Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really miss
it? I travel predominently along the east coast. My current VX4400 has it
and I see that it does kick over to analog once in a while.

Is this something I should care about?

Thanks... Paul

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Only if you want to make or receive a call where there is not digital
signal. This also includes 911 calls.

Paul Simon wrote:
> If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really miss
> it? I travel predominently along the east coast. My current VX4400 has it
> and I see that it does kick over to analog once in a while.
>
> Is this something I should care about?
>
> Thanks... Paul
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Why would not get a phone that does not have analog, then worry about it?


"Paul Simon" <psimon38@comcast.net> wrote in message
newsdCdnb7jdeS6JWDdRVn-vA@comcast.com...
> If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really miss
> it? I travel predominently along the east coast. My current VX4400 has it
> and I see that it does kick over to analog once in a while.
>
> Is this something I should care about?
>
> Thanks... Paul
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

StevenK wrote:
>
> Why would not get a phone that does not have analog, then worry about it?

Huh?

Notan

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

The whole reason I use a CDMA tri-mode digital phone is that there is always
analog to fall back on when there is poor coverage (unlike GSM). Plus, I am
old enough to remember the old 3-watt analog bricks people used to call
"mobile" phones.


"Dave" <davids1955@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:JXiLc.7348$f4.3589@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> Only if you want to make or receive a call where there is not digital
> signal. This also includes 911 calls.
>
> Paul Simon wrote:
> > If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really
miss
> > it? I travel predominently along the east coast. My current VX4400 has
it
> > and I see that it does kick over to analog once in a while.
> >
> > Is this something I should care about?
> >
> > Thanks... Paul
> >
> >
>

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Paul Simon wrote:
> If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really miss
> it? I travel predominently along the east coast. My current VX4400 has it
> and I see that it does kick over to analog once in a while.
>
> Is this something I should care about?
>
> Thanks... Paul
>
>
Well I just got a vx4500 in a insurance replacement for a trimode
vx4400, unless you travel in alot of rurual areas, you wont miss the
analog signal one bit. In L.A. county verizons anlog service is a
complete farse (btw Ive never sucessfully compleated a analog call on
verizon during the 2 hellish years with my vd4400 oops vx 4400). So it
depends were you use your phone if you a long haul trucker and deep in
middle america you might miss it but in major metro areas I seriously
doubt it

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Paul Simon" <psimon38@comcast.net> wrote in message
newsdCdnb7jdeS6JWDdRVn-vA@comcast.com...
> If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really miss
> it? I travel predominently along the east coast. My current VX4400 has it
> and I see that it does kick over to analog once in a while.
>
> Is this something I should care about?
>
> Thanks... Paul
>
I travel mainly in the NE and I have been using a vx4500 (digital only) for
at least a month. Has your phone been used to make or receive a call while
on analog in the past year? Do you spend any time in analog only areas that
have good signal (just because you get signal from an analog site that is
eight miles away doesn't mean it can hear your phone)?

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 20:26:14 -0400, "Paul Simon"
<psimon38@comcast.net> wrote:

>If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really miss
>it? I travel predominently along the east coast. My current VX4400 has it
>and I see that it does kick over to analog once in a while.
>
>Is this something I should care about?

It's something everyone should consider before going all digital.

You will miss it in those times/areas where your current phone goes
into AMPS mode. Generally, the major metro areas are pretty well
covered by digital. And you would be surprised how much of the
boonies are, too. If 911 access is your chief concern, then keep the
old 4400 and use it to call 911 if you cannot get a digital signal on
the new phone. 911 calls must be passed along for free, even from
deactivated phones.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Paul Simon" asked...
> If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really miss
> it? I travel predominently along the east coast.

At the present time, I would not dream of acquiring anything other than a
tri-mode cell phone. I may feel differently in, say, two years.

I've recently been in places (last Sunday in Sanford NC, for instance) where
I had four bars of signal--analog. Period. Ditto for yesterday in and around
Wilmington NC, and along the Outer Banks. Also ditto for some parts of
Houston, Texas and several spots east of Indianopolis.

To get specific features, you might have to settle for dual-mode. Blackberry
and the Trio come to mind. However, you can substitute the K-7135, spend 15
minutes learning Graffiti, and you're in business. Yeah, no camera in the
phone. But hey, you have a digital camera, anyway. Right?

Paul
Cary NC
________________________
P.S. A year ago while shopping for
national calling plans, a tri-mode phone
was a requirement. This may have changed
since I looked--but you get the point. VZW
was hinting that having analog aboard might
be a good idea!

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

I live in a suburb of Philadelphia... I would call this a major metro area,
yet I have seen the phone go to analog!... with 4 bars! Can't figure it out.

Guess from this discussion if I fall into that mode, even rarely at home, I
should probably stick with a tri-mode. But they are getting harder to find.
Not all phones are tri-mode anymore. Is it just because they are cheaper to
make? Even if they are cheaper, since we pay for them, why should the mfgs
care! Why get rid of the analog mode?


