How important is Analog Really?
Just when I thought I had made a decision...
For the past few years, I've been traveling around Florida working as an account rep. for a publishing company. Some of my accounts were in pretty rural areas so I thought it necessary to have a phone that had the ability to go into analog mode. Though in retrospect, I can't think of a single time my phone actually did go into analog mode. I occasionally would force it into analog mode looking for better signal strength.
My circumstances have changed, I've gone back to school and am enrolled full time in a law program. I spend my time now commuting a few times a year between my school in South Florida up to my family's home in Central Florida. I take the turnpike all the way up and was plea...
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For the past few years, I've been traveling around Florida working as an account rep. for a publishing company. Some of my accounts were in pretty rural areas so I thought it necessary to have a phone that had the ability to go into analog mode. Though in retrospect, I can't think of a single time my phone actually did go into analog mode. I occasionally would force it into analog mode looking for better signal strength.
My circumstances have changed, I've gone back to school and am enrolled full time in a law program. I spend my time now commuting a few times a year between my school in South Florida up to my family's home in Central Florida. I take the turnpike all the way up and was plea...
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It's probably not that important. I think if you keep your Startac around, you'll be covered in the event of a 911-type accident. It's probably more important out West, like in Idaho or Wyoming, although we have a kickass digital net in Wyoming.
It's VERY important to some customers, like the oilfield companies we service. They're always out in the boonies & use analog all the time. Lots of National SingleRate plans & the like. The bad thing with Analog Roam is, VZW can't control the quality of those connections. I know a lot of people who roam on Centennial's analog net & have horrendous problems with them. I think we use the analog side of AT&Ts TDMA net in Florida, from what I remember of the last PRL I looked at. Not sure how their m...
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It's VERY important to some customers, like the oilfield companies we service. They're always out in the boonies & use analog all the time. Lots of National SingleRate plans & the like. The bad thing with Analog Roam is, VZW can't control the quality of those connections. I know a lot of people who roam on Centennial's analog net & have horrendous problems with them. I think we use the analog side of AT&Ts TDMA net in Florida, from what I remember of the last PRL I looked at. Not sure how their m...
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If I end up changing phones and/or carriers, and a phone with analog isn't an option I might consider purchasing a tracfone. I believe they still offer phones that combine digital and analog service. That might not be efficient $$$-wise, but peace of mind sometimes isn't.
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Crackfone??? Please tell me you're kidding. Very much not efficient $$$-wise. Just keep your old handset hanging around in the glovebox. That way you can always make a 911 call.
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There are other areas as well where the ability to use analog can make a big difference. Like the Hudson Valley in NY state. Generally digital is available but the are many parts of this area where the digital is too weak to depend on. Having the third leg just gives you one more possibility in the event that you must get a call through. Not that you can force analog and expect it to work 100% either. Our phones constantly switch between three digital tower signals and an analog, when we're at home, indoors or out. I have spent a lot of time with the techs, but have yet to find a working solution. There is no single tower close enough to be a strong signal, thanks to the NIMBYS.
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Just to add a few things about the Analog technology. Tri-mode Phones are good because they carry the analog feature in the phone and this is good because only Tri-mode Phones can really get the best of service. When u have a Tri-Mode phone, and you enter an Extended network, You will be able to receive the service you paid for instead of not getting any service at all. The bad thing bout this is when you go into a Extended network, you no longer can retrieve vmail, or text messaging or it may be delayed up to hours at a time.
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Generally speaking, there are extremely few and far between cell towers in the VZW network that support AMPS but not 1X, let alone IS-95. So long as you have a VZW cell tower, you'll be able to receive digital. However, if your outside a VZW coverage area, than another carrier may be supporting coverage on Analog channels. That's where the AMPS would come into play. But I would say it would be less than 2% of total usage.
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momcat1 said:
Not in the HUdson Valley it isn't! It's really more like 20%.
What part? I live here and have never had a problem with the signal on my phone.
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Around Hopewell Jct, around in and in Adams in Pok, most of Noxon Rd, and by the Best Western on Route 9, for about a half mile in any direction. Those are the ones that I think of first.
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when a hiking buddy was recently trapped under a two ton boulder the ATT analog phone connections what brought rescuers there in twenty minutes instead of the hours to hike out. I was happy to have it. My tri-mode VZW phone was at the bottom of the trail so I do not know if the signal connected.
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Hi Katie, Great question! As a woman on the go I know what you mean. Having the phone work for you in case of an emergency is very important. If you travel mostly in well populated areas then going fully digital will be fine. Analog towers are mostly in rural or mountain areas & have yet been converted to digital. What I do when I travel is (like camping for example) I just go onto verizonwireless.com and switch my ESNs from my all digital to my old trimode phone. You'll only have to worry about needing a trimode for only a few more years before analog completely dies. If you like the KY, you might want to try the Kx414 which is trimode, & there is the Samsungs (I have one and I love it) & the 650 is trimode also. Hope this helps!
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Echh... I think the 414 has issues. It doesn't seem to grab an analog signal very well, at least not in my neck of the woods. I usually don't recommend it if people are traveling or living in an extended area. I've seen quite a few returns in those situations. I don't like Kyocera's text messaging software. I feel that it's not very intuitive at all. Samsung's is much better, and the latest Moto software is better yet. I do like the A650 though. A quality inexpensive handset.
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I would have to agree with CDGILL on his reply to your Q. The only thing is regarding your trusty old StarTac. If it is a dualband phone w/ dig. & analog, you can't re-apply it in service with VZW, if you have an America's choice plan. After the systems updates that were made within the past year. The system only accepts tri-mode and Dual dig. phones for America's choice, no more Dig/anal. Dual.
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