Cell phones

SGT HULKA

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2012
Messages
2
Can anyone tell me how often plebes/cadets are allowed to use their cell phone? It seems I read somewhere its limited to Sundays during indoc. But I was mainly wondering about the rest of the year. I was considering getting my DS an Iphone for graduation so that we could facetime but if the use is very restricted it probably wouldnt be worth it.

Also does anyone know if wireless networks are present on campus and whether Facetime & similars apps are allowed for use on them?

Just trying to think of ways we can stay in contact once he's gone. Thanks
 
Phones get taken away during indoc. No big problem because there is no real time to use them.:) They get them back on sundays for a set time..I belive it was mid afternoon and it was for about 5 minutes (maybe less) They got the phones back at some point, a few months down the road. (again time confuses me) Reception is spotty on campus. My DS has an iphone (graduation gift as well) and lives on the thing, when he has the time.
 
I have an Iphone here on Campus, and the service inside the barracks is terrible, not sure why but it is decent outside of the barracks where you can probably pick up the 3G and do facetime
 
... the service inside the barracks is terrible, not sure why but it is decent outside of the barracks where you can probably pick up the 3G and do facetime

Reception on campus inside the barracks is terrible for two reasons:

1) Basic signal strength is mediocre at best because of the location of KP in relation to the nearest cell site and the low population density in and around the villiage of Kings Point means it doesn't make a lot of economic sense to put the kind of repeaters and points of presence that would be allowed by zoning in the area (pico-cells).

2) The building construction is steel frame and granite block. The granite block really attenuates pretty much any signals you do have in the area so that's why you pretty much have to hang out the windows to get good signal strength.

Now if you took a pico-cell radio and repeater at the right frequency, put it on the World's tallest un-guyed flag pole and got it connected into the Verizon Network you guys could have some sweet 4G and/or LTE coverage all around campus. (Something like this http://www.airspan.com/products/air4g/), though I don't think this company's products are certified at this time by Verizon for inclusion on their network, if they aren't one of their competitors is.)

Of course if you could get MARAD permission to do that, then you could probably get permission to use the flag pole for other revenue producing tower rental uses and a 180 height tower at that location so close to NYC would command lease rates that could possibly be the highest in the world for Antenna Tower space.

Not a sermon, just a thought... yes it's a joke other than paragraphs 1 and 2...:cool:
 
Jasperdog clearly has considered this before. :rolleyes:
Sounds like an idea worth discussing but then it would have to be called the Verizon Flag Pole. It may lose some respect amongst other flag poles as a cel out !:yllol: cel out get it!
 
Actually, the lack of constant connectivity will be good training for when the youngsters get out to sea. Although I imagine that there is still somewhat better communications than when I was at sea, and certainly during the dark ages of my Sea Year. Myself? I kind of liked the isolation. Probably why I sailed for several years.
 
[FONT=&quot]
Myself? I kind of liked the isolation. Probably why I sailed for several years.
I remember that isolation too.. wasn't it great! You probably recall the 'wireless operator' listening for the ships call sign sent in Morse from KPH or WCC coast radio stations alerting us that we had incoming message traffic.
Although I imagine that there is still somewhat better communications than when I was at sea, and certainly during the dark ages of my Sea Year.
The communications nowadays are WAY better than when we started in the business that's for sure. My son who is currently 3rd mate on a Maersk containership just told me they are going to be getting 24/7 high speed internet access via satellite here within the next couple weeks.. We're certainly light years from those old telegraph keys and clattering telex machines. :wink:[/FONT]
 
Looking to upgrade

It's time for us to upgrade our M/N's phone. Found out AT&T gives a 15%
military discount. My Husband travels & finds that his AT&T phone gets
service in places others don't. Anyone else had a good experience with them?? They said it is a simple call to Customer Service to upgrade to Global Messaging when they go to sea.
 
It's time for us to upgrade our M/N's phone. Found out AT&T gives a 15%
military discount. My Husband travels & finds that his AT&T phone gets
service in places others don't. Anyone else had a good experience with them?? They said it is a simple call to Customer Service to upgrade to Global Messaging when they go to sea.
baxted can probably give you better details than I can, but we have had good experiences with AT&T overseas, both in our own travels and with DS on Sea Year. Plus, DS had better cell reception in Saudi Arabia than he does at KP.:shake:
 
[FONT=&quot] I remember that isolation too.. wasn't it great! You probably recall the 'wireless operator' listening for the ships call sign sent in Morse from KPH or WCC coast radio stations alerting us that we had incoming message traffic. The communications nowadays are WAY better than when we started in the business that's for sure. My son who is currently 3rd mate on a Maersk containership just told me they are going to be getting 24/7 high speed internet access via satellite here within the next couple weeks.. We're certainly light years from those old telegraph keys and clattering telex machines. :wink:[/FONT]

Sparks? Yeah, I remember him. Always a little odd, but well, an okay guy.

