# Coast to Coast Cell Service



## RDT (Jan 3, 2018)

Hi guys,

Im planning on taking a coast to coast Amtrak trip later this year and am looking for advice on prepaid data plans - or more precisely, networks.

Im based in the UK, and whilst Ive done this trip before, it was 8 years ago and much has changed.

Ive got an iPad Pro with Cellular, so Im able to choose a GSM or CDMA carrier but am struggling to compare coverage along my planned route.

Ill be taking the North East Regional, Capitol Limited and the California Zephyr, heading from New York to Emmeryville, via Washington DC and Chicago.

I know that Im not going to get a perfect service in some of the more remote stretches, but itd be good to have an idea of who offers the best service along these routes.

Thanks

R


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## BuffaloBoy (Jan 4, 2018)

Good question R. Cell service in this country is a constant problem no matter where you are. I live within 200 feet of a very large cell phone tower (company unknown) and have a lot of drops. I have t-mobile and would not recommend them. Most people I talk to highly recommend Verizon but I won't switch because I have a very great deal that Verizon cannot match. I would do Verizon if I was you and accept that you will have dead zones on both the CL and CZ. Pre-load any movies or music you want to enjoy on your trip as I wouldn't recommend trying to stream. Have a great trip!


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## TiBike (Jan 4, 2018)

Overall, Verizon (CDMA) has the widest coverage area in the U.S., but AT&T (GSM) isn't far behind. T-Mobile isn't too bad -- I went cross country with them and it was tolerable -- they're GSM and have some roaming arrangements with AT&T. Sprint (CDMA) has the worst coverage, particularly in rural areas.


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## SP&S (Jan 4, 2018)

First off, two sad facts: no US carrier has universal coverage and the carrier's coverage maps are not always reliable.

That said, Verizon seems to have the most coverage with AT&T a close second. Some might say that it is the other way around and I wouldn't waste time arguing - they might well be right. In any case,_* if you want coverage avoid T-Mobile *_(Deutsche Telekom) _*and Sprint.*_ Of course, Verizon and AT&T are the most expensive providers in the country. Verizon gets real hinky about what phones/devices they will allow on their network, AT&T is less picky. Verizon is historically CDMA where AT&T was TDMA and progressed to GSM. All of those are falling by the wayside and LTE only devices are more than serviceable. I'd investigate companies that resell time on Verizon or AT&T network. You might wish to verify in advance that the company's sim card will work with your particular phone.

<sarcasm>Remember that in the US, cell phone carriers are well respected companies</sarcasm> - on a par with used car lots.


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## the_traveler (Jan 4, 2018)

Although it’s not a true prepaid company, you may want to check out Consumer Cellular. They operate using the AT&T network (GSM) but they do not require a contract - and they’re MUCH less than AT&T.


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## KmH (Jan 4, 2018)

Follow the California Zephyr route alone this Verison coverage map to see where along the route you will have little or no cell phone signal.

https://opensignal.com/networks/usa/verizon-coverage


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## TiBike (Jan 4, 2018)

As you get further from urban areas, the likelihood of having 4G LTE service drops. LTE is increasingly available in rural areas, but to maximise accessibility in rural areas, you should have a device that handles 2G and 3G as well.



SP&S said:


> Verizon is historically CDMA where AT&T was TDMA and progressed to GSM. All of those are falling by the wayside and LTE only devices are more than serviceable.


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## desertflyer (Jan 4, 2018)

If I was picking a provider just off the coast-to-coast route, I'd probably go with Verizon. It'll likely be more expensive and not as fast, but it'll have the most consistent coverage, which is probably what you want. Coverage maps typically overstate coverage on all carriers so don't expect ubiquitous coverage for the entire trip coast to coast.


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## zephyr17 (Jan 4, 2018)

I have T-Mobile and like it for a number of reasons, but once you get out of cities, coverage is sketchy. So even though I am a reasonably happy T-Mobile customer, I would not recommend it for you.


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## KmH (Jan 4, 2018)

Even with Verizon there will be significant gaps in coverage between Denver and Reno, mostly when the train's route is away from interstate highways.


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 4, 2018)

As a Sprint/Boost( Sprint owned and Much better deal!) Customer for over 10 years, I agree it's not the greatest out in the boonies, but the LTE Network works fine in "Civilization" and is definitely Cheaper than the Big 2!!!


