Rugged cell phone for klutzes?

[firefox]

I am trying to find a very simple cell phone that can hold up to abuse.
I know nothing about these things at all and am completely at peace with
a rotary phone, but alas, I need to bite the bullet and get one of these new
fangled contraptions so I can communicate with my wife after falling off a ladder.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Bruce

[Redoverfarm]

Can't speak for the phones but there is a good case that is guarenteed to protect your phone.  Believe me if my son has one it has lived up to it's reputation.

http://www.otterbox.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-otterbox_us-Site?cid=GOOTT11&gclid=CKb5k5KcgLYCFelaMgodHHYADw

[firefox]

Thanks! That sounds like a must for me!
Bruce

[MushCreek]

I have a Samsung Rugby II, which is a very tough phone. I've dropped it from over 8' one time, and numerous times from waist high. It is supposedly water-resistant as well. On the plus side, the battery will go almost two weeks on stand-by; on the minus- it is rather expensive for a simple phone. I've had mine almost 2 years, and have been very happy with it.

[rick91351]

I am trying to find a very simple cell phone that can hold up to abuse.
I know nothing about these things at all and am completely at peace with
a rotary phone, but alas, I need to bite the bullet and get one of these new
fangled contraptions so I can communicate with my wife after falling off a ladder.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Bruce

That is the exact reason Rick does not do ladders or scaffolds, roofs or chimneys, painting or wallpaper.  Now if Ellen wants to crawl up a ladder   

[OlJarhead]

Looks at the Casios   My wife has their millspec flip phone that you can drive a car over and submerse in water.

It's a beast!

[firefox]

Thanks Marine, which model does she have, and which provider?
I was looking into Sprint, but they don't seem to handle Casio.
Bruce

[OlJarhead]

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=casio+phones&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=D822A67F44276212097087BFB5F30022C42D0E8C&selectedIndex=1
We have Verizon.

Not sure if the GZOne (or newer version) is avail from anyone else but it's practically bullet proof!

[UK4X4]

Another vote for otterbox

I have a now antique Iphone 3....................dropped soaked it abused it

On my second case, mind you after the first took a major drop onto concrete

Bloody phone is still brand new, still no excuse for upgrading !

[firefox]

Thanks guys, this is a big help and I really appreciate it!
Bruce

[MountainDon]

  to Century 21 Bruce   

[firefox]

Hey, my Sprint Dual still works....it's only about 12 or 15 years old. But now I have to
have one for each of us when we go to the Mil Vehicle swap meets twice a year. She
keeps a short leash on me when I get too close to the parts vendors.....
Bruce

[hpinson]

I've been living with a Casio g'Zone Ravine for about two years a yes it is durable, waterproof, and has long battery life. But... poor reception (in comparison to a lot of other phones A/B'ed) and atrocious call quality (like talking in a fish tank) have made me regret my purchase. It was so bad that about a year in I moved to a $20 no contract generic phone from Best Buy which is holding up just fine, and surprisingly has much better reception and audio call quality than the expensive Casio. The g'zone is full of rugged features, but poor in its core phone function.

Also, this is Verizon only phone I believe. It has no SIM.  Won't work on the AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint networks.

[hpinson]

Another thing:

The new Smart Phones suck power. The dedicated phones like the g'Zone, the Rugby, and even the $20 generic I use stay charged for a few days to a week with light use and a dialed in local cell tower.

The new generation of Smart Phones have high-res screens and always-on apps that suck juice like mad even when asleep. Be ready if you go the Smart Phone/ Otter Box route to tune your phone, turning off the power suckers like GPS, and good luck with all the apps that want to call home constantly.

I decided that the main use that I have for a phone is for emergency, and I want it to be reliable as I am a long way out.  So I opted for a very simple phone with long battery life and good reception. It's a lot cheaper phone service too.

[hpinson]

And...

Bad news to buy a phone only to find that it will not work where you need it.

Your choice of phone is dependent on what cell service provider coverage you have available, that is, what cell towers are nearby that you can connect to. This is especially true in rural areas with poor coverage.  Check the coverage maps for where you will be using the phone. 

http://opensignal.com/

Rural cell phone coverage maps are notoriously inaccurate, and your provider sales staff (Verizon, AT&T, etc) will likely not know for sure and may even lie to you to get a sale.

Ask your neighbors what is working for them and that should weigh heavily in your choice of phone.

[firefox]

Thank you very much! I'm like you, I just want this for emergency duty.
Bruce

[OlJarhead]

We have no problem with the g'Zone.  Perhaps yours has issues?  Our call quality is excellent and reception is very good.  For example we use it here (tower is 30 miles away as the crow flies):


I drive up to 'cell phone' spot and set the phone on the dash (so I don't have to hold it just right -- which you must do with ALL phones in this spot) and dial home on speaker.   Works like a charm ALL the time

Just down the hill sitting in a tree stand and below the crest of the hill I was surprised to even get a bar there! 

The phone is great and after two years is still like new.

Perhaps yours was a bad batch or something?

[hpinson]

>> Issues with Phone

Very possible.

It's probably not an issue for firefox because Sprint runs on a  GSM network. The gZone does works on the Verizon CDMA proprietary network.

Don, I wonder if this thread topic could be moved to either General Topics or Referrals. It would be really good to know what phones are and are not working for people in very rural areas.  Also what can be done to boost signal etc.

[MountainDon]

because Sprint runs on a  GSM network. The gZone does works on the Verizon CDMA proprietary network.

Sorry but no. Sprint runs on a CDMA network as well, though they won't activate Verizon phones and vice versa.

I
Don, I wonder if this thread topic could be moved to either General Topics or Referrals. It would be really good to know what phones are and are not working for people in very rural areas.  Also what can be done to boost signal etc.

Maybe Referral.... thinking a minute ot so

[firefox]

Thanks for moving it Don. I saw the lock and said to myself "Oh cr.p now I've done it. I mut have
really ticked him off this time"

On another note, I am trying to find out which providers have good service in Eureka Nevada.
We won't be moving for several years yet due to medical issues so it isn't critical now, unless we
have to spend a lot of money on the phone. But if we end up with an expensive one, I want to make sure we can use it in Eureka. I will try to find someone there that I can find out from since
I am not about to trust the vendors.
Bruce