Douglas Mason <douglas@wybbs.mi.org> (05/01/91)
Patrick - Since you have one of the RS handheld cellulars, I was wondering what your opinion is of them. I don't live too far away from you (across the big 'ol pond) and the prices around here have been in the $299 range for the RS handheld. One of the local cell shops sells a Motorolla (can't remember the model) at only $299 as well. Looks identical to the RS model, except for it has an actual LED display (rather than LCD) and is white in color. What has actual street use been like for your RS? What is battery life and talk time like? What accessories do you have or does it come with? I would appreciate any information you can give. Since this is a personal purchase, I would normally look to misc.consumers, but I caught that you owned the model I was interested in and I've respected your opinion in the past. Thanks for your time and your work in comp.dcom.telecom. Sincerely, Doug Mason - Network Admin douglas@wybbs.mi.org ITM Corporation douglas%wybbs@sharkey.umich.edu Grand Rapids, Michigan ..sharkey.cc.umich.edu!wybbs!douglas [Moderator's Note: The Radio Shack CT-301 in on sale here now also for $299. When I bought it the price was quite a bit higher. The battery life for me has typically been 12-13 hours at a time, with each five minutes of calling decreasing the battery life by about an hour. It takes one hour to charge completely, however I've had to replace the battery pack twice in the thirteen months I've had the phone due to the battery going bad and not holding a charge. In a densely populated urban area with cell sites close together, the choice of antenna is unimportant. You can use the one that comes with the unit or get one of the 'low-profile' 1/8 wave antennas -- a little stub like thing about a half-inch long -- if desired. Don't let them sell you one of the 'five db gain' jobs ... they are totally a waste of money in an urban area. If you plan to roam a lot, then you might need a better quality antenna. Overall, I like the unit and the performance is pretty good. Thanks for your comments about the Digest. PAT]