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  1. #11
    Site Sponsor Scousers's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Second Chance View Post
    The 8800L is still the best 4G LTE hotspot on the market (by heads and shoulders on most of the cellular and connectivity sites). Bars are not everything. Signal strength is only one (and not the major) part of what kind of service you get with a hotspot. Signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and the bandwidth on the tower are just as - if not more - important. If the 8800L is still serving you well, don't go chasing bars by throwing money at it. There a long story behind the quote, but a young British water engineer I knew in Africa would put on his best John Wayne impersonation (funny to watch) and say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

    Rob

    Edit/PS: are you using a timer on the charger so it's not charging 24/7? I just replace the battery for the first time after 3-1/2 years by reducing the charging time.
    Not using a timer, I know I should!

    If the engineer was a Brit he must know what he is talking about!

    The issue is mostly bandwidth.

  2. #12
    Site Sponsor Scousers's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Second Chance View Post
    Another afterthought... there's a firmware update available for the 8800L - have you done that? (I just did within the past couple of weeks).

    Rob
    I will try the update and let you know

  3. #13
    Site Team Second Chance's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scousers View Post
    Not using a timer, I know I should!

    If the engineer was a Brit he must know what he is talking about!

    The issue is mostly bandwidth.
    Unfortunately, bandwidth is the tower - not the hotspot. I spent sales tax on a little experiment a few weeks ago and ordered a T-Mobile 5G hotspot (100GB plan for $50/month). The coverage map showed we were in the ultra-capacity area for T-Mobile... NOT. The speeds I got with the 5G hotspot were the same as I'm getting the 4G LTE 8800L. T-Mobile has a "buyer's remorse" period, so I returned it and cancelled the plan.

    Rob
    U.S. Army Retired
    2012 F350 DRW CC LB Lariat PS 6.7
    2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes,
    Sailun LRG tires, solar, DP windows, W/D
    (Previously in a Reflection 337RLS)
    Full time since 08/2015

  4. #14
    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Second Chance View Post
    Another afterthought... there's a firmware update available for the 8800L - have you done that? (I just did within the past couple of weeks).

    Rob
    Thanks for the info Rob....I just updated mine too.
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
    2018 Momentum 394M...Heavily Modded!
    2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT+
    Excessive Payload is a Wonderful Thing

    "If it ain't fast....It ain't Fun"

  5. #15
    Big Traveler
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    Quote Originally Posted by Second Chance View Post
    Unfortunately, bandwidth is the tower - not the hotspot. I spent sales tax on a little experiment a few weeks ago and ordered a T-Mobile 5G hotspot (100GB plan for $50/month). The coverage map showed we were in the ultra-capacity area for T-Mobile... NOT. The speeds I got with the 5G hotspot were the same as I'm getting the 4G LTE 8800L. T-Mobile has a "buyer's remorse" period, so I returned it and cancelled the plan.

    Rob
    We tried Tmobile once and had a PIA experience trying to cancel our contract with them. Had to get a lawyer involved in order to cancel a 3 day old contract because Tmobile refused to do so even after we had negotiated a cancel (if it did not work) with them about their great access claim in our area prior to signing. The reason for legal involvement was, after canceling, they sent a negative report to each credit bureau and claimed the contract was never canceled and was unpaid for several months after..... what a screwed up unwarranted mess!!! Could only imagine how many other dissatisfied customers they did that too.... Buyers remorse? You better believe it!

    Never would we ever recommend them as a cell service provider even if they were the last and only cell tower based provider, or, had a terabyte download speed in our area..... would pay more for a sat phone before ever going with them!
    Jim and Annette
    2019 Reflection 150 295RL
    US Army Veteran
    Missouri (AKA Misery)

  6. #16
    Site Team Second Chance's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by trailrydr View Post
    We tried Tmobile once and had a PIA experience trying to cancel our contract with them. Had to get a lawyer involved in order to cancel a 3 day old contract because Tmobile refused to do so even after we had negotiated a cancel (if it did not work) with them about their great access claim in our area prior to signing. The reason for legal involvement was, after canceling, they sent a negative report to each credit bureau and claimed the contract was never canceled and was unpaid for several months after..... what a screwed up unwarranted mess!!! Could only imagine how many other dissatisfied customers they did that too.... Buyers remorse? You better believe it!

    Never would we ever recommend them as a cell service provider even if they were the last and only cell tower based provider, or, had a terabyte download speed in our area..... would pay more for a sat phone before ever going with them!
    I sure hope my cancellation turns out better than that!!!

    Rob
    U.S. Army Retired
    2012 F350 DRW CC LB Lariat PS 6.7
    2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes,
    Sailun LRG tires, solar, DP windows, W/D
    (Previously in a Reflection 337RLS)
    Full time since 08/2015

  7. #17
    Site Sponsor Scousers's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Second Chance View Post
    Another afterthought... there's a firmware update available for the 8800L - have you done that? (I just did within the past couple of weeks).

    Rob
    I have done the update, will see if it makes a difference.

    Although we still carry around the satellite dish on the roof we have dumped DirecTV at home and on the road and now use YouTube TV for half the price and more content as well as a better picture. The buffering can be annoying at times but it seems to be mainly when watching mainstream programs like on Paramount Plus.

    We also found a way round the HOME locality on YouTube so we can watch our home stations while in Colorado.

    Thanks for the info everyone

    Len

  8. #18
    Site Sponsor ajg617's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by trailrydr View Post

    Never would we ever recommend them as a cell service provider even if they were the last and only cell tower based provider, or, had a terabyte download speed in our area..... would pay more for a sat phone before ever going with them!
    Different carrier just as frustrated. Forget data - can't make/receive phone calls, SMS texts fail, MMS texts don't go to entire distro, incoming calls go straight to voicemail and phone never rings, neighbor gets free extender which blocks all calls from half my house (not even a 911 call could go out but that at least got me an extender to overpower the neighbors extender after a PUC complaint - legal would have been next). Been with them 25 years and before that Bell Atlantic mobile, Nynex mobile, etc.

    Now we find out many of our friends and family are having same issues and per tier 2, it's a network issue with phones not properly authenticating which keeps recurring and they don't know why. Pretty basic when you can't use your phone as a phone. Oh, and for 5 years we've been on a plan that cost us $60/month more than we should have been paying but we should still buy new phones. Yeah.

    So we signed up with T-Mobile over 55 in March for 70/month both of us including taxes and two new phones. Best coverage from New England to South Dakota with only Southern IL exception.
    Robin & John
    2020 Ram 3500 LB SRW 4WD Crew Laramie 6.7HO Aisin, 55gal Titan
    2022 Solitude 310GK-R - Dual pane, factory solar & Onan, 8K axles with discs, 18K GVWR, W/D, Heat Pump, Goosebox, Battleborn

    2023 stays

  9. #19
    Seasoned Camper
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scousers View Post
    I was looking at the Waveform products....About $250
    I have a Waveform and am pretty happy with it. Not perfect, but it does help.

    I need a new setup so I can get it above the roof.

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