The Mighty Cell Phone

[Arenzael]

After seeing so many buddies with dead cell phones, I started to think about just how handy one is.

First things first, let's fix all of those upturned noses that undoubtedly fly up when a "survivalist" talks about how important a chintzy piece of yuppie technology is. A cell phone can be a crutch, sure, but it can also save your life. Remember the Daniel Boone adage. Do you need it for a flat tire? No. Do you need it when you're leg is crushed between your dashboard and seat after hydroplaning and hitting a barrier? Probably.

Now the first important thing to remember is that your cellphone needs to stay charged. I have buddies who don't have car chargers and their phone dies all of the time, I have buddies who just let their phone die for no good reason, I have one buddy who lets his phone die all of the time because someone told him it was bad to recharge a cell phone that's not completely and totally dead. I have another buddy whose phone dies because he thinks car chargers are too "harsh." All of this is pointless academia. Perhaps in the days of NiCad batteries it made a big difference when you charged your phone and what you charged it from, but these days cell phone batteries are pretty robust, and the MAX life you're going to give that phone is 2 years anyway, at which point you'll upgrade. So, here are a few tips:

1. Don't baby your cellphone. You bought it to use it. Treat it like your car, don't let it get under 1/4 tank.
2. Have a car charger. Have a couple of them if you have a couple of cars. Keep them in your car.
3. If you're leaving your house for more than a day, make sure you have a charger with you.
4. Plan to use it. Pay attention while you're driving so you'll know how to tell someone where you are in the event of an accident. Sure, they can triangulate your position, or use GPS, but that's not as reliable as you may think. Mile markers and intersections are pretty cut & dry.
5. Choose a carrier who has the best coverage in your area. This is more important than who is cheapest, who allows more text messaging, etc. None of that matters if you have no signal. If no one has good coverage, considering getting a mobile antenna for your phone. These can mount on your car and greatly enhance your signal.
6. If you're going to use it while driving, get a headset. They are much, much safer.
7. While in your vehicle, keep it somewhere secure and accessible. If you had it in your passenger seat in the aforementioned hydroplane scenario, you're going to be really frustrated trying to reach it in your passenger side floorboard.

And the single most important thing to remember about cell phone ownership: Turn it OFF when you're in a movie. Not silent, OFF. You can text your buddies when you get out of the movie in an hour and a half.

Okay maybe that last one was just me venting.

[spiffy]

1. Don't baby your cellphone. You bought it to use it.

Gotta agree if you bought an expensive all singing all dancing one and are afraid to use it in case you lose it, consider buying a basic cheaper one, you trash it no problems you can replace it..

[tdale]

There's nothing worse than one of those Nextel walkie talkie things beaping and sqwauking in an otherwise quiet breakfast diner early in the morning when you're trying to enjoy your coffee.

[Fusilier]

I'd love to dump my cell phone plan. At present, it is the only connection I have with my family, but I
don't like the bill, and even more importantly, the health effects and the knowledge that I can be
listened in on and tracked.
They are handy for emergencies. I prefer a basic phone.
I remember life before cell phones and internet. It was livable.

[tdale]

I hate cellular phones with a passion. When I was employed, I had one on my person 24/7 365 days a year. I'm never without one. But I too remember when I didn't even have a pager. Boy, those were the days when one could simply disappear in your own backyard. I had a smart phone for a while. I loved being "connected," getting e-mail, etc. But the PPC 6700 was not a phone for the outdoors or anywhere outside of a conference room. I reverted back to the most bomb proof cell phone I could find. Just a simple, ruggedized phone. Jee whiz, it doesn't even have a camera. But my fat fingers can hit a single button on command. I've got two AC chargers and two car chargers. One AC charger is at home all the time. One car charger is in my truck all the time. And one of each is in my mursy, man bag. I need to get a second battery or one of those "instant" charge doo-hickies.

[Arenzael]

I remember life before cell phones and internet. It was livable.

First things first, let's fix all of those upturned noses that undoubtedly fly up when a "survivalist" talks about how important a chintzy piece of yuppie technology is. A cell phone can be a crutch, sure, but it can also save your life. Remember the Daniel Boone adage. Do you need it for a flat tire? No. Do you need it when you're leg is crushed between your dashboard and seat after hydroplaning and hitting a barrier? Probably.

Just sayin.

the health effects and the knowledge that I can be listened in on and tracked

I've been using a cell phone for 7 years now, and am tumor free. I even have a family history of brain tumors...

You can be listened in on much more discreetly over a land line. If you think your cell phone is "listening" while you're not even on a call, just hold it up to the nearest radio. If it doesn't make that familiar chirp/buzz sound, it's not transmitting.

Yeah, you can be tracked, but that can be solved by removing the battery.

[Missourian]

I am looking to replace mine with a more ruggedized Motorola phone. These P.O.S. phones designed with the teen in mind are built to fail.

[Java MS]

Yeah in an emergency they are great. But in a big incident they are unreliable. The phone system is designed to function with a maximum of 30% of all phones in use at one time. There was a tornado in a nearby town. The locals were trying to coordinate with cell phones and they could not get through. They had to hand out handheld radios on the county system.

Text messages are a different matter. The phone will attempt to get the message out for a long time. Eventually enough signal will come in and the message will go.

They are not everything you need but they help.

[a_dblu]

Don't know why I didn't think to post this here sooner.

Text messages are on a different system than the actual voice communications of a cell phone. Text's travel through the maintenance channel. If you are faced with a large scale disaster and the cell phone towers are down try sending a text. It may go through as often times the maintenance channel will stay open even if the communications channel is closed. This is especially true if people are tying up the towers by talking.

[Fusilier]

For the record, I have a cell phone. I keep it charged, usually by using a car charger.
I don't carry the phone on me. I work in a basement and, except for a few "sweet spots," I
can't get reception, so theres not much use carrying it. I use it occasionally, but meanwhile,
I keep the battery out of it. I keep it in the car. That way the battey always remains charged.
Cell phones and disasters. At a disaster conference not long ago, one of the speakers said that
the issue of both the system going down or being overwhelmed is being addressed. The cell
phone companies now have mobile towers that they can quickly put into service.
Just my opinion and I hope I'm wrong. I still think the long term health effects are unknown and
therefore cell phones, like everything else, should be used in moderation.
I'll admit they can be useful. I've got friends that have the expensive ones that allow them access to
all kinds of information and its come in handy quite a few times.
Me? I prefer simplicity.