"George" <george@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:tM2dncC_VqkcwmPdRVn-oQ@adelphia.com...
>
> "Paul Simon" <psimon38@comcast.net> wrote in message
> newsdCdnb7jdeS6JWDdRVn-vA@comcast.com...
> > If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really
miss
> > it? I travel predominently along the east coast. My current VX4400 has
it
> > and I see that it does kick over to analog once in a while.
> >
> > Is this something I should care about?
> >
> > Thanks... Paul
> >
> I travel mainly in the NE and I have been using a vx4500 (digital only)
for
> at least a month. Has your phone been used to make or receive a call
while
> on analog in the past year? Do you spend any time in analog only areas
that
> have good signal (just because you get signal from an analog site that is
> eight miles away doesn't mean it can hear your phone)?
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Real Estate Agent wrote:
> "Paul Simon" asked...
>
>>If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really miss
>>it? I travel predominently along the east coast.
>
>
> At the present time, I would not dream of acquiring anything other than a
> tri-mode cell phone. I may feel differently in, say, two years.
>
> I've recently been in places (last Sunday in Sanford NC, for instance) where
> I had four bars of signal--analog. Period. Ditto for yesterday in and around
> Wilmington NC, and along the Outer Banks. Also ditto for some parts of
> Houston, Texas and several spots east of Indianopolis.

If you went analog in Houston you were either exposed to a hell of a lot
of industrial interference, or you *NEED* a new phone... The only weak
spot that I know of is north of Lake Conroe in the national forest - its
usable for EN, but the signal is too weak when the phone is near your
head and/or in your hand.

I'm also suprised you could get an AMPS channel, making AMPS calls in
Houston was getting impossible back in 2000 (either lots of
interference/other conversations or waiting many minutes redialing)

JS

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Jacob Suter" >
> If you went analog in Houston you were either exposed to a hell of a lot
> of industrial interference, or you *NEED* a new phone...

Q-860 in 2000. K-6035 in 2002 and 2004.

I confess that I used the Motorola Brick several times and got through right
away. Perhaps everyone finally went digital, leaving analog circuits idle.
:-)

It appears that Verizon is not on the same channels in Houston as in North
Carolina. (A and B side reversal, perhaps?) On a trip in 2003, I used a
tri-mode Alltel phone and it was in digital mode all the time.

Most of my travel was between I-10 @ Federal Road and Humble, with one
excursion to Missouri City to visit a ham operator.

Paul K5PF

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Real Estate Agent wrote:
> "Jacob Suter" >
>
>>If you went analog in Houston you were either exposed to a hell of a lot
>>of industrial interference, or you *NEED* a new phone...
>
>
> Q-860 in 2000. K-6035 in 2002 and 2004.

Hmm, weird. My digital experience here started with a 5185i, then
audiovox 9155gpx and now a v120e. I've maintained a single EN call from
essentially 59S @ BW8 (far southwest houston) to Grapeland, TX (about
140 driving miles). I've also done a single EN call from Grapeland, TX
to downtown Austin, crossing SIDs, and never dropped. running ping.exe
the whole time I showed I lost ~25 packets out of that 210 mile drive,
and the average turn-around was 280ms or so.

> I confess that I used the Motorola Brick several times and got through right
> away. Perhaps everyone finally went digital, leaving analog circuits idle.
> :-)

Maybe. I might have dropped my Startac 3000 a time or two too many,
also .

> It appears that Verizon is not on the same channels in Houston as in North
> Carolina. (A and B side reversal, perhaps?) On a trip in 2003, I used a
> tri-mode Alltel phone and it was in digital mode all the time.

Yeah, VZW is 800/B in Houston, SID 12. I hear they're starting a 1.9ghz
overlay on congested towers.

> Most of my travel was between I-10 @ Federal Road and Humble, with one
> excursion to Missouri City to visit a ham operator.

Hmm Federal Rd... isn't that out near Katy? Traffic on I10 is usually
awful so I avoid it like the plague. Plus the lanes are >narrow< and my
Dodge halfton is _WIDE_...

Now, I will admit my Houston coverage experience is kinda odd - I try to
avoid being down there during high traffic (as in road traffic) times,
so maybe there is a peak time interference/congestion issue I'm missing
- the 1.9 overlay should fix any of that though.

JS

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Jacob Suter" wrote:>
> Now, I will admit my Houston coverage experience is kinda odd - I try to
> avoid being down there during high traffic (as in road traffic) times,
> so maybe there is a peak time interference/congestion issue I'm missing
> - the 1.9 overlay should fix any of that though.
>
> JS
>
Good info. Thanks.

Paul

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

A friend travels extensively within my county as a work requirement.
He tells me the moment that school lets out in the afternoon all the digital
connections are used up which forces him to use analog mode.

This is in Orange County, NY

Steve

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Analog will be pretty much gone in a few years when carriers are no longer
required to support it (2006, I think). That being the case, I think you
will find the times your phone goes into "A" mode will be less and less in
the next couple of years. Even OnStar is now digital in the new cars. You
can still be tri-mode phone, though. I just bought 3 (Samsung SCH-a650).
Unless the phone you really want is digital only, you don't have to worry
about this for a couple years.
I would say no analog will be a minor inconvenience now, becoming less-so
pretty soon.
"Paul Simon" <psimon38@comcast.net> wrote in message
newsdCdnb7jdeS6JWDdRVn-vA@comcast.com...
> If I upgrade my phone to one that doesn't have analog, will I really miss
> it? I travel predominently along the east coast. My current VX4400 has it
> and I see that it does kick over to analog once in a while.
>
> Is this something I should care about?
>
> Thanks... Paul
>
>