I Need a New Cell Phone Carrier...

[Venter]

I currently have AT&T as my Cellphone Carrier.
Of course they are ALL too expensive, but it is a necessary evil.

We currently have 5 phones in our "Family", so multi-user discounts would be nice.
The MAJOR ISSUE though, is that I need these to work in MY SHOP, as well as all around the Adams County Region, and the rest of the world.
But... most of all, at my shop.

So:
· Who uses what carriers?
· How good is your coverage?
· Who do you get your service from?
· How are the WalMart Plans?
· Can you take the time to swing by here to my shop and try out your phone reception here?
Right now (and in town, in the middle of our shop) we need a Signal Booster in order to get Reception.

Yes, in addition to all of the money it costs to get normal coverage, we have needed an AT&T "MicroCell" which hooks up through our internet, and costs another umpteen bucks per month, just to get their service in our building!

We are at 145 Herrs Ridge Road - ON a Ridge for cripes sakes, and although we get service at the House, just a hundred feet down the Hill... Crickets!

If you have service OTHER than Absolutely Terrible & Terribler, then please let me know if you can spare a few minutes out of your day to test out your phone down here in the Bermuda Triangle of Cellphone Transmission.

If you can help me out (or if you know of Providers that OFFER this Service), then Please let me know WHEN.
I will need to schedule a stop-by time, just to make sure I am here.

Any help will be appreciated.

Gene/Venter

[HoneyBadger]

Aug 2, 2012 15:58:08 GMT -5 Venter said:

I currently have AT&T as my Cellphone Carrier.
Of course they are ALL too expensive, but it is a necessary evil.

We currently have 5 phones in our "Family", so multi-user discounts would be nice.
The MAJOR ISSUE though, is that I need these to work in MY SHOP, as well as all around the Adams County Region, and the rest of the world.
But... most of all, at my shop.

So:
· Who uses what carriers?
· How good is your coverage?
· Who do you get your service from?
· How are the WalMart Plans?
· Can you take the time to swing by here to my shop and try out your phone reception here?
Right now (and in town, in the middle of our shop) we need a Signal Booster in order to get Reception.



Yes, in addition to all of the money it costs to get normal coverage, we have needed an AT&T "MicroCell" which hooks up through our internet, and costs another umpteen bucks per month, just to get their service in our building!

We are at 145 Herrs Ridge Road - ON a Ridge for cripes sakes, and although we get service at the House, just a hundred feet down the Hill... Crickets!

If you have service OTHER than Absolutely Terrible & Terribler, then please let me know if you can spare a few minutes out of your day to test out your phone down here in the Bermuda Triangle of Cellphone Transmission.

If you can help me out (or if you know of Providers that OFFER this Service), then Please let me know WHEN.
I will need to schedule a stop-by time, just to make sure I am here.

Any help will be appreciated.

Gene/Venter

My provider is Credo. Now, I doubt that you would want service from them because they support liberal causes.

However, the underlying provider is Sprint and I have never, ever, had a problem with my service. I can use the phone wherever I go; no lost signal inside our outside. I used it from Havertown PA and in Maryland. Above Arendtsville and in Littlestown. (I don't travel much you see). I've even made calls from the basement of my house.

I'll stop by tomorrow after my chiropractor appointment and try out my phone. Mine is a no frills phone 'cause I'm not smart enough for smart phones.

Also, I previously used a Tracfone from WalMart and my mother still uses it. It traveled with me on my various travels with some signal loss in the Philadelphia area.

After numerous years of listening to cell phone complaints, I'd recommend Sprint. (My provider has less complaints than the other regarding service, etc). One other thing - every provider will tell you that there is no guarantee that you will have service inside a building. It's a stock answer and it's frequently correct.

Note: I will call to see if you are home first. It should be around noon.

