NexTel Coverage in Western Maryland

[Gilligan]

I know this is not the typical scanning question. But it is location specific, has to do w/ radio, and this is the best place I can think to ask this question. How is NexTel's coverage in western Maryland? It's very possible I could move back to Hagerstown, MD very soon and I've been thinking of signing a contract w/ NexTel. I live in a metro city (OKC) now and the coverage appears to be okay from what I hear. But I have heard that it's not so good in rural areas and western MD is not exactly a metro.

Please limit responses to these counties: Washington (MD), Franklin (PA), and Berkeley (WV). I'm basically looking for info regarding these things: 1) No signal at all, 2) Busy signal, and 3) Dropped calls. I am particularly interested in walkie-talkie coverage as well as the phone service. Thanks for any input.

 

[ianbarry]

I live in carroll county and the signal that we have here is very spoty. I also do alot of traveling around the area, and surrounding countys and I seem to have the same kind of signal. I have called Nextel several times complaining of the signal and all that they tell me is that it is the area. I hope that this helps.

 

[maus92]

Stay away from "next to hell".... unless you are somehow involved in public safety. Even then I'd go with Verizon, or if you spend significant time in WV, maybe Cingular.

CA
Annapolis

 

[organized_mayhem]

Stay away from "next to hell".... unless you are somehow involved in public safety. Even then I'd go with Verizon, or if you spend significant time in WV, maybe Cingular.

CA
Annapolis

It all really depends on where you live and where you travel to. Here in North Eastern MD (cecil county) Nextel is pretty reliable.

 

[spanner]

I live in Williamsport (Washington County).

I have no problems except (Like ALL cell users) coming down South Mountain.

I travel almost daily to the Balt/DC area to officiate, and hardly loose a call.

All of our NPS Rangers on the C&O Canal use nextels (Except for LE Ops).

Carl

I know this is not the typical scanning question. But it is location specific, has to do w/ radio, and this is the best place I can think to ask this question. How is NexTel's coverage in western Maryland? It's very possible I could move back to Hagerstown, MD very soon and I've been thinking of signing a contract w/ NexTel. I live in a metro city (OKC) now and the coverage appears to be okay from what I hear. But I have heard that it's not so good in rural areas and western MD is not exactly a metro.

Please limit responses to these counties: Washington (MD), Franklin (PA), and Berkeley (WV). I'm basically looking for info regarding these things: 1) No signal at all, 2) Busy signal, and 3) Dropped calls. I am particularly interested in walkie-talkie coverage as well as the phone service. Thanks for any input.

 

[Metro174]

I travel to Hagerstown regularly and have no problems in the area except as menioned, South Mountain.

 

[Gilligan]

Oh man, thank you guys so much for your input on this. The time is getting closer when I'll have to decide and coverage in Washington County is critical, as I may be making the move within a year or so. If it doesn't work, I effectively won't have a phone. Please keep the comments rolling as I am still trying to decide, based on service in both Washington County and here in OKC. THANKS!

 

[kb3jkc]

Depends what areas of Washington County you would be using Nextel. The general Hagerstown area is not too bad, but the Smithsburg area is very, very spotty for some reason. You can stand in one place and have no service, but walk 50 feet away and have a few bars. There are many dead spots. Like some other carriers, Nextel seems to invest the most in infrastructure in the more populated areas and along the interstates, and seems to forget about other places. If you want pretty seemless coverage throughout the counties you mention, I'd be careful before signing a contract with Nextel - maybe ask for a few weeks to try it out before being locked in for a year or two. There are better options, although you wouldn't have the "walkie talkie" ability.

 

[JESSERABBIT]

I go to Martinsburg & Hagerstown regularly via I-81. Have Cingular. Get good signals in both areas, except goes into roam when I go over Potomac bridge into Maryland. Gets good coverage in Frederick County and counties east of there I-70. I reside in West Virginia. Hope this helps some.

 

[Chris5]

Nextel is supposed to come out with the new phone that will not only receive the closet signal but when not getting a single from the normal tower it will go the sprint towers and if no signal is obtained from there then it will search for any signal. I have a friend who has the phone now as a demo due to him having a large construction company and he told me he went to a spot where you would never have a Nextel signal and he said now he gets a full signal. Could this be the turn around for Nextel?

 

[N_Jay]

http://www.smartdevicecentral.com/a...+Phone/193802_1.aspx?kc=SDRSS09069TX1K0001137

 

[Gilligan]

Nevermind... I should have read the article first.

 

[Spleen]

Wouldn't break my heart at all if Nextel pulled what few whips they had around, um, urban areas and put them on towers out in the sticks where they'd do some good....guys like you that really needed the coverage would be in great shape...

 

[maus92]

I think that Sprint plans to migrate all users to CDMA Rev A which will allow them to ditch iDen and retain the PTT functionality. It means that at least Nextel users will eventually have to upgrade their handsets .

 

[Gilligan]

Okay, I went into a Sprint store here in Oklahoma City on Saturday and tried out the ReadyLink walkie-talkie that's on the Sprint side. There was about a 3-4 second lag! Nextel had nearly no lag when I tried it out before. So if they ditch iDen (Nextel) and can still retain PTT (walkie-talkie), are you implying that they will rely completely on ReadyLink or that they will use some of the Nextel technology w/ Sprint towers? That lag is simply unacceptable!