cell phones

[Ingo]

OK, I'll admit up front that I'm an old curmudgeon. That said, one of the reasons many of us go to IR is to escape some of the realities of life. I've been in campsites where I've had to listen to someone on a satellite phone discussing things that could well have been left to the user's return. I get enough of the "cell people" going down aisles of the grocery store discussing in depth their hemorrhoids. I don't want to listen to someone on the trail two-waying their excitement about the moose berries to someone on the mainland.

IR is one of the few places I can go where you can't get five bars and I'd like to see it stay that way.

OK, I admit I carry a marine radio in the kayak. It will get turned on for two reasons---the weather and true emergencies like those require rescue or evacuation.

I'm with Nick on this topic. IF I was worried about emergencies I'd carry a handheld marine VHF, even backpacking. Technically they're only for marine use on the water, but I doubt anyone would arrest you for using it in a land based emergency. Odds are pretty good you could raise a boater if not the NPS from most places on the island. Remember that while I.R. is wilderness, the odds are you will see some other folks on a daily basis, except perhaps at the extreme ends of the season.

[potato sausage]

Please no cell phones. The last thing I want to hear on the trail is someone saying "can you hear me now? How about now?"

That is why I go to IR

[MIKE A]

I always carry my iridium sat phone on trips.
My family can email me if there are any problems at home
For anyone wondering yes I have had 2 family emergencies occur before I got the phone.
They both required a great effort by the Ontario police to reach me.
In one instance they drove and hiked 40 miles to my location to get a message to me.
For me the sat phone its the way to go.

[DonNewcomb]

A little information about cellular phones for the benefit of anyone wishing to try to use one on IR or other fringe areas:
1. When the GSM system (e.g. T-Mobile, ATT, Rogers) was designed by European engineers, they included a hard 36 km range limit. Most GSM systems will stop working right at 36 km. Past 36 km you still get a signal but you can't make or receive calls. In some coastal areas around Europe they have deployed a modification (GSM-ER) which can extend the range limit to over 90 km but this is rare and (AFAIK) not used in the US or Canada.
2. At this time, the nearest Rogers GSM cell site is located just south of downtown Thunder Bay, something like 56 km from IR. I know of no other GSM service in Thunder Bay. For this reason I would be very surprised if a GSM phone would work anywhere on IR.
3. CDMA phones (e.g. Verizon, Sprint, Bell Mobility, etc) do not have a hard range limit.
4. The nearest CDMA cell tower belongs to Thunder Bay Telephone (TBayTel) and is located along the shore, south of Thunder Bay, near Neebing, about 20-25 km from the NW side of IR.
5. ATT & Rogers use a different form of CDMA (WCDMA) for their 3G service. While the air-interface does not have a hard range limit, other technical considerations having to do with system capacity and speed will tend to limit the size of 3G cells.
6. Current handheld phones are generally very low-power devices designed to be small and light, with the understanding that one is seldom far from a cell tower. To overcome the problem of low-power one may need to use a high-gain, directional antenna, such as a Yagi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yagi_antenna or Patch Antenna http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patch_antenna connected to the phone. This requires both the antenna and an external antenna adapter cable. Many phones have no provision to attach an external antenna but may still be connected by an inductive pickup attached over the internal antenna hidden in the phone.
7. The key factors are range, antenna (gain & height) and line-of-sight. While the power falls off as a factor of the range squared, the two factors which most limit cellular range are the earth's curvature and absorption of RF by moisture in the air and foliage. The best place for a long-distance cell connection is from the top of a bald hill with a clear line-of-sight to the tower. If the phone by itself does not work, try attaching the external antenna, orient it for vertical polarization, and point in the general direction of the nearest tower or slowly sweep the horizon for the strongest signal.
8. One method I have considered but not tried is to use a phone with a Bluetooth headset, voice dialing and a long piece of string. Throw the string over a high branch and use it to haul the phone up as high as possible. Use the voice dialing through the BT headset to place your calls. Be sure to tie the other end of the string to the phone too, so that you can haul it back down. You don't want your phone stuck in tree.
9. Remember, it takes much less signal to send or receive text messages than it does to place calls.
10. Also, your phone must work with the local carrier, so double check with your carrier that you phone will work with TBayTel and what the roaming costs are.

[johnhens]

Don, interesting info about cell phones. This past trip in May, I was able to use my cell phone in Rock Harbor making use of an antenae booster (for lack of a better term). I have ATT and was able to talk as long as I was close to the booster which had to be plugged in to an outlet. This was someone else's booster, not mine. I think he paid $500 for it, but he is on the Island for the summer.

