Need Verizon or Sprint Recommendations

I live in Orange County California and am currently with Verizon and at the
end of my 2 year contract. I travel throughout the USA usually to major
metropolitan areas and am currently trying to decide whether to renew my
contract with Verizon or switch to Sprint. I have obtained a Sprint phone
and am doing some testing since I have 30 days to return the phone and
cancel the contract with Sprint. (this is a new California law)

I have the following dilemma and am looking for recommendations. I live in a
rather hilly area in Laguna Niguel California and the Verizon signal at my
home is a problem. I can usually make calls without a problem when I am
upstairs, but sometimes have difficulty making calls when I am downstairs.
It seems that the Verizon signal performance is worse during hot weather.
Sometimes to make a call it is necessary to do the hokey-pokey and turn my
self about in order to orient the phone in a good direction to get the best
signal. I usually get three bars with the phone held directly in front of
me, however when I place the phone to my ear, that number drops to either
two or one bar. The proximity of the phone to the body causes signal
attenuation. I can resolve this problem by always using a headset with the
phone and keeping the phone away from my body. Due to all of the hills,
there is also a severe problem with signal multi-path and this seems to
really confuse the phone.

To summarize, it is possible to make calls with Verizon service in my home
and maintain the calls for hours at a time if you use a headset and keep the
phone away from my body. The Verizon phone has also been excellent in all of
the major metropolitan areas that I visit.

I have been testing the Sprint phone and consistently have 5 bars anywhere
within my home and therefore I do not have any problem making or receiving
calls, but I am concerned about the Sprint coverage and the quality of their
network. Will I have a problem in major metropolitan areas with Sprint? I
have heard that a Chicago TV Station conducted a cellular provider test and
that Sprint provided the worst coverage and had more dropped calls in the
Chicago area that any other provider.

An interesting point to note is that the Browser on the Spring Phone
completely blows away the browser on the Verizon phone. The Sprint Phone is
a Sanyo VM 4500 and the Verizon phone is an LG 6100.

What would you recommend in this situation?

1. Stay with Verizon and do the hokey-pokey to make calls from my home

or

2. Switch to Sprint and get good performance in my home and hope for good
coverage in cities that I visit.

Please do not make recommendations based upon cost since cost in not an
issue in this dilemma.

Thanks for your input.

Regards,

-Mij

---

› See More: Need Verizon or Sprint Recommendations

<snip>
> Please do not make recommendations based upon cost since cost in not an
> issue in this dilemma.
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Regards,
>
> -Mij
>
>
Money solves many problems, you need both phones, the sprint phone for home
and the verizon for when the sprint phone doesn't work. When the sprint
phone works foward all calls from the verizon # to your new sprint #. If the
sprint phone is weak turn off the foward. You could install a active
repeator and external antenna to improve your signal at home:

http://www.cellantenna.com/repeater/...g_repeater.htm

Then all you need is the verizon phone or a new verizon phone with a better
browser.

> Please do not make recommendations based upon cost since cost in not an
> issue in this dilemma.

Wow!, Mr. Money-Man. But it figures, after all like me you live in Laguna
Niguel. You have to be rolling in dough to live here.

If money is no object, like you say, then KEEP BOTH PHONES.

Or better yet, I'll sell you my condo located on the corner of La Paz Rd.
and Pacific Park Dr. Right here you get 100% signal strength with all six
national carriers (five if you count AT&T and Cingular as one).

-julie

PS The good signal in my condo is not a coincidence, I intentionally
purchased property with good cell signal. I think every realtor should use
good cell signal as a selling point.

