Alton cell tower

upthesaukee · 03-02-2014, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghfromaltonbay

I was getting 3 and sometimes 4 bars at the top of the hill at Sandy Point last summer and also could access the internet on my phone. I even could access the internet via cell phone near the cottages just below the wall behind the restaurant.

The tower at Prospect Mt. gave pretty good coverage further out the bay than by the town docks. The terrain behind JP China was enough of a block to knock down the signal some. Out by Sandy Point, the signal was much better. On really windy days where we would just anchor on the town dock side of Sandy Point, we would have 3-4 bars there as well.

The new tower will help on East Side dr. and rte 11 with their little nooks and crannies. Also, up on the hills on the west side of the bay.

jjackman · 03-23-2014, 02:05 PM

Has anyone got an update on the cell phone service in West Alton? Thanks!

Gearhead · 03-23-2014, 02:43 PM

As far as I can tell there isn't any Verizon on the tower yet. AT&T is working though.

They said that it should be up and running by the end of the month. Which month is the question, I guess.

Gearhead · 03-23-2014, 08:16 PM

As I type on my iPhone 4, I have 2 bars. Even with occasional 3 bars my phone will not call from my house in East Alton. My mother-in-law however was here this evening and she had full signal with her iPhone 5C. Is it a 4G or LTE thing? I don't need data, I just need my phone.

Does anyone in the know have any ideas? Maybe I need to update my roaming tomorrow when I get a signal and try again.

Thanks,
GH

upthesaukee · 03-23-2014, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gearhead

As I type on my iPhone 4, I have 2 bars. Even with occasional 3 bars my phone will not call from my house in East Alton. My mother-in-law however was here this evening and she had full signal with her iPhone 5C. Is it a 4G or LTE thing? I don't need data, I just need my phone.

Does anyone in the know have any ideas? Maybe I need to update my roaming tomorrow when I get a signal and try again.

Thanks,
GH

I am still sitting here with 1 bar of 3G on my Verizon Droid. When the kids were here the other day, 4 bars 4G AT&T. Grrrrrrrr.

Does the mother in law have AT&T, Sprint, or TMobile? Those are the other services that are supposed to be on the tower.

Gearhead · 03-24-2014, 08:06 AM

That's the kicker! She has Verizon. I think it's a 4G tower or something.
Maybe new installations are 4G because they are the newest technology and anyone with a 4G phone is backwards compatible in case there aren't 4G sites nearby Burt if you have a 3G phone then you are out of luck.

I'm just guessing though.

upthesaukee · 03-24-2014, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gearhead

That's the kicker! She has Verizon. I think it's a 4G tower or something.
Maybe new installations are 4G because they are the newest technology and anyone with a 4G phone is backwards compatible in case there aren't 4G sites nearby Burt if you have a 3G phone then you are out of luck.

I'm just guessing though.

Verizon is not up and running on the new tower. I have a 3G phone and my wife has a 4G phone. We are across the bay from the tower. Depending on where we are on Rte 11 depends on how good a signal we get. When we can physically see Prospect Mt, south of the Alton traffic Circle, we will have 3-4 bars of coverage. When we get back into the nooks and crannies of Rte 11, we have a few spots of no coverage, generally 1-2 bars.

West Alton has no new towers, and I don't know how the new tower on the east side of the bay, near Echo Point (Bowman Rd off rte 28) will help over at West Alton. Time will tell. It should help some, and perhaps will reach into West Alton Marina, and to the Sand Bar.

Gearhead, can't explain why Mom would have a good signal and you don't and you are both on Verizon. As I have said on this thread, when my kids are here with ATT phones, I grit my teeth and smoke comes out my ears. With the wife and I, no better signal than we had last year as the leaves came off the trees last fall.

Gearhead · 03-24-2014, 08:46 PM

Well thanks everyone for the detailed answers. I guess all of us will just have to wait and see what happens with the tower. I can't wait much longer Verizon...

riverat · 03-24-2014, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

I am still sitting here with 1 bar of 3G on my Verizon Droid. When the kids were here the other day, 4 bars 4G AT&T. Grrrrrrrr.

Does the mother in law have AT&T, Sprint, or TMobile? Those are the other services that are supposed to be on the tower.

I and my wife have Sprint and notice no difference when at the bay or the dump. And Sprint coverage map still shows us in roaming area.

gokart-mozart · 03-24-2014, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjackman

Has anyone got an update on the cell phone service in West Alton? Thanks!

I drive 28 from Wolfeboro to Alton and back every day, I have a Verizon iPhone 4S.

I have not noticed any change in signal strength or service yet. Signal southbound starts to drop @ St. Katherine Drexel, is down to 1-2 bars and 1x service after 28A, and most calls are dropped after the second hill. Coming back, I have 3G to Bay Hill Road, then drops off rapidly, no service to 1 bar 1x at the bottom of the first hill, 3G not back until Chestnut Cove Road.

I doubt very much that there is a Verizon radio on that tower at this point. Hope it's coming.

03-23-2014, 02:43 PM	#3
Gearhead Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Alton Posts: 166 Thanks: 13 Thanked 19 Times in 8 Posts	No Verizon Yet As far as I can tell there isn't any Verizon on the tower yet. AT&T is working though. They said that it should be up and running by the end of the month. Which month is the question, I guess.

03-23-2014, 02:05 PM	#2
jjackman Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Manchester Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Has anyone got an update on the cell phone service in West Alton? Thanks!

03-23-2014, 08:16 PM	#4
Gearhead Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Alton Posts: 166 Thanks: 13 Thanked 19 Times in 8 Posts	As I type on my iPhone 4, I have 2 bars. Even with occasional 3 bars my phone will not call from my house in East Alton. My mother-in-law however was here this evening and she had full signal with her iPhone 5C. Is it a 4G or LTE thing? I don't need data, I just need my phone. Does anyone in the know have any ideas? Maybe I need to update my roaming tomorrow when I get a signal and try again. Thanks, GH

03-24-2014, 08:06 AM	#6
Gearhead Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Alton Posts: 166 Thanks: 13 Thanked 19 Times in 8 Posts	That's the kicker! She has Verizon. I think it's a 4G tower or something. Maybe new installations are 4G because they are the newest technology and anyone with a 4G phone is backwards compatible in case there aren't 4G sites nearby Burt if you have a 3G phone then you are out of luck. I'm just guessing though.

The Following User Says Thank You to upthesaukee For This Useful Post:
Gearhead (03-24-2014)

03-24-2014, 08:46 PM	#8
Gearhead Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Alton Posts: 166 Thanks: 13 Thanked 19 Times in 8 Posts	Well thanks everyone for the detailed answers. I guess all of us will just have to wait and see what happens with the tower. I can't wait much longer Verizon...

The Following User Says Thank You to Gearhead For This Useful Post:
upthesaukee (03-24-2014)

The Following User Says Thank You to riverat For This Useful Post:
upthesaukee (03-24-2014)