New Cell Coverage in Death Valley NP

[jp]

Damndest thing is you can be standing at a high point and have several bars signal strength on your cell phone, twenty-five miles from a tower, yet not be able to connect due to distance/ping timing restrictions on the 3G/CDMA protocol.

So the sense that a cell phone offers any reliable or addtional security in the backcountry is pretty much a fiction, ever since the networks have gone 2nd generation digital.

I've been to a bunch of places like this; offshore islands. If you reboot your phone, you will be able to make calls. I think the phones get re-associated with towers that aren't going to work (perhaps for the distance/timing limitations) because they have a strong signal, and stay connected with those towers, even though it's not a good functional choice.

Some phones allow you to force the phone to roam as well, which could get you some more options.

Amateur radio is the most foolproof option. Simplest infrastructure, longest range.

[rguinter]

I've been to a bunch of places like this; offshore islands. If you reboot your phone, you will be able to make calls. I think the phones get re-associated with towers that aren't going to work (perhaps for the distance/timing limitations) because they have a strong signal, and stay connected with those towers, even though it's not a good functional choice.

Some phones allow you to force the phone to roam as well, which could get you some more options.

Amateur radio is the most foolproof option. Simplest infrastructure, longest range.

Yes I agree. Of all the trips I've made to wilderness areas over the years I have always had reliable communications to the outside. Even now cell-phone communication seems a bit primitive in comparison.

But in the days when I was studying radio theory the whole licensing thing was much harder than it is today. Now it is rather easy with no morse-code requirements and relaxed theory requirements. One does not need to be an RF engineer to pass today's exams.

And more licensed members are needed. There is constant pressure from the RF business sector to take the amateur spectrum away. Goodness... it is free to use and doesn't make anyone any money.

I would encourage all who are here reading this thread (and traveling frequently to wilderness areas) to look into it. Bob G. KC2UU

[Brian C. Miller]

I would encourage all who are here reading this thread (and traveling frequently to wilderness areas) to look into it. Bob G. KC2UU

Oh, yeah, a mobile 80m Yagi beam antenna is gonna be really spiffy! I'll have to put training wheels on my Jeep for that thing! No, I'm not burning donuts, I'm rotating my antenna...

[goamules]

I agree bellyaching about people on cell phones is kind of silly. But certainly I don't want to throw out the whole idea of being conscious of what is left of our wilderness and wildlife. Loggers are out of work because we cut the last of the forests. The tiny, TINY specs that are left were about to be wiped out just like 95% of Americans old growth was. Have you looked at how many acres of even the iconic redwood were cut the last 20 years? Have you looked at how technology overfished the Grand Banks cod that had sustained Americans for 400 years? There are no cod left - fishing is over. Let the people "have jobs" for another, what, 10 years, and decimate what's left? I don't think so. I could tell you stories about how China is following our 19th century lead right now....give it 50 years and see what's left: people and pavement.

[Drew Wiley]

You're right, Goamules. Real wilderness is getting scarce worldwide, and here in the
USA what we have are really managed preserves, often under assault, and not many
cases of real wilderness capable of protecting itself by tooth and claw. The idea that
this is land "locked up" from the public is nonsense. I'm a lot more worried about the
long-term public good being locked out from massive amounts of land being given over to the destruction of a handful of greedy shortsighted commercial concerns. All one has to do is fly over the West to see roads and disruption everywhere, and many of
our national parks have commercialized theme parks and development right on their
boundaries. But people also underestimate the effect of noise pollution. Contrails all
through our skies are annoying to us as photographers, but mechanical noise from
low-flying aircraft can spoil an escape from the techie drone existence of everyday
America. Unlike in the city, one can choose to walk away from someone obnoxiously using a cell phone in the back country, or just not travel with them in the first place;
but once roads and towers are there, the special quality of wilderness itself is
violated, and further tampering with the land is almost inevitable.

[Kirk Keyes]

I could tell you stories about how China is following our 19th century lead right now....give it 50 years and see what's left: people and pavement.

I agree.

I guess I need to go and get in line for my rations of Soylent Green...

[David Luttmann]

Finally. When I was there last, I wanted to grab a few cell shots to send to my wife back home while I was out with all the camera gear. I could find no service for even a text. And with the hotels in Death Valley ripping you off for long distance at $4 to $5 per MINUTE, I welcome their revenue drying up on this.

[Mark Barendt]

For me one of the big points of going to places like Death Valley is to disconnect from the world.

What is being lost here (with cell service being available) is our ability to "drop out" and "get away" for a week or two without distractions from outside.

What I find truly amazing is the addiction modern society is developing to constant instantaneous contact and the belief that it's truly important, given the banality of most cell phone use (and facebook posts and twitters) I believe the "need" is oversold.

[Laura_Campbell]

For folks who live in isolated areas, like me, where there's spotty cell coverage, connecting to the outside world is important in the event of an emergency. I used to feel the way that many in this thread feel when I lived in more populated areas. But when you're living in an area that is somewhat remote, with hot summers and long travel distances between desert outposts and basic services, that connection in terms of safety is really huge to us. To me, it's a basic service that might come in handy some day. And since I drive around this neck of the woods every day, that means a lot.

Laura "who hasn't used her cell phone in 6 months" Campbell

[Mark Barendt]

For folks who live in isolated areas, like me, where there's spotty cell coverage, connecting to the outside world is important in the event of an emergency. I used to feel the way that many in this thread feel when I lived in more populated areas. But when you're living in an area that is somewhat remote, with hot summers and long travel distances between desert outposts and basic services, that connection in terms of safety is really huge to us. To me, it's a basic service that might come in handy some day. And since I drive around this neck of the woods every day, that means a lot.

Laura "who hasn't used her cell phone in 6 months" Campbell

I'm not against being safe.

Cell phones aren't the only or even the best way to get help. The spottiness is one of it's biggest failings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distress_radiobeacon For rescue this may be a better choice.

Another option is simply telling someone where you will be and when you will be back.

"Remote and isolated" could be defined by Canyonlands NP back in the 60's.

The norm was to check in with the ranger give them your plan, then go explore the park and check out on time. If you missed your check out a ranger would come looking for you.

It's tough to imagine today but this process was important because when our family did this, unless there was a special event going on, one ranger and maybe a rancher minding his cows were very possibly the only other people in the whole park district. 6-7 people total, sharing several hundred square miles of very unforgiving land.

Cell phones are simply a convenience, not a necessity.