BajaNomad

Cell Phone

Marc - 5-22-2020 at 11:57 AM

I've been bypassing BOLA last couple of trips. Is there cell phone reception now? My travel Bud had an emergency at home last year when we were in Mulege. Would have been a disaster if we were out of signal at the time. Now he is reluctant to be out of contact.
In the past I would check in once a week, if I could, using the phone shops.

Paco Facullo - 5-22-2020 at 12:02 PM

If that important to be in contact, go for one of the satellite phone devices.
Will free you up to go anywhere...

https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/

David K - 5-22-2020 at 12:17 PM

Having experiences with both Spot and inReach, the inReach is hands down a more user-friendly way to communicate back and forth.

Phone/Text messaging, emails, plus allowing your contacts to see where you are in near real time. The inReach also uses the Iridium satellites which have far better coverage than what Spot uses.

There is also renting of satellite phones available if you need to talk.

chippy - 5-22-2020 at 12:24 PM

I´ve always experienced spotty cell in bola at best. Havn´t been since nov. but I doubt its changed.

baja Steve - 5-22-2020 at 12:44 PM

There is no cell service in Bahia de Los Angeles; calls can be made over (satellite) wifi or at places such as Deposito Lizeth👍

JZ - 5-22-2020 at 12:47 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy  
I´ve always experienced spotty cell in bola at best. Havn´t been since nov. but I doubt its changed.


No cell service in BoLA.

There is Wi-Fi. You can make calls on WhatsApp or Wi-Fi based calls if your phone support that feature. Most do.

chippy - 5-22-2020 at 12:50 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by chippy  
I´ve always experienced spotty cell in bola at best. Havn´t been since nov. but I doubt its changed.


No cell service in BoLA.

There is Wi-Fi. You can make calls on WhatsApp or Wi-Fi based calls if your phone support that feature. Most do.


You are correct. It was crappy wifi. I´ve had whatsapp for years. Thats how everyone communicates down here.

[Edited on 5-22-2020 by chippy]

pacificobob - 5-22-2020 at 02:32 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Paco Facullo  
If that important to be in contact, go for one of the satellite phone devices.
Will free you up to go anywhere...

https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/


Or just stay home

Sat phone

John M - 5-22-2020 at 06:22 PM

Our Iridium based satellite phone has never failed to connect. We did have one dropped call but immediately reconnected .

We think actually talking with a person on the other end provides a better way to convey the immediacy and details of a situation than texting.

We purchased a refurbished phone about six years ago, a one-year old model from Satmodo in San Diego and have the least expensive monthly plan. Still it isn't cheap but it's been perfect for us.

John M

thebajarunner - 5-22-2020 at 06:52 PM

I tend to agree with "if you need a cell phone then stay home where your reception is great"

We end up in LABay almost every year
I go to one of the stores and spend a few pesos to call home when we arrive, and then a couple days later

WiFi is available all over town which I check for emergencies. (and a few selected sports scores, which are easily found after dark on your AM car radio. KNX 1070 comes through loud and clear in the dark hours)

When I go to Baja I tell people "Hey, I will not be in regular contact. If it is urgent send an email. I will check in every few days for emergencies. Otherwise talk when we get back."

I sometimes wonder what this world has come to, dependent as we have become to our devices and gizmos....

Alm - 5-23-2020 at 09:54 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Marc  
My travel Bud had an emergency at home last year when we were in Mulege. Would have been a disaster if we were out of signal at the time. Now he is reluctant to be out of contact.
In the past I would check in once a week, if I could, using the phone shops.

No cell phone in BOLA and probably won't be any for another 10 years.

Phone is available in 2 grocery stores, the big one is usually open during posted hours, the small one is open when senora Lizett wishes so. You won't have a problem making a phone call once a week.

Same stores also offer WiFi. They run WiFi through satellite modem, not sure about phone - landline service does exist but it's a "land" in town only, coming there through relay lines, you can't run DLS internet on it.

I've "heard" about public WiFi intermittently available across the town, but given how unreliable is paid WiFi in the said stores, have no desire to try a worse version yet, since only use internet when it's really important and don't want dropped connections. You learn to ration your needs when living there.

People who live there permanently or semi-permanently usually have their own satellite internet and VOIP phone.

[Edited on 5-23-2020 by Alm]

BajaBlanca - 5-25-2020 at 03:24 AM

Scary to have an emergency at home while traveling in Mexico.

Whatsapp is indeed what every Mexican uses! And now, we do too.

Marc - 5-25-2020 at 08:33 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca  
Scary to have an emergency at home while traveling in Mexico.

Whatsapp is indeed what every Mexican uses! And now, we do too.


:light::light::light::light:

Alm - 5-25-2020 at 10:40 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca  
Scary to have an emergency at home while traveling in Mexico.

No, it's scary to have an emergency while traveling in Mexico.

RFClark - 5-25-2020 at 10:49 AM

I have a satellite two way text unit. It works all over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. Service is $10/Month and the unit was around $200. It has an Emergency button that sends your location to a call center that dispatches help anywhere.

RFClark - 5-25-2020 at 10:57 AM

Visit “findmespot.com” for more information.

Alm - 5-25-2020 at 12:44 PM

Spot will send a distress signal. Response center will contact local responders in Baja. They will arrive... some time later. When on the road, you'll sooner get help from a passing local, or from town people if you're in town. "Traveling" for most of us means one day on a paved road and several days or weeks (or months even) in a populated area.

I would consider Spot for trips on roads so poor that there can be no traffic for days.

[Edited on 5-25-2020 by Alm]

RFClark - 5-25-2020 at 01:06 PM

We take those dirt or worse roads in Baja like San Ignacio to Scorpion Bay. It also lets us send email and trackInter info to our kids back in the U.S.

As soon as Space X starts their new LEO system we’re signing up!

Alm - 5-25-2020 at 01:59 PM

"Dirt or worse" is what Spot is for. And tracking - if somebody needs or wants to track you in those areas.

They are search and rescue rather than evacuation, in a populated area they probably won't come to your rescue. On a brief glance, Spot basic plan includes only monitoring and SAR coordination, you'll need an upgraded plan to be reimbursed for actual SAR services if anything happens.

RFClark - 5-25-2020 at 02:23 PM

They will respond in the U.S. & Canada. They check 1st to verify. We have insurance that covers medical evacuations too! Never had to use it. For which I’m very glad!

pauldavidmena - 5-25-2020 at 02:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner  
I tend to agree with "if you need a cell phone then stay home where your reception is great"


My last truly "off-the-grid" vacation was to London and North Yorkshire in 2000. I had a pager at the time, but left it home, as I did my cell phone. At that point there was no expectation that a person should be capable of being reached when out of town. That seemed to change within a year or two, when I was promoted to manager at my workplace and WiFi became ubiquitous. I remember being in Placencia, Belize in 2002 and checking my email every day on a shared PC at the Beach Breeze Inn. By the time we started visiting Baja 10 or so years ago, both my wife and I brought our laptops with us, and my wife, who owns her own business, would work several hours a day, while I would post photos and write. I can't say I feel a sense of loss as much as I have to acknowledge that the times have changed.

RFClark - 5-25-2020 at 02:56 PM

We visited Kenya and Tanzania in 2007. In Kenya the game hotels had point to point microwave data links. You had to go to the hotel business office to check your email if the link was up. In Tanzania they had good Cell service and data out in the middle of the Serengeti! All the Masai who could afford it had cell phones. The service at the time was better than in Los Angeles! They charged the phones off of generators or car batteries. Very neat to see a 6 foot plus Masai with an 8 foot spear walking barefoot across the Serengeti talking on a cellphone!