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## pennyk (Jan 4, 2018)

I have a Verizon prepaid plan and am very happy with it while in the US. However, I was unable to upgrade to any service while in Canada last year.


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## jebr (Jan 4, 2018)

Verizon traditionally has the strongest network, but also is the highest-priced. AT&T is usually a bit cheaper/has a few more prepaid resellers and has decent coverage. T-Mobile is third place, and Sprint is fourth place but has the cheapest options (typically.)

That being said, it looks like AT&T has a $35/30 day unlimited option for iPads. That might be your best route. There's a blog post with more information here.


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## VAtrainfan (Jan 5, 2018)

KmH said:


> Even with Verizon there will be significant gaps in coverage between Denver and Reno, mostly when ever the train's route is away from interstate highways.


This is true for a lot of the country, even in places you wouldn't expect. For example on the East Coast. The CSX Richmond-Washington track wanders away from I-95 between about Ruther Glen (just north of ASD) and FBG and cell coverage completely drops off.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 5, 2018)

RDT said:


> Im planning on taking a coast to coast Amtrak trip later this year and am looking for advice on prepaid data plans - or more precisely, networks. Im based in the UK, and whilst Ive done this trip before, it was 8 years ago and much has changed. Ive got an iPad Pro with Cellular, so Im able to choose a GSM or CDMA carrier but am struggling to compare coverage along my planned route. Ill be taking the North East Regional, Capitol Limited and the California Zephyr, heading from New York to Emmeryville, via Washington DC and Chicago. I know that Im not going to get a perfect service in some of the more remote stretches, but itd be good to have an idea of who offers the best service along these routes.


I've traveled on Amtrak with all four of the major providers and *all of them* will drop out for extended periods when traveling through sparsely populated rural areas. By the same token any of them should work reasonably well in urban areas. We have four major providers: Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint. In my experience Verizon has the strongest network coverage but also the strictest access rules, AT&T and T-Mobile share the middle ground of relatively easy access and reasonable coverage, while Sprint sells access to almost anyone but also suffers the weakest coverage and slowest speeds by far.

One thing to keep in mind is that much of T-Mobile's spectrum and national network is relatively new, in fact much of it was licensed and built sometime in the last two years, and unless you have a very recent device it may not support all of the frequencies necessary to fully benefit from it. Prior to 2015 T-Mobile mainly piggybacked on AT&T and to this day Sprint still piggybacks on Verizon's network anytime you're outside of a major metro area. Unfortunately Sprint prepaid devices are so low on the priority chain that Verizon towers will sometimes simply ignore their IMEI's even when they're in range.

If service coverage is the most important factor then consider purchasing a Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot (such as the AC791L) _plus_ an external 4G/3G window antenna _plus_ the necessary connector adapters. It won't be cheap or simple but it should give you the best single provider coverage available to a foreign iPad Pro.


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## RDT (Feb 24, 2018)

Thanks guys, there’s really useful information here.

It looks like I’ll be heading the Verizon route for iPad data.

The UK mobile network ‘Three’ has a very handy ‘Feel at Home’ tariff that allows data/calls/messages to be charged at the standard UK rate for pay as you go. It’s perfect for my cell phone. £30 gets you 10gb of 4G data in most countries... and they have agreements in place for AT&T and T-Mobile, so I can roam onto whichever has best coverage.

Whilst I appreciate Verizon is perhaps the more expensive option for long-term use, I don’t mind paying a one off cost for 30 days of unlimited data. I think my understanding is for $80, I can get unlimited data usage (subject to throttling at high data use).

Now I just need to buy a SIM card in preparation!

Hopefully this’ll help others out too.

Thanks

RDT

Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum


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## Lonestar648 (Feb 24, 2018)

My project management teams have tried the different networks, always coming back to Verizon. Price isn't a factor if you can't get coverage with the cheaper network. We work projects in all states, with many extremely rural customers. Not having communications isn't an option. That being said, I will tell you to plan not to have much or any coverage in the river canyons in Colorado. Also, plan for short data messages in these areas that can be sent in one or two seconds, if your device get momentary connectivity.


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Feb 24, 2018)

RDT said:


> Ive got an iPad Pro with Cellular, so Im able to choose a GSM or CDMA carrier but am struggling to compare coverage along my planned route.


