Hello from Philadelphia

[FrankStar]

I figured it might be a good idea to introduce myself. I'm new to the forum, but not to trains. My family was a Pennsylvania Railroad family, later Conrail.

The most memorable train trips I've taken have been on the old West Berlin to Frankfurt Duty Train - an overnight U.S. Military train from Berlin to Frankfurt and back - several times. A few of them were on the way to Oktoberfest in Munich/Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I' slo got to take quite a few trains when I lived in England and on various trips back.

I've traveled quite a bit on Amtrak - mosly NEC, but I've taken the Maple Leaf the entire round trip twice and I'n getting ready to take my first overnight Amtrak train - the Capitol Limited from DC to Chicago. My first roomette experience. I'll be taking a regional to DC from Philly, and on the way back I'm going coach on the CL to Pittsburg then switching to the Pennsylvanian back to Philadelphia 30th Street.

I'm all set with my scanner, my laptop with GPS and I'm investigating Cricket for G3 wireless broadband access. Has anyone used Cricket before? If so, how does it work outside one's home area?

 

[jackal]

I figured it might be a good idea to introduce myself. I'm new to the forum, but not to trains. My family was a Pennsylvania Railroad family, later Conrail.
The most memorable train trips I've taken have been on the old West Berlin to Frankfurt Duty Train - an overnight U.S. Military train from Berlin to Frankfurt and back - several times. A few of them were on the way to Oktoberfest in Munich/Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I' slo got to take quite a few trains when I lived in England and on various trips back.

I've traveled quite a bit on Amtrak - mosly NEC, but I've taken the Maple Leaf the entire round trip twice and I'n getting ready to take my first overnight Amtrak train - the Capitol Limited from DC to Chicago. My first roomette experience. I'll be taking a regional to DC from Philly, and on the way back I'm going coach on the CL to Pittsburg then switching to the Pennsylvanian back to Philadelphia 30th Street.

I'm all set with my scanner, my laptop with GPS and I'm investigating Cricket for G3 wireless broadband access. Has anyone used Cricket before? If so, how does it work outside one's home area?

Welcome! Sounds like you'll be a good fit here. Please do keep us up-to-date on your plans and let us know how your trip goes!

Sorry, I'm not familiar with Cricket, so I can't help you there. I assume it's an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) that resells service with another carrier. Do you know what the technology is (UTMS/HSDPA or CDMA 1xEVDO) and which carrier it uses (most likely AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or Verizon)? If you can figure that out, I'd bet you could use the coverage maps of that carrier to see where you'll get coverage.

They may limit it to certain geographical areas, though.

 

[FrankStar]

Cricket uses CDMA - and according to different reports, they are either leasing Verizon or Sprint's network. They have their own coverage maps - and don't currently have don't have 3g service in Washington DC or Boston metro, however, but I can live with that because there are other options. They do cover from Baltimore through NY metro, where I do most of my traveling - and my daily commutes from Philly to Wilmington will be covered while riding Septa.

The price seems to be right also $40 per month unlimited* (*well, up to 5 gig) and a free device and no contract. Since I'm not a big cell phone user (I just have a prepaid [hone I throw $25 bucks on every couple of months - I talk on the phone for work all day and don't like doing it in my spare time). I'd rather write (not text!) than talk on my down time.

Thanks for the input.

 

[jacorbett70]

Hi everyone it is John, I'm also new here and now living in Philly. Some know me from the OTOL (On Track On Line) forum, but I've been lazy about coming here until now.

 

[GG-1]

Hi everyone it is John, I'm also new here and now living in Philly. Some know me from the OTOL (On Track On Line) forum, but I've been lazy about coming here until now.

Aloha John

Welcome to AU. We have the same type of people, with the focus on Amtrak.

It seems strange we meet via Internet, We both like trains, I was born in Philly, you now live in philly.

Again Aloha

Eric