[lifesaver]

Venter, I have AT&T. My service has improved over the years. House reception used to be a little sketchy depending where you were in the house. Now it doesn't matter. my husband has Verizon for his work cell. When he gets calls in the house he usually has to walk outside. Where I used to have no reception in Fairfield, now I have full bars . We have friends who live in Buchanan Valley who have zilch reception no matter what carrier you have. I still have a couple of dead spots between here and Gettysburg where I MIGHT lose a call, it all depends. I hate calling my Sprint friends because their service sucks in this area, in my opinion. I have friends who switched from Verizon to AT&T to have better service in their house. Depending where I am in stores in town I might have service in the store, I might not. What I'm trying to say is that I think any carrier may have its good points, depending where you are, one might not be any better than another. I think putting up new cell towers will only improve reception in the area, however these are many times met with opposition.

My suggestion to you is to install a landline in your house/shop. You can probably, at your location also get internet through your phone service. We pay around $20 a month for DSL. Basic phone service is also pretty reasonable too.

[lifesaver]

I agree HB, if you don't need all the frills then a Trac Phone or pay as you go plan is the way to go.

[Alex Oreilly]

ATT has a business plan but you have to ask for it and the ATT store in town can be tough to deal with sometimes so you might want to go outside of Gettysburg for another ATT dealer.

[SpellChecker]

Aug 2, 2012 15:58:08 GMT -5 Venter said:

I currently have AT&T as my Cellphone Carrier.
Of course they are ALL too expensive, but it is a necessary evil.

We currently have 5 phones in our "Family", so multi-user discounts would be nice.
The MAJOR ISSUE though, is that I need these to work in MY SHOP, as well as all around the Adams County Region, and the rest of the world.
But... most of all, at my shop.

So:
· Who uses what carriers?
· How good is your coverage?
· Who do you get your service from?
· How are the WalMart Plans?
· Can you take the time to swing by here to my shop and try out your phone reception here?
Right now (and in town, in the middle of our shop) we need a Signal Booster in order to get Reception.

Yes, in addition to all of the money it costs to get normal coverage, we have needed an AT&T "MicroCell" which hooks up through our internet, and costs another umpteen bucks per month, just to get their service in our building!

We are at 145 Herrs Ridge Road - ON a Ridge for cripes sakes, and although we get service at the House, just a hundred feet down the Hill... Crickets!

If you have service OTHER than Absolutely Terrible & Terribler, then please let me know if you can spare a few minutes out of your day to test out your phone down here in the Bermuda Triangle of Cellphone Transmission.

If you can help me out (or if you know of Providers that OFFER this Service), then Please let me know WHEN.
I will need to schedule a stop-by time, just to make sure I am here.

Any help will be appreciated.

Gene/Venter

I get great service with verizon in the gburg area. However in the fairfield CV area I get less than desirable service although the people I know with other major carrieries also experince the same spotty service.

[lifesaver]

Aug 2, 2012 18:58:11 GMT -5 Alex Oreilly said:

ATT has a business plan but you have to ask for it and the ATT store in town can be tough to deal with sometimes so you might want to go outside of Gettysburg for another ATT dealer.

If you are talking about All-Wireless on Buford Ave. I would have to disagree. They have always given me awesome service, and at times above and beyond in helping me deal with issues caused by my family going elsewhere for AT&T service.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

I switched to Sprint about two years ago when my Nextel service when to crap. Haven't had problems with the Sprint since I did.

[Venter]

WEIRD!
The Ad at the top of the screen is for Sprint Cell Phones.
Okay, not so weird, that is part of the advertisement algorithm - and it's all GOOD I guess!

Thanks guys.
An AT&T Business plan won't help if I still can't receive the signal in the location I spend 90% of my waking hours!
My guess is that my house, on the ridge, is still getting a signal from a tower on the East Side - like maybe the ones by Weis?
But, since the Shop Building is further down the hill, the signals go right over it.

The AT&T Microcell that we have, is literally a Mini Cell Tower IN the Shop - but since the house is about 100 feet away, the signal actually seems to interfere with THAT reception when I use the phones in the house!
It's frustrating.

I found this site www.city-data.com/towers/cell-Gettysburg-Pennsylvania.html , but without knowing how these towers would affect me, I can't make a determination.
I've actually heard that cellphone service is horrible if you live in an area directly below the tower, because the waves are generated OUT from the top, not downward.
Kinda like standing with a hose spraying above your head, you are at the source, but the spray misses you.