"Mij Adyaw" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:LsKDd.15658$yW5.15069@fed1read02...
>I live in Orange County California and am currently with Verizon and at the
>end of my 2 year contract. I travel throughout the USA usually to major
>metropolitan areas and am currently trying to decide whether to renew my
>contract with Verizon or switch to Sprint. I have obtained a Sprint phone
>and am doing some testing since I have 30 days to return the phone and
>cancel the contract with Sprint. (this is a new California law)
>
> I have the following dilemma and am looking for recommendations. I live in
> a rather hilly area in Laguna Niguel California and the Verizon signal at
> my home is a problem. I can usually make calls without a problem when I am
> upstairs, but sometimes have difficulty making calls when I am downstairs.
> It seems that the Verizon signal performance is worse during hot weather.
> Sometimes to make a call it is necessary to do the hokey-pokey and turn my
> self about in order to orient the phone in a good direction to get the
> best signal. I usually get three bars with the phone held directly in
> front of me, however when I place the phone to my ear, that number drops
> to either two or one bar. The proximity of the phone to the body causes
> signal attenuation. I can resolve this problem by always using a headset
> with the phone and keeping the phone away from my body. Due to all of the
> hills, there is also a severe problem with signal multi-path and this
> seems to really confuse the phone.
>
> To summarize, it is possible to make calls with Verizon service in my home
> and maintain the calls for hours at a time if you use a headset and keep
> the phone away from my body. The Verizon phone has also been excellent in
> all of the major metropolitan areas that I visit.
>
> I have been testing the Sprint phone and consistently have 5 bars anywhere
> within my home and therefore I do not have any problem making or receiving
> calls, but I am concerned about the Sprint coverage and the quality of
> their network. Will I have a problem in major metropolitan areas with
> Sprint? I have heard that a Chicago TV Station conducted a cellular
> provider test and that Sprint provided the worst coverage and had more
> dropped calls in the Chicago area that any other provider.
>
> An interesting point to note is that the Browser on the Spring Phone
> completely blows away the browser on the Verizon phone. The Sprint Phone
> is a Sanyo VM 4500 and the Verizon phone is an LG 6100.
>
> What would you recommend in this situation?
>
> 1. Stay with Verizon and do the hokey-pokey to make calls from my home
>
> or
>
> 2. Switch to Sprint and get good performance in my home and hope for good
> coverage in cities that I visit.
>
> Please do not make recommendations based upon cost since cost in not an
> issue in this dilemma.
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Regards,
>
> -Mij
>
>

"Mij Adyaw" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:LsKDd.15658$yW5.15069@fed1read02...
>I live in Orange County California and am currently with Verizon and at the
>end of my 2 year contract. I travel throughout the USA usually to major
>metropolitan areas and am currently trying to decide whether to renew my
>contract with Verizon or switch to Sprint. I have obtained a Sprint phone
>and am doing some testing since I have 30 days to return the phone and
>cancel the contract with Sprint. (this is a new California law)
>
> I have the following dilemma and am looking for recommendations. I live in
> a rather hilly area in Laguna Niguel California and the Verizon signal at
> my home is a problem. I can usually make calls without a problem when I am
> upstairs, but sometimes have difficulty making calls when I am downstairs.
> It seems that the Verizon signal performance is worse during hot weather.
> Sometimes to make a call it is necessary to do the hokey-pokey and turn my
> self about in order to orient the phone in a good direction to get the
> best signal. I usually get three bars with the phone held directly in
> front of me, however when I place the phone to my ear, that number drops
> to either two or one bar. The proximity of the phone to the body causes
> signal attenuation. I can resolve this problem by always using a headset
> with the phone and keeping the phone away from my body. Due to all of the
> hills, there is also a severe problem with signal multi-path and this
> seems to really confuse the phone.
>
> To summarize, it is possible to make calls with Verizon service in my home
> and maintain the calls for hours at a time if you use a headset and keep
> the phone away from my body. The Verizon phone has also been excellent in
> all of the major metropolitan areas that I visit.
>
> I have been testing the Sprint phone and consistently have 5 bars anywhere
> within my home and therefore I do not have any problem making or receiving
> calls, but I am concerned about the Sprint coverage and the quality of
> their network. Will I have a problem in major metropolitan areas with
> Sprint? I have heard that a Chicago TV Station conducted a cellular
> provider test and that Sprint provided the worst coverage and had more
> dropped calls in the Chicago area that any other provider.
>
> An interesting point to note is that the Browser on the Spring Phone
> completely blows away the browser on the Verizon phone. The Sprint Phone
> is a Sanyo VM 4500 and the Verizon phone is an LG 6100.
>
> What would you recommend in this situation?
>
> 1. Stay with Verizon and do the hokey-pokey to make calls from my home
>
> or
>
> 2. Switch to Sprint and get good performance in my home and hope for good
> coverage in cities that I visit.
>
> Please do not make recommendations based upon cost since cost in not an
> issue in this dilemma.
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Regards,
>
> -Mij

