Conference unifix::sailing

    A local version is already operational in the Gulf of Finland, 
    i.e. the Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) system covers, besides 
    car-accessible places, also the south cost of Finland to a range  
    of up 30-40 miles offshore.
    
    Cellular phones are very popular here (e.g. every sales and CS 
    person at Digital have one in thei car and most of them can take 
    it along) and you can also see them on a lot of small vessels. 

    However, they are not a replacement for the VHF as a communication 
    means in distress and coordinating rescue opertaions for obvious 
    reasons: VHF is from one to many - NMT is point to point and you have
    to knoww the number. The VHF is also considered more reliable, you have
    a point-to-point sender-receiver, while the NMT needs a base station.

    - kaj 

    Last Summer I went sailing on the Baltic outside Stockholm through the
    Archipelago made up of some 7000 islands of pure granit. Fun stuff
    sailing with one hand on the tiller & one finger on the map. However
    the thing that really blew my (tiny) mind was the fact of going below
    picking up the phone, direct dialling my wife in South-West France and
    Getting an instant ring & speaking to her as clear as if I was next
    door. She was ironing in the kitchen as I told her I was in this super
    heeling yacht 2000 miles away & it was drizzling nicely.
    Portable phones are the rage over here & cross country networks are 
    being negotiated, so if you can afford it, it is super for point to
    point comms.
                  Have a nice Summer & lots of balmy winds,
    								Nick
    

    Has anyone had any recent experience using cellular telephones while
    coastal cruising in the Northeastern U.S.?
    
    A couple of items have caught my interest; One is the cost of cellular.
    Within the last week I have seen cellular phones being peddled in malls
    for less than $100. I'm sure there are additional costs in getting set
    up and probably some monthly subscription minimums that one must sign
    up for. Since marine telephone calls aren't inexpensive, I was curious
    as to where the break even point was for cellular in keeping touch back
    home.
    
    Regarding the use of cellulars in contacting the USCG, one of my
    neighbors who commutes from central N.H. to the 1st District C.G.
    office in Boston daily told me that they (USCG) had recently met with a
    number of cellular providers who had all agreed to implement "*CG" as
    the number to dial to reach the local USCG station.
    
    Anyone had any experience with cellular coverage along the Maine - N.H.
    - Mass coasts?
    
    Bill
    

Unlike the land-based phone lines running down your street, the air is 
freer in the sense that one usually has the choice of two or more cellular 
phone service providers in a given area to choose between.  The cheapie
phone offers seem always to come with the proviso that one commit to X
months service with a particular cellular phone service--which is in 
effect underwriting the cost of the phone.  Once past that period, there
are often several rate programs one can consider:  lots of calls for a
substantial monthly fee, fewer calls for a smaller fee but often a higher
per call cost, and no monthly fee with highest per call costs.  For
occasional (and seasonal) use, this last option might work well. 

RE: "CG", the USCG is merely recognizing that more people have cellular 
phones than VHF's, and many prefer the relative privacy of cellular phone 
calls home than public VHF calls.  However, for emergency purposes, the 
Coast Guard has said it much prefers use of VHF, since anyone within the 
vicinity of the caller can pick up the message and perhaps arrive on scene 
in much less time.  Cellular calls are obviously limited to point-to-point, 
and subject to busy signals, etc.

I too would be interested in anyone's summary of current cellular phone
charges. 

J.

    I have a cheap cellular phone that I bought, ... a year ago, for less
    than a $100. I believe that the same phone is now advertised locally at 
    39.95. The reason for the cheap deal is a four month minimum service 
    contract with your friendly cellular provider. I sail on the Chesapeake 
    and the service is fine but I can't answer you concerning New England
    service quality. The phone is usually in my decwreak. By the way, its 
    my phone not DEC's.
    
    Happy Holidays,
    
    Johnse
    

It's also worth noting that reception quality can differ sometimes between
two services ostensibly covering the same territory -- on Cape Ann, the 
Magnolia tower of one company (Cellular One?) left blind spots on the
eastern side of the cape (parts of Rockport); AT&T recently put up a large
tower near the center of the Cape, and most all my friends in the
immediate area switched over to the new service.  AT&T won a buncha
customers on that one. 

