Best phone for rural area - Tri-mode?

About a year ago I purchased a Virgin pay-as-you-go phone... this works okay in the city, but not at all when I am at home in rural VA. I have been researching phones for several months now... and concluded that Verizon was my best chance at getting good service.

After researching phones forever, but still nervous about service, contracts, and returning online purchases... I gave up and went to best buy the other day and purchased a pay-as-you-go from Verizon to see if I was able to get service at home. The phone sort of works. It is better then the Virgin mobile, but definitely not good enough to actually use. It usually has no bars, occasionally 1... sometimes can call, occasionally have a conversations...

The phone is a Pantech PN-215, which from reading reviews, is pretty much worthless. Is it likely that just upgrading to a better phone would be enough to improve the signal to useable? I live about an hour from DC, but it is very rural, I live on a farm, and the house has a metal roof. Outside the house I can general get a signal and make calls on the virgin phone...

Have been researching online for awhile... and finally realized that maybe I need to be looking at tri-mode phones. From reading the posts, it sounds like most of these are very basic phones... so wanted to make sure i understand this completely...

- Is a tri-mode phone my best bet for getting a better signal on the farm?
- Does the cost of a phone directly correlate to how well it works?

Having a phone that works is my main priority!!! but I would also prefer to have some of the features if possible... as a designer, I would enjoy a good quality camera, and the ability to connect to the internet, I also have a wireless headset from my computer, so bluetooth would be nice. Not really interested in ringtones or downloads from vcast etc.

These are phones I was eyeing until realized tri-mode might help with reception:
-LG VX8600
-Mototola MOTOKRZR K1m
-Samsung SCH-a990

Any suggestions or advice greatly appreciated... have been going round in circles on this for a while... but really want a phone I can use inside on the farm... (as well as in arlington and VA beach) and prefer features if possible (and secretly... very curious to see if apple comes out with their iPhone in Jan, which makes me even more weary of getting into a contract...)

Hi, Farmgirl.

if you are looking for a phone that works in a rural area, you should be looking at phones with analog backup -- this will pretty much limit you to Verizon or Sprint. Verizon is moving to all-digital in 2008, but until then, you should be able to get a phone with this feature. Basically, you should be looking for AMPS in the phone specifications. I have an LG VX5300 with Verizon service which worked great in VA Beach a couple of weeks ago. Phone has bluetooth (for connecting to headset only) and I can connect to Verizon's internet portal with handset. Camera isn't the best, and there's no video mode or zoom, but I got it to work as a phone first, not a camera. Got it to work in rural northern New England when I travel there. All-digital phones traded in their analog feature to make room for 3G features -- unfortunately, you can't have both streaming video or music and rural service in a cell phone.

Check sites like cnet.com or myrateplan.com for reviews and specs on phones and plans, even prepaid plans if you're looking to avoid contracts until the iPhone comes out.

Good luck! Hope this helps!

Farmgirl,

Do you have a zip code for location you would be using? I say go with Motorola V325, tri-mode best signal/reception, can't think of any complaints I have heard, not people needing exchanges (which is always a great sign!) LG 5300 may be good too, just do not personnally know anyone using it I could get feed back from, but also havent heard any complaints about it! Good luck!

Hi Gadgetlover and Texan,

Thanks for the recomendations. All digital in 2008 is good to know. The Verizon pay-as-you-go selection seems to be extreamly limited. Not sure if any of them are tri-mode, I will try and figure that out...

zip is 20187

Thanks again for all your help!!! I am going to check out the two phones mentioned and let you know if I have any questions (I have looked at so many now have a hard time keeping them sorted).

Hey farmgirl,

I'll ck the zip tomorrow and see if it gives any indication of cell sites and approx location, several, few or whatever the case is.(which it should).. If you go to the website www.verizonwireless.com, the phones list whether they are tri-mode or not.. Even if you get tri-mode now, I think it is Feb 2008 that the analog cell sites will be gone, (hopefully there will be others to replace in your area at that time!

)

One of my brother's lives in rural farm coutry, small town of maybe 2500 - 3000 people.. He used to have a regional carrier but once he was entering town had no coverage or in his house.. He has a VZW tri-mode (wouldn't get the model he has so won't mention it, should have listened to his sister, hee, hee!) But even the one he has works in town and in his house though he is in extended coverage. I'm not saying that is the case everywhere but if there is a roaming agreement etc, should be ok with a tri-mode if there are cell sites around. I'll let you know what the zip shows tomorrow! Have a good one!

Thanks Texan,

That's awesome... please keep me posted!

yes, hopefully by 2008 there will be more digital towers around... or better yet... one on our farm

You can always go to the website and offer your land for rental! (Not sure the exact locatition but you could type it in the search at the top) From what I understand if you get a tower on your property can be pretty lucrative, I spoke with someone that had one on their property, stated enough to cover their mortage every month and was an endless contract, like 99 yrs or something, plus he always had cell service !

Any ideas what website? I have had trouble find info on individual carrier websites... and if you just do a google search there are tons of scams. I started a thread on this as well... but so far only suggestion was to call them... and customer service for cingular suggested I snail mail them info (I haven't tried any others)... any links would be great...

farmgirl,

I am so sorry, have had a busy week and haven't been back on here but I did look (briefly, as had a d..call!) at your zip code, it is in VZW coverage not extended and there were cell sites, though not like a big city of course! If you call in to Customer Service (800) 922 0204 give them your exact address and ask them location/distance of the cell sites from your address, they can measure it.. I would get it from you but might not be ethical on a public site, don't want to get in trouble!

Anyway, your last post, the web address is:
www.verizonwireless.com, once you pull up the home page , there is a "search" on top to the right. I tried different words just now, could not locate it.. I have to work tomorrow, I know I can find it there.. Promise I will get back with you, sometimes takes me while, get sidetracked!, Sorry!
Have a great evening!

Thanks, researching I found sprint and t-mobile have online sites for submitting potential tower sites... havn't yet ben able to find for Verizon... any help would be much apprciated!

Also, fogured out that this website shows tower locations... like you said there are some in the genral area...but not sure who they belong to...

I think I am goin to try and return the prepay phone I have now and get the most enpensive one they offer pre-pay, since it has the analog system... and try that...

Best phone for rural area - Tri-mode?

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