Never mind the phones, take a course in how to communicate concisely;-)

Ike

Generally speaking... IMHOP...Attempting to find
a service which is the better will be very difficult
inasmuch as each has excellent and poor coverage
areas. I live in the same area and experience the same
difficulties. Part of the problem is the hilly terrain.
Part can be attributed to regulations regarding tower
restrictions. I travel a great deal and generally find
Verizon to be more satisfactory. A dual-band, tri-mode
phone is helpful. Actually both Verizon and Sprint
roam in many areas with the other. I find myself lending
my Verizon phone to others who have no service in a
particular area. Many are GSM subscribers and need
help. I find VZW Customer Service preferable to Sprint.
Or, as has been suggested, subscribe to both carriers.
Regards

Julie,

I have thought about carrying both phones, however this means two different
phone numbers which is inconvenient for people that need to contact me and
also inconvenient to carry.

-Mij

"Julie Ruin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:yGMDd.15846$yW5.14976@fed1read02...
>> Please do not make recommendations based upon cost since cost in not an
>> issue in this dilemma.
>
> Wow!, Mr. Money-Man. But it figures, after all like me you live in Laguna
> Niguel. You have to be rolling in dough to live here.
>
> If money is no object, like you say, then KEEP BOTH PHONES.
>
> Or better yet, I'll sell you my condo located on the corner of La Paz Rd.
> and Pacific Park Dr. Right here you get 100% signal strength with all six
> national carriers (five if you count AT&T and Cingular as one).
>
> -julie
>
> PS The good signal in my condo is not a coincidence, I intentionally
> purchased property with good cell signal. I think every realtor should use
> good cell signal as a selling point.
>
> "Mij Adyaw" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:LsKDd.15658$yW5.15069@fed1read02...
>>I live in Orange County California and am currently with Verizon and at
>>the end of my 2 year contract. I travel throughout the USA usually to
>>major metropolitan areas and am currently trying to decide whether to
>>renew my contract with Verizon or switch to Sprint. I have obtained a
>>Sprint phone and am doing some testing since I have 30 days to return the
>>phone and cancel the contract with Sprint. (this is a new California law)
>>
>> I have the following dilemma and am looking for recommendations. I live
>> in a rather hilly area in Laguna Niguel California and the Verizon signal
>> at my home is a problem. I can usually make calls without a problem when
>> I am upstairs, but sometimes have difficulty making calls when I am
>> downstairs. It seems that the Verizon signal performance is worse during
>> hot weather. Sometimes to make a call it is necessary to do the
>> hokey-pokey and turn my self about in order to orient the phone in a good
>> direction to get the best signal. I usually get three bars with the phone
>> held directly in front of me, however when I place the phone to my ear,
>> that number drops to either two or one bar. The proximity of the phone to
>> the body causes signal attenuation. I can resolve this problem by always
>> using a headset with the phone and keeping the phone away from my body.
>> Due to all of the hills, there is also a severe problem with signal
>> multi-path and this seems to really confuse the phone.
>>
>> To summarize, it is possible to make calls with Verizon service in my
>> home and maintain the calls for hours at a time if you use a headset and
>> keep the phone away from my body. The Verizon phone has also been
>> excellent in all of the major metropolitan areas that I visit.
>>
>> I have been testing the Sprint phone and consistently have 5 bars
>> anywhere within my home and therefore I do not have any problem making or
>> receiving calls, but I am concerned about the Sprint coverage and the
>> quality of their network. Will I have a problem in major metropolitan
>> areas with Sprint? I have heard that a Chicago TV Station conducted a
>> cellular provider test and that Sprint provided the worst coverage and
>> had more dropped calls in the Chicago area that any other provider.
>>
>> An interesting point to note is that the Browser on the Spring Phone
>> completely blows away the browser on the Verizon phone. The Sprint Phone
>> is a Sanyo VM 4500 and the Verizon phone is an LG 6100.
>>
>> What would you recommend in this situation?
>>
>> 1. Stay with Verizon and do the hokey-pokey to make calls from my home
>>
>> or
>>
>> 2. Switch to Sprint and get good performance in my home and hope for good
>> coverage in cities that I visit.
>>
>> Please do not make recommendations based upon cost since cost in not an
>> issue in this dilemma.
>>
>> Thanks for your input.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> -Mij
>>
>>
>
>