24/7 high speed internet at sea? Where is the fun of coming back in to port and wondering if WWIII started in your absence?

Oh, I guess we have hijacked this thread. I am sorry. Back to your normal conversation. . . .
 
Being an old lady myself, I find the hijacked threads the most interesting...

But back to the original question, plebe candidates are not allowed to use their phones the first Sunday of Indoc. It is not until the second Sunday (about ten days into Indoc) that they will be allowed that precious 5-minute call. Yes it is timed and they will be outdoors standing at attention while talking. After Indoc, they still do not get their phones except for 15-30 minutes each Sunday. Of course if someone in their company messes up, the entire company can lose phone privileges. The team leader is the one who collects the phones and holds them. Your experience may vary depending on how hardcore your team leader is. You will probably get to have your phone over three day weekends when your team leader is gone and you are not allowed liberty. You will get your phone back when the class is recognized.

The reception is not great for any carrier. Many calls are made with mids sitting next to the window or even out in the rain to get good reception. It is good training for sea year when communication is unpredictable depending on the ship and the geographical location. Enjoy your time now. I assure you that you will miss being able to talk whenever you want to.
 
I phone

I was considering getting my DS an Iphone for graduation so that we could facetime but if the use is very restricted it probably wouldnt be worth it.

SGT HULKA- my 2 cents: get your DS the I Phone. We did the same last year. Make SURE to get an Otter Box for the protection of the phone, tho- I recommend black or a dark color for the Otter Box. My DS uses his I Phone music when he works out- (his sisters dowloaded music for him before we mailed it off to him during INDOC -- our plan didn't expire until the middle of INDOC so we had to send him up the new I Phone as soon as we were able to upgrade it- which was the middle of INDOC, and it was NOT a problem at all getting it to him). Reception is fine. Occasionall he drops a call but he just calls us back- he has learned "where to go" on campus to get better reception- during INDOC he called home and reception was fine. (WELL.... honestly tho', the first time he was able to call home, the call dropped suddenly after 2 minutes. Hubby and 3 siblings and I just looked at each other in horror with the dropped call- and many had huge tears in their eyes thinking WTF? We were so excited to hear his voice and chat with him, only to have a dropped call in the middle of a sentence? ... within a few seconds, DS was able to call us back and was able to "finish" his timed 5 minute phone call to us. (whew!) That was the only time we had a dropped call during INDOC. Best of luck to you! :thumb:
 
When my 1C was a plebe four years ago we received very few calls from him. When he would have access to his phone he would call and say "I have to talk quick, I only have one minute!" We could hear somebody in the background (probably an upperclassman) counting backwards from 60. When he called out "time!' the call was disconnected. No hi's or goodbyes.

Enjoy those few calls you receive during indoc as there probably won't be very many of them!
 
5 minute phone calls.

Plebe Candidates get to call home every Sunday during INDOC (unless their company gets in trouble and the call is "taken away" from them that week). The calls will be a 5 minute timed call. (Yes, you will hear someone in the background saying "you have 3 minutes" "you have 2 minutes" etc). Have paper and pen near your phone when DS/ DD calls because often times they will give you a "list" of things they need you to mail to them. Honestly it's more parent listening than talking, but there is plenty of time for "I love you's" and "We are proud of you" and "Hang in there..." ) Phone calls home after INDOC pick up and many parents had 45+ minute phone calls after INDOC was over with. As the year progresses, Skype is used as well as texting and phone calls home. Skype is wonderful... make sure to set up a Skype acct and know how to "do it" prior to DS / DD leaving for INDOC.
 
What aooga said :thumb: but no call the first Sunday and that is probably a good thing.
 
no call on the first Sunday

yep, forgot about that! good to mention for those parents that might be waiting by their phones that first Sunday! :rolleyes:
 
When to Skype and when not!

As the year progresses, Skype is used as well as texting and phone calls home. Skype is wonderful...

Skype is a approved product by the Dept of IT (DOIT). They will install it when requested. But for the record, Candidates, Plebe Candidates, and Plebes are not supposed to video Skype. They are allowed to audio Skype, but no video Skype until after recognition in the spring. Some do, get caught, and get the class in trouble, some don't get caught, but that still doesn't make it right. You are not supposed to video Skype until your DS/DD is accepted as a Midshipman (M/N).
 
Awesome - now we have parents trying to enforce "class rates" --- epically humorous to this career Zombo....or maybe that should have been EPICALLY... ROTFLMAO :yllol::shake::biggrin:
 
I would recommend a satelite Phone seeing how there is no cell service for an provider on campus.

-A Midshipman who loves sending texts 10 times before one actually goes through and having calls get dropped once a minute.

P.S. Dinner was awful last night.
 
Delanolover,
Isn't dinner awful most every night?
What was up with last night?
 
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