CDMA / GSM phone?
Submitted: Saturday, Sep 06, 2003 at 20:28
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haze
Am in the market for a "mobile phone" We need something which is going to work as much of the way between Coffs harbor (nsw) and
Eromanga (w/qld.) as might be possible. Our base unit is a satphone, mounted in one vehicle, but we need a normal sort of handset for a vehicle travelling back and
forth. Am looking for the "ducks guts", best available, purchase outright, no contract, but above all works. Talk to the usual service providers who only seem to want to sell a "deal", no reality when it comes to performance. Have looked at hand held sat. units, dont want to go that way (our satphone is westinghouse geostat.fixed in L/C) so think cdma/gsm (what do the acronyms stand for?) handset might be the way? All advice appreciated and with thanks
haze
Reply By: Lyds - Saturday, Sep 06, 2003 at 23:29
Saturday, Sep 06, 2003 at 23:29
I bought a Nokia 6385 as I had fittings for a Nokia GSM in the car.
The phone feels quite flimsy compared to the GSMs I've had, plus the menu options are wildy different.
As per a previous reply, I am impressed by the coverage.
Cheers,
Stuart
- To err is human, to moo bovine -
AnswerID:
30293
Follow Up By: Moneypit - Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 02:26
Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 02:26
Stuart,
Is what you are saying is that if I have a GSM handsfree kit in the car and an arial on the front that the same ones will work for a CDMA or have I misread that.
Dave
FollowupID:
21331
Follow Up By: Lyds - Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 10:08
Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 10:08
Thats how
mine worked, but I had a multiband antenna. I believe not all antennas will allow you to do this.
Unfortunately, I have changed vehicles and the car kit went with it so I can't tell you what brand it was; except to say it was small, sat on the front windscreen and seemed to have an small antenna on the inside as
well.
Cheers,
Stuart
- To err is human, to moo bovine -
FollowupID:
21340
Reply By: Dunedigger - Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 07:33
Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 07:33
Having had GSM and CDMA I would never go back to GSM. CDMA is not limited to 32Km from base. In a worst case situation climb the nearest
hill and you have a chance of connecting especially if you have an external aerial, almost a must.
The LG 330 and LG 800 abe both VERY good phones but are no longer available except second hand. The Nokia has had bad reports.
The only real way to
test eacd CDMA is to take a handfull to a 'poor reception' area and
test them. The range of CDMA phones DOES vary quite a lot ! ! !
Dunedigger
AnswerID:
30299
Follow Up By: bob_h (Brisbane) - Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 21:52
Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 21:52
I was told by a CDMA user that CDMA operates on the GSM system where GSM coverage is present. Is this correct?
Would that mean that the CDMA is an overall more useful phone?
Bob_h
FollowupID:
21414
Follow Up By: StephenF - Monday, Sep 08, 2003 at 10:26
Monday, Sep 08, 2003 at 10:26
Not true, Bob_h. They are two different systems and AFAIK there is no such thing as a combined CDMA/GSM phone (yet). Maybe they were thinking of the old days when CDMA phones could use the analogue network when necessary.
Stephen.
FollowupID:
21468
Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 11:07
Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 11:07
haze,
It's CDMA all the way in bush or rural areas.
Have a Kyocera same as Willie, and am very pleased with it. So I should be, my employer supplied it. The phone will work at least 50 kms from a cell, when on elevated site, without an external aerial.
GSM and CDMA aerials are not the same, unless it states its a multi band. We have external aerial on our wagon, for wife's Hyundai CDMA phone, and it gives almost continual coverage from
Winton Q to Brisvegas. About $150 for aerial, and patch cord for phone, no cradle.
Even small centres like
Camooweal,
Boulia and
Burketown have CDMA now.
Hooroo...
AnswerID:
30315
Reply By: duncs - Monday, Sep 08, 2003 at 23:07
Monday, Sep 08, 2003 at 23:07
Haze,
Just one more thing. The antennae makes a big difference, and they seem to be improving all the time. I have a Nokia phone and a 9db gain dual band antennae. This allows me to plug in the old GSM as
well as the CDMA. If I had gone to a single band antennae CDMA I could have got 12db gain. When I got
mine I was told by most dealers that the best dual band was 6db. Where I got the 9 they had just been added to the catalogue that morning.
I know people with the Kyocera and they all seem pleased with it.
Good luck.
Duncs
AnswerID:
30525