Since you're in the UK, I would also check out if your iPad supports the cellular frequencies (bands) in use here in the USA. IMHO, that is more important than CDMA vs. GSM vs LTE.


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## trainman74 (Feb 24, 2018)

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> Since you're in the UK, I would also check out if your iPad supports the cellular frequencies (bands) in use here in the USA. IMHO, that is more important than CDMA vs. GSM vs LTE.


From a little Googling, it appears that all iPad Pro models worldwide receive the same set of cell frequencies, so this shouldn't be an issue.


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## RDT (Feb 24, 2018)

Yes, a very welcoming surprise when I looked it up - like finding a tri-band phone in the 90’s!

I guess it makes sense when iPads are more likely to be bought off-network.

It’s nice and clear too - unlike the situation with newer iPhones....

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8065573

RDT

Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum


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## Big Iron (Feb 24, 2018)

On the Capitol Limited cell service between Cumberland, Md. and Pittsburgh, PA in intermittent. I have Verizon.


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## bmjhagen9426 (Feb 24, 2018)

On the Zephyr, cell coverage drops completely for about two hours west of Denver, particularly in Glenwood Canyon and the Gore Canyon. In Nevada, coverage is limited to 3G in some places east of Reno.


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## Don Newcomb (Feb 25, 2018)

One thing I didn't notice in the previous discussion is if you plan to be in coach or a sleeper. In a sleeping car you should have WiFi service, where the connectivity, I believe, comes from Verizon cellular towers. So, depending on which car you are in, you may not need cellular data service. This connectivity is shared with other people in the car, so you may not get the fastest possible service but if you have your own Verizon device, would it be much faster? Interesting question: Assume that each sleeping car has it's own cellular connection, plus all the other Verizon devices (including yours) all hitting some rural tower, as hard as they can, all at the same time. You may just be trying to get a 9th slice out of an 8-slice pie.

In my limited experience, the in-car WiFi is generally not stable or fast enough to support VoIP, much less Skype, Face-Time, etc.

If you can use the on-train WiFi, you may not really need ubiquitous cellular service and might be able to go with a more economical option.


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## Lonestar648 (Feb 25, 2018)

I have not found WiFi in the sleepers on the CZ when I traveled this past summer, nor on the CL but that was over a year ago.

I do know that the closer you have the cell phone to the window, the better coverage you may get in spotty areas. The metal of the car limits the signals in and out. On the CZ holding my phone mid room was zero bars, but up against the window was one -two bars.


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## Don Newcomb (Feb 25, 2018)

Lonestar648 said:


> I have not found WiFi in the sleepers on the CZ when I traveled this past summer, nor on the CL but that was over a year ago.


The CZ is not on the WiFi list but the NER is. I suppose the lack of WiFi on CZ can be chalked up to the fact that so much of it's route runs through really remote areas with poor cellular coverage. The CL runs through relatively well covered area for cellular, so any carrier would probably do.


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## cpotisch (Feb 25, 2018)

Do Verizon. I found it to work VERY reliably when I took the CZ end-to-end in 2016. Just bear in mind that the scenery on the Zephyr is better than ANYTHING the internet can offer you!


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## RDT (Feb 25, 2018)

bmjhagen9426 said:


> On the Zephyr, cell coverage drops completely for about two hours west of Denver, particularly in Glenwood Canyon and the Gore Canyon. In Nevada, coverage is limited to 3G in some places east of Reno.


I suspect that these areas are also more likely to offer a visually stellar alternative to Netflix or a FaceTime call back home. [emoji39]

I’m in agreement when it comes to shared WiFi, especially onboard moving trains/planes/buses - contention rate is never going to be on your side... never mind factoring in the potential fragility of moving in and out of cell tower range. I’m very glad to be carrying my own options.

RDT

Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum


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## RDT (Feb 25, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Do Verizon. I found it to work VERY reliably when I took the CZ end-to-end in 2016. Just bear in mind that the scenery on the Zephyr is better than ANYTHING the internet can offer you!


Totally get that. I’m definitely not traveling AMTRAK for speed, price or reliability. [emoji5]

But it’s nice to know I can make the decision to ‘switch off’ myself, rather than at the behest of a crappy cell service.

Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum


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## cpotisch (Feb 25, 2018)

RDT said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> > Do Verizon. I found it to work VERY reliably when I took the CZ end-to-end in 2016. Just bear in mind that the scenery on the Zephyr is better than ANYTHING the internet can offer you!
> ...


Also very true.


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## chakk (Feb 25, 2018)

The only “guaranteed” service would be via a satellite phone service. But even that will drop at some points, such as the Moffat Tunnel on the CZ route.

I drive every year between California and Colorado in a car with Sirius/XM satellite radio, and I lose signal in tunnels and deep canyons on the route.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## Don Newcomb (Feb 25, 2018)

I think the idea of getting a Verizon prepaid Jetpack is a good one. I recall they have/had a plan where you paid something like $3/day just on the days you used it. Some T-Mobile customers would use their Verizon Jetpack when they were out of T-Mobile's coverage. The phone would connect via WiFi Calling. I'm not 100% sure they still have that plan but it's worth mentioning.


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## Lonestar648 (Feb 26, 2018)

Your best coverage will always be along the Interstates and Urban areas. One reason for along the interstates is that Long Haul Trucking uses communication systems (PeopleNET, GeoLogic, etc.) that depend on cell coverage. The truck is tracked 24x7x365, including engine monitoring, state line crossings, and load updates.


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## KmH (Feb 26, 2018)

When I drove a long haul truck, tracking and almost all communication with the company was by satellite.

I drove for 2 companies and both used Qualcomm's satellite communication/tracking service.

Many times I was delivering or picking up loads well away from interstates or urban areas.

Indeed, I often drove routes well away from interstates or urban areas.

Like Salt Lake City to El Paso.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Salt+Lake+City,+UT/Gallup,+NM/El+Paso,+TX/@35.8735277,-109.529733,6.75z/data=!4m20!4m19!1m5!1m1!1s0x87523d9488d131ed:0x5b53b7a0484d31ca!2m2!1d-111.8910474!2d40.7607793!1m5!1m1!1s0x8724de8d2f65540f:0x5fd56904653b804c!2m2!1d-108.7425843!2d35.5280783!1m5!1m1!1s0x86e73f8bc5fe3b69:0xe39184e3ab9d0222!2m2!1d-106.4850217!2d31.7618778!3e0


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## Lonestar648 (Feb 26, 2018)

Qualcomm is the largest supplier that uses Satellite as primary but also offers a terrestrial option. Other vendors all are primary terrestrial withone having satellite as backup. The terrestrial data speed is a few seconds pressing send to Display on dispatcher screen the cell ops have the data traffic uses an available packet on the cell control channels separate from the normal voice and data channels. Bottom line, there are so many trucking units paying that the cell infrastructure has been built along the primary interstate and rural US highways. Now the loads are generally delivered/picked up in areas away from the highways. With both satellite and terrestrial, the truck is rarely out of communications. For those deliveries in the canyons of NYC terrestrial is the most reliable, but for the loads in the rural areas like the Dakotas, satellite is the most reliable.

Just FYI from the late 1980s until recently I was one of the leading PMs to implement these systems. I started Swift Transportation system when Jerry had less than 500 trucks, working and developing a custom integration and rollout. Later Jerry used me to convert the entire system to Qualcomm when the Motorola system was bought out.


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## RDT (Feb 26, 2018)

chakk said:


> The only “guaranteed” service would be via a satellite phone service. But even that will drop at some points, such as the Moffat Tunnel on the CZ route.
> 
> I drive every year between California and Colorado in a car with Sirius/XM satellite radio, and I lose signal in tunnels and deep canyons on the route.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


I work in news media and we use BGAN terminals through INMARSAT to send audio packages back to the newsroom. They’re compact and robust, if a little temperamental at times, but are regularly used from war zones and holes in the middle of deserts... they also cost $15 per minute.

I know we looked at other systems recently that use geostationary birds, but they don’t have the same pole to pole coverage of low orbit constellations. You also have to book in advance... not always possible .

Anyhow, funnily enough, this is something I’m looking to use too - satellite radio. I picked up an XM Inno on my last trip for $40.

From my geek research, all of SiriusXM’s satellites (including the old Sirius backups), now remain fixed in position (no elliptical orbits from the days gone buy). As a result they’re a little higher above the horizon than they were. As you suggest though, that’s still no competition for canyon walls and tunnels.

