Even though most cellular phone companies will NOT let you "activate"
a trusty old AMPS bagphone, the big, ol', honkin' 3WATT monster I use
every day, the FCC says they MUST allow your phone to connect to their
system and allow it to make 911 emergency calls, any place in the
country, at least until Feb 16th, 2008.

Armed with this information, you can buy a $1 Motorola bagphone in
most any thrift shop, donated by its sucker owner who has a new glitzy
toy phone. Get one with a good handset, nice looking and that has a
cigarette lighter power plug that will run off the boat's 12V or any
12V gelcell in an emergency. The 911 operator WILL connect you with
the CG, cops, fire department or any emergency agency necessary.....in
an emergency ONLY.

I wouldn't boat without my powerful 3W cellphone. Coming up from
Florida to Charleston, with the rubber duck antenna sticking up from
the bimini or hardtop on the sailboat, I get usable service up to
around 50 miles at sea! Rich beachfront communities have lots of cell
towers with good coverage on 800 Mhz AMPS. It works in areas where
you'll get noone on VHF marine out there. It's just a good secondary
backup system to have aboard.....especially when you can buy them for
under $10 in nearly-new condition.

Be also informed, because cellular companies would rather not tell
you, that if you ever WERE an AMPS cellular customer, like me, 800 Mhz
cellular licensees are REQUIRED to offer you AMPS service, like it or
not, if you are smart enough to ASK for it. I've gotten many old AMPS
customers back on the air with their AMPS-only phones with much more
range by pointing this out to cellular employees, of course making
allusion to contacting the FCC if they refuse, out of hand.

Currently, 800 Mhz carriers are also REQUIRED to provide AMPS analog
service through February 16th, 2008. That date will continue to be
extended as long as there are substantial numbers of users.....which
is why cellular wants to get AMPS customers off AMPS onto digital SO
badly. Er, ah, the Presidential Limo has several powerful AMPS phones
so his crypto scramblers will work....(c; OnStar is also all AMPS and
provides thousands of AMPS customers using the system.

Your 800 Mhz toyphone will have the same 3 miles of coverage away from
the tower as it does in the city. Your 1900 Mhz toyphone will also
have the same 2 mile range offshore. These phones are only 150 to 200
milliwatts (.15 to .20 watts) to limit their range so cellular can
cram more users onto ever-more-crowded channels.

As to your "ship-to-shore" radio, are you referring to a 25 watt
marine VHF radio? CB? 5W VHF walkie? How high is your antenna?
What kind of antenna is it? That way we can tell you more about its
range, offshore.



On 30 Nov 2003 18:08:29 -0800, wrote:

Hello. Any know.

How far out do cell phones work on the atlantic around Key Biscayne to
Key Largo. Elliot Key is about 8 miles out from Black point marina,
does a cell phone work to and from the mainland?

Also, new to boating, and my boat has ship to shore radio, I think it
was getting a signal when I tested the boat, would that same radio
produce any signal or even turn on with the key out and the boat 15
miles inland? Getting nothing right now.

Thanks!

Larry W4CSC

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