CDMA / GSM phone?

Submitted: Saturday, Sep 06, 2003 at 20:28
ThreadID: 7069 Views:2202 Replies:10 FollowUps:4
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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
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Reply By: Harry - Saturday, Sep 06, 2003 at 20:48

Saturday, Sep 06, 2003 at 20:48
G,daye haze,
CDMA will work at Quilpie, Charleville, Cunnamulla,St. George, Dirranbandi,Mitchell, Roma,Mungindi, Goondiwindi,Moree,Weewaa,Narrabi,Inverell, Glen Innes, Walget ,Bourke, Brewarrina, Cobar, Nyngan, Lightning Ridge and it keeps gettin better.
I've had the system for 2 years now and wouldn't swap back to digital.
AnswerID: 30276

Reply By: haze - Saturday, Sep 06, 2003 at 20:55

Saturday, Sep 06, 2003 at 20:55
Thanks Harry, it would seem coverage ok, now would like a recommend on phone makes. As noted, "ducks guts"
cheers haze
AnswerID: 30277

Reply By: Pauly - Saturday, Sep 06, 2003 at 21:07

Saturday, Sep 06, 2003 at 21:07
G'day haze i have just recently purchased the samsung rainbow which is availiable on cdma is a flash phone mabe a little too flash but is a great phone too use and eazy to use with a lot of options.i think to pay out right it will cost around $900
look in to it and see what you think.

cheers
paul
AnswerID: 30280

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
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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 -
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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
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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.
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FollowupID: 21468

Reply By: Willie - Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 09:55

Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 09:55
I have a Kyocera Qualcomm CDMA which I bought outright from Telstra 18 months ago. It has a host of features including a Web browser facility. I have found that, as posted in this thread, one can climb a hill and get reception a long way from a tower. I am happy with the reception the phone gives me and the battery is also good, discharging very slowly. The phone cost around $650 including a leather case.
Cheers,
Willie
Never a dull moment
AnswerID: 30306

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: haze - Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 14:10

Sunday, Sep 07, 2003 at 14:10
Many thanks for all the responses. My thinking had been toward the kyocera, being a standard issue to outback ndc workers. Of course murphy's law dictates that the time one needs to use the phone is when just out of range. I would like for instance total coverage between Eulo and Quilpie via Toompine. I will try and talk to ndc fellows in Charlleville and see what can be learned
In the meantime, thanks again for the help given
cheers haze
AnswerID: 30328

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

Reply By: Ross - Tuesday, Sep 09, 2003 at 14:29

Tuesday, Sep 09, 2003 at 14:29
CDMA or Code Diversion Multiple Access is the way to go. My Samsung rainbow is good although I had no signal from Euston up to Menindee. Best deal is to get one with a car kit and external antenna. A lot of yachts are using them this way.
AnswerID: 30577

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