[HoneyBadger]

Aug 2, 2012 17:42:14 GMT -5 lifesaver said:

I agree HB, if you don't need all the frills then a Trac Phone or pay as you go plan is the way to go.

I used the Trac for several years until I bought the LG Rumor. It works just fine but I was lured to a smartphone and I bought an HTC Evo. I spent an hour on the landline activating the phone but the next morning I encountered a problem. I called the company, activated my old phone and sent the new one back.

I'm considering porting my number to a phone from WalMart and paying the $350 ETF to cancel my plan. I don't use the phone a lot so why pay a monthly fee when I can buy my minutes?

Then too, I don't own a business. Heck, I don't even work. Never thought I'd say it but I miss working.

[Venter]

Thanks to two BoroVENTers for swinging by to test their phones for me.

I Found out that FMB doesn't have a 900 Number Blocker on his phone - SWEET!
But, HoneyBadger was wiser than that - hers was blocked.

Both phones were Sprint.
One had 5 bars pretty consistently, one had 3 to4 Bars.

[HoneyBadger]

So, I checked the FCC database today. It was the first time I've looked at the FCC site since June 28th. Wow, didn't miss it a bit.

Verizon Wireless has two towers in Adams County. One is located at 750 Potato Rd in Aspers and the other is at 80 Ridge Rd. Ext. in Gettysburg.

AT&T has three towers in Adams County. One at 5 Chapel Ridge Rd., Gettysburg, one at 201 Tiger Trail in Fairfield and one at 605 Piney Mountain Rd. in Fayetteville.

If your signal is bouncing off the VW tower you should be able to pick up a good signal. The direction of the antenna can affect the signal too.

Good luck if you change providers. And, thanks for the opportunity to check out the WTB database as a consumer rather than as an employee responding to a consumer.

[lifesaver]

Aug 3, 2012 19:02:38 GMT -5 HoneyBadger said:

So, I checked the FCC database today. It was the first time I've looked at the FCC site since June 28th. Wow, didn't miss it a bit.

Verizon Wireless has two towers in Adams County. One is located at 750 Potato Rd in Aspers and the other is at 80 Ridge Rd. Ext. in Gettysburg.

AT&T has three towers in Adams County. One at 5 Chapel Ridge Rd., Gettysburg, one at 201 Tiger Trail in Fairfield and one at 605 Piney Mountain Rd. in Fayetteville.

If your signal is bouncing off the VW tower you should be able to pick up a good signal. The direction of the antenna can affect the signal too.

Good luck if you change providers. And, thanks for the opportunity to check out the WTB database as a consumer rather than as an employee responding to a consumer.

I know there are plans to also put a tower up in Buchanan Valley but it is meeting some opposition. Now THAT is a dead area, literally.

[HoneyBadger]

At about 1AM it occurred to me that I have no idea where Ridge Road Ext is located. I guess I was correlating Ridge Road with Herrs Ridge Road. Sorry about that.

Lifesaver, I wasn't aware of a potential cell tower in the Buchanan Valley area but it would be nice. My brother loses his signal somewhere about Arendtsville. It is a dead area in so many ways.

[lifesaver]

Ridge Rd extended is in the Southern part of the county, general area of the bowling alley and Route 15 (I think it parallels route 15 for some of it).

[lifesaver]

Aug 4, 2012 11:23:06 GMT -5 HoneyBadger said:

Lifesaver, I wasn't aware of a potential cell tower in the Buchanan Valley area but it would be nice. My brother loses his signal somewhere about Arendtsville. It is a dead area in so many ways.

Yes, it would. These people have zero service no matter what carrier. Unfortunately NIMBY's reside in Buchanan Valley as well. If I understand correctly it will be close to 234 around the area of the winery, who are one of the folks opposing it.

[Alex Oreilly]

You would think that the Winery would want it so their customers had service.

[Venter]

I love those Cellphone Towers that look like huge Loblolly Pine Trees.