"Mij Adyaw" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:2HUDd.16228$yW5.2185@fed1read02...
> Julie,
>
> I have thought about carrying both phones, however this means two
different
> phone numbers which is inconvenient for people that need to contact me and
> also inconvenient to carry.
You would give people your verizon phone number only and if you change the
call foward to the sprint number then people who call the verizon number
will ring on the sprint phone. No one but you need to know the sprint
number.You only need to carry the phone that is working best for where you
are, except your house where would you carry the sprint phone ?

It's fundamental that your cell phone must work in your home.
For that reason, Sprint is a better choice _at this time_ than
Verizon. I said "at this time" because if Verizon adds a tower
in the future, that could change. But since a) you can't predict
if or when that might happen and b) you would have to live with
the problem for an indefinite time, Sprint appears to be the better
choice.

Two keys: a dual band, tri-mode phone; the Free and Clear _America_
plan (that includes roaming). And keep the firmware and the PRL
up-to-date.

There is technology that will allow you to place any bluetooth phone
anywhere in your home (ie. upstairs where the signal is good) and have
it ring through to a phone connected to a landline.

http://phonelabs.com/

this is one example, but there are competitors. i think if 'money is
no object' then this will satisfy you. You simply need to upgrade your
verizon phone to one that has bluetooth. and dish out the $200 for the
dock-n-talk and bluetooth adapter.

-jc

Mij Adyaw wrote:
> I live in Orange County California and am currently with Verizon and at the
> end of my 2 year contract. I travel throughout the USA usually to major
> metropolitan areas and am currently trying to decide whether to renew my
> contract with Verizon or switch to Sprint. I have obtained a Sprint phone
> and am doing some testing since I have 30 days to return the phone and
> cancel the contract with Sprint. (this is a new California law)

Hm. I'll try to be useful here. I live in San Bernardino County, on the other
side of the mountains... "Up the hill," as we say here in the Valley. My Sprint
phone seems to work fine in and around Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Anaheim
and Fountain Valley/Westminster, but those are the only places I've been in
Orange County. Last time we went to the beach I took the PCH to Newport
Boulevard and drove Highway 55 back up to Highway 91 to get to the Interstate
and get home, but I don't recall having to use my phone in Newport at all.

And if I remember my Southland geography right, that doesn't help you at all
because Laguna Niguel is in *Eastern* Orange County. (Am I correct?)

The last time I used my Verizon phone in Orange County was when I visited here,
before we moved here in June of '03. It was March '03 and I only used my phone
at Disneyland, so my VZW information will be useless to you.

> attenuation. I can resolve this problem by always using a headset with the
> phone and keeping the phone away from my body. Due to all of the hills,
> there is also a severe problem with signal multi-path and this seems to
> really confuse the phone.

Heh, we have a similar problem. Or had, anyhow. Sprint seems to work better
here in the Sycamore Rocks subdivision of Apple Valley, and we sit almost right
on top of a bunch of big hills. Bell Mountain sits only about five minutes or
so to our west, too. I had major problems with Verizon coverage at home, since
we seemed to be JUST outside range of the closest VZW tower here. But I don't
think that indicates that Verizon sucks overall or that Sprint is great - in my
case, I think I'm just closer to a Sprint tower than a Verizon tower.

> To summarize, it is possible to make calls with Verizon service in my home
> and maintain the calls for hours at a time if you use a headset and keep the
> phone away from my body. The Verizon phone has also been excellent in all of
> the major metropolitan areas that I visit.

You'll find that they're generally quite good in most major metro areas. I
don't have a Verizon phone anymore, but coverage wasn't the reason I left.

