A New Phone Service

[longdog2]

I just ran across this interesting article about a new phone service in one of the ezines I get. I'm copying it so that you don't have to go through the whole the ezine to read it. I also added a second review that covers the "disadvantages" mentioned in the initial article.

HOME PHONE CONNECT - A MONEY SAVER
In February 2011, Verizon quietly introduced a new wireless service called "Home Phone Connect." This was about the time I was transitioning to becoming a full-timer. When Verizon pitched the service to me, my initial reaction was, "Perfect for full-timers." I decided right then and there to port the telephone number I was using in my "sticks and bricks" home to this service so I could have a phone in my RV.
So far, I am pleased with it. For $20 a month (plus applicable fees and taxes), I get the following free services included: voice mail, call forwarding, call waiting, caller ID (phone number only, no name), and unlimited long distance. Verizon provided a router which plugs into an electrical outlet (not a phone jack!). Then, you connect a landline phone into the router. It works best with a "corded" phone. You can use a "cordless" phone with the router, but the cordless phone will not work if you are boondocking. The router has a two-hour continuous-use battery backup (36 hours on standby). One night, I dry camped, and was able to leave the phone on all night in case I needed it.

On the "unlimited" long distance, I do not know if you can call Canada or Mexico, I have not tried to call those places.

The service worked great in regular Verizon areas that I traveled through. I also used this service during a six-week camp hosting job in a remote part of Colorado at 8600 feet in elevation. At that location, my cell phone (also Verizon) was operating on "Extended Network" and the signal faded in and out. I had the same issue with my Verizon 4G Air Card for Internet service. However, the Home Phone Connect service was consistent, even if the signal was weak…..I could always count on it to be available.

Since my cell phone is also with Verizon, any calls between my cell phone and the "Home Phone Connect" number (and vice versa) don’t count against the cell phone minutes.

There are some "negatives" with this service:

1) DIALING: I use a GE Slimline phone (Model 29267GE) with "soft touch" push buttons (previously used in my "sticks and bricks" home). To enter a phone number, I have to push the buttons very slowly, in kind of a "push/release/pause, push/release/pause" fashion. If I push the buttons too quickly, it won’t connect. Also, regardless of signal strength, if I check voice mail using *86, the service doesn’t recognize my access code, even though I used the correct code. I got locked out of my voice mail a couple times. But the nice folks at Verizon helped me get it reset. It was easier to check voice mail by calling the voice mail number from my cell phone (also Verizon). And when dialing a number requiring the "1" (long distance) key, occasionally I had to push the "1" twice. At this time, I do not know whether these issues are due to the phone model (and perhaps a different phone model would work better) or issues with the service regardless of phone model.

2) SOUND QUALITY: For those of you who are old enough to remember the days before fiber optics, the sound quality is similar to the "early days" of long distance calls. You hear "whooshing air" in the background when you talk to people.For those of you who are old enough to remember the days before fiber optics, the sound quality is similar to the "early days" of long distance calls. You hear "whooshing air" in the background when you talk to people.
Further, the service cannot be used with a fax machine or for "dial up" Internet service. If you require these features, this service would not be an advantage for you.

Although I still have a cell phone at $50 a month on a two-year contract, I have decided it’s pretty much redundant with the "Home Phone Connect" service. The economical way to go, in my opinion, would be to use the Home Phone Connect, and supplement with a "prepaid" service that uses AT&T or T-Mobile for times when you are in an area where Verizon does not work. The secondary advantage to having the prepaid service is that you can activate "call forward" from your Home Phone Connect to your prepaid phone while you are traveling. Just don’t forget to "cancel call forwarding" after you are stopped and connected! (I’ve forgotten a few times…..)

In conclusion, there are some negatives with this service, but for $20 a month, I can overlook the negatives. This is an economical option for phone service if you are an RV Full-Timer.

JJ Dippel is from Washington State, and has been RV’ing since 2004. JJ and her beloved cat are full-timing as of March 2011 (although the cat is still protesting this decision......). JJ Dippel camp hosts at various locations and writes about the challenges of RV’ing without a tow car. You can follow her adventures or follow her on Twitter as DXSMac.


Home Phone Connect: Stephanie was interested in this service so I sent her a preview of JJ’s column. Here are a couple of comments. Thanks, Stephanie!

I think the negatives JJ has with the service are tied directly to her phone. We have absolutely no problem or delay in dialing from our phone. Also, I do not hear a whooshing when I talk on the phone. I do hear a background static if I really listen - I just tested it - but I had not really noticed it before. We have had a few times when the service breaks up like a bad connection with a cell phone.
I had not thought about powering the box when boondocking. Worse case if phone access was really needed when boondocking a small inverter could power the box without pulling too much power. It seems as long as power is on long enough during the day to charge the box battery it shouldn't be an issue. A corded phone is a good work around for power to the cordless phones. Something else I didn't think about. I guess I've been away from boondocking too long!

[BirdbyBird]

interesting info, thanks....