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tallytwo1994 · 08-05-2015, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, no damage to anything, but the winds rocked my trailer pretty good. today we drove to Lexington, Kentucky. Might take some tours tomorrow. Free WIFI here, but you get what you pay for. I'm sitting on a bench in front of their office. And even here it is weak. I went to a Verizon office yesterday to see about getting MIFI, but their little office was packed with cell phone fanatics, so I left. It was about an eight hour drive today and there was only one rest stop on the way, just before we got here.

Bob,

I wonder if you can order MIFI online or via a phone call to customer service? I hate going into the Verizon office and usually can't get what I need or want through them anyway. As long as I don't get someone in India, I prefer to deal with them on the phone. In fact, if I'm not mistaken they have a large office in Kentucky.

Carol

Ag&Au · 08-05-2015, 10:04 AM

What is the advantage of MIFI? I have a Verizon Samsung S-5 (and previous models before) and get along just fine with its mobile hotspot, when WIFI is not available or sucks.

Ken

Ag&Au · 08-05-2015, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ag&Au

What is the advantage of MIFI? I have a Verizon Samsung S-5 (and previous models before) and get along just fine with its mobile hotspot, when WIFI is not available or sucks.

Ken

Never mind, I answered the question with some searching. There are some situations (that I would not be in) that a MIFI would be better. My searching also reminded me that tethering with a USB cable still works just fine. All of this applies to Android. I know very little about iPhones and wish to keep it that way,

Ken

Gene · 08-05-2015, 10:33 AM

MiFi is accessed through a little box (Jet Pack) that is basically a cellphone without talking. It picks up a cell tower and then sends data to your devices through wifi. This is different than tethering, but we don't need a smart phone since we have 2 laptops, an iPad and a dumb phone. That works fine for us. It costs $80 or $90 per month for 10 Gb and then you learn just how little a gigabyte is these days. There are cheaper and more expensive plans as well. Plans change all the time and you have to find the right day to get what you want. You have to sign up for a two year contract though you have 30 days to get out of it. They had a $40 or $50 mail in rebate a couple of weeks ago, but that changes all the time too.

You would have to go to a Verizon dealer to get the box. I suppose they would mail it if you were home. The dealers often don't know a lot about what they are selling.

The other companies have similar things, but Verizon has the best coverage, especially out west. Verizon is the most arrogant company I have ever dealt with and it is hard to send them money every month, but they have the stuff we need for internet at home and on the road.

Gene

Ag&Au · 08-05-2015, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gene

MiFi is accessed through a little box (Jet Pack) that is basically a cellphone without talking. It picks up a cell tower and then sends data to your devices through wifi. It costs $80 or $90 per month for 10 Gb and then you learn just how little a gigabyte is these days. There are cheaper and more expensive plans as well. Plans change all the time and you have to find the right day to get what you want. You have to sign up for a two year contract though you have 30 days to get out of it. They had a $40 or $50 mail in rebate a couple of weeks ago, but that changes all the time too.

You would have to go to a Verizon dealer to get the box. I suppose they would mail it if you were home. The dealers often don't know a lot about what they are selling.

The other companies have similar things, but Verizon has the best coverage, especially out west. Verizon is the most arrogant company I have ever dealt with and it is hard to send them money every month, but they have the stuff we need for internet at home and on the road.

Gene

Thanks Gene,

I know what they are. I was (and still am) just having trouble figuring out why anyone, who has an up to date smartphone that has tethering or a hotspot would want one, unless it was for fulltime at home because they had no wired or wireless internet available.

For me, with Verizon and my S5, I would just be paying again for capability I already have.

Ken

Gene · 08-05-2015, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ag&Au

Thanks Gene,

I know what they are. I was (and still am) just having trouble figuring out why anyone, who has an up to date smartphone that has tethering or a hotspot would want one, unless it was for fulltime at home because they had no wired internet or WIFI available.

Exactly—we have no other good way of getting internet at home. The ability to take the magic box (JetPack) wherever we go is a bonus and then we don't need a smart phone. A smart phone requires a magnifying glass and little pointed fingers to type. I've got the magnifying glass, but don't want to shave down my fingers.

Gene

Ag&Au · 08-05-2015, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gene

Exactly—we have no other good way of getting internet at home. The ability to take the magic box (JetPack) wherever we go is a bonus and then we don't need a smart phone. A smart phone requires a magnifying glass and little pointed fingers to type. I've got the magnifying glass, but don't want to shave down my fingers.

Gene

Most people don't type on their smartphones anymore.

We hip people

talk to our smartphones, and they type (or do) what we say.

Ken

DoublTrouble · 08-05-2015, 11:38 AM

funny. The error rate for dictating is not much different than that of my smart phone typing.

Ag&Au · 08-05-2015, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoublTrouble

funny. The error rate for dictating is not much different than that of my smart phone typing.

Yeah, but when it screws up and doesn't understand you, you have the satisfaction of knowing it hears you when you swear at it.

Ken

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-05-2015, 04:27 PM

Hi, last night we had one heck of a storm. And they say we will again tonight. It's getting dark, some thunder, and a few sprinkles so far. I tried to get WIFI at my trailer and it was no-go. I tried at 2:30 AM, knowing that I was the only one in the park awake at that time. I tried again at 5:00 AM and still no WIFI. So I'm in front of the office again. Today we toured the Kentucky Horse Park. Even though we are not horse people, it was interesting and entertaining. We added one more day here because there are more things to do. We had to move one space over.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-05-2015, 04:37 PM

Hi, we each have dumb phones and at $100.00 per year each, I'm not changing to a smart phone. Lee has a lap top and I have a netbook; All I want is WIFI that works. And I don't want a house payment to do it. There has to be a good way. Having one shipped to my house is out of the question. Going to a Verizon store might be like going to DMV, or the Dentist. I want simple and painless, especially while traveling.