The places I've seen them were in NO WAY places that a Loblolly Pine would have grown to 200 feet!
I'd rather see a cell tower painted Sky Blue.

Maybe they can make them using the same technology those Predators used in the Schwarzenegger movie.
I mean, if they've already got the technology, why not use it for something GOOD!?

[Fire Marshal Bill]

Aug 3, 2012 15:53:25 GMT -5 Venter said:

Thanks to two BoroVENTers for swinging by to test their phones for me.

I Found out that FMB doesn't have a 900 Number Blocker on his phone - SWEET!
But, HoneyBadger was wiser than that - hers was blocked.

Both phones were Sprint.
One had 5 bars pretty consistently, one had 3 to4 Bars.

Venter, why would I block the 900 numbers, I spend most of my time on them. Hell I have to talk to someone driving between jobs all day, and those are the only friends I have.

[orrtannaoracle]

Aug 4, 2012 12:20:39 GMT -5 lifesaver said:

Aug 4, 2012 11:23:06 GMT -5 HoneyBadger said:

Lifesaver, I wasn't aware of a potential cell tower in the Buchanan Valley area but it would be nice. My brother loses his signal somewhere about Arendtsville. It is a dead area in so many ways.

Yes, it would. These people have zero service no matter what carrier. Unfortunately NIMBY's reside in Buchanan Valley as well. If I understand correctly it will be close to 234 around the area of the winery, who are one of the folks opposing it.

I'm not sure that proposed location would reach much of Buchanan Valley, there's a good sized ridge to the west of the winery site (unless the site is on top of that ridge). We lived within a well-hit 2-iron of TickTock - used Verizon very successfully there but I don't recall ever trying to use my cell at say, the intersection of Bottom Road and 234 or in the Narrows. I'm not sure those places will ever receive service. Generally we had little trouble with Verizon in Adams County except my wife had to leave her office in CV and walk to the other side of the street. Perhaps Venter should convert his workshop into his home and vice versa. ;D

[lifesaver]

Aug 8, 2012 5:56:35 GMT -5 orrtannaoracle said:

Aug 4, 2012 12:20:39 GMT -5 lifesaver said:

Yes, it would. These people have zero service no matter what carrier. Unfortunately NIMBY's reside in Buchanan Valley as well. If I understand correctly it will be close to 234 around the area of the winery, who are one of the folks opposing it.

I'm not sure that proposed location would reach much of Buchanan Valley, there's a good sized ridge to the west of the winery site (unless the site is on top of that ridge). We lived within a well-hit 2-iron of TickTock - used Verizon very successfully there but I don't recall ever trying to use my cell at say, the intersection of Bottom Road and 234 or in the Narrows. I'm not sure those places will ever receive service. Generally we had little trouble with Verizon in Adams County except my wife had to leave her office in CV and walk to the other side of the street. Perhaps Venter should convert his workshop into his home and vice versa. ;D

I'm not exactly sure of the tower location OO but I know the object was to improve service to Buchanan Valley. My friends that live in that area have no service, no matter which carrier you have. You don't have to get far off 30 onto 234 to lose coverage. Bottom Road and the Narrows- zilch. I think CV coverage is better now. Where I used to have zero to sometimes one bar I know have full bars with AT&T.

[orrtannaoracle]

Re lifesaver's comments: the coverage in the CV area is vastly better due to new (3 or so years ago) towers in Fairfield Borough, on Jacks Mountain and down near the intersection of 16 and 116 on Tiger (?) Trail.

[HoneyBadger]

Aug 4, 2012 12:20:39 GMT -5 lifesaver said:

Aug 4, 2012 11:23:06 GMT -5 HoneyBadger said:

Lifesaver, I wasn't aware of a potential cell tower in the Buchanan Valley area but it would be nice. My brother loses his signal somewhere about Arendtsville. It is a dead area in so many ways.

Yes, it would. These people have zero service no matter what carrier. Unfortunately NIMBY's reside in Buchanan Valley as well. If I understand correctly it will be close to 234 around the area of the winery, who are one of the folks opposing it.