[DonNewcomb]

Don, interesting info about cell phones. This past trip in May, I was able to use my cell phone in Rock Harbor making use of an antenae booster (for lack of a better term). I have ATT and was able to talk as long as I was close to the booster which had to be plugged in to an outlet. This was someone else's booster, not mine. I think he paid $500 for it, but he is on the Island for the summer.

I find that very interesting. My family owns a vacation cabin in a cellular fringe area and I recently installed an outside drirectional "Patch" antenna to improve indoor cellular reception. I have also purcahsed one of the zBoost indoor boosters because my siblings don't like the necessity of having to attach their phones to the coax cable. I have yet to install the booster.

Your experience surprises me because ATT is now GSM, which normally has a 36 km range limit. I have not heard of any US or Canadian carriers using GSM-ER, but if they did, the Great Lakes would be the place that they would. What model phone did you use? Does it have 3G. Or perhaps an older phone with analog fall-back?

P.S. The nearest Rogers tower is off 587 near Pass Lake north of Sleeping Giant Park. That's about 51 km from RH. The nearest US service would be at Copper Harbor or Eagle Harbor, about 80 km away. Did you get a roaming charge on your bill?

[johnhens]

Don I have a Motorola c1681.
My cell showed the normal ATT service logo and I did not get charged roaming.

[DonNewcomb]

OK. I'm officially amazed. That's a standard dual-band GSM phone. It should not work more than 36 km from the tower, booster or no booster. I'm asking around to see if ATT has any extended range GSM around Lake Superior.

I may want to ask you exactly which building has this booster installed.

[johnhens]

Don, the booster was owned by an individual who at the time was staying in one of the housekeeping units.

[jeastbur]

I plan on making a call from Copper Harbor on both sides of my trip, but if you want to use a SPOT messaging/tracking device without a 1- or 2-year commitment, you can rent one here for $50/week.
http://www.lowergear.com/product.php?id=261

[DonNewcomb]

I plan on making a call from Copper Harbor on both sides of my trip, but if you want to use a SPOT messaging/tracking device without a 1- or 2-year commitment, you can rent one here for $50/week.
http://www.lowergear.com/product.php?id=261

You know, I was just wondering if there was some way to borrow or rent a Spot. Not that it's really needed in a National Park.

[DonNewcomb]

Now I'm really perplexed. I just spoke with an ATT CSR who, in turn, spoke with their tech support, who told her that they have no Extended Range GSM on Lake Superior. So, it's one of those things like the bumble bee; technically can't fly but it does.

P.S. Data point: The (906) 374-XXXX numbers used by the RH lodge were assigned to "American Cellular Corp.", which was known by the brand name "CellularOne." I believe that the parts/partners of CellularOne which operated in MI were sold to ATT.

[sonofasailor]

It''s good to see there are not many "cellphones are evil" posts. I have a slightly different question I'm hoping someone can answer before I leave on my trip to IRNP on 8/22/09: I am taking my 26-ft trailerable sailboat to Grand Portage and launching it there, where I will make the 21-22 mile crossing to Windigo. There will be 4 guys on board, and all of the wives are very nervous about this trip (I have sailed the entire length of Lake Huron in this boat, and been out in 60 knot winds during a storm on Lake Erie, but the wives will not be assuaged). So - can we call the wives using a cellphone from Windigo to let them know we are alive? Years ago I used my VHF radio to call the "Marine Operator" to patch through a collect call, but I'm not even sure that service is available anymore, this was before cellphones were so prevalent.

[DonNewcomb]

So - can we call the wives using a cellphone from Windigo to let them know we are alive? Years ago I used my VHF radio to call the "Marine Operator" to patch through a collect call, but I'm not even sure that service is available anymore, this was before cellphones were so prevalent.

First, I believe that there are still marine operators but I'm not really sure.

Second. I have not been there but I do know cellular and can read a map. Windigo is up a channel, with hills to the north and south. Once you are in the cove your chances of making a call are not good. You didn't say who your wireless carrier is. It's important to know. The nearest TBayTel tower is about 20-25 km from Windigo. If you have a CDMA phone (e.g. Alltel, Verizon, Sprint) with Canada roaming service, then you may be able to make a call just before you round the point into Washington Harbor. If you have a GSM phone (e.g. ATT, T-Mobile) the nearest GSM tower (Rogers) I that know of is much farther away and potentially out of range.

If you plan to do this sort of thing on a regular basis, I suggest you:
A. See if your phone has a connection for an external antenna and if so,
B. Get a high-gain 850 MHz Yagi or Patch antenna and phone adapter cable.

P.S. I believe that the marine operator is provided by MariTEL. You might want to try to contact them about coverage and rates. http://www.maritelusa.com phone: (888) 989-3339

[Capt Don]

Maritel has been gone from the lakes for years. The only reliable communication from Windigo is sat phone.