Verizon coverage NW Oklahoma

[J Tyler]

We all know about the huge "hole" in Verizons cellular data coverage in Northwest Oklahoma. I have just added a Maximum Signals Rockies amp and their 9db gain supertrucker antenna. Does anyone have any experiences to share with me? Has anyone with an amp been able to get a reliable signal while in the "NW Oklahoma Dead Zone"?

Also, is the area of no coverage as bad as Verizons maps show? I did lose signal pretty much exactly where they show while chasing in the OK panhandle east of Beaver (around Slapout). But, is there really NO coverage for basically 1/4 the entire state of Oklahoma?

If its really THAT bad, I may have to look into adding a Sprint card too....

 

[Jesse Risley]

No, the amp with an external antenna will do little save for extending your range a little further than most of those who are not using an external antenna and the amplifier. So yes, your data hole will be smaller around the edges, but in the end you will lose data as your progress further into that region.

This is just too vast of a dead spot to expect an external antenna and an amplifier to compensate for. The only thing that worked for me was a loaner Sprint card from someone who had a spare card with unlimited data.

 

[Mark Blue]

I chased that Slapout tornado earlier this year in June and had no problems with my data coverage, although I have Sprint for my carrier. I also use a Maximum Signal Rockies amp, but my antennae has 5 db of gain versus your Super Trucker model which has more (9 db).

I thought Verizon absorbed Alltel's existing roaming agreements, so why wouldn't a Verizon card connect to a Sprint tower in that region? Maybe the agreements have expired and I'm not aware of it, or their is some other circumstance that prevents Verizon from connecting to existing networks in NW OK.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

From what I understand, the local carrier that owns all the licenses doesn't like Verizon. That hole is as bad as it seems. Basically the NW corner of OK is a no-go zone for Verizon users in regards to data.

 

[Jesse Risley]

From what I understand, the local carrier that owns all the licenses doesn't like Verizon. That hole is as bad as it seems. Basically the NW corner of OK is a no-go zone for Verizon users in regards to data.

This is essentially what I was told by a technician from that region. There is a "mom-and-pop" type cellular carrier that has regional coverage in that area. This outfit finds Verizon rather viperous, and as such doesn't (or didn't) view any roaming agreements with Verizon as being in their best favor.

 

[J Tyler]

Thank you guys for the info.

Up to now, I've been running no amp, and a standard 5db gain roof top antenna. That Slapout tornado is what made me spend the money to improve my setup. We had a real hard time getting the warning info out.

I wonder how much farther into "The Dead Zone" I can drive with the new setup (amp and bigger antenna) and still get a signal vs my old setup. An extra 5 miles? Extra 10? This area looks to be around 110 miles across, so unless you can find a way to get an extra 50 miles of range, its no joy!

 

[Jesse Risley]

Thank you guys for the info.

Up to now, I've been running no amp, and a standard 5db gain roof top antenna. That Slapout tornado is what made me spend the money to improve my setup. We had a real hard time getting the warning info out.

I wonder how much farther into "The Dead Zone" I can drive with the new setup (amp and bigger antenna) and still get a signal vs my old setup. An extra 5 miles? Extra 10? This area looks to be around 110 miles across, so unless you can find a way to get an extra 50 miles of range, its no joy!

Based on my own personal experience, you'll be lucky to get more than five or ten miles into that cellular abyss before your Verizon card will be bereft of life.

However, there is supposedly this handy little option that allows you to "hack" your PRL and replace the standard Verizon PRL with an Alltell PRL that will roam on the Sprint network. This just might allow you to circumvent the data hole, though there seems to be some consensus among the EVDO forum denizens that this could 'potentially' result in unwanted roaming charges.

 

[James Conrad]

I've had great success with Verizon on the Eastern side of the state due to their agreements with Sprint but again when we were in the panhandle this spring we had to revert to sprint or satellite service for data. and a Maximum Signal Rockies amp is the only way to go when roaming in Oklahoma.

 

[J Tyler]

So the "data roaming" is with Sprint? Gotcha. Am I reading that part of the agreement correctly that you get 300mb roaming for the month?

 

[Steve Polley]

So the "data roaming" is with Sprint? Gotcha. Am I reading that part of the agreement correctly that you get 300mb roaming for the month?

Unless, you can setup a business account with Sprint. I have that with unlimited data with them.