Silver Goose · 08-06-2015, 07:10 AM

Our situation is similar to yours, basic cell phone, laptop and an iPad. The iPad does have a month to month (no contract) data plan through Verizon. If WiFi is available, it will offer to use it first, using 3G/LTE only when WiFi is unavailable. A friend in our RV club has a MiFi which she carries in her purse and it is her primary Internet provider at home and on the road whenever the advertised campground WiFi is over promised and under delivered. She has been very happy with it, but it does cost her about $80/month and has a 2-year contract. Walmart also sells a variety of MiFi cards with no-contract plans from most carriers including Verizon, but the monthly cost is slightly higher. If the MiFi is to be used only for a month or two now and then, the Walmart solution might be a better option, but do your research to see what fits your needs best. I don't know what if any hoops have to be jumped to reactivate it after a period out of service.

Last year we took a 3 1/2 month 12,000 mile "great circle" trip from Texas to Alaska. We were traveling with another couple. We had Verizon and they had AT&T. We confirmed what we had anticipated ... Most areas in the Lower 48, both providers worked well. In some areas, one worked and the other didn't. If we kept score, Verizon worked more often than AT&T. There were some areas where neither worked. Alaska magnified this. Understandably in Alaska, most areas have no service, some had one or the other, only the larger areas like Fairbanks and Anchorage and maybe Valdez, Homer and Seward had both. Our plans did not include service in Canada so to avoid hefty roaming charges we simply turned the phones off and put the tablet into Wi-Fi only. I had thought about picking up a Canadian "burner" but considering the reality that even it would have no cell service on most of the Alcan and the Cassiar, we decided to go without, just like we all did 30 years ago.

DIR1 · 08-06-2015, 07:30 AM

Hi Bob, Leelee, BooBoo... sounds like you are having a good time... reading all your posts... I have the ATT, 5GB wifi ,$50 a month... it's the only wifi at the cottage, on the coast... no cable... works great.. anywhere you can get cell phone service you can get the wifi... it always goes along in the rv... I'm pleased with it... keep having fun... we're watching!!! gail

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-06-2015, 06:12 PM

Hi, the other day we drove through Notre Dame; You would need a college degree just to find your way around their campus. We just wanted a few pictures and that was nearly impossible. This morning I took the Toyota factory tour. Assembly of the cars is very similar to Ford, and they are both very organized. Even though the Ford factory is much older, it is newer and cleaner looking. We drove by to check out Kentucky University and it is huge too. Decided to see Versailles today and bought gas there for $2.18 per gallon. Then we toured the Kentucky Chocolate factory. Everyone wants reservations, but that isn't our style. Toyota only had one empty seat so Lee sent me out alone. I gave the sad look and story that we drove all the way across the country to see the chocolate factory, so they let us in.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-06-2015, 06:21 PM

Hi, no thunder storms last night, but it did rain all night long. Lots of sprinkles today and then some hard rain for a few hours. Everything in the trailer is staying dry; Had to close one roof vent and the bathroom vent because of sideways rain even though I have vent covers. Yesterday my Fantastic vent closed by it's self. My bed cover keeps things dry in the bed too. My largest closet door latch keeps coming loose; Tooth picks are the temporary cure for now.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-07-2015, 05:49 PM

Hi, this morning we left Kentucky and drove through West Virginia. We stopped twice for gas because West Virginia has few gas stations. The first one was too high so we didn't fill the tank. Next we found a Pilot; Boy what a place this was. Like no other Pilot that we have been to. Right off of the freeway, on a very bumpy, narrow road. There was only one way in and one way out and it was not trailer friendly. I got in, gassed, and out, by only inches on all sides. It's amazing that I didn't hit or scrape anything.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-07-2015, 05:50 PM

Hi, this morning we left Kentucky and drove through West Virginia. We stopped for gas twice because of prices. The final fill up was at a Pilot station. It was right off of the freeway, but on a hill. the road to it was narrow and bumpy. The gas station was very tight and with only one way in and one way out.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-07-2015, 06:11 PM

Hi, every time that I type three words, I get kicked out; Next thing I know, It shows up as a double post and I can't fix it or delete it.

We drove through a toll road that was very narrow and I had to squeeze out of my truck to insert my money and get my change. We found a KOA in Connellsville, Pa. It has a very narrow road, two way, for about a miles to get there. We wanted two nights but they only had one space left, for only one night.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-07-2015, 06:25 PM

Hi, we are backed up to a river and the train tracks are on the other side of the river. Our sight had poop all over it; looked like small dog or cat poop. Two ladies in a golf cart stopped and asked me how we liked our space. I told them it was OK except for all of the dog or cat poop. They sent someone out to clean up the poop. They said it was from Geese. I have never seen goose poop before.

Ag&Au · 08-07-2015, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, we are backed up to a river and the train tracks are on the other side of the river. Our sight had poop all over it; looked like small dog or cat poop. Two ladies in a golf cart stopped and asked me how we liked our space. I told them it was OK except for all of the dog or cat poop. They sent someone out to clean up the poop. They said it was from Geese. I have never seen goose poop before.

I'll bet you have and didn't know it. It's usually about the size a half grown kitten would leave. The size and consistency varies greatly depending on what the goose has last eaten. I'm of fan of scatology.

Ken