Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby eggs » Mon 18 Jan, 2010 2:07 pm

Good on you ILUVSWTAS - I was wondering why I couldn't find it on the LIST!! :oops:
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby ILUVSWTAS » Mon 18 Jan, 2010 2:10 pm

Hehe no worries mate!!

Did you do the Southern Ranges?? or was it just to Pindars?? How was it???
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby eggs » Mon 18 Jan, 2010 2:21 pm

I will post a report sometime later - could take a while.
Briefly - a last minute change of plans led to a walk to Pindars and return.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby ILUVSWTAS » Mon 18 Jan, 2010 2:25 pm

Nice!! Looking forward to it!! An excellent little walk that one!
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby Erica » Mon 18 Jan, 2010 4:17 pm

For people interested in the Overland Track Reception, this is what I've discovered, have also included some points that i hear work but people might want to confirm.

Model: Nokia 6120
Carrier: Telstra Next G
Locations:
- Marions Lookout (I think..)
- Beginning of the Lake Will track, and patchy reception at the Lake
- From Lake Will turn off until you drop down into Windermere
- Up on Pine Forest Moor (after the "PFM boardwalk" until the Forth Valley Lookout
- Possibly (someone mentioned it to me but haven't tried) works on the Southern half of Pine Forest Moor (after the little hill)
- Up on Mt Oakleigh
- Mt Doris (on the way to Ossa)
- Mt Ossa
- Pelion East (assume Pelion West and the DuCanes etc would get some coverage too)
- A little bit at Narcissus sometimes

Also, can confirm Telstra GSM coverage in the bits mentioned before you get to Windermere, Pine Forest Moor, Mt Oakleigh and Mt Ossa. Can't remember what type of phone I had then (was some sort of Nokia)

One of the rangers also told me you can get some signal up the little hill behind the Windermere hut, haven't ever tested that one though.

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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby Liamy77 » Thu 13 May, 2010 9:08 pm

sirius Tas wrote:I never knew what difference there were between the two types...but certainly explains a lot. What really impressed me with the reception under rain forest canopy was that the Etrex GPSr I had at the time had no hope of getting satellite lock...but the newer GPS60CSX would work fine as has the later and more sensitive chipset.
In future I'll do testing with Sat phone in really difficult spots to keep checking on whether coverage may have changed.

It's also interesting to note that the new SPOT Satellite Messenger service is provided by Globalstar...hence those contemplating using this for emergency use instead of a PLB may need to take a rethink??
Cheers...sT

First (although this isn't about phone coverage exactly...)
But i have the bottom of the range Garmin Etrex H (high sensitivity aa battery) it gets reception from in my pocket under dry sclerphyll forest coverage in a gully!!
you dont need to spend much these days!
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby Bush Walker » Fri 03 Dec, 2010 10:17 am

A couple of more places where mobile phone reception is available in Tasmania and perhaps where you might not expect it.

[*]Top Frenchmans Cap
[*]Near Mt Anne and no doubt the top, although I can't vouch for that.

Re bluewombat's Nokia N95; I can vouch for its excellent "blue tick" reception, as that is what I used on the top of Frenchmans

PS This phone, although released a couple of years ago, was ahead of its time and is a very versatile smartphone with GPS, 5Mb camera, high res screen, FM radio etc and are selling second hand for about $150
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby photohiker » Fri 03 Dec, 2010 12:19 pm

West Coast.

Phone: iPhone 4
Carrier: Telstra NextG

Good reception standing next to and east of the Sandy Cape lighthouse.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby tasadam » Sun 05 Dec, 2010 7:34 am

I have added the data from all posts up to here into the list post.
Bush_walker wrote:[*]Top Frenchmans Cap
[*]Near Mt Anne and no doubt the top, although I can't vouch for that.
I left those two out as these locations have been mentioned.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby photohiker » Sun 05 Dec, 2010 2:10 pm

Hi Adam,

Thanks,

The list post is getting pretty long, can't help but think it would be better as a wiki sortable table...
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby tasadam » Sun 05 Dec, 2010 3:44 pm

I was thinking a map with dots on it or something.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby ILUVSWTAS » Sun 05 Dec, 2010 4:21 pm

We made a few calls from the top of western Bluff yesterday.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby tasadam » Sun 05 Dec, 2010 4:30 pm

ILUVSWTAS wrote:We made a few calls from the top of western Bluff yesterday.

