Goodbye iPhone 4s

[Skull One]

Very informative post. So instead of trying to improve signals in the cities where practically everbody is covered, why not start with what you so aptly called "the sticks" where I live... I know the answer, not enough people to make it worthwhile for the telecoms. Government funds that are squandered in places like Iraq and Afghanistan would be better applied to doing improvements here. BTW I should have said Taxpayers' money...

Actually the CAP and weather balloon ideas were created specifically for the sticks. Since a lot of the sticks is farming and Texas still uses a LOT of crop dusters, it was one of the factors in air safety that had to be taken into account.

Will say I am rather fortunate that I live in DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) where this issue rarely happens. Heck almost every mall in the metroplex now has repeaters inside of them.

 

[Wildfire]

Go to Verizon and ask for a loaner phone to test signal coverage. Most will lend you a phone for a day or two with a deposit. That's what we did, as we live out in rural TX too lol they most likely won give you an iPhone, but any 3G Verizon smartphone will work to test signal coverage.

I'm guessing same would apply for sprint too.

Good idea! I tried it with AT&T but they declined. Also went to a "fly-by-night" Verizon outlet who was willing to let me have an iPhone with a deposit. His business card had a couple of numbers that were from a forwarding service. Anyway, the next day I went by the store, he was gone...
I give it another try once I'm ready for the iPhone 5 with a real Verizon store. In the meantime, I'm waiting like millions of others for the great announcement of the iPad HD or whatever they'll call it.

 

[Wildfire]

I pilot a small plane for fun and hate those towers; and balloons with their guy wires are worse. Crop dusting is for the very brave! I only fly that close to the ground when I want to land

Actually the CAP and weather balloon ideas were created specifically for the sticks. Since a lot of the sticks is farming and Texas still uses a LOT of crop dusters, it was one of the factors in air safety that had to be taken into account.

Will say I am rather fortunate that I live in DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) where this issue rarely happens. Heck almost every mall in the metroplex now has repeaters inside of them.

 

[V1C]

Yeah I have the same issue with signal. Was with Sprint and had to get their internet router to boost my signal a little. Only issue is that if the internet was being used the phone call would drop or text would fail. I now have AT&T and have only have one to two bars at the house. If I go a couple miles in any direction I start getting better signal.

 

[ardchoille]

I finally received my AT&T 4s yesterday evening. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. But then came the big disappointment. The map showing coverage made me believe that I should have good voice and 3G Data available.The curse of living away from the city. And since there is no wifi either, I'm one disappointed ex 4s owner. Mailed it back today. The AT&T lady felt my pain and said maybe in a year or so they might have a tower in the area. I guess I have to continue using my Virgin mobile "broadband" modem (1 bar) and my Tracfone to stay in touch with the rest of the world. You guys don't know how lucky you are having access to modern technology. Now if we would just spend some of the money we blew in Iraq and Afghanistan on getting broadband to rural America... Fat chance!

Do you have Internet access at home? I do and I bought a wifi router. I keep my iPhone 4S on the router's wifi signal when I'm at home. This setup is faster and easier on the battery.

iPhone 4S - 16 GB/White/OtterBox Case

 

[Wildfire]

Do you have Internet access at home? I do and I bought a wifi router. I keep my iPhone 4S on the router's wifi signal when I'm at home. This setup is faster and easier on the battery.

iPhone 4S - 16 GB/White/OtterBox Case[
/QUOTE]

No wifi, no cable, no NOTHING!!!
I didn't give up though. After putting myself on a starvation diet/no more beer/no more nothing... I saved some money to buy the Wilson DB Pro Adjustable Gain Signal Booster Kit with an omnidirectional antenna. Risked my life climbing on the roof and installing it, then crawling around the attic to place the Inside Antenna, runing the cable to the booster in my study, connecting everything and then testing the whole system. Well, now I have a full signal all the time on my Verizon iPad 3 and since Verizon let's you use your hotspot connection on the iPad, I have 2 laptops running wireless too.
So whenever the new iPhone shows up, I will buy one. Don't have to worry about Verizon or AT&T since the booster runs from 700 MHz to 2700 MHz.