My cousin (yet another Dillon) owns property in Buchanan Valley. I don't think that he is a NIMBY. A Adams Electric tower is just across the street from my house and I don't notice it. Granted, several of my cats have 3 eyes and 5 legs but I don't think it's from the proximity of the tower.

I've never been to the winery; probably wouldn't be able to find it anyway. APK is correct, you'd think they would want cell service in the area.

I've seen photos of many nice looking cell towers. The only downside to having one is if it's abandoned by the provider the property owner has to pay to have it dismantled unless they're smart enough to cover removal in the lease agreement.

Thanks LS for telling me where Ridge Rd. is located. I have to go to Harrisburg Monday and I expect to end up in Erie. Next month I'm going to King of Prussia but I'll probably make it to the shore before I realize that I'm lost...again. GPS does not work for me.

[lifesaver]

Aug 9, 2012 12:13:51 GMT -5 HoneyBadger said:

Aug 4, 2012 12:20:39 GMT -5 lifesaver said:

Yes, it would. These people have zero service no matter what carrier. Unfortunately NIMBY's reside in Buchanan Valley as well. If I understand correctly it will be close to 234 around the area of the winery, who are one of the folks opposing it.

My cousin (yet another Dillon) owns property in Buchanan Valley. I don't think that he is a NIMBY. A Adams Electric tower is just across the street from my house and I don't notice it. Granted, several of my cats have 3 eyes and 5 legs but I don't think it's from the proximity of the tower.

I've never been to the winery; probably wouldn't be able to find it anyway. APK is correct, you'd think they would want cell service in the area.

I've seen photos of many nice looking cell towers. The only downside to having one is if it's abandoned by the provider the property owner has to pay to have it dismantled unless they're smart enough to cover removal in the lease agreement.

Thanks LS for telling me where Ridge Rd. is located. I have to go to Harrisburg Monday and I expect to end up in Erie. Next month I'm going to King of Prussia but I'll probably make it to the shore before I realize that I'm lost...again. GPS does not work for me.

Sure it does HB. Just listen for the word "Recalculating"

[HoneyBadger]

Aug 9, 2012 14:27:19 GMT -5 lifesaver said:

Aug 9, 2012 12:13:51 GMT -5 HoneyBadger said:

My cousin (yet another Dillon) owns property in Buchanan Valley. I don't think that he is a NIMBY. A Adams Electric tower is just across the street from my house and I don't notice it. Granted, several of my cats have 3 eyes and 5 legs but I don't think it's from the proximity of the tower.

I've never been to the winery; probably wouldn't be able to find it anyway. APK is correct, you'd think they would want cell service in the area.

I've seen photos of many nice looking cell towers. The only downside to having one is if it's abandoned by the provider the property owner has to pay to have it dismantled unless they're smart enough to cover removal in the lease agreement.

Thanks LS for telling me where Ridge Rd. is located. I have to go to Harrisburg Monday and I expect to end up in Erie. Next month I'm going to King of Prussia but I'll probably make it to the shore before I realize that I'm lost...again. GPS does not work for me.

Sure it does HB. Just listen for the word "Recalculating"

You forget, LS, that in 2008 I used my GPS to go to visit my daughter. I drove by her house, commented that it looked like her house and a mile down the road the tires caught ice and I crashed into a PECO power pole. The accident demolished my car and broke my brother's arm.

My brain does not comprehend direction. For many years (before I began driving) I thought that 30 E and 30 W were two different roads. Sad but true.

The Buchanan Valley brother is going to drive me to the appointment Monday. He can't take me to King of Prussia because he's scheduled for a knee replacement on the 29th. However, the Missouri brother will be in PA for 10 days in early September. He'll drive me if I have to go that week and the Gettysburg brother will drive me if I go the week of September 20th.

It's not that they are incredibly generous and don't have better things to do with their time but that they don't want me to demolish my car (or myself). Heck, I asked my daughter if I could bring my mother down to visit after my retirement. Her response was a resounding NO unless someone bright enough to follow directions drove me down. Needless to say; I no longer want to visit her.