> I have been testing the Sprint phone and consistently have 5 bars anywhere
> within my home and therefore I do not have any problem making or receiving
> calls, but I am concerned about the Sprint coverage and the quality of their
> network. Will I have a problem in major metropolitan areas with Sprint? I
> have heard that a Chicago TV Station conducted a cellular provider test and
> that Sprint provided the worst coverage and had more dropped calls in the
> Chicago area that any other provider.

Chicago used to be and may still be a major problem area for Sprint. Every
carrier has their bad spots. As I point out from time to time, the Twin Cities
area of Minnesota is a bad place to use a Verizon phone, and Sprint's MN
coverage is much more comprehensive than Verizon's (just as an example). What
I'd suggest is asking in the Sprint newsgroup if there are any Chicagoans and
if they have had recent problems, and if so, exactly where.

> An interesting point to note is that the Browser on the Spring Phone
> completely blows away the browser on the Verizon phone. The Sprint Phone is
> a Sanyo VM 4500 and the Verizon phone is an LG 6100.

That's because both carriers have high-speed 1xRTT data services, but Verizon's
browser uses the older 14.4Kbps data service - or at least used to. Newer
phones may use the faster service for web browsing. Sprint PCS Vision web
browsing is all at the higher 1xRTT speeds.

> What would you recommend in this situation?
>
> 1. Stay with Verizon and do the hokey-pokey to make calls from my home
>
> or
>
> 2. Switch to Sprint and get good performance in my home and hope for good
> coverage in cities that I visit.

Honestly? Take advantage of Sprint's trial offer - it will cost you some money
- you will pay for airtime used and you will pay the nonrefundable $36
activation fee, but the ONLY way to determine if the service will work for YOU
in your specific location is to try it, using a phone YOU want to use.

Keep the Verizon line open while using the trial, and then if you like Sprint,
you can port your current cellular number to Sprint (you CAN move a Verizon
number to an existing Sprint line; I did it this past summer). If you may want
to port your number, do NOT cancel Verizon - if you cancel you won't be able to
port. Verizon's billing system will automatically terminate the account upon
successful porting if you decide to port.

I'm sorry, if you were talking about Northeast Ohio I could be much more
useful... I lived there for 30 years and had used cellular there from 1993 up
until I moved here in 2003. I've only lived here for about 18 months. But even
if I was more familiar with coverage here, I would still say your best bet is
to actually try Sprint and see if they work better for you. I would be doing
you a disservice if I recommended one carrier or the other, knowing nothing
about your usage patterns, etc.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / [email protected]
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

Steve Sobol wrote:
> And if I remember my Southland geography right, that doesn't help you at
> all because Laguna Niguel is in *Eastern* Orange County. (Am I correct?)

Sorry. LN is Southern Orange, and the cities I was referring to are up on the
northern end of Orange.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / [email protected]
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

Steve,

Thanks for the input and the recommendations. I am continuing to test the
Sprint service.