More info?
Brand and Model - ?
Carrier - ?
Location Top of Western Bluff..........
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby ILUVSWTAS » Sun 05 Dec, 2010 5:13 pm

Um. My phone is an old crappy nokia. very old. I called my wife
My fellow walking partners have newer phones and they had slightly better coverage than me. I think we're all with Telstra.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby Bush Walker » Sun 05 Dec, 2010 5:32 pm

ILUVSWTAS wrote:Um. My phone is an old crappy nokia. very old. I called my wife
My fellow walking partners have newer phones and they had slightly better coverage than me. I think we're all with Telstra.


Telstra rates phones according to there suitability for regional areas. Those with the better reception are rated "blue tick" and they include a range of brands even Nokia! For bushwalking you have to go with Telstra because of there better country coverage.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby stepbystep » Sun 05 Dec, 2010 6:28 pm

Nokia 6210
Telstra 3g

All high points and ridgelines on Denison Ranges,Stepped Hills, Mt Wright, Mt Cullen, Mt Sprent, various Mt Field peaks/ridgelines, Snowy Range, Mt Anne/Eliza,Schnells Ridge.
Mt Rufus/Hugel/Oakleigh/Ossa/Pelion East etc etc

I'd back my setup on almost any exposed ridgeline above 1000m without a large impedement between me and a tower.

Even got a good signal near High Camp Hut on Mt Eliza and at the horrible Moonlight Creek campsite below Moonlight Flat.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby ILUVSWTAS » Sun 05 Dec, 2010 6:38 pm

stepbystep wrote:the horrible Moonlight Creek campsite below Moonlight Flat.



:lol: :lol: :lol:

Isnt it awful.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby tasadam » Sun 05 Dec, 2010 7:00 pm

Was that a campsite?? :wink:
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby eggs » Mon 06 Dec, 2010 9:29 am

We actually found a small dry tent sized hole in thick bush at that spot - early on and after crossing an open boggy slope. Next morning we discovered more open tent sites further up the track as it follows the creek. We did make a phone call from inside the tent that night.

SBS - I am quite surprised you had coverage at High Camp Hut.
If you go to the Telstra Mobiles web site you can pull up coverage maps and zoom in on any part of Australia.
The maps are based on tower location and height profiles - and the towers that cover the SW are all to the east - out towards the channel country, Mt Wellington and near Mt Field. Hence a good coverage sweeping across any east facing slope through Mt Anne - down to Schnells Ridge and onto the Western Arthurs.
I imagine parts of the Mt Eliza plateau that rise above the Mt Lot / Sarah Jane edge would get reception, but cannot imagine how you would get coverage down the western slopes of Mt Eliza?
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby stepbystep » Mon 06 Dec, 2010 12:37 pm

eggs wrote:SBS - I am quite surprised you had coverage at High Camp Hut.
If you go to the Telstra Mobiles web site you can pull up coverage maps and zoom in on any part of Australia.
The maps are based on tower location and height profiles - and the towers that cover the SW are all to the east - out towards the channel country, Mt Wellington and near Mt Field. Hence a good coverage sweeping across any east facing slope through Mt Anne - down to Schnells Ridge and onto the Western Arthurs.
I imagine parts of the Mt Eliza plateau that rise above the Mt Lot / Sarah Jane edge would get reception, but cannot imagine how you would get coverage down the western slopes of Mt Eliza?


Can't tell you how surprised I was eggs, it wasn't from the hut but prior to entering the bush surrounding the hut there are some tent sites and I was sitting on a rock out there, taking a few pics. It was in heavy snow and Anne summit was being hit by a blizzard - I made a 5 min voice call and sent a text with 2-3 bars of reception - you need a more vivid imagination eggs :wink:
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby eggs » Mon 06 Dec, 2010 2:00 pm

Wow - I can only imagine some special weather enhanced propogation down through the Florentine Valley or even more amazing carriage from Mt Owen on the west coast!
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby Michael_Kingston » Mon 27 Dec, 2010 7:27 pm

Mt Thetis and Mt Massif both have excellent reception. If you are camping up there you even get great reception from the far edge of the large bowl below the summit of Massif (top of cliffs overlooking Kia Ora hut). Phone was Nokia and Telstra was the carrier.
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Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby flatfoot » Mon 27 Dec, 2010 8:54 pm

Last week I picked up a text message on the viewing platform at Bert Nichols Hut. I had a minimal 3G signal insufficient to reply. I'm with Telstra.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby BarryJ » Tue 28 Dec, 2010 5:46 am

Bush_walker wrote:
ILUVSWTAS wrote:Um. My phone is an old crappy nokia. very old. I called my wife
My fellow walking partners have newer phones and they had slightly better coverage than me. I think we're all with Telstra.


