Analog/Digital/TriMode?????

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

I have an LG3100. It has coverage problems in some areas and I was told
that it was because it was digital only. Can someone explain this or
send me to a link that will? I thought digital was the way to go and
now it looks like they're saying my coverage would be better with
analog? CS tells me to make sure my next phone is a tri mode. My old
Nokia 5185i had coverage everywhere so I upgraded to an LG3100 and I'm
not getting the same, but worse. Help?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On 25 Jan 2005 13:45:49 -0800, fredharris99@yahoo.com wrote:

>I have an LG3100. It has coverage problems in some areas and I was told
>that it was because it was digital only. Can someone explain this or
>send me to a link that will? I thought digital was the way to go and
>now it looks like they're saying my coverage would be better with
>analog? CS tells me to make sure my next phone is a tri mode. My old
>Nokia 5185i had coverage everywhere so I upgraded to an LG3100 and I'm
>not getting the same, but worse. Help?

It all depends.

First off, it could be that your LG has worse digital coverage than
your Nokia and hence even in a full digital area your Nokia held a
better digital signal better than the LG.

But in some areas, Verizon and/or its partners (Extended Network) may
still be analog. You did not tell us where you live or where you go
with your phone. The vast majority of Verizon Wireless is now digital
in the eastern US. Some rural areas out west may be analog, and some
partner system that your phone may use also may be analog.

Also, some areas where digital coverage is spotty, analog may work
better (I have seen this to be the case in a few places)

I have a tri-mode for just this reason. Even though the final
analog-only area where I live went digital about a year and a half ago
(Verizon bought an old mom-and-pop cell company and converted it to
CDMA digital), there may be a chance where I'd rather use a phone in
analog rather than no phone at all.

And of course, have you updated your roaming profile recently? (known
as the Preferred Roaming List or PRL). Dial *228 and press 2 when
prompted. Its a free call and you should this about once a month on
average. This is a list that your phone uses to determine which
networks that your phone should use in a priority order.

(For more information - go to http://www.mountainwireless.com/prl.htm)

Sorry if this sounds a bit weird, but there is not necessarily one
answer to your problem, as it may be more than one problem at the same
time.

Dave

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

fredharris99@yahoo.com wrote:
> I have an LG3100. It has coverage problems in some areas and I was told
> that it was because it was digital only. Can someone explain this or
> send me to a link that will?

I am sure others will explain this in greater detail or provide
links, but basically, as I understand it, analog is an older
technology being phased out in favor of digital. Digital can
carry more signals and is more efficient in terms of bandwidth
and network utilization.

All new towers are for the most part (all?) digital. In those
areas where digital hasn't taken a foothold, analog still is
used, so a phone that can do both digital and analog will work
there too. So if you wander of the beaten path, chance are
you may not find a digital signal where there might be an
analog signal still. That's a reason I chose a trimode phone
myself, touch 99% I am in digital mode.

I also believe that analog mode uses up more power (?) and
works over greater distances (?) ... anyway, that's my
understanding, I'm sure others will correct me ;-)

Hope this helps,

Esmail

The following might be useful:

http://www.wirelessguide.org/phone/types.htm
http://www.montana.edu/telephone/digitalanalog.html
http://www.cellphoneinfo.com/index.html

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Esmail Bonakdarian wrote:
> fredharris99@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>> I have an LG3100. It has coverage problems in some areas and I was told
>> that it was because it was digital only. Can someone explain this or
>> send me to a link that will?
>
>
> I am sure others will explain this in greater detail or provide
> links, but basically, as I understand it, analog is an older
> technology being phased out in favor of digital. Digital can
> carry more signals and is more efficient in terms of bandwidth
> and network utilization.

Yes, but analog signals typically cover more real estate than digital signals
do, so analog is still in use in rural areas.

> All new towers are for the most part (all?) digital. In those
> areas where digital hasn't taken a foothold, analog still is
> used, so a phone that can do both digital and analog will work
> there too. So if you wander of the beaten path, chance are
> you may not find a digital signal where there might be an
> analog signal still. That's a reason I chose a trimode phone
> myself, touch 99% I am in digital mode.

Me too.

> I also believe that analog mode uses up more power (?) and
> works over greater distances (?) ... anyway, that's my
> understanding, I'm sure others will correct me ;-)

You're right.