Buy a low-price phone, and as well as an expensive rate program, you may 
be stuck with a certain company, perhaps not the one best covering your
area.  Friends say it's important to ask around among other cellular phone
users for their inputs. 

J.

    Last season I bought a transportable phone that I use in the car as
    well as on our boat. I live in southern New Hampshire and the boat in
    in southern (Portland) Maine. The land coverage is fair and goes just
    North of Concord, NH. I've never run out of coverage going south. On
    the boat the coverage is fine out to about five miles or so. Heading
    "downeast" the coverage is okay to about Boothbay, although Maine
    cellular is adding a tower in Rockland soon (if not already done).
    
    Costs aren't bad. Minimum charge is $19/month. Usually you need to sign
    a 3-4 month agreement to get a special purchase price for the phone. In
    each coverage area there are two companies, check to see where their
    towers are, I picked Contel in NH because they have better coverage to
    the East while the other company (Cellular One I think) does better to
    the west.
    
    I'd NEVER use it to replace the VHF but it's great for:
    
    		1. Coordinating guest pickups and drop offs.
    
    		2. Making mooring/dinner/slip reservations.
    
    		3. Being able to go sailing even if your ARE expecting
    		   an important telephone call.
    
    And for those peaceful, quiet anchorages - it UNPLUGS!!!!!!!!
    
    

    Cellular is a great way to keep sailing when important calls are
    expected.  My Government program was experiencing problems at the
    Jacksonville Naval Hospital last September.  I was able to make a
    raftup on the Maryland eastern shore and play program manager too. I
    was careful not to tell the on-site engineers where I was, not good for
    morale.
    
    The thing to remember is to reactivate the follow me roam feature daily
    so you get your calls when out of your home area.
    
    

    Forgive me but I'm 10 years behind the times on technology.
    
    Do these phones have fixed phone numbers?  What happens if I take my
    boat between area codes (sail from Boston to Maine and you go through
    4 area codes in a short time).  
    
    
    

    Yes, each cellular phone has its own number. When in range of your
    "home" system, the caller simply dials your phone number. If you "roam"
    or leave your home system area and enter an area serviced by another
    cellular company people can call you using one of two methods. 
    
    One, if the company servicing the area you are in has a roam agreement with
    your home system operator you can tell the system you are in that you
    are in the new area. Callers dialing your number will be routed from your
    home system to the system you are presently covered by, this is called
    "follow-me roaming". 
    
    Second method - if you are in an area which does not have a roam 
    agreement with your home system operator they will have a "roam number".
    The caller dials the roam number, gets a second dial tone then dials
    your phones number. Obviously, this method requires callers to know where
    you will be. 
    
    I think virtually all the New England system operators have roam
    agreements with each other. I know that along the coast from Maine to
    New York you can use the "follow-me" roam capability. You just need to
    remember to tell each new system you sail into that you are there and
    cancel the one you have left.  
                 

    Also remember most follow-me roams reset daily at midnight.  IN my
    system  dialing *18 will reactivate the feature.
    
    

    I have used a Tandy transporatble cellular in and south of Narragansett
    Bay.  Service coverage seems fine, and I've received calls fairly far
    offshore. (10 kn? -  not sure exactly, but for coastal cruising seems
    ok)
    
    I'd echo the responses that urge folks not to rely on them for
    emergencies except when VHF & all else fails.....if for no other reason
    than inability of USCG to RDF on the signal. 
    
    If one wanted to buy one, regardless of manufacturer, I'd strongly
    suggest a full-power unit, not one of the smaller, "pocket-sized"
    units.
    
    john ....is winter over yet?
    

    We had one on a cruise from Northeast harbor to Vinalhaven and back. 
    In northeast harbor which is set between two mountains there was no
    coverage. But as we went out 3 miles there was.  Using the magnet
    mount car antenna on the fiberglass boat still was better as nothing, it
    seemed hight was most important, i tied the antenna to a forward reef
    line as high as the wire went.   Coverage was weak for both A and B 
    but present almost everywhere. North Haven must of had a tower.
    There is a 10bar signal strength display on the phone.  I wonder where
    the towers are?
    

    There is a tower in Rockland.