Cell Phones - The Hull Truth

Waterbug · 09-11-2002, 04:13 PM

On average how far will a cell phone reach off the Louisiana-Mississippi Gulf Coast?

On average how far out can you still receive NOAA on a VHF radio?

Thanks.

Mumblerone · 09-13-2002, 06:38 AM

Both question always depend on your setup. The cell phone is as good as its nearest tower...let's say ten plus miles. The VHF is good for up to 25 miles or so (25watt), not a handheld. A five watt handheld is considerablely less. In my opinion you should have both plus a backup handheld. Remember all parties in a given area (let's say 25 mile radius) can hear you on a VHF if you get in trouble. With a cell phone only one pearson can hear you. If you have to make a choice...go with the fixed mount VHF. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

trouty · 09-13-2002, 07:23 AM

Warning, another trouty tall tales and true post...this could be a 10 mouse scroll wheel post.

Awhile back - say 3 months - I managed to get my first cell phone...

Nuthin weird in that...cept - I managed to get a hold of one thats also a sat phone into the bargain.

Bewdy bottler - I can now ring anyone from anywhere, even up to 200 miles offshore all over Oz according to the literature! (NOT!!!)

Well - a long while back before I got the sat phone - I also got a GPS reciever (Garmin) My bro in law Flash - he also got a GPS (Magellin I think!).

We go down to this river launch about 1 hour from me and get our two boats into the middle of the river, bout a half mile wide I guess.

I switch on the GPS and cant get a sat fix for the life a me in 15 minutes (normally takes a minute at longest).

I idle over to Flash in his boat to explain I can't get a sat fix - and surprise surprise neither can he.

Hmmmm

Anyway - last weekend - in the same place, out with the sat phone...up with the aerial...menu to sat and waiting waiting waiting...nada zippo zilch

I mean - like theres the sky - supposedly this flamin sputnik thingy is up there above us somewhere in the sky but do you think I cold get a signal?...

Ahhh hullo Houston?... we have a problem!

An hour away, at home - no problem signal every time...BUT not down at Cape Leuuwin I'm telling you - this place is like the black hole of calcutta as far as communications go.

If ever the terrorists launch a ICBM from there - were all in trubble coz as best I can figure it's some kind of "black hole" as far as sat coverage goes.

I'm fixin on Plan B now.
Carrier Pigeons! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

I know just how the guy in the vodaphone TV advert feels when a camel swallows his sat mobile just as his broker rings! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

Still it's a handy accessory to have in the yuppie stakes, in that it makes me look like I know what the Ph_k I'm doing even if I haven't a bloody clue! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Cheers!

RingLeader · 09-13-2002, 08:50 AM

I have used my handheld Nokia cell phone at West delta 86 out of venice and at the 6 mile rigs out of South pass. I don't think it worked at all at the 12 mile rigs. I have heard rumors that sometimes a cell phone can pick up signal from a rigs communication systems, they say the calls will be very expensive, but I don't know if it is true or not. I have also used it with no problems on the run from Slidell to Biloxi, but when I make that run I am only about 5-6 miles off of the beach. I have never run out further than that in that area.I imagine that 10-15 miles in that area would be the max. Cthink about all of the towers in the Gulf Port - Biloxi area and they are all right near the beach. It seems like service would be good for a few miles.

Ed
http://www.troutwagon.com

DreamWeaver21 · 09-13-2002, 09:15 AM

About 50 miles from the closest pass. I don't know what rigs have towers and which don't the coverage is better than I expected.

Dream Weaver Fishing Team
21 foot Cape Horn

drue · 09-13-2002, 12:44 PM

The best cell phone to use off the La coast is the old analog bag phones. If you can't pick up a signal from your carrier, you can always pick up a signal from Petrocom. It does get a little expensive to use their service, but hopefully you only usung your phone in emergencies.

whoknows · 09-13-2002, 01:17 PM

concur with Drue. Also the old analog Motorola "brick" phone has excellent coverage. I have used one 20 miles off the Texas coast and able to ping a on-shore tower. They can bought on E-Bay for about $25 with charger. The new digital phones have crap service offshore.

Also, you do not need to activate a secondary "emergency" phone. 911 should work on any cell phone with/without a service provider.

Slamdancer · 09-13-2002, 09:30 PM

Today Petrocom is your best bet off shore. In 1994, I had a 4' cell antenna and could get 2 bars 25 miles out of Dauphin Island, today the tower on the island does not give us the came coverage.

I have used a StarTac from the City Rig with no trouble; however, AllTell has changed their rules on their no roaming plan and these calls are no longer free. Now if you have a AllTell phone, they lock you out of Petrocom, and you have to roam on American Roaming network (have your credit card handy).

Needless to say, my days of spending hours on the phone off shore are gone.

When I rig my next boat I will have a hard mount 3 watt phone with a cell antenna on then top, and will subsribe to Petrocom's base program to insure I have the best phone reception possible.

I would never rely on the cell phone alone, and always carry a good 25 watt VHF.

tricube · 09-13-2002, 11:13 PM

there are companies that sell cell phone boosters to boost the signal to 3 watts. then you can use the regular cell phones. the ranges varies. I have never heard anyone with distances farther that 40 miles offshore

njfishing · 09-16-2002, 12:39 PM

There are a few things you can do to get better reception. Get a more powerful phone or get a good antenna. All the new phones sold today are .3 watts. The reason the bag phones works so well is because they are 3 watts and are able to hold on to signal much better. Bag phones are great but you will wind up paying more per minute since most companies are trying to get away from analog so the analog rate plans are more expensive then digital. An antennna will help a .3 or a 3 watt phone as well. The higher up you can get it the better. I have an 8 foot Galaxy mounted on my hard top and use a .3 watt Nokia phone that has an external antenna jack. The antenna makes a big difference in call quality and range.