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Cell Reception at Kite Sites

Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 11:21 am
by g00mbs
Hey,

This might be a little off topic, but I figured others would be interested in the info.

I'm thinking about switch from Verizon to T-Mobile. Can anyone comment on the cell reception at the major kite sites around the bay?

3rd, Coyote, Crissy, Alameda, OB, Waddell, Sherman?

Any insight is helpful.

Re: Cell Reception at Kite Sites

Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 1:17 pm
by drroc
I have Tmobile, and I have kited at 3rd, Alameda, and Waddell. Only at Waddell I get no reception at all.

Re: Cell Reception at Kite Sites

Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 11:17 pm
by le noun
It doesn't matter your provider for those locations.
It will work fine with any of the ones mentioned above, except for Waddell.
Also, get a VHF for Crissy.

Re: Cell Reception at Kite Sites

Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 10:14 am
by WindMuch
I can say with certainty that AT&T and Verizon have NO coverage at Waddell. My AT&T coverage dies right around Pescadero heading south.

I was at Waddell one day when a guy locked his keys in the car. He was walking around asking if someone had a phone from a particular carrier who does have coverage in the Waddell lot. I'm not positive, but I think it was Sprint?

(if you're in an emergency and use AT&T, go South rather than North. There is decent 4G (not LTE) coverage a few miles south of the Waddell parking lot at Scott Creek). Are there still pay-phones in the Waddell lot?

Kirk out

Re: Cell Reception at Kite Sites

Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 11:18 am
by ramsey
only sprint works at waddell which is kinda ironic since it sucks pretty much everywhere else.

Re: Cell Reception at Kite Sites

Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 10:23 am
by victor
stick w/ verizon for the best all around coverage. (except at wadell, evidently)

Re: Cell Reception at Kite Sites

Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 10:33 am
by WindMuch
victor wrote:stick w/ verizon for the best all around coverage. (except at wadell, evidently)
Not to turn this into a 'which carrier has the best coverage' thread, but it's important to be informed. Verizon's coverage *may* be better here or there, but you can't use internet access at the same time you're on a voice call with Verizon. That means no Maps, email or BAK (!!!) while you're on the phone.

That's a deal-breaker for me...

Kirk out

Re: Cell Reception at Kite Sites

Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 1:22 pm
by g00mbs
I'm more interested in cheaper prices and the Nexus 5, which I can't put on Verizon. Contracts blow, which is why I'm thinking of switching.

Worst case I switch to T-Mobile and it sucks, so I move over to At&t which should be decent enough.

Re: Cell Reception at Kite Sites

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:21 am
by lieutenantglorp
KirkVan wrote:
you can't use internet access at the same time you're on a voice call with Verizon. That means no Maps, email or BAK (!!!) while you're on the phone.

That's a deal-breaker for me...

Kirk out
Not true unless you are stuck on iphone.

Re: Cell Reception at Kite Sites

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 9:45 am
by WindMuch
lieutenantglorp wrote:
KirkVan wrote:
you can't use internet access at the same time you're on a voice call with Verizon. That means no Maps, email or BAK (!!!) while you're on the phone.

That's a deal-breaker for me...

Kirk out
Not true unless you unless you are stuck on iphone.
You're absolutely correct. Thanks for pointing this out. I wasn't aware the issue was the lack of a second radio in the iPhone and that other phone vendors (Samsung) had worked around this by adding a second radio to their hardware.

"But right now, there’s no standard for sending voice transmissions over LTE, so voice signals instead travel over the 3G network. That generally would mean that you’d be back to the situation where you can’t talk and surf at the same time, because the 3G network doesn’t support it.

However, other phones, such as Samsung’s Galaxy S4 are able to get around the limitation by incorporating a second cellular radio. While the first radio switches to 3G to make a call, the phone can use the second radio to connect to the Internet.

Apple’s iPhone 5 lacked a second radio and it looks like the iPhone 5S and 5C will lack one too.


(from: http://www.siliconbeat.com/2013/09/11/n ... -and-surf/

Kirk out