I’m hoping to secure a south facing roomette (as far as possible), to listen in.

I’m guessing getting a room on the left side of the train (CL and CZ), facing the direction of travel, will afford the best chance. The Inno has a handy portable antenna, that would fit beautifully in front of that stunning picture window. [emoji846]

RDT

Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum


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## cpotisch (Feb 27, 2018)

RDT said:


> From my geek research, all of SiriusXM’s satellites (including the old Sirius backups), now remain fixed in position (no elliptical orbits from the days gone buy). As a result they’re a little higher above the horizon than they were. As you suggest though, that’s still no competition for canyon walls and tunnels.


You're referring to geostationary orbit, correct? Those are not fixed in position, but rather orbit the earth at a speed such that it stays above one spot on the ground. Thus, it appears stationary.


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## jis (Feb 27, 2018)

Something can be fixed in position only relative to something else. There is really no absolute fixed position.



Prof. Einstein appears to have disabused most of the world of that notion of fixed anything



- except perhaps for the Flat Earthers and their ilk.


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## Lonestar648 (Feb 27, 2018)

Geosynchronous Orbit I think is the term I remember. Now each of these satellites do have an assigned orbit location 26.000 miles above the equator. Each satellite is monitored 24x7 for proper orbit and altitude so nothing runs into another.


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## willem (Feb 27, 2018)

jis said:


> [...] the Flat Earthers and their ilk.


"You're very clever, young man, but it's turtles all the way down."


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## JRR (Feb 28, 2018)

willem said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> > [...] the Flat Earthers and their ilk.
> ...



Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## JRR (Feb 28, 2018)

Of course, it is! [emoji217][emoji217][emoji217][emoji217][emoji217][emoji217][emoji217][emoji217][emoji217][emoji217][emoji217]

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## cpotisch (Feb 28, 2018)

Don Newcomb said:


> One thing I didn't notice in the previous discussion is if you plan to be in coach or a sleeper. In a sleeping car you should have WiFi service, where the connectivity, I believe, comes from Verizon cellular towers. So, depending on which car you are in, you may not need cellular data service. This connectivity is shared with other people in the car, so you may not get the fastest possible service but if you have your own Verizon device, would it be much faster? Interesting question: Assume that each sleeping car has it's own cellular connection, plus all the other Verizon devices (including yours) all hitting some rural tower, as hard as they can, all at the same time. You may just be trying to get a 9th slice out of an 8-slice pie.
> 
> In my limited experience, the in-car WiFi is generally not stable or fast enough to support VoIP, much less Skype, Face-Time, etc.
> 
> If you can use the on-train WiFi, you may not really need ubiquitous cellular service and might be able to go with a more economical option.


The _California Zephyr_ does not have WiFi. The _Coast Starlight_ is the only LD Superliner train with it. Thanks, Maglev.


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## cpotisch (Feb 28, 2018)

Lonestar648 said:


> Geosynchronous Orbit I think is the term I remember. Now each of these satellites do have an assigned orbit location 26.000 miles above the equator. Each satellite is monitored 24x7 for proper orbit and altitude so nothing runs into another.


Geosynchronous orbit is merely any earth orbit that spans exactly one day. It does not mean that it orbits directly above the equator. Geostationary means that it's directly above the equator, so it is always above the exact same point. By contrast, a geosynchronous orbit might orbit on a different axis than the equator. Thus, after a period of one day, the satellite will return to the exact same spot in the sky, but it will not stay there.


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## Maglev (Feb 28, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Don Newcomb said:
> 
> 
> > One thing I didn't notice in the previous discussion is if you plan to be in coach or a sleeper. In a sleeping car you should have WiFi service, where the connectivity, I believe, comes from Verizon cellular towers. So, depending on which car you are in, you may not need cellular data service. This connectivity is shared with other people in the car, so you may not get the fastest possible service but if you have your own Verizon device, would it be much faster? Interesting question: Assume that each sleeping car has it's own cellular connection, plus all the other Verizon devices (including yours) all hitting some rural tower, as hard as they can, all at the same time. You may just be trying to get a 9th slice out of an 8-slice pie.
> ...


The _Coast Starlight _has WiFi for the sleepers and Business Class.


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## jis (Feb 28, 2018)

I thought the WiFi in Coast Starlight was only in the PPC. Good to learn that they have extended it to Sleepers and Business Class, if they actually have, that is.