--
JustThe.net - Apple Valley, CA - http://JustThe.net/ - 888.480.4NET (4638)
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / sjsobol@JustThe.net / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED

"In case anyone was wondering, that big glowing globe above the Victor
Valley is the sun." -Victorville _Daily Press_ on the unusually large
amount of rain the Southland has gotten this winter (January 12th, 2005)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

One tidbit I'd add is that my preference is to buy tri-mode phones
with a "digital-only" setting. Kyocera (all), LG (all), and Nokia
3589i, and Nokia 6015i have this setting. There may be others.

On the LG phones it's a little less easy to access as it's a programming
menu revealed by dialing 'menu+0' then selecting CDMA or PCS
only. On the Nokia's and Kyocera's there's simply a "digital-only"
setting in the menus which will automatically select CDMA or
PCS digital. If only analog is available, the phone will display
"searching..." until you re-enable automatic mode.

-Dan

PS: Nokia and Kyocera tend to offer free PC software for use
with your phone (except on prepaid models). i.e. They allow you
to avoid paying separately for software to move contacts. You
would, however, still have to purchase a data cable (i.e. ebay.com)

--

=======================
Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
http://cell.uoregon.edu

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

> PS: Nokia and Kyocera tend to offer free PC software for use

Sorry to post an update to my own post. Kyocera offers free USB drivers
so you can use phone as modem. Their desktop software to move
contacts costs extra (In the past, it had been available for free).

Nokia continues to make desktop software available. The old Sony Ericson
T61c came with a really nice suite of software that was free to download
as well.

Most of the models now sell the software as extra separately...

The Get It Now phone book transfer program might make more sense...
Cost appears to be $1.99/mo. This still may be cheap if you
figure future dial cables and software often cost $40 or more and
the cable is tied to a specific phone model.

-Dan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Diamond Dave wrote:
> On 25 Jan 2005 13:45:49 -0800, fredharris99@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> >I have an LG3100. It has coverage problems in some areas and I was
told
> >that it was because it was digital only. Can someone explain this or
> >send me to a link that will? I thought digital was the way to go and
> >now it looks like they're saying my coverage would be better with
> >analog? CS tells me to make sure my next phone is a tri mode. My old
> >Nokia 5185i had coverage everywhere so I upgraded to an LG3100 and
I'm
> >not getting the same, but worse. Help?
>
> It all depends.
>
> First off, it could be that your LG has worse digital coverage than
> your Nokia and hence even in a full digital area your Nokia held a
> better digital signal better than the LG.
>
> But in some areas, Verizon and/or its partners (Extended Network) may
> still be analog. You did not tell us where you live or where you go
> with your phone. The vast majority of Verizon Wireless is now digital
> in the eastern US. Some rural areas out west may be analog, and some
> partner system that your phone may use also may be analog.
>
> Also, some areas where digital coverage is spotty, analog may work
> better (I have seen this to be the case in a few places)
>
> I have a tri-mode for just this reason. Even though the final
> analog-only area where I live went digital about a year and a half
ago
> (Verizon bought an old mom-and-pop cell company and converted it to
> CDMA digital), there may be a chance where I'd rather use a phone in
> analog rather than no phone at all.
>
> And of course, have you updated your roaming profile recently? (known
> as the Preferred Roaming List or PRL). Dial *228 and press 2 when
> prompted. Its a free call and you should this about once a month on
> average. This is a list that your phone uses to determine which
> networks that your phone should use in a priority order.
>
> (For more information - go to
http://www.mountainwireless.com/prl.htm)
>
> Sorry if this sounds a bit weird, but there is not necessarily one
> answer to your problem, as it may be more than one problem at the
same
> time.
>
> Dave

Thanks Dave. Very helpful. I still am not quite sure why it seems that
analog, in this case, seems to have a better signal than the digital
mode did which I've been told is the difference between my LG3100 and
the Nokia 5185. I see in some of the research that analog has a better
signal for quality sometimes, but doesn't say, outside of what the
Verizon CS gal said, that analog has a better signal in some areas. I
am in s.cent PA and although we're not metrop., it also is far from
rural. We have a lot of cell towers in the area and are not from major
roads such as Int 81 and the PA turnpike.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

It has, thanks for your time.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

I think the fact that you claim analog covers more than digital is the
reason behind my increased signal. Thanks your info

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Thanks Dan,
When I got the 3100, I was interested only in a smaller flip phone. I
think my next upgrade will find me doing some better research for some
of the features which you mention that the 3100 doesn't give. Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

How important is Analog nowadays? Alot of phones coming out nowadays
are all digital.



fredharri...@yahoo.com wrote:
> Thanks Dan,
> When I got the 3100, I was interested only in a smaller flip phone. I
> think my next upgrade will find me doing some better research for
some
> of the features which you mention that the 3100 doesn't give. Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

> How important is Analog nowadays? Alot of phones coming out nowadays
> are all digital.

