Hobby phone

[Goldfingeratx]

I need a good/ cheap hobby phone. What do y'all think? I don't want a full smart phone just voice and text, and I don't really want bills I have to deal with once a month. That could be a problem with the SO. Any suggestion would be helpful. Thanks

[PleasantSurprise]

Consider these, and you won't have to have a second phone to keep track of:

http://www.line2.com/home

http://www.google.com/voice

[Tan Khan]

Go to a major carrier (I use Tmobile) open a prepaid account load it with $20 or so. Give a fake name if needed and walk out with a sim card that you can use on your regular phone and just switch the sim cards when needed.

Pick up a Track phone at Wal-mart, get a phone that is good for texting.

[GneissGuy]

Originally Posted by Tan Khan

Go to a major carrier (I use Tmobile) open a prepaid account load it with $20 or so. Give a fake name if needed and walk out with a sim card that you can use on your regular phone and just switch the sim cards when needed.

Pick up a Track phone at Wal-mart, get a phone that is good for texting.

That does help a lot.

However, this can be tracked by someone with legal or illegal access to cell phone company info. Every phone that uses a SIM card also has an IMEI ID number that is unique to the phone. If you put your hobby SIM in your real world phone, the cell phone company can link the two SIMS.

[mrhamm]

$100 at Walgreens will get you a qwerty keyboard with 800 minutes, good for a year. Cricket or some offbrand. Activate it at a pay phone and you are golden.

[fun2come]

There was a discussion recently in the ML, in case you have access ...

[jan-w]

I get TracFones at Dollar General when they're on sale for less than 10 bucks. I bought my last one for 7 bucks. They have calling, texting, take pictures and other basic features. They're pretty sturdy and work well.

You can activate it online or with any other phone. When I activate mine by phone, I don't need to enter a name or any other information at all. Then get a card in varying denominations. They sell them for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 120 days and 1 year. Just pay for everything in cash. Really simple.

[Austintatious Lilly]

Originally Posted by jan-w

I get TracFones at Dollar General when they're on sale for less than 10 bucks. I bought my last one for 7 bucks. They have calling, texting, take pictures and other basic features. They're pretty sturdy and work well.

You can activate it online or with any other phone. When I activate mine by phone, I don't need to enter a name or any other information at all. Then get a card in varying denominations. They sell them for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 120 days and 1 year. Just pay for everything in cash. Really simple.

I Love Your Signature Line....What Did God Say

When You Told HER That?!?!?

[shayla84]

Google is what I think is best but I am old school and not up on all the other things lol

[steeltush]

Gneiss Guy's comments are spot on!

You can buy a Tracfone at Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, etc. Pay cash for the phone and purchase the green phone minute cards with cash also.

[Squarenot]

Cash is the way to go. But, I've always assumed that if LE really wants you they can get you these days, pretty much whether or not you co-mingle that phone with your personal life or not. Avoid gassing-up your phone from your personal computer too and never use a credit card. I buy gas-up cards at strange locations when I travel.

Text capability is a must too. I've got an older hobby phone and text is a pain in the ass. I need to swap it out sometime soon for something more modern.