CDMA works on my NSW country place, GSM doesn't. Better highway
coverage too. When I got a new work phone, I got CDMA because of the
better coverage. For cities, I agree GSM works fine; all a matter of
cell density.

The new 3G phones leave me cold, tho the data bandwidth might be nice.
As for pictures/video - nah, not interested.

The old AMPS system had to go for all the reasons it was so good in
rural areas - as you say, x-talk and dropouts due to overloaded cells.
Had great range but that's about all it had going for it.

PDW

In article , The Captains
Master wrote:

On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 13:10:40 +1000, Peter Wiley
wrote:

In article , The Captains
Master wrote:

On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 09:54:14 +1000, Peter Wiley
wrote:

I have a cellphone with extensible external antenna too. It's a CDMA
rig with a lot more range than the useless outside metropolitan areas
GSM phones.

Ahh Tasmania..... :-)

Yep. GSM is useless. It's useless in most of NSW too, geographically.
In fact it's useless in most of Australia. The ads give coverage by
percentage of population, not geographical area.

Yep, cities, most large towns and along main highways.
The rest, forget it.

CDMA works 40 nautical miles out to sea off southern Tasmania to my
certain knowledge. GSM doesn't. Fine for high density areas like
cities, not elsewhere.
Looked at CDMA but never bothered, GSM is fine for me but if I lived
anywheer else, even on Lake Macquarie I'd go for it.

I liked the old AMPS system. We used to have an antenna on the mast
that could pull in a signal from 80 nm to sea, and a 3 watt Motorola
rig that could punch that far. Was great for coming home, saved a
fortune on INMARSAT calls to the spouses telling them when to be down
at the wharf and to kick whoever was in their bed, out again.

Yeah but dropouts and X talk were abundant in the city.

Must buy an Iridium handset one of these days. We have a few at work
and they work quite well.
Had a lend of one on appro a while back...very very good except for
the delay. Maybe when the kids are off to Uni/College and I can pull
my roots again :-)

PDW



Oz1...of the 3 twins.
I welcome you to crackerbox palace,We've been expecting you.