iPhone for Landout Retrieves - US

Cell phone coverage went down the tubes with the phase out of
analog. Analog towers have been fitted with digital transmitters, but
the problem is that analog signals keep working, though poorly, where
you'd be "out of range" of a digital cell. Same as digital TV. With
analog, you could have received a picture which might look like ant
races, and noisy audio. With digital it's black screen and nothing.
Dave and Eric, the best thing about an i-phone in a motor glider is
that you can keep the Darth Vader theme tune on it, playing it in the
background whenever you transmit. My friends want to fit my 26 with
something similar.
Jim

On Aug 21, 2:20*pm, Dave Nadler wrote:

I love my iPhone.
But, what's a retrieve ?
See ya, Dave "YO electric"

On Aug 21, 5:26*am, chris wrote:
Currently I have a Verizon trimode phone [motorola v325]. *It did have
the capability to use the analog network in remote areas before that
system was turned off last year. *So it had been pretty good at
picking up a signal outside of urban areas/ Soaring=boondocks. *Now
that analog is gone are all digital phones about the same?

I wanted to upgrade to a smart phone, probably the iPhone 3s. *Does
the iPhone and or AT&T tower network work good for retrieves? *Or
would I be better off with a Blackberry or some other smart phone on
the Verizon network?

I suppose having a Spot Messenger make it a bit less critical to get a
phone call trough but after the first spot message a voice call sure
it useful.

Chris
Atlanta

I had Verizon for several years. I got it based on coverage of the
areas I fly. In 2006, at Tonopah airport, I had a fine signal, but
nobody without Verizon had squat. This year, however, I had an iPhone
on (of course) AT&T. I had great coverage with AT&T too. I guess
they put some more cell sites up. That said, SPOT is so cheap, and
the 'coverage' so good, I had to get one.