Cascade Range Cell Phone Coverage Advice?

Intended use is weekends to ask if partner is out of bed yet from P&R, TH, lift or launch or to apologize home sooner for the groups last couple extra runs at dusk.  Also as false comfort on the occasional weekday solo excursion without risking answering a work call.  Sounds like Verizon has broad coverage but localized signal strengh and capacity limits.  Also appears duel/tri-mode and phone model are significant.

I'm hoping Nick Davies will chime in here. I think he's fairly knowledgable on the subject as I think he works for a cell provider.

T-Mobile is NOT the way to go if backcountry is your focus . . . nada on most of Rainier, Baker, south side of Adams, etc.<br><br>But excellent reception from the top of Snoqualmie Mt., on the chair at Alpental, and the top of Stevens!

There is a older thread about this topic here:<br><br> www.turns-all-year.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB...splay;num=1101269041 <br><br>My experience with T-moblie has been similar to GregL's. Sprint has better (analog) coverage. As I recall, the cost is about $.50/minute for analog service from Mt Baker ski area. I'm willing to pay that for a quick phone call home and my wife's peace of mind. <br><br>I've also heard verizon has good remote analog coverage.<br>

Any of the digital-only wireless services will have limited coverage in the woods. T-Mobile used to offer dual-mode but it was costing the company too much money and discontinued it a couple years ago. Since analog is the older technology it has more coverage, but is more expensive and has less features. If you have T-Mobile you can still buy an older TMobile phone off of ebay that has the analog sleeve and it should work, though not as it used to. Since TM is GSM you can just slip your SIM card into the dual-mode phone on hikes, then return it to your regular digital phone later. I'd guess you could get one of these older phones with the sleeve (such as a nokia 6190) for $40 or so.... I will look around the office for an old analog sleeve phone and test this to make sure. I think there are still a few floating around.....<br><br> FWIW<br>(I work with the engineering group at TMobile)..<br><br>

I have found TRACFONE to be great. I never wanted a cell phone, other than for emergencies, and this is a pay as you go type service, which keeps cost down. (for me at least) The service goes from analog to digital modes, and picks up any cell phone waves that are floating around. (this is what I'm told) It works very well in any case, and can usually get a signal once near treeline in the mtns. I've tested it out from Sisters Wilderness to Mt. Baker and from the Wallowas to Victoria, with great reception being the norm.