our voice carries and that is just fine for us.

"Hey, how ya doing Rob, what say we go pop some holes?"

"OK Tommy, meet ya over of Silly Willy Hump in 30"

"Cool. Don't forget the coffee, I got the Jerkey"

"You betcha"

Nuff said.

Simple things is best.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Tom Wehler

[MT Net]

Yeah, my cell is that trimode deal. Worked well from the Chainsaw Sister's Saloon north of Ely clear down to my cousin's in Louisiana. I was surprised at the distance covered.

Hey Tommy, I'm working on a new deal using 4 coffee cans and two strings across the narrows. That way when I'm grilling, I can listen to you jam on your new Thunderbird Bass in stringcan stereo quadraphonics echoing off from the Point. They don't call it Echo Point for no reason.

See ya at Silly Willy Hump.

[DTro]

FYI the new tower has been activated tower info