Regards,

-mij

"Steve Sobol" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mij Adyaw wrote:
>> I live in Orange County California and am currently with Verizon and at
>> the end of my 2 year contract. I travel throughout the USA usually to
>> major metropolitan areas and am currently trying to decide whether to
>> renew my contract with Verizon or switch to Sprint. I have obtained a
>> Sprint phone and am doing some testing since I have 30 days to return the
>> phone and cancel the contract with Sprint. (this is a new California law)
>
> Hm. I'll try to be useful here. I live in San Bernardino County, on the
> other side of the mountains... "Up the hill," as we say here in the
> Valley. My Sprint phone seems to work fine in and around Huntington Beach,
> Garden Grove, Anaheim and Fountain Valley/Westminster, but those are the
> only places I've been in Orange County. Last time we went to the beach I
> took the PCH to Newport Boulevard and drove Highway 55 back up to Highway
> 91 to get to the Interstate and get home, but I don't recall having to use
> my phone in Newport at all.
>
> And if I remember my Southland geography right, that doesn't help you at
> all because Laguna Niguel is in *Eastern* Orange County. (Am I correct?)
>
> The last time I used my Verizon phone in Orange County was when I visited
> here, before we moved here in June of '03. It was March '03 and I only
> used my phone at Disneyland, so my VZW information will be useless to you.
>
>
>> attenuation. I can resolve this problem by always using a headset with
>> the phone and keeping the phone away from my body. Due to all of the
>> hills, there is also a severe problem with signal multi-path and this
>> seems to really confuse the phone.
>
> Heh, we have a similar problem. Or had, anyhow. Sprint seems to work
> better here in the Sycamore Rocks subdivision of Apple Valley, and we sit
> almost right on top of a bunch of big hills. Bell Mountain sits only about
> five minutes or so to our west, too. I had major problems with Verizon
> coverage at home, since we seemed to be JUST outside range of the closest
> VZW tower here. But I don't think that indicates that Verizon sucks
> overall or that Sprint is great - in my case, I think I'm just closer to a
> Sprint tower than a Verizon tower.
>
>> To summarize, it is possible to make calls with Verizon service in my
>> home and maintain the calls for hours at a time if you use a headset and
>> keep the phone away from my body. The Verizon phone has also been
>> excellent in all of the major metropolitan areas that I visit.
>
> You'll find that they're generally quite good in most major metro areas. I
> don't have a Verizon phone anymore, but coverage wasn't the reason I left.
>
>> I have been testing the Sprint phone and consistently have 5 bars
>> anywhere within my home and therefore I do not have any problem making or
>> receiving calls, but I am concerned about the Sprint coverage and the
>> quality of their network. Will I have a problem in major metropolitan
>> areas with Sprint? I have heard that a Chicago TV Station conducted a
>> cellular provider test and that Sprint provided the worst coverage and
>> had more dropped calls in the Chicago area that any other provider.
>
> Chicago used to be and may still be a major problem area for Sprint. Every
> carrier has their bad spots. As I point out from time to time, the Twin
> Cities area of Minnesota is a bad place to use a Verizon phone, and
> Sprint's MN coverage is much more comprehensive than Verizon's (just as an
> example). What I'd suggest is asking in the Sprint newsgroup if there are
> any Chicagoans and if they have had recent problems, and if so, exactly
> where.
>
>> An interesting point to note is that the Browser on the Spring Phone
>> completely blows away the browser on the Verizon phone. The Sprint Phone
>> is a Sanyo VM 4500 and the Verizon phone is an LG 6100.
>
> That's because both carriers have high-speed 1xRTT data services, but
> Verizon's browser uses the older 14.4Kbps data service - or at least used
> to. Newer phones may use the faster service for web browsing. Sprint PCS
> Vision web browsing is all at the higher 1xRTT speeds.
>
>> What would you recommend in this situation?
>>
>> 1. Stay with Verizon and do the hokey-pokey to make calls from my home
>>
>> or
>>
>> 2. Switch to Sprint and get good performance in my home and hope for good
>> coverage in cities that I visit.
>
> Honestly? Take advantage of Sprint's trial offer - it will cost you some
> money - you will pay for airtime used and you will pay the nonrefundable
> $36 activation fee, but the ONLY way to determine if the service will work
> for YOU in your specific location is to try it, using a phone YOU want to
> use.
>
> Keep the Verizon line open while using the trial, and then if you like
> Sprint, you can port your current cellular number to Sprint (you CAN move
> a Verizon number to an existing Sprint line; I did it this past summer).
> If you may want to port your number, do NOT cancel Verizon - if you cancel
> you won't be able to port. Verizon's billing system will automatically
> terminate the account upon successful porting if you decide to port.
>
> I'm sorry, if you were talking about Northeast Ohio I could be much more
> useful... I lived there for 30 years and had used cellular there from 1993
> up until I moved here in 2003. I've only lived here for about 18 months.
> But even if I was more familiar with coverage here, I would still say your
> best bet is to actually try Sprint and see if they work better for you. I
> would be doing you a disservice if I recommended one carrier or the other,
> knowing nothing about your usage patterns, etc.
>
> --
> JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
> Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) /
> [email protected]
> PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
> Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

On 8 Jan 2005 14:45:22 -0800, Jack Chance wrote:

> There is technology that will allow you to place any bluetooth phone
> anywhere in your home (ie. upstairs where the signal is good) and have
> it ring through to a phone connected to a landline.
>
> http://phonelabs.com/
>
> this is one example, but there are competitors. i think if 'money is
> no object' then this will satisfy you. You simply need to upgrade your
> verizon phone to one that has bluetooth. and dish out the $200 for the
> dock-n-talk and bluetooth adapter.
>
> -jc

Keep in mind that VZW bluetooth phones are frequently "crippled" by VZW so
not all BT functions work.

