heyheymymy Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 I'm from Canada, but I'm going to be spending six months in the U.S. starting in October. Mainly I'll be boondocking down in Texas, but I'm going to take a couple of weeks driving down from Ontario through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, etc. Can anyone recommend a good national U.S. cell phone provider? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to cell phones, but I'd like to pick up a cheap phone and get some kind of pay as you go service that I can use in case of an emergency. Hopefully I'll never have to use it, but if I'm stuck boondocking out in the back country of Texas, it'd be great to have something to call Coach-Net. Many thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 The last time I was looking, Net10 seemed to be a good deal. Also, looking on EBay there was a seller selling a phone+phone card for less than just the card cost at the big resellers like Walmart & Target. http://www.net10.com/ I have no experience to qualify me to comment on what their service or coverage is like. Perhaps others will know for sure. Where are you in Ontario? P.S. I passed a Citation last week North of Montreal. Don't suppose it was you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Check with some one like Verizon they have phones that you can pay ahead and not get charged except when you use it so it can sit in your pocket and you only get charged for the days you use (I think it like 96 cents a day). Verizon,Sprint etc. have some pretty big networks and would cover most areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyheymymy Posted September 27, 2010 Author Share Posted September 27, 2010 (edited) Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look on the websites for Net10, Sprint, Verizon and so on to see if I can find network coverage maps of some sort. I'm sure they've probably got them. It'd be ideal to find a place with minutes that don't expire. Derek - I'm in Whitby, Ontario right now. It wasn't me in Montreal, but I hope to see some other Citations on the road sometime. Haven't seen another one on the road yet. Edited September 27, 2010 by heyheymymy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted September 28, 2010 Share Posted September 28, 2010 Don't hold your breath. Any Toyota is rare, at least around here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futar Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 No one has the coverage Verizon does. Look at the coverage maps. One thing that helps a lot is having a cell phone with an antenna port. I get 50-100% more coverage with an external roof antenna. Of course they stopped selling cell phones with external antenna ports. I bought a used LG VX8300 off ebay. The way around that is an antenna adapter cord that places a universal patch on the back of the cell phones that acts as a passive repeater to the external antenna. Not all phones allow this. Here's the reference sites and the site for the best external antennas. I bought a magnetic and glued it to my aluminum roof. Here's a list of phones and type of adapters. http://www.wilsonelectronics.com////Adapters.php http://www.cellphoneshop.net/exanforceph.html http://www.cellantenna.com/index.php?id=exadapters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 ...I hope to see some other Citations on the road sometime. Haven't seen another one on the road yet. http://www.lespac.com/d-vehicules-recreatifs-st-adolphe-d-howard-toyota-citation-classe-c-LPCaZZ22688694 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILIA Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 One of the best decisions I've made was switching from AT&T to a prepaid Virgin Mobile phone. They do use Sprints network, but for 40 bucks a month my phone has unlimited internet, more than enough minutes, Google Maps, GPS, Weather apps, Places app for gas stations etc. Just throwing this out there. I did a lot of research and found this to be the best deal out there. I use the Samsung Intercept and hardly ever use the laptop these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I have the reverse problem. I'll be traveling through Canada and it would be nice to have Cell coverage there . I checked with Verizon - I can Roam for 0.90/minute for phone calls. but was advised to turn off all my Data services so not to accidentally run up a huge bill for Data. Verizon has international service, but it was very expensive ($170.00), for the 6-8 days that I'll be in Canada. Any other ideas?? I'll be traveling the Alaska Hiway. John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Drive faster to reduce the 6-8 days? And just use it for emergency calls? http://www.google.ca/search?q=cell+phone+coverage+alaska+highway&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGLL_en___CA408 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Drive Faster in a Toyota Dolphin!! John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 OK. Then drive 'longer'. 2 drivers, 1 at the wheel, 1 sleeping! Before thinking about buying a Prepaid 'Throw Away' phone in Canada, forget it. They're expensive compared to the $20 ones you can get in the US! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Derek; Thanks - I might just do the Roaming thing for emergency only. It looks like there's good coverage up to about Edmonton, then when you get on the Alcan at Dawson Creek, its sporadic to non-existent, all the way to Alaska. Verizon Canada coverage map: http://b2b.vzw.com/i...ica/Canada.html Verizon Alaska looks good except the long stretch on the Dawson between Fairbanks and Deadhorse (450 miles). Deadhorse (Prudoe Bay - Arctic Ocean) does have coverage. Probably find "WIFI" hot spots along the way and stay in touch via email. If all goes well, be leaving a week from tomorrow (getting excited) JOhn Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Hey waiter take your HF with you and use the Alaskan emergency freqs. if you have a problem better coverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Hey waiter take your HF with you and use the Alaskan emergency freqs. if you have a problem better coverage. I was thinking about that. I don't have any thing in the RV yet, no antennas, nothing. If I decide to keep the RV, I'll probably add some Ham gear to it. I do have a CB so that will suffice for now! John MC WD4LQM 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I'm from Canada, but I'm going to be spending six months in the U.S. starting in October. Mainly I'll be boondocking down in Texas, but I'm going to take a couple of weeks driving down from Ontario through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, etc. Can anyone recommend a good national U.S. cell phone provider? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to cell phones, but I'd like to pick up a cheap phone and get some kind of pay as you go service that I can use in case of an emergency. Hopefully I'll never have to use it, but if I'm stuck boondocking out in the back country of Texas, it'd be great to have something to call Coach-Net. Many thanks! Here in CA seems like Verizon has the best coverage. If you are going to rely on it for emergency service most companies have coverage maps. Other options are a phone with an external antenna jack and the Wilson cellular trucker antenna. The antenna works very well in fringe areas. But you have to have a jack to plug it into. There are also booster systems (Wilson cellular) that can receive your cell phone signal and re-broadcast it at higher power to the cell tower. $$$$$$ though for that option. You did say cheap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefever Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Verizon's definetly got the best coverage area in the US,I have a straightalk phone from tracfone.Some places the straightalk phone will get nothing the verizon well get half or full signal.Actually this leads up to a question,I was just in a local radioshack/truevalue and saw a brochure about Wilson Electronics Signalboost,has anyone tried this??? sorry to hijack but just curious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefever Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 (edited) actually just noticed the above post,lol sorry,but has anyone tried it??? Edited August 21, 2011 by bluefever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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