Exploder replied:

Hard to say, look at a coverage map and you don’t really get anything unless you are near a town even with the external aerial, a mate HAD one and around the city (Perth) It was useless even with the aerial it would drop out all the time, and the Pro-Formance in the country well let’s just say it was never there when you wanted it.

IMO you would be better off looking into that new GSM/Sat combination for your sort of trip.

Other’s may have had a different experience

peter d replied:

hi jfr, i have had my cdma about 12 months now and had no problems with it at all, although i haven't been out of qld yet thats still to come after chrissy. my mate has had his for about 3-4 years and has been all over and no problems that i know of. we went north qld last year with just digital and it was useless. only worked in the main towns and cities. i would go cdma if i was you but others might have other ideas, good luck and have great trip. peter.

BenSpoon replied:

CDMA wins hand-down.
If theres a significant cost getting out of your current GSM plan and you are bringing a laptop, maybe look at a PCMCIA CDMA modem- they give you wireless CDMA internet at reasonable speeds (as well as fast broadband speeds in cities with E-VDO), and let you SMS and make calls from your laptop as well. Most GSM plans let you suspend your account for the months in between, and the cards are in pretty high demand so you'd likely be able to sell it after you are done. Make sure you get an external aerial for it though.

Look in your own region get the map on screen, and click the view CDMA button up top.

4X4Treker replied:

My ex[erience with CDMA is nothing but good, I personally would say that they are the best except for sat phone of course, I will say that there is a difference in brands how ever I personally have a Kyocerra 2245 and I have had no problems but I couple of friends had LG,s and even Nokia,s and they had a lot of trouble with them, I use mine linked with my laptop and again no problems. I work in Adelaide and do a lot of bush travel as well and am totally satisfied with the cover.

Happy travels

Treker

Member - Jay Gee (WA) replied:

CDMA is definetly the way to go. Not as good as satelite - but much better coverage than digital. In regional WA just about any town that has more than 2 buildings has CDMA coverage - they would have no hope of getting digital.

Member - Davoe (Widgiemooltha) replied:

Dunno bout expensive, Mine costs 20 bucks a mont with 10 bucks free calls and 50 sms. As to are they any good? well i spend 2 weeks out of 3 living on camp where people with their digitals as clocks and mine actually makes calls

ellmcg replied:

I haven't noticed any difference in call costs, and if you don't mind changing you're number you can even get a pre-paid pack starting from $100. If you're on a plan then there's no problem at all.

Personally I do mind changing my number, so I've managed to buy a phone outright on eBay, which I will then connect as pre-paid (in the Telstra shop, buying one outright costs $400+).

Sand Man (SA) replied:

jfr,

If you still can't make up your mind why not try a prepaid phone.

A Nokia 2112 CDMA phone can be purchased outright from Telstra for $89 including $10 call credit.

It doesn't use a Sim card so you just activate the assigned mobile number and away you go. If you decide you don't need your GSM Mobile at any time, you can swap your mobile number over to the CDMA. Or, keep and use both.

The GSM is handy if you are travelling overseas as only GSM has International Roaming.

I selected the 2112 CDMA as it is the same size and configuration as my 6610i GSM and both fit in and work from the same car cradle. You can use a proximity coupler to an external aerial which will suit both the CDMA and GSM phone.
Even though technically the aerial is slightly "out of tune" for a GSM phone, by installing a Laser Hi-Gain CDMA Antenna I have found the reception to the GSM (when used in the car kit) to be superior to the "through glass" antenna I used before.

The coupler is not listed as an accessory for the CDMA but it definitely works.
Using the phone in country areas and observing the signal strength improvement when connected to the external aerial, it is quite obvious.

Decisions, Decisions!!!

Barnesy replied:

I have a Nokia CDMA phone with no in car aeriel. I get good service all the way from Adelaide to my home in Whyalla. As soon as I get off main highways my service drops to almost being non-existent.

Barnesy

phil replied:

CDMA is digital, just a different system of multiplexing the digital data compared with GSM.

Phil I

PeterDarwin replied:

Hi
I think CDMA is the way to go. I have a kyocera phantom with an external antenna patch lead connected to a antenna on the bull bar and I find it works well. I was up Cape york last year and I found that many of the aborniginal communities had CDMA coverage. I was getting coverage in some pretty remote locations. All though you can not rely on it for saftey, get a epirb, HF radio or sat phone.

JackLivesHere replied:

CDMA phone and external aerial is one of the tools of trade for my life as a rep. My western runs take me out only as far as Cunnumulla, north to Longreach and all in between. There are certainly black spots but generally I'm happy that if thesignal drops out it's not far before I pick up the next cell.

I have experienced problems in the city though, same goes for our Sydney rep.

Garbutt replied:

Telstra gave me new CDMA when out of contract in return for signing new 2 yr contract, same deal, $20 a month, same call prices.

Member - AVA 191 (QLD) replied:

I have been using CDMA for years. Wouldn't ever consider buying a normal digital again. Car mounted aerial -proper hands free kit - worth every cent.

Good to see all the positive reports above - I usually get lambasted with crack-pot remarks when I go to bat for my cdma - just get sick of having to loan mine to those guys whose photo-taking, radio-playing phones cant make a phone call LOL.

Also as stated above though - if you go too far off the beaten track, a cdma will not be good enough.