Cheap Cell Phone

weirdjim

weirdjim

Ejection Handle Pulled
Joined
Jul 8, 2008
Messages
4,171
Location
Grass Valley, CA (KGOO)
Display Name
Display name:
weirdjim
I did a forum at Oshkosh last year on how to turn on the heater in your hangar using a cell phone. THere. Now this thread is on topic.

Now the real stuff. I don't do twenty text messages a month and my actual voice is less than ten minutes a month. WHat is the CHEAPEST cell phone plan on the market that will give me minimal use?

My iPhone charges are eating me alive. And yes, I used the iPhone to demonstrate the forum device. There. Two thread hits in one message.

:goofy:

Jim
 
I use an AT&T GoPhone and a SIM From H2O Wireless for my cheap backup phone, their cheapest is $10 for 200 minutes which lasts 90 days, you need to set a reminder to fill it though, because their auto-refill will only do $10 every 30 I think. So, $3.33/month or so. Looks like they have a keyboard phone on their site for $35 if you don't have an AT&T compatible phone.
 
Pageplus is cheap runs on Verizon. Republic wireless is cheap for smart phones runs on sprint.
 
Lycamobile. Something like $15/year to get the few txts you need to trigger your heater. Google it.

Now find me a cheap SMS-activated power strip that works on US GSM bands (The $30 ebay GSM power switch only works on European frequencies) and I'll be happy.


It's a t-mobile MVNO.
 
Last edited:
I use Pure prepaid. For service. And picked up an unlocked HTC Touch for $50 brand new in the box, on ebay. Costs me about $10/month. And From here to the hills in CO, I've yet to find a spot where I didn't get service. (Wayyyyyyy out in the backcountry excepted)
The hardware can do anything. But I don't use it to it's full potential, it's a phone, and can take pictures, I can hook to the internet via wifi, if I need to. I don't have, nor do I want a data plan.
 
My wife has unlimited talk and text through AT&T for $40/mo. Might be able to get cheaper if you don't want the unlimited plan, but I don't know that for sure. I'm one of the few young-ish guys who refuses to get into those dang I-phones and the absurd bills associated with them.
 
I had a pay as you go phone from Verizon, could be run as per minute charges, pay $2 for unlimited use all day, or a combination ($1 all day and minutes are less). I think the outlay for the phone itself was $20 ($20 for the phone and $20 for the activation). I just got a smart phone because the old one was driving Mrs. Steingar bonkers. I'm actually glad I did, the utility is obvious and actually has come in handy.
 
I paid $4.99 for a virgin mobile phone and $20 a month for 400 minutes.

I used it as a work phone.
 
Jim, I'm surprised you haven't just wired up a cheap Baofeng to a packet TNC and made up some obscure set of codes to send to trigger it on the Ham band.

Not that I would ever condone the use of "codes and ciphers" in the Ham band... ;)
 
$20 TracFone from China-Mart. It has worked fine any place that I have traveled to so far. Costs me about $8/month.
 
Ghery said:
I suspected as much.
Click to expand...

Up until last month we had to pay for roaming unless it was biz related. But I moved my phone to a national plan and now it is all direct billed. Which means I now have a spot for an employee phone for unlimited national service. Not sure what to do. We really do not need a third phone.
 
Tracphone is still available.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top