Yosemite Valley Phone Service?

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Child of the Abyss

climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 13, 2014 - 04:53am PT
I'm thinking of going to Yosemite this fall for the first time in a few years.

Does T-Mobile service still not exist in Yosemite Valley? If not, are AT&T and Verizon still the best/only options? Do both of them have internet service in the valley (I don't have a smartphone... yet, but I believe that is called 3G or 4G...)?

Thanks!
HighDesertDJ

Trad climber
Aug 13, 2014 - 05:23am PT
Quick, everyone tell this guy how he's enjoying his urban park experience wrong.
nature

climber
Boulder, CO
Aug 13, 2014 - 06:03am PT
naw.... keep it simple


YER GONNA DIE!!!!111
Child of the Abyss

climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 13, 2014 - 10:19am PT
Gee... thanks for the info...

I know, I'm not pure of heart. Someday I shall abandon all modern appliances and live a soulful existence communing with the almighty granite, and the angels will sing as I emulate as closely as possible the lifestyle of our exalted stonemaster forefathers!

...In the meantime, I find phones quite useful, even when in the pristine wilderness of Yosemite Valley!

Seriously, though, anyone have any info? Thanks in advance for any helpful replies!
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Aug 13, 2014 - 10:26am PT
only services that use the verizon or att systems work in the park. Limited towers mean that the signal is spotty but can be quite good in certain areas
Child of the Abyss

climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 13, 2014 - 11:00am PT
Sounds like it hasn't changed since I was last there. Oh well.

Thanks!
David D.

Trad climber
California
Aug 13, 2014 - 02:36pm PT
Best cell phone reception in the Valley is in front of the main Valley Visitor Center. It will say you are getting full bars and 3G, but the 3G part is pretty flaky. You are better off going to Curry and using WiFi or trying the library when it is opened in the morning.
WBraun

climber
Aug 13, 2014 - 03:24pm PT
Best cell phone reception in the Valley is in front of the main Valley Visitor Center.

That's because the cell tower is 300 yards directly behind the visitor center.

If your particular cellular carrier does not work at the visitor center
then your cellular carrier does not have a roaming agreement with the ATT system in the Park.
Spider Savage

Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
Aug 13, 2014 - 07:46pm PT
Verizon works on top of Half-Dome.

Almost chucked my phone off and have someone time it before it went dead. Managed to restrain myself.
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Aug 13, 2014 - 08:18pm PT
My AT&T service works better than others verizon in the valley. Eg at the manure pile parking lot. Works fine in little Yosemite and full bars of half dome.

That's for calls. Data sucks. The prolly haven't upgraded the towers in at least 5 years.

You don't have to subscribe to AT&T. You can get service on their towers cheaper through a reseller like airvoice wireless.
WBraun

climber
Aug 13, 2014 - 08:27pm PT
The prolly haven't upgraded the towers in at least 5 years.


Bullsh!t they did it last year.

You don't know anything about cellular infrastructure so you just make up sh!t.

Supertopo the land of make up sh!t while you are guessing .......
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Aug 13, 2014 - 08:45pm PT
Prolly means probably. Haven't been to the valley in a while.

How's the data service in the valley now?
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Aug 13, 2014 - 10:20pm PT
I get a solid 4g signal in the village. Can do video calls in some other areas as well. Have ATT. Forget exactly what speeds I get. When I can get a good signal it's far better than the free wifi at Curry.
WBraun

climber
Aug 13, 2014 - 10:29pm PT
The whole problem in Yosemite Valley is not the cell towers but the main pipe coming in and out that feeds everything.

And that's limited and is the bottleneck.

They need a fiber feed to the valley to gain bandwidth.

Running fiber costs money and Yosemite is not high priority yet.

The cell tower problems are exacerbated by being surrounded by a forest of trees and heavy use by the public.

Pine trees, and cedar trees needles are full of moisture and attenuate the cellular radio frequencies terribly.

It's a national park and they don't want it saturated with cell towers either.
KabalaArch

Trad climber
Starlite, California
Aug 13, 2014 - 10:51pm PT
Top of Lost Arrow would provide excellent coverage.
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Jun 30, 2016 - 11:44am PT
Does anyone know what's going on with cell service in the valley?

I used to get coverage at manure pile (el cap picnic area) parking lot, curry, and the pines. Now I'm lucky to get one bar in curry.

I seem to remember reading or being told rockfall hit the tower, they rebuilt it lower, and that impacted signal strength. But maybe that was somewhere else.

Could the trees around the tower have just grown and affected the signal?

Im not talking Internet, just phone service.

It sucks because I often meet partners coming in from different parts of the state and its hard to coordinate a meeting spot and time when you can only communicate from the village.
Ed H

Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
Jun 30, 2016 - 03:05pm PT
Verizon coverage in the Valley is pretty good - almost full bars near Church Bowl, and esp good 1-2 pitches up.

I had ATT last year, and basically kept it off except to call or e-mail at the Village market, or topping out.
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Jun 30, 2016 - 03:09pm PT
Thanks Ed. Interesting. My ATT (GSM) service used to be better than Verizon (CDMA) from about 5-10 years ago. Maybe Verizon pulled a fast one on ATT if/when they upgraded their service and messed up ATT's. I believe it's ATT's tower, so I would guess Verizon leases space on it.
Tom

Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
Jun 30, 2016 - 04:23pm PT
Pine trees, and cedar trees needles are full of moisture and attenuate the cellular radio frequencies terribly.


Pine needle ------> 1/4 wavelength



2.4 GHz wi-fi is the same frequency as a microwave oven.

Yes, all you intertards are cooking the Valley's trees to death.

Stop it.



Back Then: KILL YOUR TELEVISION

Today: KILL YOUR CELLPHONE
Ricky D

Trad climber
Sierra Westside
Jun 30, 2016 - 08:13pm PT
Pine needle ------> 1/4 wavelength

True enough but equally true is if you roll a 6 foot length of Heavy Duty Reynold's Wrap into a spliff shaped cone approximately 1 inch in diameter and stick it up any cell phone user's butt - you can hear the ocean.

Yes, all you intertards are cooking the Valley's trees to death.

Down the road a few miles - it's the frappin Bark Beetles that are nuking my trees - 36 out of 82 pines so far. Should I point my cell phone at them to make them stop?
Messages 1 - 20 of total 26 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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