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## Lonestar648 (Feb 28, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Lonestar648 said:
> 
> 
> > Geosynchronous Orbit I think is the term I remember. Now each of these satellites do have an assigned orbit location 26.000 miles above the equator. Each satellite is monitored 24x7 for proper orbit and altitude so nothing runs into another.
> ...


According to NASA - A geosynchronous orbit is a high Earth orbit (different from MEO and LEO orbits) that allows satellites to match Earth's rotation. All HEOs are located at 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth's equator, this position is a valuable spot for monitoring weather, communications and surveillance.

Because the satellite orbits at the same speed that the Earth is turning, the HEO satellites seems to stay in place over a single longitude, though they may drift north to south, so companies like Hughes are contracted to maintain the satellite in its proper position over the equator.

The lower orbit satellites travel much faster than the speed of the Earth, thus require careful coordination by an International Agency responsible to for assigning obit positions.

Many of the HEO satellites received maintenance to increase their useful life when the Space Shuttle was flying. Today, these satellites are carefully positioned, when no longer useful, to burn up entering the earth's atmosphere. NASA has to monitor "Space Junk" so if it does break through it falls into an ocean or if in an orbit does not hit another satellite.

The GPS technology as we know it, is a group of LEO (Low) satellites.


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## jis (Feb 28, 2018)

> All HEOs are located at 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth's equator,


Strictly speaking High Earth Orbit (HEO) is defined as above Geosynchronous (GSO), geocentric orbit. All HEO's are not GSO as stated above. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Earth_orbit

And then there are of course those few and far between, HEO satellites that get lifted to really interesting orbital spots, as the ones that are or are planned to be lifted to the Earth-Moon L1 and L2 Lagrange Points, with the same orbital period around the earth as that of the moon, usually to orbit around those points.

And then there are the Earth-Sun L1 and L2 satellites. Again usually they are set up to either sit close to the Lagrange Points or orbit around one.

There are some more fancy plans to plant things at the L3, L4 and L5 Lagrange points at some point, but not in the near future. For the definition of Lagrange points, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point

Orbital mechanics is so much fun, and these, what may be referred to as VHEO (not a recognized orbital classification. I just cooked it up) things have nothing to do with cell service.


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## willem (Mar 1, 2018)

jis said:


> I thought the WiFi in Coast Starlight was only in the PPC. Good to learn that they have extended it to Sleepers and Business Class, if they actually have, that is.


A couple of weeks ago, there was a WiFi hotspot in the 1130 sleeper (in the coffee area). I don't know if there was a hotspot in the 1131 sleeper.


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## chakk (Mar 1, 2018)

Also, with regard to the OP’s comment about getting a roomette on the south side of the train, there is no way to guarantee that, since the superliner sleepers can and are positioned in either orientation (viz., bedrooms at front end or rear end) on each train. Only a roomette in the crew-dorm-sleeper at the front of the train will be reliably positioned with the crew quarters forward.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## Don Newcomb (Mar 2, 2018)

willem said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> > [...] the Flat Earthers and their ilk.
> ...


The turtle moves!


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## cpotisch (Mar 2, 2018)

chakk said:


> Also, with regard to the OP’s comment about getting a roomette on the south side of the train, there is no way to guarantee that, since the superliner sleepers can and are positioned in either orientation (viz., bedrooms at front end or rear end) on each train. Only a roomette in the crew-dorm-sleeper at the front of the train will be reliably positioned with the crew quarters forward.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


Does the Zephyr use the Trans-Dorm for any revenue passengers? In which case the OP could call and be guaranteed a south roomette.


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 2, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> chakk said:
> 
> 
> > Also, with regard to the OPs comment about getting a roomette on the south side of the train, there is no way to guarantee that, since the superliner sleepers can and are positioned in either orientation (viz., bedrooms at front end or rear end) on each train. Only a roomette in the crew-dorm-sleeper at the front of the train will be reliably positioned with the crew quarters forward.
> ...


Yes,but rooms in the Transdorm are only sold when the other Sleeper(s) are Sold out.


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## KmH (Mar 2, 2018)

Yes. Amtrak puts revenue passengers in the Trans dorm. Roomettes 17-24.

I recently watched a video made a few years ago of the CZ going eastbound by the Winter Park ski area and the trans dorm was the last car in the consist.

