Another hobby phone question

[taggert]

I have a trac phone. Simple and works well. I can call to Canada, but as I discovered on Saturday, once I get there I get no service whatsoever. Any suggestions for simple phone that works both here and in Canada? Not really interested in using google voice or a smartphone. Thanks

[cny6969]

Same here...the tracfone works great for me. They are available at Walmart and Target. If you need an anonymous hobby phone just go buy one along with a prepaid minutes card and then activate it right from the phone itself (do not activate it online).

I have found it's coverage to be just as good as my Verizon personal/business phone. I'm not sure who's network they use but it might even be Verizon. They have many phone models to choose from including dirt cheep basic flip phones to phones with qwerty keyboards that make texting easier.

[offshoredrilling]

can you buy a tracfone in Canada to use in Canada???????

I ask that as USofA cells that work in Canada, the carrier payed Canada so it would work for ya I think. Thinking tracfone does not have there own towers using other carriers. Other carriers would not pay for others.

Ya think I'm confusing. Try reading FCC rules and the Canadian counter part of.

[cny6969]

I didn't actually respond to the original question. I never use it in Canada to know but it looks like roaming in Canada is allowed.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...7075919AAVUQQY

[Guest070916]

Originally Posted by offshoredrilling

can you buy a tracfone in Canada to use in Canada???????

They have some types of cheap hobby phones in Canada but they are not as cheap as ours. Don't know their brand names but they discuss this at times on TERB.

[offshoredrilling]

Thanks for the link. But will that work if low on min, and/or no one knows who owns the phone?

Canada is more hard nose when it comes to radio signals. A cell is a transceiver.

[taggert]

[QUOTE=cny6969;1051781645]I didn't actually respond to the original question. I never use it in Canada to know but it looks like roaming in Canada is allowed.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...7075919AAVUQQY[/QUOT

According to the link, my phone should have gone to roam but did not. Maybe there is a setting on the phone that can be changed?

[jokacz]

I think the cheapest way to go on a phone that works in both countries is a T-mobile pre-paid. The 100 buck a year plan that I think Jackfengshui has mentioned in the past.

[vern0064]

Originally Posted by jokacz

I think the cheapest way to go on a phone that works in both countries is a T-mobile pre-paid. The 100 buck a year plan that I think Jackfengshui has mentioned in the past.

damn you know what I could do with that 100 bucks!!

[jackfengshui]

Originally Posted by jokacz

I think the cheapest way to go on a phone that works in both countries is a T-mobile pre-paid. The 100 buck a year plan that I think Jackfengshui has mentioned in the past.

See http://www.eccie.net/showpost.php?p=...5&postcount=22

[GP]

Originally Posted by offshoredrilling

Canada is more hard nose when it comes to radio signals.

What makes you say this?

[taggert]

Originally Posted by jackfengshui

See http://www.eccie.net/showpost.php?p=...5&postcount=22

Thanks for the link! Looks like T Mobile would be the way to go.

[GP]

Never question Jackfengshui, his kung fu is strong!

[Guest070916]

Originally Posted by cny6969

...the tracfone works great for me. They are available at Walmart and Target. If you need an anonymous hobby phone just go buy one along with a prepaid minutes card and then activate it right from the phone itself (do not activate it online).

Was just at Walmart looking at TracFone and the clerk there said you can't activate it right from the phone itself. He said you have to activate from a secondary phone. Who is right?

Checked online and it's unclear how to activate it.
What's wrong with activating it online?
Can it be activated on a library PC so you don't use your own PC?

[MOCHAakaMOCHA]

I use a $2 a day (unlimited calls & texts) AT&T pre-paid go phone.