About 50% of the geographic coverage in Oregon is analog-only. Granted,
this is mostly rural areas, but even our main ski resort (Willamette Pass)
is analog-only. If you go skiing and want to use your phone, you better
have analog support... [By main ski resort, I mean closest to Eugene
Oregon where I live]

Many other states out West are the same way. Some folks who only travel to
and from cities could care less. Folks like me care a whole bunch about
analog...

-Dan

--

=======================
Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
http://cell.uoregon.edu

--

 

[bill]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 17:16:41 -0500, Esmail Bonakdarian
<ebonakDUH@hotmail.com> wrote:
....
>
>All new towers are for the most part (all?) digital. In those
>areas where digital hasn't taken a foothold, analog still is
>used, so a phone that can do both digital and analog will work
>there too. So if you wander of the beaten path, chance are
>you may not find a digital signal where there might be an
>analog signal still. That's a reason I chose a trimode phone
>myself, touch 99% I am in digital mode.

At this point in time, there are no areas where digital service is not
offered by VZW. Analog coverage has very little bandwidth allocation
and will likely begin to disappear once the FCC mandate for supplying
Analog expires (next year??).

I used to use a tri-mode and never made an actual analog call in
three years. So I decided it wasn't worth the feature loss/ battery
life cost/ handset cost and got an all digital phone.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

bill@microsoft.com wrote:

> At this point in time, there are no areas where digital service is not
> offered by VZW. Analog coverage has very little bandwidth allocation
> and will likely begin to disappear once the FCC mandate for supplying
> Analog expires (next year??).

But there will still be places where you can roam off Verizon's network and be
analog, primarily out here in the West.


--
JustThe.net - Apple Valley, CA - http://JustThe.net/ - 888.480.4NET (4638)
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / sjsobol@JustThe.net / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED

"In case anyone was wondering, that big glowing globe above the Victor
Valley is the sun." -Victorville _Daily Press_ on the unusually large
amount of rain the Southland has gotten this winter (January 12th, 2005)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

While verizon does have an analog network, and by law has to keep it in
fairly good working order for a few more years, I am under the
impression that all of it has been overlaid with digital. Therefore, a
phone that will work everywhere on verizon's system need be digital
only. It is only when you are free or non free roaming that analog
would be required.

 

[george]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

<fredharris99@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1106770002.128686.275110@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>
> Thanks Dave. Very helpful. I still am not quite sure why it seems that
> analog, in this case, seems to have a better signal than the digital
> mode did which I've been told is the difference between my LG3100 and
> the Nokia 5185. I see in some of the research that analog has a better
> signal for quality sometimes, but doesn't say, outside of what the
> Verizon CS gal said, that analog has a better signal in some areas. I
> am in s.cent PA and although we're not metrop., it also is far from
> rural. We have a lot of cell towers in the area and are not from major
> roads such as Int 81 and the PA turnpike.
>

I travel in that region a lot and I don't know of any areas where analog
would be necessary or any advantage. I used to have a trimode (vx4400)
which I set to use CDMA only and never had to change the setting to use the
phone. Now I have a vx4500 which is digital only.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

But, if someone has verizon service, meaning they actually live in a
"civilized" area hihi, how often do most of them travel out to
nowhereville? Most people get a service which itself covers where they
will be using it most, meaning that they never roam, free or not free.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Maybe few actually travel outside their home area, but anyone who does
should have a trimode, if for nothing other than emergency use. There is
nothing worse than having car trouble on a lonely stretch of highway and
have a cell phone that doesn't work...

Not sure if this is a phone thing or digital/analog - while getting mom's
phone (a trimode) a lady came in with two vx7000's - she wanted to return
them for phones that worked (it was past 30 days from what I gathered but
they swapped them without argument). Her husband was hospitalized in Chicago
and they had no signal in the hospital and had a poor one from the hotel. On
a previous trip, her old phone worked just fine in both locations. (I would
have expected a good signal in Chicago on a digital.) She also had signal
problems from her home in a rural part of NE PA - this is more likely
because she had an all digital. She was trying a new model and if they
weren't satisfactory, she was going to go back to her old phone - she didn't
say what model it was, but I'm betting it's a trimode.