Telstra rates phones according to there suitability for regional areas. Those with the better reception are rated "blue tick" and they include a range of brands even Nokia! For bushwalking you have to go with Telstra because of there better country coverage.

Don't rely too much on the ratings as they are done by via desk assessment by reading the manufacturers' spec sheets. Many phones which didn't get a "blue tick" out-perform those that did "out in the field". For example, if a phone had a jack for an external antenna, it got a blue tick but many Nokias don't have such a jack so don't get a tick. However, in my experience (comparing them with other phones I have had as well as those owned by companions etc), Nokias tend to be right up there with the best as far as range is concerned.

PS: I now use an iPhone which does not have as good a range as many Nokias.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby shazcol » Thu 30 Dec, 2010 3:54 pm

We had full scale 3G signal on both our mobiles (one a blue tick LG flip the other a poorer performing HTC PDA) standing at the Powena creek crossing between Hut No.5 and Lake Antimony on the way to Lake Silver. Approximately 41 53.466/146 22.721.

Able to check the latest weather maps and reports etc. You get 3G coverage in some strange places.
If common sense is so common, why don't you see more of it?
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby biggc » Mon 03 Jan, 2011 8:21 am

i once owned a sony erricson which for the time was a very good phone but i was with optus and it had drop outs in launceston so i strongly recommend NOT to go with optus folks, i now have a cheapish nokia with the telstra network, ive only taken it on one walk to the winterbrook falls and lost coverage about ten minutes into the walk from the car park and continued with no coverage for the entire walk . On return i got no bars back on my phone until we got to the castra falls turn off (gaunts road)
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby photohiker » Tue 04 Jan, 2011 7:51 am

BarryJ wrote:
Bush_walker wrote:Telstra rates phones according to there suitability for regional areas. Those with the better reception are rated "blue tick" and they include a range of brands even Nokia! For bushwalking you have to go with Telstra because of there better country coverage.

Don't rely too much on the ratings as they are done by via desk assessment by reading the manufacturers' spec sheets. Many phones which didn't get a "blue tick" out-perform those that did "out in the field". For example, if a phone had a jack for an external antenna, it got a blue tick but many Nokias don't have such a jack so don't get a tick. However, in my experience (comparing them with other phones I have had as well as those owned by companions etc), Nokias tend to be right up there with the best as far as range is concerned.


Sorry, this is not correct. Blue Tick is not a "desk assessment by reading manufacturer's spec sheets" at all. It is a pretty decent attempt to discover and document the strengths of each phone's antenna system by controlled scientific testing using the actual phone.

There is a youtube video of the process Here and a supporting web page Here

I found out about all this during the iPhone4 antenna beat-up debacle.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby hikingoz » Sat 19 Feb, 2011 6:36 am

Telstra Tough T90
Telstra Next G Network

Used it from Federation Peak, West Portal, Mt Columba, High Moor Saddle, Precipitous Bluff, Ida Bay Quarry Carpark. I've also been told Telstra Next G works from the top of the ironbounds but I was too lazy to summit on the day. Didn't work from the track. All in all my phone got about three bars whenever I stood on a decent peak on the Arthurs or Southern Ranges. South Coast and SW Cape were deadzones.

Picked up a patchlead and aerial for this phone for $50. Didn't take it to Tas but usually increases signal by 1 bar on the display.

Pros: Good battery, great signal, tough and splash/dust proof casing, classic brick design.

Cons: No games etc, slightly less user friendly interface than say a Nokia, dictionary for txt messaging has only short memory. Always having to spell common words.

Would I recommend this phone to someone who bushwalks? Yep. You would have to try pretty hard not to get a signal.
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby Matthew-Brown » Sun 20 Feb, 2011 1:24 pm

I thought that it may be useful to create a custom google map that is open for anyone to show where they could get a signal with their phone. If you click on the link below you should be able to edit the map and add your information to a marker. This is the first map I have made using google so if anyone else has some experience please feel free to help. You need to be signed in to edit it. I suggest that people write the model of the phone they are using and the network when adding a placemark.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?ie=UT ... b2e67&z=19
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Re: Mobile Phone Coverage - Tasmania

Postby under10kg » Fri 11 Mar, 2011 9:58 am

A guy was getting 3 bars on the teli pad next to to pine valley hut. I was told that there are 2 editions of iphone and one has a longer internal aerial. Any info on this? Does the iphone work better for reception compared to a normal telstra next g phone??
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