In article <LsKDd.15658$yW5.15069@fed1read02>,
"Mij Adyaw" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I live in Orange County California and am currently with Verizon and at the
> end of my 2 year contract. I travel throughout the USA usually to major
> metropolitan areas and am currently trying to decide whether to renew my
> contract with Verizon or switch to Sprint. I have obtained a Sprint phone
> and am doing some testing since I have 30 days to return the phone and
> cancel the contract with Sprint. (this is a new California law)
>
> I have the following dilemma and am looking for recommendations. I live in a
> rather hilly area in Laguna Niguel California and the Verizon signal at my
> home is a problem. I can usually make calls without a problem when I am
> upstairs, but sometimes have difficulty making calls when I am downstairs.
> It seems that the Verizon signal performance is worse during hot weather.
> Sometimes to make a call it is necessary to do the hokey-pokey and turn my
> self about in order to orient the phone in a good direction to get the best
> signal. I usually get three bars with the phone held directly in front of
> me, however when I place the phone to my ear, that number drops to either
> two or one bar. The proximity of the phone to the body causes signal
> attenuation. I can resolve this problem by always using a headset with the
> phone and keeping the phone away from my body. Due to all of the hills,
> there is also a severe problem with signal multi-path and this seems to
> really confuse the phone.
>
> To summarize, it is possible to make calls with Verizon service in my home
> and maintain the calls for hours at a time if you use a headset and keep the
> phone away from my body. The Verizon phone has also been excellent in all of
> the major metropolitan areas that I visit.
>
> I have been testing the Sprint phone and consistently have 5 bars anywhere
> within my home and therefore I do not have any problem making or receiving
> calls, but I am concerned about the Sprint coverage and the quality of their
> network. Will I have a problem in major metropolitan areas with Sprint? I
> have heard that a Chicago TV Station conducted a cellular provider test and
> that Sprint provided the worst coverage and had more dropped calls in the
> Chicago area that any other provider.
>
> An interesting point to note is that the Browser on the Spring Phone
> completely blows away the browser on the Verizon phone. The Sprint Phone is
> a Sanyo VM 4500 and the Verizon phone is an LG 6100.
>
> What would you recommend in this situation?
>
> 1. Stay with Verizon and do the hokey-pokey to make calls from my home
>
> or
>
> 2. Switch to Sprint and get good performance in my home and hope for good
> coverage in cities that I visit.
>
> Please do not make recommendations based upon cost since cost in not an
> issue in this dilemma.
>
> Thanks for your input.

I've traveled all over the country using Sprint. As long as you are in
urban or suburban areas, the coverage is usually just fine. The only
major urban area I've ever had a problem was in Chicago (where Sprint
has had problems on and off for a while now), although the last time I
was there (in October), things were fine, no problems.

--
Orac |"I am not *trying* to tell you anything. I am simply not
| interested in trying to compensate for your amazing lack
| of observation."
| http://oracknows.blogspot.com

I use a Jabra's non-Bluetooth headset (BT200) with my non-bluetooth
phones (cordless and wireless) through my house. It has a common 2.5mm
jack to connect to phones with similar jacks.

I still have a landline but have "busy/no answer forwarding" on my
landline. I only give out my landline number. So the landline phone
rings twice before forwarding to my cell phone so I can either answer
the landline or wait until the call forwards to my cell when I am at
home. This is a way of not carrying two phones, getting service in your
home and not having to give out two phone numbers. An additional bonus
is my landline Caller-ID shows calls I may have miss if someone did not
leave a voicemail message while my cell phone may have been off or did
not received the call.

I have found where Verizon (and the companies it acquired) owned the
original "cellular" licenses, they have more coverage than other
wireless vendors. Otherwise, Sprint or others were better in coverage
and Verizon would roam over to them. As long as you have a tri-mode
phone, either one is good. Pick the service that gives you the majority
of your coverage if you do not want to carry two phones.