tv/cell phone/internet


ALIVIAH

New Member
Hi, I am brand new to this site, I'm looking for info on what the best cell phone service is good for full timing as well as satellite tv and internet, any help would be appreciated. I'm in Maine now and plan to go to warmer weather come winter, then west so I will need something that would cover anywhere in the US.
 

LEN

Senior Member
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

Welcome,

Best cell in my view is Verizon. With which ever cell you go with get a phone that is internet ready and you can tether it to your computer for internet and unless you are full timing this is an option that you can turn on and off any time with no 2 year contract. Cost is about $60 a month plus the cell service. As to Dish or Direct tv, Direct seems to be more RVer friendly and if you have it at home you can just add another unit in the RV. There are more options for Sat internet but the equipment is in the $1000-$1500 range but will get you internet where the cell will not(in the mountains and away from hiways in remote areas)

LEN
 

utmtman

Senior Member
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

I second the motion on Verizon and or At&t as a second joice. I say go with Direct TV and you have lots of choices on satellite antenas for that as for internet I recommend moto sat satellite dish with hughes net service thru them as well.
 

onthecoach

Senior Member
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

I have used Verizon and DirecTV for more than 5 years! Dish had NO CLUE how to even discuss service to a motorhome! I did have to provide some special documents to obtain the Western networks and they do charge about $1.25/month for each one.

I do find that the DirecTV signal will be lost in heavy rain --- but, for the most part...it is quite reliable.

I love my Verizon phone and network...and now that we can add 10 'Family and Friends' numbers for no minute charge, it is even better.

Dear Husband has ATT....he likes it, but I will never change my Verizon!

As far as internet....I had been signed up w/COMCAST the last 16 months, as I was stationary. I do have WIFI and many more campgrounds are now WIFI compatible.... so that works well when traveling!
 

SnowbirdInFlight

Senior Member
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

DISH came out and installed my satellite and receiver while we were at Hurlburt Field Campground near Fort Walton Beach. I had no problems at all with them setting us up while in our TT. I have all the network channels through All American Direct. Then when I move to a new location I call DISH and give them my new physical address and then I get the local channels from that area too. I have never had a problem with DISH.
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

We have been satisfied customers of Cingular since we went full-time nearly ten years ago. Of course, since the merger it is now AT&T and our experience has been that we have twice been in locations for volunteer work-camping where AT&T worked and Verizon did not and once we were in an area where Verizon worked and AT&T did not. We have also been several places that both worked poorly, or neither worked at all. If you spend most of your time near the cities, it probably doesn't really matter. If you spend a lot of time in remote areas as we do, then it just depends upon where you happen to go.

As to internet, tethering the phone to the computer is not a great method but it will work fairly well. The only way to have internet anywhere you happen to go is to get satellite internet from either Starband or Hughes. In that case if you can see the southern sky, you can also get internet. Cellular internet direct to the computer via an "air card" is coming on very strongly and now comes near to being as good as the dish system. In fact, we just converted from a dish to the air card system. For it I did choose Verizon because at this time they are the best coverage of the companies that have it available. Sprint is pretty good also and AT&T is now in second and coming on strong. Like the cellular phones, the competition is strong and it is changing and improving all of the time.

For TV, we use Dish TV and All American Direct for networks but have considered changing to Direct TV. I think it mostly just depends upon who is currently giving the best deal.
 
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

This is an older thread but I wanted to add one alternative to consider. In anticipation of going full time, we switched to Straight Talk from Walmart. $30/month for 1000 minutes, or $45 for unlimited. Pre-paid, no contract or credit check. You can fill up your time online, or just buy another service card at Walmart. They use the Verizon network, so service is virtually identical to my wife's old Verizon service at closer to half the price. Customer service is not great, so if you need a lot of support, may not be the best choice.

We use our Google Voice number as our primary phone, so if our phone numbers change, it's no big deal. We change them in Voice and never miss a call or message and you can text and dial from your desktop. http://www.google.com/voice

For internet we're selecting campgrounds with wifi. Just got off the phone with our first long term campground to verify they had wifi and cable. The only thing I don't like about the air cards are the download caps.

Am I overlooking anything?
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: tv/cell phone/internet



Here's Google's explanation on Voice:

"Google Voice is currently invitation only. Please leave us your email address and we'll send you an invite as they become available."

Perhaps it will actually be available for all soon?
 

LEN

Senior Member
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

Once you get the WIFI then tell us how it works. You will never down load much and anytime other than the middle of the night most are on constant overload to the point you think it's not working. I'll pay the $2 a day and have internet in most locations wether it be card or tethered phone. If full time I would go card but for part time I'll do the tethered route.


LEN
 
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

Just leave your email, the wait usually isn't that long. Google products are frequently in perpetual beta. They may be short of numbers in some area codes or pacing the rate of growth so they can scale at a realistic pace.

If you don't have it in two or three weeks, let me know and I'll send you an invitation. Voice is actually the old GrandCentral service. Google bought them out a few years ago.

I'd have a hard time parting with it. You can screen calls, block numbers...really block them, not like the phone company which still lets certain types of numbers ring through, or route them to voice mail. You can make group lists in your contacts, so your family and friends ring your phone and your wife or kids can have their friends route to their phones. All through one number.

I can separate my business customers, fire department and personal calls and they all get a different greeting.

And it's free...for now. That will likely change and I'll pay whatever they ask.
 

allenpbrown

New Member
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

Hello,

I talked to DirecTV...and.....one needs to have service at a residence to be able to get TV or internet in my RV.

As I am full time and have no residence..........what to do ???

Thanks,

Allen
 

utmtman

Senior Member
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

I am full time and I have direct TV, when you call them ask to talk to someone who handles rv's They are in a totally different area than the regular TV people. Dish is the same way. Having had both, I like direct tv better and I also like having the East and West Coast primary stations that Dish does not offer.
 

SnowbirdInFlight

Senior Member
Re: tv/cell phone/internet

I get ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX from both New York and San Francisco with All-American Direct and I also get the local ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX channels from whatever area I am camping in, except for Gulfport. Gulfport does not provide local channels with DISH.
 

kmill99

New Member
RE: tv/cell phone/internet



Verizon seems to cover the most area. I travel a great deal and I use it for both my cell phone and a data access card that gets me on the internet in even the most remote areas. As far as the TV goes I would think Direct TV or Dish Network as you are moving around. This requires a dish though.

Good luck!


Kevin
 

tattooturn

New Member
Get https://AttHotSpot.com/ its 4g LTE Unlimited Hotspot Data for $60 a month. Super-fast 60+ mbps no slowing, no throttling, no caps, no contracts, all you can use with nationwide coverage. Its never failed me and if i need to i can not pay the bill for a month if im in the boons and just pay the next month when i need it. coverage is super good even in dead spots on hwy 41 in NM still get service when the phones don't.
 
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