"Jerome Zelinske" <jeromez1@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:5M5Kd.6766$YD5.309@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> But, if someone has verizon service, meaning they actually live in a
> "civilized" area hihi, how often do most of them travel out to
> nowhereville? Most people get a service which itself covers where they
> will be using it most, meaning that they never roam, free or not free.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 22:53:59 -0800, Steve Sobol wrote:

> bill@microsoft.com wrote:
>
>> At this point in time, there are no areas where digital service is not
>> offered by VZW. Analog coverage has very little bandwidth allocation
>> and will likely begin to disappear once the FCC mandate for supplying
>> Analog expires (next year??).
>
> But there will still be places where you can roam off Verizon's network and be
> analog, primarily out here in the West.

And many rural areas in other parts of the country as well. Analog is
still very much present in areas where the major carriers can't justify
putting up digital towers and instead roam with the smaller analog carriers.

If you are in or near most metropolitan areas, "digital only" phones work
fine. If you travel a lot and drive the back roads you still need analog if
you want to extend your coverage.

One advantage of analog too is that any cellphone capable of analog
operation will work on any analog system. Digital restricts you to the
mode your carrier uses, i.e. Cingular, AT&T, Cricket, T-Mobile phones won't
work on Sprint or Verizon networks.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

> Therefore, a phone that will work everywhere on verizon's system need be
> digital only.

There are still areas of Oregon with Verizon native analog-only. To verify
this claim, go to www.verizonwireless.com, then go under support, and
coverage locator. Select "Verizon Wireless Network Map" then enter zip code
97405 (where I live). Look at the dark green areas for examples.

-Dan

PS: I am splitting hairs here. The locations Verizon native has stayed
analog could not be serviced better with digital due to distance and
terrain. My point is simply that Verizon continues to provide analog-only
coverage, which if you wish to benefit, requires a tri-mode phone.
--

=======================
Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
http://cell.uoregon.edu

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

According to those maps, my impression was in error. Although those
areas are likely few, and those who live near there are probably quite
aware of the problem. Here in WI, verizon is all pcs. There is no
analog on pcs.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On 26 Jan 2005 13:49:04 -0800, EENYC1@AOL.COM wrote:

>How important is Analog nowadays? Alot of phones coming out nowadays
>are all digital.
>
==========
Here in hilly Vermont it is quite entertaining to watch the touristas
try to make calls, walking around from spot to spot in parking lots,
while my tri-mode phone picks up a 3 or 4 bar analog signal without a
problem.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

In article <I46Kd.223$Pi.128@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>,
"cricket" <cricket23@myrealbox.com> wrote:

(I would
> have expected a good signal in Chicago on a digital.)

Just having gone to a trimode phone and having an apartment on the 22nd
floor in a building on Lake Shore drive I can comment:

Signal strength is not the issue in a high rise building; multi-path
reflections confuse the decoding process resulting in unreliable digital
connections in situations where analog works fine.


She also had signal
> problems from her home in a rural part of NE PA - this is more likely
> because she had an all digital.

I can imagine that away from Wilkes Barre or where ever, the hills would
also be difficult for a digital phone.

I bought a Motorola V265 trimode phone and like it (except for the
camera).


> "Jerome Zelinske" <jeromez1@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:5M5Kd.6766$YD5.309@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> > But, if someone has verizon service, meaning they actually live in a
> > "civilized" area hihi, how often do most of them travel out to
> > nowhereville? Most people get a service which itself covers where they
> > will be using it most, meaning that they never roam, free or not free.
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

> Just having gone to a trimode phone and having an apartment on the 22nd
> floor in a building on Lake Shore drive I can comment:
>
> Signal strength is not the issue in a high rise building; multi-path
> reflections confuse the decoding process resulting in unreliable digital
> connections in situations where analog works fine.
>

Thanks! I guess I should stop asking for high floors when I stay in hotels
if I want the best signals.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

In article <zgxTd.14088$x53.9274@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>,
"cricket" <cricket23@myrealbox.com> wrote:

> > Just having gone to a trimode phone and having an apartment on the 22nd
> > floor in a building on Lake Shore drive I can comment:
> >
> > Signal strength is not the issue in a high rise building; multi-path
> > reflections confuse the decoding process resulting in unreliable digital
> > connections in situations where analog works fine.
> >
>
> Thanks! I guess I should stop asking for high floors when I stay in hotels
> if I want the best signals.
>
>

That's some of it. Mostly it is the signal reflections off of adjacent
buildings.