The best, most iconic, scenery on the CZ route is seen on *both* sides of the train.

Out the right (north) side of the train:

• Looking back and down towards Denver between tunnels 1 & 2 on the climb up the Front Range

• Gross Reservoir Dam & Gross Reservoir

• Most of the better mountain scenes before the Moffat Tunnel

• The snow capped Continental Divide west of the Moffat Tunnel

• The Fraser river/Colorado river join that is the first we can see the Colorado River.

• Pretty much all of beautiful Glenwood Canyon

• The Book Cliffs

• First meet up with the Truckee River

• Truckee station and downtown

• Donner Lake


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## cpotisch (Mar 2, 2018)

Bob Dylan said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> > chakk said:
> ...


So if it got close in and the train was full, could he/she call and be moved to a south room in the Trans-Dorm?


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 2, 2018)

Yep, but you'd probably be paying a Higher Fare since the Revenue Sleepers are Sold Out. Supply and Demand!


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## cpotisch (Mar 5, 2018)

Bob Dylan said:


> Yep, but you'd probably be paying a Higher Fare since the Revenue Sleepers are Sold Out. Supply and Demand!


Nope. If you call they can manually change the room number without changing the fare. Sometimes you need to talk to a manager of the regular agent doesn’t know how, but if the room is open, they can move you.


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 5, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> > Yep, but you'd probably be paying a Higher Fare since the Revenue Sleepers are Sold Out. Supply and Demand!
> ...


You might want to double check this, you are changing Cars on short notice and also new rules now apply when it comes to situations like this so close to departure.
Might be lucky but only the Computer knows!


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## Devil's Advocate (Mar 5, 2018)

Bob Dylan said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> > Bob Dylan said:
> ...


Based on countless threads about this is the past it would appear that there is no way to change the room without having the reservation system reprice the ticket. If the current bucket is higher than the original bucket this will generate a new balance due. The reservations agent will then have to manually adjust the price back to the original fare. Naturally they do not want to do this (and in all likelihood are _trained_ not to do this) unless and until a manager tells them to. However, with the ever more restrictive ticket change rules this may no longer be possible if managers follow everything exactly.


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## cpotisch (Mar 8, 2018)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> > cpotisch said:
> ...


Wow, that's surprising. I've called to change room numbers a couple times recently, and they never charged me anything.


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## Lonestar648 (Mar 8, 2018)

I have also called to "Modify" my reservation by changing room numbers. Yes, some agents try to reprice the reservation, but I ask for a Supervisor or an experienced agent who never have a problem completing the modification and not charging me. The only change I found is that the mobile APP only displays the reservation, any changes or cancellations have to be done by an agent.


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## Devil's Advocate (Mar 8, 2018)

Lonestar648 said:


> I have also called to "Modify" my reservation by changing room numbers. Yes, some agents try to reprice the reservation, but I ask for a Supervisor or an experienced agent who never have a problem completing the modification and not charging me. The only change I found is that the mobile APP only displays the reservation, any changes or cancellations have to be done by an agent.


Having changed several rooms of my own, and having read hundreds of change threads here on the forum, I don't think the agent is going out of their way to _cause_ a reprice. I think the reservations system is simply repricing the ticket by default anytime a room is changed. At which point the agent is naturally reluctant to modify the price the computer says is correct. Can you really blame them? I'd be reluctant as well. The only problem I have with it is that they are sometimes extremely resistant to involve a manager, even when asked directly by the passenger, and when that happens I can no longer defend their actions (or lack thereof).


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## cpotisch (Mar 10, 2018)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Lonestar648 said:
> 
> 
> > I have also called to "Modify" my reservation by changing room numbers. Yes, some agents try to reprice the reservation, but I ask for a Supervisor or an experienced agent who never have a problem completing the modification and not charging me. The only change I found is that the mobile APP only displays the reservation, any changes or cancellations have to be done by an agent.
> ...


I do find that surprising. Changing a room number really just results in a slightly different e-ticket and a different manifest for the SCA. I have changed rooms a couple times recently, and even though the fare had changed, the agent never even mentioned any charge. It was just "Are there any roomettes left in car 9710?" "Yes. Room 5 is available." And that was that. It seems that, as usual, Amtrak isn't exactly consistent at everything.


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