Outdoor Adventure USA

I have carried two cell phones for years and sometimes three. My main cell is ATT and my back up is verizon. My third cell is virgin. In my travels it seems that many times Att has no service and my verizon cell has service. This has given me great confort and extra protection. In my days of long motorcycle trips to the less traveled roads it was helpful on more than one occasion. Then again, in St Croix Att worked and verizon didn't--same in Africa. Considering the minimal cost of phones and plans or just buying a card for $20 a month is cheap insurance.

I was on my way to Havasu today and I like to sometimes take the desert roads as opposed to the 40. It was a beautiful day in the desert today and I had the wife, dogs, cat and a few rounds of ammo . We stopped to take in the crisp air and enjoy the desert for a few minutes. I had turned off the truck. So we get back in and the truck just cranked, but wouldn't fire. I had no service on my iphone/att. The verizon phone was good to go. I was able to start making arrangements for a tow-AAA and rentals etc. As I was waiting I would try to start it and it would just crank. After 45 minutes it fired up. Will have it checked out tomarrow. I will have a tundra next week and this ford truck is history as it once left me stranded in the mountains when the computer died. No clue if I have a fuel delivery issue, or electical issue or computer issue, but it has not repeated this action and is not throwing any codes. Just don't need the headache. And yes I know, I will get my ham license.

Cheers, Steve

Thanks for the advice, Steve. I usually carry two phones as well. One verizon and one sprint. It also helps to have a phone charger for the car.

ssc wrote: And yes I know, I will get my ham license.

Steve:

There's no present like the time.........At Borrego Fest you can camp, wheel, feast at the potluck and test for that Ham Radio license. Can we count you in?

Hi Dave,
The odds of me making BF, are looking slim to none--and I think slim is riding out of town. My mothers health issues require my attention--though now and then I get a few days off for bad behavior.

Cheers, Steve

ssc wrote:Hi Dave,
The odds of me making BF, are looking slim to none--and I think slim is riding out of town. My mothers health issues require my attention--though now and then I get a few days off for bad behavior.

Cheers, Steve

Steve:

Sorry to hear about your mother.

No worries about missing the test as we will be having many more opportunities soon.

I like carring a Sat phone. On Sunday, I was in Death Valley about 3 miles into the Race Track road when we came across a motor home with two flat tires. He had been there all night. There was no cell service no mater what brand of service you had. The motor home was too big for the tools (jacks, etc. ) we carry to repair our vehicles. We call the NPS rangers on the Sat phone to send the needed help.

In all fairness, we had enough vehicles that someone could have gone for help too! BTW there were no 2 meter/ 440 ham repeaters we could hit.