Best wireless carrier for wind in the gorge??

kss · Since 24 Apr 2006 614 Posts pdx Addicted

So, is there a concensus on which carrier is the best for wind in the gorge??

I have verizon wireless and a treo PDA and it sucks b/c I don't want to pay $50 extra a month for data so i can check my ikitesurf account.

so i basically check wind before i go... and then text message everyone still sitting in their cubicle to see if wind has changed any.

Which carrier gets best gorge coverage?
which is cheapest?
which works best with ikitesurf data?

i still need a PDA for work stuff. also need about 3000 family share voice minutes to keep wife happy.

thanks for info.

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

$50/month? that seems high.

just get the basic $5/month internet. I use to have verizon, and got coverage everywhere around hood river/gorge areas, now I have T-mobile, and it sucks.

that said, i also think good phones can make bad plans better (and vice a versa).

kss · Since 24 Apr 2006 614 Posts pdx Addicted

what about sprint and cingular in the gorge??

i think with a PDA phone i can't get the cheap $5 WAP internet, i have to get the full image stuff which costs toooooo much.

i think sprint full internet is cheaper but is there coverage in the gorge?

i dunno maybe i ditch the PDA and go with a WAP phone.

any PDA users/kiters out there with a happy story to share??

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

I don't think Verizon has data coverage in the Hood River area... I know when my girlfriend was on it she couldn't check the web from her phone. Also my versizon wireless access card for my laptop doesn't work in the Gorge.

I wouldn't rave about Sprint, but they have great coverage in the Gorge.

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

i have cingular and my phone works at all the kite spots i've been to between stevenson and rufus. i've yet to make it out to arlington or roosevelt but i imagine cingular will work there as well.

i was just getting phone insurance on my phone today, and noticed the media net internet services on your phone is 4.99/month for 1MB of data transfer otherwise it is 1 cent per kilobyte which means 10.24 per MB

i only pay ikite for the FX membership so i can't comment how well media net works with it. I imagine it is decent tho.

as far as cingular service goes, i've been very happy with them. call quality is usually really good, but i think call quality is more phone specific when plenty of signal is involved (which is almost everywhere with cingular).

on a different note, if anybody ever wants to bring a laptop down to the spit on Fridays and Saturdays when i'm down there everyday, if it has an 802.11B wireless card, i'm pretty sure i can get us online via one of Gorge.net wirelss towers.

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

Not that this will be any help, but I'm on an old ass AT&T family plan with my Treo 750 (don't wanna change when the parent's are paying), then have an SDIO WiFi card for internet... Don't have it everywhere of course, but at least it's free! I've heard that it's a little slower than their 3G network though.

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

Bettyboarder · Thu May 31, 07 11:10 am

Yeah my stupid verizon worked great everywhere except HR. We have sprint now which works pretty good in HR so far.

jonah · Since 20 Jul 2006 169 Posts Hood River Stoked

I live in HR and use T-Mobile. Web access seems to work most places in the Gorge. It's also only $5/mo, if you know the trick. You gotta sign up for T-Zones (NOT wireless data). But you have to get a phone that you can tweak to load any website (not just the T-Zones ones). Instructions are online.

Strangely, the more "basic" almost free phones from T-Mobile don't even have to be tweaked.. they just work to access any website. But the higher end smartphones, you have to hack a bit to get it working. I guess they figure if you can afford a smart phone, you'll pay for the expensive data plan.

(Warning: If you're not technical, just try the low end phones at a store and see if they work. It's not trivial to do the tweaks).

Rollo Tomasi · Since 17 Mar 2005 983 Posts Attractive

Get Sprint Todd. Works great in the gorge end to end and at Sunset Beach (plus Thumb's Up

no min. charge to me when I call you).

blancoh2o · Since 15 Mar 2005 1154 Posts Oregon Phishy

Cingular my friend, cingular.....

There is a small dead space around Multnoma Falls, but other than that Cingular works great.

Teague · Since 10 Jul 2005 114 Posts Really Windy Places Stoked

Verizon loses data coverage from Cascade Locks all the way to Pendleton. They switch to a shared carrier in that region for voice only with no data. I had Verizon and talked to them to see what they were doing about it. They said nothing so I switched to Cingular and now have no problems with data coverage.

boredbrain · Since 16 Feb 2006 352 Posts Hood River Obsessed

Cingular, and their data package works where ever the cell phone will work, just slower if lower signal.

Magic, I'll take you up on the Gorge Tower.

BK

kss · Since 24 Apr 2006 614 Posts pdx Addicted

thanks for all the helpful info. i'll be deliberating between Tzones, Cingular and Sprint. have to see who is cheapest. cause i'm so cheap.

kitetele · Since 20 Mar 2005 121 Posts Portland, Oregon Stoked

Cingular, been good with it!

EdG · Since 19 Dec 2005 425 Posts Just a Kook that's Obsessed

I want to bring this back again, if it's OK

I have had Sprint w/treo for years, great coverage (all over NW and down the coast) and at a reasonable cost ($70). I got it for my travels to NY, but it's unusable here!

I think anyone with Verizon or wants to switch to them needs to TELL them they need to get data coverage to the area! I will switch when it happens, hopefully the Blackjack with be available Laughing

Maybe it's just wishful thinking Rolling Eyes